Little Tiger Dumplings is bringing its Northern Chinese-style dumplings and noodles to Loudoun County, with plans to take over a roughly 800-square-foot space at Cascades Overlook Town Center in Sterling. The small restaurant brand, known for its dumplings, currently operates three locations, including a kiosk in Rosslyn and a spot on I Street NW in Washington, D.C.
According to The Burn, the new Sterling location is expected to open in early 2027. The unit it plans to occupy has seen quick turnover in recent years: Doughlab, a Hawaiian-style doughnut shop, previously occupied the space before it closed, and Abbott's Frozen Custard operated there before that.
From Arlington to Sterling
Tiger Dumplings is the brand's full-service Arlington restaurant, while Little Tiger Dumplings is its smaller, quick-serve format. The Arlington restaurant opened along Washington Boulevard in Clarendon in October 2023, according to ARLnow. ARLnow reported that the Little Tiger Dumplings kiosk debuted in January 2025 inside the UPSIDE on Moore food hall in Rosslyn.
The Arlington menu has included Chengdu spicy chili oil wontons, black truffle wagyu beef dumplings, dan dan noodles and Shanghai soup dumplings, according to Northern Virginia Magazine. The Sterling menu described in The Burn's report includes chicken shiitake, shrimp celery and pork chive dumplings, along with soups, rice dishes and noodles.
What the Concepts Share—and How They Differ
According to Arlington Magazine, Tiger Dumplings chef-owner Leopold Liao was born in Inner Mongolia, lived in Beijing until age 14 and later immigrated to Arlington. The Arlington restaurant is the full-service concept, while the Rosslyn kiosk and the I Street NW location represent the smaller Little Tiger format; Sterling would extend that format into Loudoun.
According to Tiger Dumplings' official website, the brand describes its daily handmade dumplings as rooted in Northern Chinese culinary heritage. The reported Sterling menu appears narrower and more quick-service-oriented than the Arlington restaurant's reported selection, emphasizing dumplings, soups, rice dishes and noodles rather than the full range of dishes associated with the Arlington menu.
Cascades Overlook's Restaurant Turnover
The proposed Little Tiger Dumplings is one of several restaurant changes at Cascades Overlook, a Loudoun County shopping center anchored by Harris Teeter and also home to Urbano Modern Italian, Cava, Bruster's Real Ice Cream and other businesses. The center has experienced recent turnover, including the closing of Choolaah Indian BBQ in May and the departure of Chuy's, developments covered by The Burn.
The Burn has reported three planned restaurant additions at the center. Pampas Brazilian Steakhouse is planned for Cascades Overlook, while Mancha Cocina Mexicana is taking over the roughly 3,600-square-foot former Choolaah space, according to the outlet's August report. The outlet has also reported other planned additions at the property.
Why Sterling, Why Now
Cascades Overlook Town Center is a shopping center in Loudoun County, where the planned opening would add another dumpling-focused restaurant to the existing mix of fast-casual and full-service businesses.
The Sterling project remains tentative, and the available reports do not specify its permitting status, construction schedule or landlord-delivery arrangements. For now, Loudoun diners will have to wait until early 2027 for the proposed location.
