45 Best Vietnamese Restaurants near El Cajon

“The food was really good and the staff were very nice. There are so many choices on the menu and there are also many drink options which I enjoyed. I got the grilled pork vermicelli noodles and really liked it. The pork had so much flavor and was cooked really well. I am excited to go back and try more dishes!“

“I have eaten Vietnamese cuisine throughout California, and Grandpa Tao ranks among the best. In addition to the amazing tastes, the casual restaurant is friendly and comfortable. Ingredients are fresh, the environment clean and relaxing. I particularly recommend the Pho, the Rice Vermicelli (try it!) and the Shaking beef. You'll like it.“

“Food excellent good service and fast“

“Just got back from vacation in Vietnam ?? so I had my taste buds ready to compare and this place definitely did not disappoint - the food here I had was easily just as good if not better than I had over there; only thing it cost significantly more but arguably worth it and the staff is very friendly.“

“The food here is delicious..ate there twice and can't wait to go back.“

“The food was delicious and flavorful. Staff treats you like family, and they very courteous. They are knowledgeable of what their menu consists of what is their best and most popular requests are, which is everything on their menu. Definitely going back when we are visiting San Diego!“

“I like when I come into a restaurant and it’s packed and this one was. The service was great and the server was super attentive with a great smile. We asked for a kids size for my daughter’s pho and they happily obliged. Made sure to refill our waters multiple times without asking, will definitely return. Pho was delicious and a huge portion“

“Large, open restaurant serving very good Vietnamese beef and rice noodle soup (pho). The house special Pho 7 Cow (no. 1) has 7 kinds of beef that are all very tender, more so than those at many other Vietnamese restaurants. The grilled chicken and egg rolls over rice vermicelli (no. 32) came with freshly fried egg rolls that were crispy and full of flavors.“

“We love coming here. Quality food, and impeccable service. It deserves to be frequented. Doesn't ever seem to be busy when we are here, and it should be. Please give this restaurant a try. The egg rolls are on point, the Pho is warming and hearty, and the salad rolls are refreshing. My daughter, who is a picky eater, gobbles up her food.“

“Great portions and great taste. Very friendly servers, I recommend.“

“Food is good & the place is clean. Great service. I ordered ahead of time and had my order ready in 5 mins faster than 15 mins expected wait time“

“The food is decent and authentic. Vietnamese coffee is extremely good! There is also plenty of vegetarian selections. Price is very reasonable.

Parking: There is a free parking lot at the back. The parking entrance is small and you may miss it easily.“

“When it’s cold and rainy or you just want some hot food to warm you up or test if you’s taste still works!!! Best place to be“

“The service was exceptional and compel me to write this review. Was my first time here with my wife to get a Vietnamese sandwich. The sandwich was very good but I was more impressed with the service.

My wife wanted to buy a rice wine but was uncertain. The cashier (I assume the owner) said try it. She took a sip and it was buttered..my wife offered to buy it as she had already tasted it. The cashier said, no…I can’t sell you something that don’t taste right.

Most Asian business would have forced my wife to buy it. His action prove to me the character of this place. I would definitely come back and recommend to all my friends! Please keep up the great service! Again, thank you for the exceptional service.“

“09-12-24
I ordered $50 party tray included: steamed pork rolls atop with: steamed pork loaf, fried pork loaf and fried fish cake; veggies and fish sauce

08-13-24
-6lbs of steamed pork roll $7/lb
-Veggie $1
-Steamed pork loaf $10
-Fried pork loaf $10

When I walked into the restaurant, my order was ready for pick up. I paid and left to my destination, quick and easy. The food was yummy. Everything was piping hot. My family enjoyed it very much.

Going forward, this will be my go to place to order all my banh cuon for parties.“

