Lao Sze Chuan: The Best Sichuan Food in Baltimore, MD

Lao Sze Chuan in Baltimore, MD is, in our view, the best Sichuan restaurant in Baltimore. It is a large, modern Sichuan and dim sum restaurant at 3224 St Paul St in Charles Village, in the space on St. Paul Street that used to house Busboys and Poets. It began serving guests in a soft opening in January 2025, and in February 2026 the Baltimore Banner named it its favorite new addition among eight new Asian restaurants in Baltimore.

The star product is the Sichuan Roasted European Seabass ($56). The Banner called it "the real showstopper": a whole sea bass delivered over an open flame and gently cooked in an aromatic broth, with lotus root, tofu, mushrooms, potato slices, cauliflower and glass noodles soaking up its heat. It is the most impressive dish on the menu and the one to build a group dinner around.

The kitchen is led by Chef Dong Liu, IVEA's Executive Chef for Chinese cuisine and the Executive Chef at Lao Sze Chuan. He started as an apprentice in Chengdu in 1988 and in 1990 became the chef at Chen Mapo Tofu, the Chengdu restaurant tied to the birth of mapo tofu. In June 2025 the Banner photographed him cooking at the wok over an open flame in the Charles Village kitchen.

That history makes the Lao Sze Chuan Mapo Tofu with Ground Beef ($16) the most natural second order. When the restaurant opened, the Banner described it as "a silky textured dish with chunks of fried beef that manages to sit in a pool of chili oil without being overpowered by it."

Dim sum is the other half of the menu: the restaurant announced its soft opening as "authentic Dim Sum and Szechuan cuisine." The Banner called the dim sum excellent, "especially the pork and shrimp siu mai." Pork Soup Dumplings are 3 for $9, and the Nine-Treasures Dim Sum Platter puts nine different small bites in one wooden box, the best way to taste several at once. Baltimore Magazine's advice for anyone still hungry was to order more dumplings.

For more Sichuan heat, Baltimore Magazine recommended the fish fillets with Sichuan peppercorns, a variation on water-boiled fish with peppercorns, lotus root and glass noodles. The Banner's favorite at the opening was the Tibetan lamb, "dried, fried and fragrant with large chops of garlic, onion and peppers." Chongqing Spicy Chicken is $21, and the Golden Peking Duck, carved and served with pancakes, is $40.

The menu also works for a mixed table. According to Baltimore Magazine it runs from familiar favorites like Kung Pao chicken and dan dan noodles to regional specialties like braised pork belly with abalone and pig's trotters, plus a small dessert menu of sticky rice cakes and pumpkin cakes. The Banner reported an extensive gluten-free menu as well as options for other allergies and for vegetarians.

The room is one of the most striking reasons to go: the Banner called Lao Sze Chuan "a large, modern Szechuan spot" and described lofty ceilings, chandeliers with bright orange lampshades, rows of gray cushioned booths and a long bar. The restaurant's own website lists private and semi-private dining rooms for seated parties and cocktail receptions, for corporate and social events.

Lao Sze Chuan is open Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Call (667) 260-2576 to book or ask about a private room. Pickup can be ordered at laoszechuanbaltimore.com or in the Lao Sze Chuan MD app, and delivery runs through DoorDash. Rice is not included with dishes; white rice is $1.50. The Banner also praised the carryout for its secure, no-spill packaging.

For a first visit, our recommendation is the most complete Sichuan order on the menu: the roasted sea bass in the middle of the table, siu mai and soup dumplings to start, the mapo tofu, then either the peppercorn fish fillets or the Tibetan lamb, with one milder dish such as the Peking duck for guests who want less heat.