Saigon City

Love it here! Soooogood. Best Pho for a great price!!!! It's my hidden gem, but I'm moving--so I'll tell the whole world. Always great vietnamese staples: pho, vermicelli, ban mi. The broth is tasty and hits the spot on cold days. Incredible prices. We ate here all the time. Rarely a wait.

After a long night, followed by an even longer day at work, it was finally time to eat. My boyfriend picked me up and on a whim I blurted out "I want pho!" ...but where in San Mateo are we supposed to get a really pho'-king good bowl to put in our bellies? Good 'ol Google Maps put us three blockd from Saigon City and it was soooo goooood we wrote this before finishing. Pho Ga is the way to go. Will be recommending this place to my friends an family.

First time trying this place and they did not disappoint. I had the #42 vermicelli with bbq pork and spring rolls. Next time will have to try one of their Pho soups!

One of the most authentic Vietnamese places I have ever been to. Food is fresh and ridiculously delicious, prices are beyond reasonable, and even the service is perfectly authentic (down-to-business quick and efficient). Try the pho. Try the banh mi. Try the cubed beef with rice or soy drink or summer rolls. There is no wrong choice on the entire menu. Do yourself a favor and eat at Saigon City. The only regret you'll have is not coming here sooner.

I work in the area, always quick and friendly service. Food is good. Owner is great. Not a big talker but always remember my meal. Definitely recommend this spot. Very efficient spot for lunch!

Their phos are great in a different way: not salty but deep. You can enjoy natural tastes of all the ingredients. As a big fan of pho it was a eye opener. Noodles were perfect Generous portions and nice service

Authentic flavors. Kind staff. We sat down to eat. Broth flavor is amazing; I ordered the beef and tendon. Imperial rolls also excellent. Highly recommend.

It was take-out food I really liked the food. Good taste and quality

Great flavors and variety at this family-owned Vietnamese restaurant just a block away from busy downtown San Mateo. Pickup is fast and efficient, with designated sections for whatever ordering service you might be using to order.

I had a bowl of pho and a banh mi sandwich. The place is clean and service was attentive as well friendly. The pho started as an unremarkable bowl but really good pho increases in flavor until scraping the bottom of the bowl is spoon after spoon of intense essence. I personally enjoy how at furst the pho is flavorful but seems a little thin and needing salt. Half way through everything is balanced abd by the end any seasoning at the beginning is amplified. The banh mi was excellent. The bread was crunchy, chewey, puffy, and perfect. The sandwich was a substantial size but I should have ordered two. I would go back and recommend this place for family and friends if they are in the area.

Great small family run place. Prices are definitely reasonable (especially for the portion sizes!) and the quality of food is great. Their imperial rolls are my favorite item so far.

I have been coming here for years. One of the best spots in San Mateo. The imperial rolls and the hot and sour soup is my favorite.

What a great place little place to eat. I have been coming here for over 15 years and this place has always been amazing. Always treated so well and the food is incredible and the service is always spot on 👍👍

We had the pho xe lua because it's that kind of day. It was delicious. The rice stick was thinner than I'm used to seeing but they got it just right. Never once did it break - nothing ruins pho like overcooked noodles. And lots of noodles, too. Thank you Mr or Mrs chef. If I were to complain about anything, it's that they used great cuts of meat for the tendon that there just weren't that many pieces of it. What tendon there was, though, was maybe the best I've ever had.

My favorite Vietnamese spot in the Bay Area. Food is delicious, very reasonably priced. We quickly became friends with the staff, my favorites are the clay pot with brown rice and the garlic shrimp noodles.

Had the rare beef pho. Best I've had on the peninsula and I've tried many. Good ratio of noodles to broth and plenty of meat. Broth is what makes a good pho for me and this was full bodied and delicious without to much cinnamon.

Best restaurant in the world!!! Their portions are always huge and their flavor is unmatched. It’s very homey and comforting inside too.

The SO works in san mateo and me being preggers had the worst craving for Bahn Mi. So he suggested this place since it was super close to his work and he could pick it up on the way home. I ordered the BBQ beef sammie and also the Imperial roll vermicelli (rice noodle) dish. Usually when I order the latter at places they put 2 small cut up rolls but here they put 3-4 rolls and every bite is so delish!!! This has become my weekly go to place. I highly recommend.!

Best deal in town for consistently great Vietnamese food. Try the imperial rolls for sure, the rice plates one being the lemon grass chicken and fantastic Pho. Highly recommend.

Fantastic staff, delicious food. The Saigon style potstickers are a favorite in my family, along with the crispy rice noodle.

Great place for Vietnamese comfort food. I always get the Saigon City Clay Pot special with the BBQ Pork rice paper wrap (make your own spring rolls). Service is great and the food is always consistently fantastic.

