Old Saigon Cafe Reviews

Delicious beautifully prepared food promptly served-a new favorite with generous servings and impeccable service-the plates are beautiful to the eye as well subtle spices and aromatics great vegetarian options as well

The food and presentation is excellent. The photo shows the presentation of the tofu spring rolls. Enticing. I enjoy going back to this restaurant.

Vietnamese/Asian restaurant in the former Beignet / Dickies location. PROS: Mild, fragrant, sweet broth for pho; Served pho broth from a carafe at the table; Everything was fresh; Clean kitchen viewable from dining room; Free creme brulee dessert spoon; Eager service. CONS: Small portions - only 7 very small slices of beef in my pho tai; Relatively high prices ( $9 pho, $8 banh mi ); Bland fried egg rolls and bland fish sauce; No paper napkins; Metal soup spoons.

the lettuce spring rolls were interesting, the old saigan pho was delicious; nice broth, nice meat, very good. the service was excellent. the price was good. i will come back here!

Adult family meal, trying something different. Not a Vietnamese cuisine expert, but my daughter frequents this cuisine style and had the Pho stating it was top notch. Wish we knew they did not serve alcohol, but could bring your own bottle of wine. (everyone else in the restaurant seemed to know since they had wine bottles on their tables) Overall, pretty solid food if you want something different.

Our friends introduced us to this great Vietnamese restaurant a couple of months ago, and it does not disappoint! We’ve gone 4 or 5 times in the last 2 months, and we’ve had the grilled pork spring rolls, the crab and mango spring rolls, the special artichoke appetizer, and all of these are very good. Two of my new favorite items are the mango salad and the special salmon entree with broccoli and fried rice. They provide a perfect ending to your meal by bringing a little treat consisting of a tablespoon size portion of créeme brûlée. When you finish your meal, you feel satisfied and good; not uncomfortably full. The restaurant’s kitchen is very clean and it’s a pleasure eating here as the service is good as well. Plus, you can dress casually or dress up, and it’s a really good dining experience

Our friends introduced us to this fantastic Vietnamese restaurant a few months ago, and now, we’ve found ourselves going there on a very regular basis! When there are 4-6 of us, it’s nice to be able to order several things, and these are definitely recommended: Soft spring rolls with grilled pork Soft spring rolls with crab and mango Artichokes appetizer Mango salad with shrimp Salmon with broccoli and fried rice Tilapia Beef with onions To top it off, they bring a spoonful of creme brûlée for each person at the table - thus, a nice way to have something a little sweet without feeling like you are stuffed. We love this little place run by Ha and her mother who is an amazing chef.

We have always enjoyed dining here. Nice presentation as we always orders various plates and share. Nice and friendly family run business. Good prices and nice menu unlike the typical restaurants that tend to blend with Chinese food.

I went with my husband who had never eaten any Vietnamese food. He is pretty conservative eater (think meat and potatoes). He ordered chicken (shaking chicken) and really enjoyed. The chicken got its name from being shaken a lot while cooked to give even sear. We had stellar spring rolls. I ordered bowl of vermicelli with shrimp. We will be back. Male waiter was super sweet and gave great service.

Recommend? Yes. I ordered the vegan spring rolls and the vegan pho. The spring rolls were delicious because they had fried shallots in them and I'm into that kind of thing. The peanut sauce was also good. The vegan pho... well regular restaurants never really serve a delicious vegan pho so I'm never surprised when it's more of a noodle soup than a pho. It was good, but don't expect a pho.

Terrible service. I ordered two dishes for two separate people and the woman refused to give me more than one garlic sauce to go. I told her never mind about my order and she shrugged and tossed my credit card back at me with a disdainful look on her face.I'm a major foodie and I usually bring a lot of business to restaurants that I like. These people do not deserve them because they are not there to provide a positive dining experience. The food is mediocre but we were starving and the sauce is what makes their food decent. Smh at people who would lose 20 dollars over something that is valued at .10 cents. That is not a solid business acumen and this is sadly why so many restaurants lack duration. TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS RIGHT PEOPLE because we are the ones that are vital to your success.

We like to find ethnic or regional foods as we travel. Knowing there is a large Vietnamese population in Houston, we wanted to experience something authentic. We got there just before noon and it was almost empty, but by the time we finished it was packed. Very polite service. Very clean restaurant. Food was delicious and there were options to make it as spicy/hot as you like. Good value.

This is a great place for standard Vietnamese food but they also have some unique items on the menu. Everything I've had here has been delicious and the service is consistently friendly and efficient. The owner has been here every time I've been in and that shows their commitment to a good operation. Very good place.. My highest recommendation.

