It is a struggle to find region-specific Chinese dishes in and around Nashville, where broad Asian fusion tends to rule. Golden Lanzhou Bowls is breaking that mold by serving its traditional clear beef broth with and hand-pulled noodles, a specialty of the Lanzhou region of China. Technically located in Murfreesboro, it’s worth mentioning for the Nashvillians who are hunting traditional Chinese dishes. The menu also includes Xinjiang “big plate” chicken, a spicy dish featuring chicken, potatoes, and wide noodles in a cumin- and chili-spiced sauce. Bao, dumplings, and more are also available for takeout or dining in a sleek, modern space. 

A consistent win for casual, family-friendly dine-in or takeout, this strip mall success story in Brentwood provides stellar Sichuan food. The menu’s standard Chinese American offerings like orange chicken are done well, but make sure to branch out by ordering from the traditional side of the menu. Standouts include crispy scallion pancakes, stir-fried squid, roast pork belly with mustard greens, and chile oil-coated crispy frog legs. Many menu items list “spicy!” next to them, so order a cold tea to cool down after.

In a small strip mall on the Westerly outskirts of Nashville, China Spring has been supplying locals with Sichuan, Hunan, and Mandarin-style Chinese American staples since 1999. There aren’t many surprises on the menu here, just well-done family-style dishes like Cantonese-style lo mein, moo shu, fried rice, egg rolls, egg drop soup — served in reliably generous portions. There are a few tables available for dine-in, though taking food to go is vastly the more popular option.

Meet Noodles is a Brooklyn transplant at the southern edge of the Vanderbilt University campus dishing up blisteringly spicy bowls of Chongqing noodles, also referred to in Chinese as xiao mian. The noodles are wheat-based by default but you can sub in sweet potato or rice noodles to go with tingly Sichuan pepper and a wide variety of meats and vegetables — the perfect antidote to a cool evening. Snacks like sesame seed balls, dumplings, and takoyaki complement more than a dozen versions of the signature noodle dish.

This Hillsboro Village stop serves up a variety of steamed, boiled, and pan-fried dumplings made on the spot, seven days a week. Peruse and order from the giant digital menu with images of dumpling options, then take your meal to one of the tables in the no-frills dining room or enjoy it al fresco on the adjoining patio space. Favorites here include the curry dumplings (both beef and chicken), the peanut butter dumplings, Asian pickled cucumbers, and boba milk tea.

Although this street food chain’s menu veers toward Asian fusion, you’ll find solid renditions of Chinese BBQ pork bao, five-spice sticky ribs, chili crisp won tons, duck fried rice, and lo mein in its East Nashville location. On nice days, grab a seat on the turf-covered patio, or grab a spot at the bar to watch the action in the vibrant dining room with a pandan Old-Fashioned or beer to keep you company.

Along with baskets of fluffy bao stuffed with pork, beef, or veggies that are steamed or seared, Steam Boys serves dumplings, xiao long bao (soup dumplings), hearty noodle soups, and liters of Thai boba tea to go. The local fast-casual chain has several locations in Nashville, including the Germantown original, a Nolensville restaurant, and a stall at Broadway’s Assembly Food Hall.

This local fast-casual chain has the most styles and flavors of dumplings and bao in Nashville, hands down. Head in for baskets of fluffy bao stuffed with pork, beef, or vegetables that are steamed or seared, as well as dumplings like broth-packed xiao long bao, hearty noodle soups, and liters of Thai boba tea to go. Choose to dine in or takeout at several locations in Nashville, including the Germantown original, a Nolensville restaurant, and a stall at Broadway’s Assembly Food Hall (more are set to open throughout the region). On Tuesdays, stop by for all-you-can-eat dumplings for $20 per person; choose from pork and cabbage, vegetable, pork and shrimp, or chicken dumplings at certain locations.

While many of Nashville’s classic Chinese restaurants have closed or converted to takeout-only, China Cottage has retained its welcoming, carpeted dining room and friendly service over the past few decades. It’s located in a nondescript strip mall in deep East Nashville, where white tablecloth-covered tables are quickly loaded up with popular dishes like egg rolls, Mongolian chicken, and crab rangoon. Order a pot of hot tea to go with your meal for the full, cozy Chinatown Cottage experience.