One of the Peninsula’s best Vietnamese restaurants. Saigon City passes the test for authenticity with their imperial rolls - flaky, crispy, deep fried but not greasy. The selection of other dishes reflect the chef’s passion for fresh, quality ingredients made with tradition in mind. My recommendation: imperial rolls, barbecue pork banh mi, and the pork chop with (broken) rice

Just love, love, love this OG place. My daughter's most favorite meal is #20 - chicken noodle soup. I like bringing the sandwiches to park potlucks. Grilled pork is bomb. Always a treat to come here for dine-in or to-go.

Staff was friendly and pho Tai (rare beef flank) was on point! This is the best pho place I have been to in San Mateo. They have the bean sprouts, jalapenos, basil, and lemon to go with the pho unlike Pho Element. Go there for the food you won't be disappointed.

Placed my order over the phone and the woman was very nice. 10 to 15 minutes and my order would be ready for pick up. Got there and my order was ready for pick up. Paid at the counter and happily walked out with my food that smelled so delicious I could hardly wait. 🥢 Location of this place is a little tricky, but it is accessible and finding parking was pretty easy. The quality of the food was impeccable. I was so extremely happy with the amount of food I received for what I paid. The flavors and preparation of the dishes I ordered was so satisfying and delicious. I look forward to dining here again when I am in San Mateo. 😋

I have been coming here for years. It hasn’t changed much and they try to keep the price reasonable in this inflation rate. I love their pho’s beef broth (and all other soup base) It’s such comfort food - especially when you’re under the weather. Everything is fresh and well prepared. Lots of vegetarian options is a huge plus.

I’ve been here maybe half a dozen times and every single thing we’re tried was excellent.

Great experience at Saigon City this afternoon! Came for lunch and left impressed. Family-friendly, great service, and the food was delicious. Owners were quite attentive and helpful, and sparked friendly conversation with our table. 10/10 would come back again.

If you enjoy using your hands, get the "grilled pork balls" appetizer. I've been coming here for longer than I can remember and this is my favorite dish. You get a bowl of hot water, a stack of rice paper wraps (still hard), a plate of rice noodles shaped into small patties with the pork "balls" (they are not balls, they've been pressed flat and grilled) on top, with sliced scallion and peanuts on top, and a plate of lettuce, cucumber, shredded radish and carrot, and cilantro, and a dish of a fish sauce based sauce, and another dish of peanut sauce. Soften the rice wrap in the hot water, then load it up with a little of everything and some hot sauce and enjoy!! It's so good! And really fun.

This has been a fave for DECADES. Always great food, never fails. It's what one expects from a home town restaurant that has roots in the neighborhood. I don't even have to order - they know my thing :) As far as I'm concerned, when it comes to imperial rolls, its a toss up between one other Vietnamese restaurant for taking the gold. It's not a big place, but they'll accommodate groups. Parking is always a challenge (paid/metered street parking only), but it's worth it.

Busy Vietnamese restaurant. Big menu with many tasty options, variety of soups, noodles, sandwiches, rice dishes. We had to wait over 15 minutes for our order, but it was a busy lunch rush. After hat our food was delivered promptly. Food was delicious.

My husband and I are vegetarian and went to eat here on Saturday around 11:30. We greatly appreciated the separate section for vegetarian food on the menu. We found plenty of street parking so that was convenient. We ordered fresh rolls, sweet and sour noodle soup and yellow noodles. We had mistakenly thought that the soup was an appetizer and were trying to order another entree, but we were told that the 3 items would most probably be enough for 2 people. We greatly appreciated that tip! The portions were generous and we came out full to bursting :) We really loved the food and the service. The flavors were wonderful!

The X-Large Pho Xe Lua was a perfect size for two adults and it was absolutely delicious! We also ordered two Bánh Mì for lunch tomorrow. This restaurant has fantastic service and fair prices. We'll definitely be back. Thank you!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

One of the few Vietnamese restaurants in the San Mateo area. + Great service, everyone is caring and welcoming. + Good amount of food for the price. + Good atmosphere. Real glass for water. * Food tastes fine. Not the best Pho I had, but still okay.

One of the few older Pho places still around serving the stuff from 20 years ago. Old mom and pop styles. Not like that fusion gentrified garbage. Its lively and simple in there. Decent prices with quality food.