Based on the good ratings of the Old Saigon Cafe, we decided to give it a try. The first thing we noticed upon entry was the absence of Asian clients. The unwillingness of people of a certain ethnic group to patronize a restaurant that serves their cuisine invariably sends me a warning sign. Nevertheless, upon being warmly greeted, we took our table and were enthusiastically led through the highlights of the menu by a young and attentive wait staff. We took his advice and placed our orders. The Vietnamese coffee shake was very good and lived up to the claims of the waiter that it is better than Starbucks. The Old Saigon spring rolls were good as well. They were refreshing and well presented. But our entrees were really disappointing. The shaking beef was cloyingly sweet. The high heat of the work had burnt the sugars in the sweet sauce giving the dish an acrid taste. The spicy shredded beef with lemon grass had a similar tale as well. It was very sweet and really had no nuance. Clearly the chef was going overboard to appeal to western tastes and in doing so, losing control of his skill in this new paradigm. It is a pity, because the service, location, and ambiance of this restaurant are all good. If only they would cook true to their original cuisine and trust Houston patrons can appreciate that. The spoons of creme brulee at the end was a nice touch, but not enough to salvage the taste of poorly prepared entrees that we left with.

My husband and I are regular to this place since they opened early this year. The Pho reminded me of the Pho that I had in Vietnam and their Mango Salad is amazing. Being native South East Asia and experienced plenty of authentic Asian food, it makes me very picky with Asian eatery. This place also come on the top when I want a nice meatball noodle soup. The portion is perfect for 1 person and don't have to bother with the leftover which I found in Texas, there's mentality for serving too much food and take home the rest. Pho is not meant to be half eaten and half take home. The broth is the key to Pho (same for the Japanese Ramen) hence it will taste different if it being reheated. I found the price is to the point and for people who used to paying $7 and expect 2-3 people portion of food, this is not a place for that. This is the place to give yourself a chance to enjoy appetizer, entree, and desert without feeling like you need a second tummy. I love the cream brulee idea on a spoon as it being burnt perfectly and you can enjoy it without feeling guilty. My regular order: spring rolls / tofu mango salad , beefball pho, cream brulee. They serve hot Vietnamese coffee in the morning. For those that never have the hot Vietnamese coffee, this coffee takes time, like 15 minutes to drip. There's a technique to make this and it need patience. Vietnamese coffee is not instant or fast type like starbucks. The lady owner of this place is a very lovely, hardworking, and remember every regular customers.

Wonderful pho, curries & Artichoke App is The best!! Be surprised by the perfect bite of crème brûlée that comes w/your check.

A great find. We went because of the enthusiastic reviews online and we're not disappointed. Super-fresh and flavorful food, and generous portions. We had summer rolls, coconut shrimp, egg rolls to start. The fried foods were not the slightest bit greasy, and the summer rolls had a perfect balance of ingredients. Pho had a super flavorful broth and lemongrass tofu was exceptional. Complimentary spoonfuls of creme brûlée are a genius finish.

This is a great place for tasty and inventive Vietnamese food. The food is well seasoned and fresh, and the portions are generous. The staff is so incredibly kind and welcoming, and the restaurant is bright and clean. The best part is the spoonful of creme brûlée at the end of the meal. A favorite place in my family.

Tasty with many light and healthy options. Any of the pho options are fantastic, also loved the spring rolls and artichoke appetizers. And the price is very reasonable considering how expensive most places are in the area, plan to visit any time we're in town.

What a joy to have found Old Saigon. The owner's daughter was our server and it was clear she knew her menu, knew the flavors and had extreme pride in what her family has created. We were not disappointed. We were going to try the basic spring rolls because I have an allergy to an ingredient in the house specialty rolls. No problem! She did a half/half order for us and my basic spring roll was far from basic in flavor. My spring rolls had shrimp and wonderful little crunchies which were a wonderful surprise. There are so many special things on the menu but we decided to sample some tried and true flavors to see how they did with those and then dive into something else on our next visit. I'm a vermicelli bowl person and chose the pork w/egg roll version. Old Saigon makes its own fish sauce and hot chili sauce which added to the freshness and flavor intensity...but all flavors were so incredibly fresh and outstanding. The pork had wonderful crispy edges but was filled with juicy flavor. The salad ingredients were cold and crisp which worked so well against the warm vermicelli noodles. I might have to order this again before delving into the rest of the menu but the chicken and lemongrass items are calling my name. Oh...and as a wonderful little surprise at the end...a spoonful of creme brulee...a tiny mouthful of smooth, creamy brulee with its crisp brulee'd sugar topping. Amazing. We'll be back. ...service was wonderful, water glasses were never empty, the restaurant is beautiful inside and there is an outdoor table for al fresco dining. This is a 'must go back' place.. And obviously there are regular customers because greetings were warm and families were asked about....one new dad coming in for take-out since his wife just had a baby and the whole serving staff came out to congratulate him. Love caring places like this.

