My go-to dim sum spot in Maryland is Mai Dragon in Hanover, an unassuming strip-mall gem serving fresh har gow, siu mai, and sticky rice daily from 11am to 4pm, with rolling cart service on weekends. It’s casual, family-friendly, and moderately priced, exactly the kind of low-key place Nomsters chasing real Cantonese dim sum in Anne Arundel County should have on their list. Its quietly become my favorite dim sum in the whole state. I always tell you guys the same thing: get there right when they open, especially if you’re going on a weekend.
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What Mai Dragon Is Known For
If you’ve never done dim sum before, it’s the Cantonese tradition of small, shareable plates: steamed dumplings, buns, rolls, and little fried bites, meant to be ordered a few at a time and passed around the table. The name loosely translates to “touch the heart,” and that is exactly the vibe, a long, delicious communal meal with your favorite people.
Mai Dragon (you will also see it listed as Mai Dim Sum) is a full Cantonese restaurant, so beyond dim sum there’s a whole dinner menu, a sushi bar, big-plate Chinese dishes, noodles, and fried rice. But the dim sum’s the reason to make the drive. If you want to compare it against the city spots, I have a whole guide to where to get dim sum in Baltimore City too. You can also peek at the full Mai Dragon menu before you go.
What to Order at Mai Dragon
The beauty of dim sum is that everything is small and affordable enough to try a bunch, and most orders here land in the $4.95 to $8.45 range for three to four pieces. Here are classics I always point people toward:
- Har gow (steamed shrimp dumplings): the dim sum benchmark, plump shrimp wrapped in a thin, almost see-through skin.
- Siu mai (pork and shrimp dumplings): the open-topped, savory, juicy little cups that are a cart staple for a reason.
- Char siu bao (BBQ pork buns): sweet-savory roast pork tucked into a soft bun, done in the baked style here.
- Lo mai gai (sticky rice in lotus leaf): a warm, comforting bundle of glutinous rice with savory fillings, steamed inside a lotus leaf. So good on a cold day.
- Cheong fun (rice noodle rolls): silky steamed rice sheets rolled around shrimp, beef, or pork with a sweet soy sauce poured over.
- Pai gu and feung jeow (steamed spareribs and chicken feet): for the Nomsters who go for the real-deal cart items, these are the ones to flag down.
- Egg custard tarts and sesame balls: save a little room, because the sweet stuff’s how you close out a proper dim sum run.
Load up on a few of each and you have got a feast. Dim sum is basically the original build-your-own tasting menu, and if dumplings are your thing, it is worth pairing this trip with my roundup of the best dumplings in Maryland.
Cart Service or Order Off the Menu?
On weekends the carts do the work: servers roll them through the dining room, you point at the dishes you want, and they mark your bill card at the table. On weekdays there are no carts, so you order the same dim sum off a checklist instead. Honestly, the weekday route has its own upside, since everything is made to order and comes out fresh, but the weekend carts are the fun, chaotic, grab-it-while-it-is-hot experience most people picture.
Is Mai Dragon Good for Vegetarians?
Yes, there are plenty of vegetarian options. The rice noodle rolls come with a veggie filling, and the broader Chinese menu has vegan protein substitutes if part of your table does not eat meat. There’s definitely enough there to build a solid spread.
The Vibe
This is a big, busy, casual Cantonese dining room, not a fancy night out, and that’s the whole charm. It’s family-friendly, tables turn fast, and on weekend mornings the place packs out (4.2 stars across more than 1,500 reviews tells you people keep coming back). There’s plenty of free parking right in the plaza, so that part’s easy. And if you’re making the trip out to Hanover, it’s worth knowing the area has quietly become a low-key great food destination, so much so that I did a whole write-up on why Little Spice is a local favorite in Hanover.
Good to Know
- 📍 2647 Annapolis Rd, Hanover, MD 21076
- Dim sum served daily 11am to 4pm; rolling carts on weekends only.
- Restaurant hours: open daily 11am to 9pm (Saturday until 9:30pm).
- Mostly walk-in. Reviewers report being seated fairly quickly even on busy weekends, but get there at open on weekends to beat the rush.
- Free parking in the strip-mall lot.
- Full Cantonese dinner menu, lunch specials, and a sushi bar beyond the dim sum.
- Vegetarian rice noodle rolls and vegan protein substitutes available.
When people ask me for my go-to dim sum in Maryland, this is definitely in the top 5. It’s unassuming, it’s affordable, and the dim sum’s the real deal, especially on a weekend when the carts are rolling. Just do future-you a favor and show up right when they open. Have you guys been to Mai Dragon yet? If you have a Maryland dim sum spot you think I need to try, drop it below in the comments.