First time to try their food. I ordered grilled beef with vermicelli and rice paper. It was a big portion and tasty served with a full plate of fresh veggies which I really love it. The beef was not too oily as other Vietnamese food restaurants. Also, it’s not pricey at all. Compared with other places, this dish could be more than $20 . Thank you for the waiter to recommend me the good option and the lady who might be the owner is so kind. She saw me really enjoyed with fresh veggies, she even offered me another plate. While, the other restaurants charged more for veggies. Seeing the place outside, it doesn’t look modern and outstanding but I think it’s a hidden gem for authentic Vietnamese food from Saigon cuisine. I saw them expanding new eating area soon. So, the restaurant will look newer and more space. Only one thing I wouldn’t be happy is the cleanliness of restroom since it’s used for both women and men. 👍👍👍

It’s a little crowded even though it’s 4pm on Thursday—many takeout orders. Very authentic Vietnamese I think. Their Vietnamese fresh spring roll was awesome 👏 Would like to visit again to try other foods. The tricky part is no parking around the place. You need to find a public street parking.

They serve authentic pho. Nice and friendly service. I was waiting for my friend in front of the restaurant 15 minutes before they open. They let me in because outside was cold. So nice!

Got there just as the opened on Sunday. Very friendly service and just quick enough! I had a pork banh mi and my partner had the chicken curry both were absolutely exploding with flavor, absolutely delicious! I also had to get a Vietnamese coffee and it was amazing. I will absolutely be coming back here and I highly recommend it to you.

Best Vietnamese cuisine in the peninsula! I have been visiting this place since 1997 and their food is consistently GOOD! No ups and downs, always the same quality, excellent service, and super affordable prices! Owned and Operated by the same family for over 25 years!! Want to enjoy real Vietnamese food? This is the place you what to come! stop by this place, always packed of repeated clients! Plenty of public parking lots around the place!! My favorite dish: 5 spices BBQ chicken!! The Best!!!!!!! Tip: want to avoid lunch rush hrs, be at the door at 11am to get a nice seat!

We had excellent fried spring rolls, sandwich, crepe, grilled pork on rice noodles, and beef noodle soup. Friendly service.

Located just outside of downtown San Mateo, this restaurant delivers consistently good food and neighborly service. In particular, the fresh shrimp spring rolls and pho are recommended. Menu item #56 is a reliable go-to rice plate with imperial (i.e., deep fried) rolls and meat choice (beef, pork, or chicken). The interior has probably not changed for 30 years. Very hole-in-the-wall vibe. Prices were updated recently, but still a good value.

Good overall was delicious, and service was good, the woman is very friendly. They can get very busy and the kitchen backed up at times

Classic, authentic, high-quality Vietnamese at a great price. I love the Bun Bo Hue soup (pictured) here - the portions are generous and it has the right level of spice. It is busy here, but turnarounds are quick. Great for small groups and solo diners.

Ryoko Kobayashi

They serve authentic pho. Nice and friendly service. I was waiting for my friend in front of the restaurant 15 minutes before they open. They let me in because outside was cold. So nice!

L

It’s a little crowded even though it’s 4pm on Thursday—many takeout orders. Very authentic Vietnamese I think. Their Vietnamese fresh spring roll was awesome 👏 Would like to visit again to try other foods. The tricky part is no parking around the place. You need to find a public street parking.

Lee

First time to try their food. I ordered grilled beef with vermicelli and rice paper. It was a big portion and tasty served with a full plate of fresh veggies which I really love it. The beef was not too oily as other Vietnamese food restaurants. Also, it’s not pricey at all. Compared with other places, this dish could be more than $20 . Thank you for the waiter to recommend me the good option and the lady who might be the owner is so kind. She saw me really enjoyed with fresh veggies, she even offered me another plate. While, the other restaurants charged more for veggies. Seeing the place outside, it doesn’t look modern and outstanding but I think it’s a hidden gem for authentic Vietnamese food from Saigon cuisine. I saw them expanding new eating area soon. So, the restaurant will look newer and more space. Only one thing I wouldn’t be happy is the cleanliness of restroom since it’s used for both women and men. 👍👍👍

Grady Stoimenov

Got there just as the opened on Sunday. Very friendly service and just quick enough! I had a pork banh mi and my partner had the chicken curry both were absolutely exploding with flavor, absolutely delicious! I also had to get a Vietnamese coffee and it was amazing. I will absolutely be coming back here and I highly recommend it to you.

NeryG

Best Vietnamese cuisine in the peninsula! I have been visiting this place since 1997 and their food is consistently GOOD! No ups and downs, always the same quality, excellent service, and super affordable prices! Owned and Operated by the same family for over 25 years!! Want to enjoy real Vietnamese food? This is the place you what to come! stop by this place, always packed of repeated clients! Plenty of public parking lots around the place!! My favorite dish: 5 spices BBQ chicken!! The Best!!!!!!! Tip: want to avoid lunch rush hrs, be at the door at 11am to get a nice seat!

Jack L

We had excellent fried spring rolls, sandwich, crepe, grilled pork on rice noodles, and beef noodle soup. Friendly service.