Very good food great friendly service. The food was fresh and cooked quickly. Spices were wonderful. Very flavorful. Would return.

First visit to this Pho venue. I noticed that the entire clientele is Western... Nevertheless, we gave it a go. Received a warm greeting by the friendly ladies. For $9, the lunch menu is ample and you get a fresh or fried spring roll. We ordered two soups. However, a traditional Vietnamese sandwich will set you back $9, Said sandwiches cost less than $5.00 in more genuine Vietnamese venues in Houston. The broth was tasty, the rice noodle portion was generous, but a bit stingy with the fresh soup veggies. Two crème brûlée spoons were presented at the end. We enjoyed lunch, but probably will not return. Too Western.

The food is really good and the presentation is noteworthy. The manager named "Ha" oversee's every action of her staff even when all of the tables are occupied. If you are familiar with Vietnamese Cuisine, you know that there are dishes that are common among cafes. It has been my experience that Ha has managed to make them very special in taste and presentation. The place fills up for lunch. I would recommend you get there at 11:30am or after 1:00pm.

A friend told us about this restaurant. we loved it. It is Family owned and the people that work there were wonderful...welcoming and very helpful explaining the menu. We loved the food. It is my new favorite restaurant. The flavors and range of choices of food was amazing. Some nice little flavor twists. Beautiful presentations of the food We had the pineapple salad, soft spring rolls, an amazing artichoke and chicken curry. We loved the entire dinner. We got a little extra surprise when we finished...a tasting of crème Brule The restaurant was clean and very pleasant. the staff very welcoming We will be back often. Also it is BYOB another great plus

Well run, well put together place near the Galleria on a major street with absolutely innovative and delightful authentic Vietnamese food with some added twists. Artichoke rolls, or Lemon Grass Bun, amazingly presented and very tasty. Great Find!

My wife and I found this place by accident one afternoon. We tried the Curried Chicken and Pho Old Saigon soup. Both meals were excellent. We have been back several times since. The owner is always in the restaurant greeting and speaking with customers. If you are looking for excellent Vietnamese cuisine, this is the place.

Had a pho craving for lunch, and the desire for somewhere different than the usual, so took a chance on Old Saigon. So glad I did. Service was warm and welcoming, decor is nice, and everything was clean clean. Went with the lunch special of spring/egg roll and choice of eight or so different pho combinations. In a different presentation, your pho is brought tableside with a thermos flask of broth, and poured over seconds before eating. Their beef broth is really unlike most pho places I've been. The flavour. Intense beefy umami, a bit salty, but really the broth alone would have been enjoyable. The brisket in the pho? actual pieces of pulled brisket. Not a slice off, but full, meaty falling apart brisket. Absolutely delightful. Finally the spoon of creme brulee at the end is just the perfect finish. All that for $9. Absolutely part of the rotation now.

My friend and I had an excellent meal there. Bonus of bonuses: You can bring your own bottle and there is no corkage fee.

I absolutely loved the Fried egg-rolls, and their Pho'. Omg the presentation in which they bring out your soup is very unique. Normally most Vietnamese places bring the soup already put together in the bowl, which can cause the soup temperature to not be as hot as you would like your soup to be. But they actually serve it in a like steamer container (I cannot remember what it is called at the moment, but it holds hot water/broth) and it is nice and hot. I also had the Cramboulee (can't spell today) served in the spoon for desert and i loved it! I believe they said that they made it at the restaurant themselves! Great location (minus the traffic hours) and the restaurant has a nice atmosphere,. i recommend to all kinds of people!

This restaurant was referred to us by friends. It is a bit small. Nice atmosphere with kind, considerate and helpful staff. Service was very good. The young lady who I believe is the owner is very outgoing and appreciative of our visit. There were only 6 or 7 diners when we arrived but it got fairly busy. To my surprise, the food was superb and the presentation was marvelous. By the way. BYOB! We had the Vietnamese spring rolls; 1 order = 4 large ones. Also had a pineapple salad with tofu and a delicious baked artichoke. We each ordered an entree and shared both. One was Curried Chicken...perfect blend of spice. The other was a beef dish. Same. I added 3 scoops of ice cream for dessert just to keep the smile on my face frozen. $ 57.00. Highly recommend this low key and excellent dining experience.