“Since my usual go to Pho restaurant has been under new non-Vietnamese ownership, I’ve been on the search for a new authentic Pho restaurant. This week, I tried Pho King, in the Vietnamese concentrated area of El Cajon Blvd. The restaurant is a lot larger than it looks from the outside, so if you see most of the tables taken, there is a whole left side unseen until you get in the doors. One of the first things I noticed was that the front doors were kind of dirty with lots of smudges on both sides of the glass. Not a great first impression, but not something to turn me away. The workers there seemed to be in their own world as we stood waiting to be seated. One server, a very young guy with very short hair, greeted us and sat us right away when he saw us. He ended up being our server for the meal and was wonderful. He was on top of bringing everything we ordered and in good time. I had asked for a bowl of Nuoc Beo (fatty broth) to accompany my Pho (as I always do) and he didn’t forget to bring it out like most other restaurants do. I ordered my usual - Pho Gan Sach (Pho with tendon & tripe). They are extremely generous with the amount of tendon and tripe, which is not the case at many other Pho places I’ve eaten at as of late. My partner ordered the Pho Dac Biet (#9 on the menu). We usually order small, but decided to get large since we noticed that restaurants have recently shrunk the portions of their Pho. Well, it was quite a pleasant surprise to see that Pho King did not shrink their portions and were quite generous with the noodles and proteins. The large should have been labeled X-Large compared to other restaurants. No complaints here, since it is just $1 more for large. Both our Phos were good and boy, were we stuffed with the amount they served. I ended the meal with a durian shake, which was alright. There should have been more durian in the shake, but it wasn’t bad. As much as I would come right back next time I crave Pho, I need to try other restaurants first. But I will definitely be back to Pho King again.“

“Big servings of delicious Vietnamese cuisine. We started w grilled pork spring rolls & then shared a large beef pho, so tasty & plentiful. We also had the papaya salad w shrimp & of course Vietnamese espresso on ice & a Thai tea. This is a great spot & for the price, it is really worthwhile as you can make another meal from the leftovers.“

“This hole in the wall is so delicious!! The food is great and the staff is so nice and really helpful about explaining the menu! I’ve been here a couple times and around dinner it has been consistent and flavorful. Great pho for a rainy day and smoothies for the warmer ones! Definitely check this place out if you’re in the area!!“

“Good authentic food. Great service“

“good food and awesome customer service“

“Their menu is very simple but the food is great! I love their soup(s)!“

“This food to go restaurant, cook so good and delicious, the price is good too cheap than other restaurant , I love they cook. I think a lot people liked too“

“Omg this place is cute af! And so delish and the staff is so nice. Their crab congee is bomb.com and I had their minty mojito mocktail (cute lil alliteration) and it was so fresh and yummy.

Can't wait to come try more things!“

“Good service, good atmosphere, great food“

“2nd time this week eating there. Nice, cozy place, great food, great service. High recommended.“

“Small venue. Excellent Vietnamese coffee served. Restrooms available. Big screen TV available for viewing. Lotto card scratcher machine located inside. Hot Spot available as well. Live music on weekends. Owner is very nice. Lots of regulars. Always busy. Clean atmosphere. Serves food upon request. Beer also served nights & weekends. Always satisfied.“

“I didn't give it the highest ratings but it's a great place if you're craving some Pho. It usually ends up to be my twins and I place to go eat some Pho.

Wheelchair accessibility: Pretty short distance and easy from the parking lot. Yes there is wheelchair access.“

“My first time eating at this place, located in the Mission Gorge area of San Diego. The surrounding is always scenic and safe, and the people are friendly. The food is very savvy and culinary. Service was exceptional polite, creating an ambience environment, along with decors and sanitation, Saigon Star deserves an ovationfor its Vietnamese & Chinese bistro, as is should be IT: the local eatery in town....more dynastic ambient... Fantastic Four!!!!!“

“this place is amazing and the prices are very affordable, i tried my first avocado smoothie here and i was blown away. they offer party trays too. very friendly people.“

“Classic..................“

“Always great I get vip service when I come here the food is always great“

“Absolutely the most of the most! The veggies are abundant fresh and crispy. the pork is tender and flavorful and the tiny rice noodles are hot and well cooked. they serve it with large lettuce leaves that you wrap all the goodies up as a Vietnamese burrito. and dip it into a flavorful sauce called fish sauce but it is not fishy and does not taste like fish. Tops! Every dish is tops. and the soups are also fun to try. A fun meal pretty much describes the Saigon Restaurant. Thank you, Victor. He's the top cheese there. I'm so happy this restaurant survived the pandemic.“

“5 Stars

I had a wonderful experience at [Pho Nam Cali]. The service was exceptional—staff were attentive, friendly, and made sure all my needs were met promptly. The cleanliness of the restaurant really stood out; everything from the tables to the restrooms was spotless. As for the food, it was simply delicious! Each dish was prepared to perfection with fresh ingredients and great attention to detail. I highly recommend this Pho Nam cali for anyone looking for a fantastic dining experience.