Gary Ogasawara

Located just outside of downtown San Mateo, this restaurant delivers consistently good food and neighborly service. In particular, the fresh shrimp spring rolls and pho are recommended. Menu item #56 is a reliable go-to rice plate with imperial (i.e., deep fried) rolls and meat choice (beef, pork, or chicken). The interior has probably not changed for 30 years. Very hole-in-the-wall vibe. Prices were updated recently, but still a good value.

Adamo Stivala

Good overall was delicious, and service was good, the woman is very friendly. They can get very busy and the kitchen backed up at times

Cesar Rufo

Classic, authentic, high-quality Vietnamese at a great price. I love the Bun Bo Hue soup (pictured) here - the portions are generous and it has the right level of spice. It is busy here, but turnarounds are quick. Great for small groups and solo diners.

I’ve been to this restaurant awhile ago, almost a decade ago. Food was not good. So I never came back again. Swore I wouldn’t come back again. I had been wanting Vietnamese food a few times now. I went to Pho Element, that place turned out not good at all. So I thought it’s been sooo long since I’ve been back here, I should give it another chance. I got these to go: - Bun Rieu (for me) - Beef and tendon Pho (for the husband) - and an appetizer, Banh Hoi Tom mia All 3 dishes were surprisingly delicious! The noodles were separated from the broth and half cooked, which was awesome of them to do. That way, when I got home, I still had time to reboil the broth and they wouldn’t get soggy or stick together. I was able to fully cook the noodles with the reboiled broth. Tasted as if it were brought to me at the restaurant. So good! The appetizer was also really good. They gave us a full bag of veggies, which was also awesome! Didn’t skimp! Service, was as expected, mug faces. But that’s usually how it is. That does not bother me. As long as the food is good, I’m good! Aside from mug faces, the food was ready for me as soon as I got there. Took me about 10 min to arrive. The person that helped me was nice. Before I paid, he said, “let me go check to make sure if your food is ready.” It was. The person that took my order on the phone, was there as well. She said “thank you for coming.” That was nice. I’m very happy that they stepped up their game. I’m definitely coming back again! Thank you, Saigon City Rest for upping your game, cooking delicious food! Please keep it up! You are my only go-to for Vietnamese food when I’m missing home-cooked meals! ❤️💯🫶🏼👏🏻🥰

Hieu Phan

I’ve been to this restaurant awhile ago, almost a decade ago. Food was not good. So I never came back again. Swore I wouldn’t come back again. I had been wanting Vietnamese food a few times now. I went to Pho Element, that place turned out not good at all. So I thought it’s been sooo long since I’ve been back here, I should give it another chance. I got these to go: - Bun Rieu (for me) - Beef and tendon Pho (for the husband) - and an appetizer, Banh Hoi Tom mia All 3 dishes were surprisingly delicious! The noodles were separated from the broth and half cooked, which was awesome of them to do. That way, when I got home, I still had time to reboil the broth and they wouldn’t get soggy or stick together. I was able to fully cook the noodles with the reboiled broth. Tasted as if it were brought to me at the restaurant. So good! The appetizer was also really good. They gave us a full bag of veggies, which was also awesome! Didn’t skimp! Service, was as expected, mug faces. But that’s usually how it is. That does not bother me. As long as the food is good, I’m good! Aside from mug faces, the food was ready for me as soon as I got there. Took me about 10 min to arrive. The person that helped me was nice. Before I paid, he said, “let me go check to make sure if your food is ready.” It was. The person that took my order on the phone, was there as well. She said “thank you for coming.” That was nice. I’m very happy that they stepped up their game. I’m definitely coming back again! Thank you, Saigon City Rest for upping your game, cooking delicious food! Please keep it up! You are my only go-to for Vietnamese food when I’m missing home-cooked meals! ❤️💯🫶🏼👏🏻🥰

Decent pho place in Downtown San Mateo. I think the pho here is better than Gao. This restaurant is underrated and not too crowded. The prices are decent.

Small hole in the wall type place with a take out counter next door. Order came out wrong the first time but it was quickly fixed. The service overall wasn't stellar but the food made up for it. Bread for the Banh Mi was just the right kind: crunchy outside and soft inside.

Had BBQ chicken pho and seafood pho here. The food was good but the broth flavor is not deep enough for us. The service was fast so it would be a great place for a fast meal.

Their foods are ok but not like stunning impressive. The restaurant is quite cozy and friendly. Their price is reasonable but don't expect large portion. The waitresses are friendly too.

This place is a hidden gem. 3 stars for the food I tried, but value punches it up to 4 stars. I got a bbq pork banh mi and the fresh prawn roll. I love my banh mis with jalapeño and mayo, and even better, when there's pate. This banh mi had none of those things. It was dry bread with just pork, carrots, and cilantro. That said, it was satisfying. The pork was some of the best I've had on a banh mi and the sandwich was perfectly crunchy. I wish there was more to it, but the sandwich cost $4.50, which is pretty damn amazing. The fresh prawn roll was just ok. A lot of noodle, not a lot of shrimp, and it needed something like mint to brighten it up. The peanut sauce was good, lots of fresh peanut, though the consistency and color made me think there was a lot of something syrupy or sweet in it, like honey. The pho and vermicelli dishes looked incredible, and I'm sure this is the way to go. It was hot out the day I stopped in, so I didn't want a hot meal, but I'd love to come back and try those.

Good imperial rolls but too much taro & very little meat; Grilled beef Bánh Mì is big & tasty for $9. Attentive services and good location.

The sugar cane shrimp is so good here, it's served with a bunch of veggies and rice paper to roll up yourself. Portions are generally quite large here and they're a friendly family owned business.

Wonderful Vietnamese food. Start your meal with Imperial Roles and choose anything for a main course. Word of caution: the restaurant is not elegant, however for good food you cannot go wrong.

Place is not going to impress anyone from the outside or inside, but I appreciate the efficient, friendly, no frills service. I've only had chả giò (egg rolls) and bún riêu (crab tomato thick vemicelli soup) here, it's great. It's authentic to this particular family owned style/Vietnamese region. Cash or card accepted. They also have phở, mì xào, and Western familiar items like pad thai. Unless you're in South or East side San Jose, this is a good quick and dirty Vietnamese fix.

Family restaurant with delicious food and generous portions. Lots of regular customers which speak for itself.

The place next door had a long line, this place could seat me immediately, so I ended up here. This is definitely a no frills place. The dishes are extremely simple. I was very full by the end of the meal and the price was right, but the dish had no flair. I could see why some thought servers were rude, but I think it's more of a cultural difference in serving vs the American way. It was very clear that regulars are treated like family, very loving. I received everything I needed in a timely manner. The soy ginger sauce was outstanding, much better than the sweet and sour sauce.

My wife, son and I visited for the 1st time on a Saturday for lunch and the restaurant was less than half full. The food was quite good, pho with rare steak, imperial rolls, chicken pho, and the pricing was fair and the portions generous compared to dining in San Francisco. With 3rd Avenue running in front of the restaurant, parking was quite difficult. Because of this, I would only come back if I was in the neighborhood and visiting at off-peak hours.

We dine here on a Sunday. So we expect it would be busy but it was almost packed. The staff was very busy but still kept it professional and accommodated us with a smile! Thank you for a wonderful meal! The Garlic Noodle beef is a must try!

I usually have Pho in the San Jose area. I was visiting my brother-in-law and they took me here for lunch. Street parking space can be hard to find. The restaurant is nice and clean. The service is very good. The Pho is good but not great.

First time in central San Mateo and realize there’s so many Asian food around. Stumbled across this shop and decided to give their rice dishes a try. The pork chop was flavorful and sweet. Good mix is lean and fat meat on the bone. Though the meat was a little on the drier side the further away it was from the bone. The salad on the side came with some mayo creamy sauce. I wish it was placed on the side and not directly on the dish. Otherwise the service was attentive and quick. Overall enjoy my dinner with my partner

Good food and friendly service! It’s nothing fancy, but it is everything you can expect from a pho place. Prices are reasonable, and the food is of good quality. Also, they are generous on portion size — even the meat! I had never seen so much juicy grilled chicken on my broken rice dish at other pho places. I would come back again next time I’m in town.

My crispy noodles $15 were OK, not great. There was too much sauce and the crispy noodles were 80% soggy already by the time it made it to my table. I would have preferred more noodles not soaked in gravy. There were generous pieces of vegetables with a few pieces of chicken & shrimp. Their gravy was pretty good. Service was OK. I had a hard time understanding my waitress. Some of the other patrons had their orders incorrect because of this. Sucks for them because they had to wait for their orders to be fixed and the restaurant wastes food.

Vei Chiang

I usually have Pho in the San Jose area. I was visiting my brother-in-law and they took me here for lunch. Street parking space can be hard to find. The restaurant is nice and clean. The service is very good. The Pho is good but not great.

RC

First time in central San Mateo and realize there’s so many Asian food around. Stumbled across this shop and decided to give their rice dishes a try. The pork chop was flavorful and sweet. Good mix is lean and fat meat on the bone. Though the meat was a little on the drier side the further away it was from the bone. The salad on the side came with some mayo creamy sauce. I wish it was placed on the side and not directly on the dish. Otherwise the service was attentive and quick. Overall enjoy my dinner with my partner

Melissa Chu

Good food and friendly service! It’s nothing fancy, but it is everything you can expect from a pho place. Prices are reasonable, and the food is of good quality. Also, they are generous on portion size — even the meat! I had never seen so much juicy grilled chicken on my broken rice dish at other pho places. I would come back again next time I’m in town.