Parking: On a corner but usually is enough free parking in the lot!

Wheelchair accessibility: U can bring wheel chair through door!“

“This is our second time in this place. I was hesitant to come back at first but I must say their portions improved. When we ate here last time their servings are only good for 1 person, now two people can share their pho and rice.
We loved it! I got Boba, chicken wings, spring rolls.
It’s very homey, the vibe is very nice. Very chill, The people are very attentive to their customers needs. I think it’s a family own restaurant which is nice. 5 ⭐️ for me ♥️

Kid-friendliness: High chair was provided.“

“We love the bánh mì and vietnamese coffee here. Every time we come to USA, we have to try a few times. The service is fast and the staff is very polite and nice. The sandwich is huge and very delicious. I saw many take out while sitting down enjoying my breakfast. The coffee is strong and will wake you up. Highly recommend and will see u again.“

“With the Vietnamese sandwich shop now under new management, we decided to take advantage of their grand opening special, which included a free drink and bánh mì que for posting on social media. ??

Upon entering, we were warmly welcomed by the staff. ? Several customers were already inside, enjoying their regular bánh mì.

The shop features 3-4 small tables with stools, creating a cozy seating area. The space was clean and the menus were straightforward, making it easy to place our order. ✨

The service was incredibly friendly. Although the lady suggested her favorite, the fresh fruit tea, it was unfortunately sold out. ?? We chose the Thai tea and milk tea with boba instead. She generously added free fried shrimp to our order! ?❤️

The Thai tea was good, but the highlight was the milk tea. Unlike the typical black tea base, this one had a fragrant jasmine flavor that was absolutely delightful! ?

The bánh mì que is a new variation of the sandwich, being shorter and slimmer. It was packed with a delicious amount of char siu meat and fresh veggies. ???

Given the quality of these items, I’d definitely return to try their regular bánh mì when I’m in the area and craving a delicious Vietnamese sandwich. ?“

“This no-frills restaurant knows how to cook their food! Both the crispy egg noodle dish and the Mongolian beef dish were just cooked to perfection. The portion was so generous that one dish could’ve fed two people. The complimentary soup was so good the meat just fell off the bone.

The food were not too salty and seasoned very well, the beef so tender, the gailan crispy, tofu and the noodle were so flavorful while remaining its crisp. They didn’t taste like old oil.

I was also impressed by the chef’s knife skills! All the veggies were sliced in perfect thickness, all even. Even the jalapeños in vinegar were sliced so well ?

The restaurant felt clean and every bite of the food was so indulging. We would go back again and again!“

“Food came out quickly. Good quality.“

“try everything. I've had 5 different sandwiches, won ton & bbq pork soup, bbq rib plate, fried rice. All delicious.“

“So good here! This food is amazing.“

“Delicious place to soup for lunch“

“Best Pho in San Diego!
Sam Bo Luong 100% tastes like in Viet Nam and Ca Phe Sua is not too sweet. Perfect!
We ordered Pho dac biet, Pho bo kho, Sam bo luong and Ca phe sua. Total $40, reasonable price and good mount of food, not over like American size.
Uncle staffs served so fast. 1+“

“I've been coming here quite a few times and every time I just wait to get slapped by the server, he is kinda mad everytime and I don't take it as a bad thing I just laugh it off but maybe they should consider smiling more lol my family was scared to ask for the bill because it seems any moment he will just explode and yell or something overall it's pretty good and everytime I go there I pretty much laugh about how scared I get about asking for something or ordering it's funny but maybe other people don't take it as is“

“Obviously some negative reviewers on here are unaware of the historical French influence on Vietnamese food. Just to be clear, Paris Bakery is a cash only Vietnamese shop, not a quaint little French Bistro for you to sit down and photograph your Parisian pastries. This place serves delicious authentic banh mi, Vietnamese coffee, market goods and a selection of fresh bread and pastries. Grab and go style. OG Vietnamese style. Forget Lee’s Sandwiches. Come here for a good banh mi.“

“Their food used to be really good but they got bought out and their recipes changed. I only ever order the Vegetarian Fried Rice and it is different everytime. Usually not bad but not good. Not always flavorful. But their tofu is usually always pretty good. The staff kinda just looks lost and tired standing around. One of the guys is usually standing at the counter ringing a bell to his made up song, which is pretty annoying.“