Jeff Ho

My crispy noodles $15 were OK, not great. There was too much sauce and the crispy noodles were 80% soggy already by the time it made it to my table. I would have preferred more noodles not soaked in gravy. There were generous pieces of vegetables with a few pieces of chicken & shrimp. Their gravy was pretty good. Service was OK. I had a hard time understanding my waitress. Some of the other patrons had their orders incorrect because of this. Sucks for them because they had to wait for their orders to be fixed and the restaurant wastes food.

If you're looking for a hearty meal -- eat in or to go; this place has that and more. I've come here over the years for their great Pho and a chicken dish, oh and their yummy teas; and I almost always can't finish the entire meal -- hearty, good and plenty. It's all good, convenient and the folks are not just friend, but generous -- I once saw them helping someone who didn't quite have enough; just because. Good people. #TheBrokerWithAHeart.

J. Mario Preza, CRB

If you're looking for a hearty meal -- eat in or to go; this place has that and more. I've come here over the years for their great Pho and a chicken dish, oh and their yummy teas; and I almost always can't finish the entire meal -- hearty, good and plenty. It's all good, convenient and the folks are not just friend, but generous -- I once saw them helping someone who didn't quite have enough; just because. Good people. #TheBrokerWithAHeart.

Appetizers are delicious but the soup noodle is really lack of stuffs …

Ordered the fried egg noodles and the portion was generous with a lot of vegetables (as I was hoping for). Servers were also very nice.

Did not incredibly enjoy the pho and prawn salad we ordered. I mean, it was good, but not as good as the other ones I have tried. Service was okay. It was busy when I went there at 2pm. It was priced incredibly fair as well.

The worst vietnamese food I have ever eaten. I ordered Bo Luc Loc and Beef was chewy and of poor quality. Do not eat here. I actually feel bad for the restaurant, the staff seems nice but the food was disgusting.

The food is so-so, not outstanding. Pho is quite okay, but the shrimp sour soup is too sour. I know it’s a sour soup, but the taste of an authentic Saigonese sour soup should contain both sweetness and sourness, not sourness alone. The restaurant is a standard local store. Staff is always busy.

Banh Mi was delicious and cheap, the beef was sweet and the bread was toasted well, that came out after the Pho. The Pho soup tasted different from the other shops, almost has a really home stewed taste to it, that I'm not sure I liked. I waited until the bowl cooled down a bit to dig in, but by then, the noodle was too soft.

Popular local Vietnamese restaurant in downtown San Mateo. Saigon's menu includes all the usuals - pho, banh mi (sandwiches), bun, rice plates, Vietnamese iced coffee, etc. In the past few years, I have tried pretty much everything on their menu, except for their extensive vegetarian menu. I usually order 20, 23, 29 or 59 which 59 is what I ordered today - Saigon Special House Clay Pot (Chicken, Chinese pork sausage, shrimp, bamboo) for $7.95 for lunch. Although I have had the Clay Pot pipping "hot" and have heard the the "sizzling" popping noise, there wasn't any today. Service is prompt. Metered street parking. Does get crowded at lunch and dinner and there can be a wait. Recently, Saigon changed their business hours for Monday. They are closed for the day at 3 pm. No Monday Dinner service.

I would have given Saigon City 5 stars based on food alone, however, since this is modern times and as tech is evolving I was hoping people were too. My 2 friends and I went to Saigon City for lunch today. We were seated and our orders were taken. 10 minutes after giving our order, the host seats another party of 3. Moments later my "Asian" friend receives his pho and then moments later my "white" friend receives his food. Then within a matter of seconds the party of 3 that came in after after we ordered our food starts to receive all of their food. Being the only African American in the restaurant that made me IMMEDIATELY uncomfortable. I wanted to leave but also didn't want to cause a scene so I politely called the waiter over and explained to him the experience I was having. Moments later all of My food came. I was in raged but I wouldn't say a word. Aside from the bad experience the food is very good. I probably wont dine in again. Service is horrible. Food is Great.

Got pick up and service was fast and efficient. Pho with rare beef, tendons and tripe: the broth was flavorful and not full of MSG, the tendon was nice and soft and the tripe had good texture. The rare beef seemed to be of decent quality, but was tough because for some reason it wasn't cut against the grain. Bun with grilled pork and imperial rolls: the imperial rolls were some of the better ones I've had recently, but the grilled pork was so dried out, it was worse than pork jerky and not edible. Portions were good for the price and flavors were authentic, but the issues with the meat will mostly likely keep me from coming back anytime soon.

Basic, no-frills Vietnamese restaurant in downtown San Mateo. Pho soup was a bit watered-down, and the noodles stuck together and tasted like it had just been defrosted. Spring rolls were decent, and the dipping sauce was good. Fast and friendly service. Located near the train tracks, so street parking could be hard to find.

Wei-Ai Tai

Basic, no-frills Vietnamese restaurant in downtown San Mateo. Pho soup was a bit watered-down, and the noodles stuck together and tasted like it had just been defrosted. Spring rolls were decent, and the dipping sauce was good. Fast and friendly service. Located near the train tracks, so street parking could be hard to find.

We ordered the shrimp spring rolls, which came without any cilantro or mint leaves rolled inside it. The peanut sauce that came with the rolls were very sweet, with more hoisin than peanut flavoring. I had a veggie imperial roll with vermicelli and while the imperial roll was good, the vermicelli also did not include any herbs, only chopped iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, and some fresh mung beans. The mixed noodle/ veggie base lacked "brightness" that I associate with vermicelli bowls.

Lillian T

We ordered the shrimp spring rolls, which came without any cilantro or mint leaves rolled inside it. The peanut sauce that came with the rolls were very sweet, with more hoisin than peanut flavoring. I had a veggie imperial roll with vermicelli and while the imperial roll was good, the vermicelli also did not include any herbs, only chopped iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, and some fresh mung beans. The mixed noodle/ veggie base lacked "brightness" that I associate with vermicelli bowls.

I ordered based on the menu prices shown here but I have to pay $12 more because they say these prices are 20 years old. However, they wouldn't even compromise between the price I thought I was ordering in the actual price. A very bad practice. If the prices are 20 years old then they should take them off of Google.

Very sorry to say the chicken broth tastes like salt and not much more. We've been fans for many decades and hope they can fix this issue. This is an update of a 4 ⭐ review.

Nice staff, food was ok. Most of the “fresh” lettuce and things were not looking super fresh and I had to pick around some rotten spots. The “Young Coconut” is not really a real coconut. It’s from a can and has added cane sugar. Had to send it back.

This is literally the worst Vietnamese restaurant I've been to so no idea why people call it "authentic," which unfortunately tricked me into trying it. I'll talk about food first and then about service. For food, they seem to only use white meat on pho ga (chicken rice noodle) and I absolutely wouldn't call that authentic and the meat is tasteless. For pho rieu, the taste is horrendous compared to Pho Kim Long because the flavor is too light to blend well with the crab meat and the shrimps are not fresh. The worst is my egg noodle signature soup which is so bad that I stopped after 2 bites. I ate all the fish cakes because that's all that's edible even though they are only so-so in flavors. The fried shrimp and pork egg rolls are definitely not even freshly fried but instead reheated so they are hard and the skins are too thick. They are also understaffed so it takes a while to seat you and not very welcoming but that's expected in an Asian restaurant so I didn't take any stars off because of it. It's definitely possible that I ordered all the wrong things but they did call the egg noodle their signature noodle soup.

Ed Yu

This is literally the worst Vietnamese restaurant I've been to so no idea why people call it "authentic," which unfortunately tricked me into trying it. I'll talk about food first and then about service. For food, they seem to only use white meat on pho ga (chicken rice noodle) and I absolutely wouldn't call that authentic and the meat is tasteless. For pho rieu, the taste is horrendous compared to Pho Kim Long because the flavor is too light to blend well with the crab meat and the shrimps are not fresh. The worst is my egg noodle signature soup which is so bad that I stopped after 2 bites. I ate all the fish cakes because that's all that's edible even though they are only so-so in flavors. The fried shrimp and pork egg rolls are definitely not even freshly fried but instead reheated so they are hard and the skins are too thick. They are also understaffed so it takes a while to seat you and not very welcoming but that's expected in an Asian restaurant so I didn't take any stars off because of it. It's definitely possible that I ordered all the wrong things but they did call the egg noodle their signature noodle soup.

Service was good and staff very friendly, I'm sorry but food was way overpriced for lunch 2ppl almost $60.

Customer Service is everything! I don't care if your food is out of this world, or if your having a bad day... Which in this places case the food was horrible. I ordered fresh spring rolls, Thai iced tea, and chicken pad-thai. If I wanted pasta I would have gone to an Italian eatery. To top it off I found a hair in my food and the waiters were extremely rude...... Never coming back...

The pho here was very bad. There was no lime, so they gave us lemon (?!) to garnish. Worst of all, they added an extra $2.55 to the tip, expecting I wouldn’t notice.

Ordered a banh mi and Thai ice tea to go. Intentionally over charged me. Miserable guy who hates his life. Respect to the waiters they were kind and offered me water as I sat and waited for my to go order. im assuming this guy was the owner, he needs a reality check

I would never eat here again. Usually I do to go orders, and I have tried a few really good Pho places in the area, like pho new Saigon, which is awesome. I ordered a rare beef pho from Saigon City, and when I received my order I came home and the rare steak was in the pho the whole time so it was hard and rubbery and the broth was bland and there was no cilantro, one wedge of lime, and when i ask for extras of everything I was told that everything I needed was in the bag and I did not need more. I can only guess that because they have such a high rating ,that they purchase more the reviews than they actually have customers reviewing.

Don't try to order food here to go. I ordered soup not a porridge. The soup turned into porridge cuz the soup they gave wasn't enough.

Service is fine but the food sucks !!! This restaurant is owned by a Chinese. That’s why the food is not authentic at all if I don’t wanna say it’s not even Vietnamese food. I ordered bun rieu and They made it all wrong. The soup was totally plain like water. Also They used the wrong noodles for bun rieu and put some random toppings which never exist in bun rieu. I could tell from the look and of course couldn’t handle it after the first bite. I just had to pay and left to get something else to eat. FYR I’m a Vietnamese who is reviewing our own food.

Definitely would come here if everything else was closed. If you love flies, oily and poor tasting food, and love your drinks to be 95% ice, this is the place to go! Must go if you have money to waste.

Food is really good but the workers have horrible customer services. It’s not my first time come in here and I would say they prefer to help their own race before anything else. If I’m waiting 30mins to sit and enjoy my meal why when a person(Asian) comes they help them first and continue to tell us we still have to wait. And I can’t even explain last week, on Tuesday when I went the restaurant, it was empty only one table was occupied and I still waited 15-20min for the food server to even come to our table but guess what another customer walk in (Asian) and the workers were so quick to go and help them first before coming to our table that we have already been waiting for 15mins now. THIS RESTAURANT NEEDS TO TREAT THEIR CUSTOMERS ALL THE SAME WE ALL GO TO EAT YOUR FOOD AND ITS NOT FAIR SOME HAVE TO WAIT LONG TIMES WHEN YOU GUYS JUST GOT AND HELP YOUR OWN RACE!!!!!!

Concerns with sanitation and quality of food ingredients. One of the worst pho places I’ve been to. Somehow they managed to have smelly beef like pork meat does. Didn’t even know it was possible with beef. Also, the noodles had yellow strings mixed in them. I think they used really old noodles - I’ve never seen this at a Vietnamese restaurant before. Also, the sauce tray is absolutely disgusting. Old dried up sauce at the tip of sauces, as well as dried up sauce and dust on the tray.

Pho soup was water down. Noodle in the vermicelli bowl was soft (over cooked) and broken, looks to be pre cooked noodle and left out for a while. Send the vermicelli bowl back and the same thing came back out. Will not going back!

Food was alright. Customer service was horrible , on top of the fact that I had to constantly call them While we were the only ones there , they didn’t take initiative to ask if we needed anything , the lady at the cashier complained that I didn’t leave a tip, I’m one to always leave a tip if the service is good, but to be honest from the very beginning they were very hostile, we had spring rolls which were a 2/10 just because they seemed fresh but flavor wise , definitely had better. Pho was a good 7/10 because the broth was good but the toppings smelled old and looked old. My kid has the pho with just noodles and enjoyed it. Please if you would like a tip from your customers , make sure you actually make your customers feel welcome instead of mugging them behind their back and complaining about not leaving a tip. It isn’t an obligation to tip just like you guys aren’t obligated to give good service , that comes from you and your character.

Keilyn cortez

Food was alright. Customer service was horrible , on top of the fact that I had to constantly call them While we were the only ones there , they didn’t take initiative to ask if we needed anything , the lady at the cashier complained that I didn’t leave a tip, I’m one to always leave a tip if the service is good, but to be honest from the very beginning they were very hostile, we had spring rolls which were a 2/10 just because they seemed fresh but flavor wise , definitely had better. Pho was a good 7/10 because the broth was good but the toppings smelled old and looked old. My kid has the pho with just noodles and enjoyed it. Please if you would like a tip from your customers , make sure you actually make your customers feel welcome instead of mugging them behind their back and complaining about not leaving a tip. It isn’t an obligation to tip just like you guys aren’t obligated to give good service , that comes from you and your character.

Bat Ly

Pho soup was water down. Noodle in the vermicelli bowl was soft (over cooked) and broken, looks to be pre cooked noodle and left out for a while. Send the vermicelli bowl back and the same thing came back out. Will not going back!