50 Best Vietnamese Restaurants in San Diego

“Best food, drink, service and atmosphere I have experienced in a long time. Rivals Michelin restaurants.“

“Everything was delicious! We had the bone in short rib pho, shrimp spring rolls, BUN THIT NUONG and chili tamarind wings. The wings were my fave, so crispy and the flavor was amazing! The rib is huge and you get a very generous portion of meat. Will definitely be back to try more items! Also the yuzu lemonade was very refreshing. Ask for TRINITY when you go, she gave us excellent service!“

“I love each and everything at this place. It is located inside a beautiful southeast inspired market. The waitress who took our order gives welcoming vibes and takes care of us dearly. I will go back here again. I haven't tried everything but the chicken is really yum.“

“Don’t order with your eyes because you won’t finish… trust me, it’s that good! They have to have the “best” Viet BANH CUON (steamed rice rolls) in town! Also the best BANH Mi Chao (Beef, sausage, meatball, eggs, and French roll skillet) for a great value too! I will most definitely come back again …and I live 30 minutes away in East Chula Vista! I highly recommend. 5 STARS!!!“

“Literally the best broth I have ever eaten. If you like pho, then you need to come to Xin Chao. The food is fresh, affordable and most importantly delicious. YOU have to try the Beef broth--to die for.“

“Vietnamese coffee is very good. I love egg coffee at this place.

Parking: It takes 5-10 minutes to find free street parking. Otherwise paid parking garage just a walking distance to coffee shop and only $6/day.
There's a restaurant name Shank & Bone Vietnamese Restaurant on University Avenue it's a Vietnamese Pho restaurant just block away from Saigon Coffee.

Kid-friendliness: Yes kids like to take a walk around the area. Environment looks like a downtown“

“Photastic dining experience! The Best ever. Great service and timely in food preparation. The place to enjoy Pho in all of San Diego 5 stars review.“

“Great food and a wonderful dining experience“

“Fast service. Fresh Vegetables & delicious foods. Grilled & BBQ Kobe & Pork are to die for. Egg rolls are tops.“

“Most impressive PHO place I’ve ever been to. Super fast service. Great good. Great staff attitude. Might not express emotion but the service is deficient l definitely good. So accommodating to our big families many requests! Best PHO in SD!! My wife said her boba was the best she’d ever had.“

“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.“

“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.“

“Good service, good atmosphere, great food“

“Spectacular. Everything I ordered was so delicious. The garlic chicken banh mi was so flavorful and balanced. The hue soup was also super flavorful and pure comfort soup. The crispy rolls were probably the best I’ve ever had. Can’t say enough good things about this place!

Vegetarian options: The whole menu is vegan and therefore vegetarian.

Dietary restrictions: Vegan“

“Very impressive Banh Mi sandwich here at Bale French Sandwiches! Their price is unbeatable, all the Banh mi are under $6.5, and their size aren’t too small. It’s like a 6 inch sandwich, perfect for one person. The sandwich has a lot of stuff inside, it’s filled with veggies and meat. I ordered a BBQ pork and a beef Banh mi, both are awesome. I highly recommend this place, plus their service is so friendly!“

“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.“

“Nice staff. Great food. They serve you a plate of salad w/ homemade tofu and a pitcher of lemon water with no extra charge once you're seated. At the end they serve you ice cream, no extra charge too!“

“The gentlemen who work there are good workers and will quickly bring your food to you after ordering. So fast service I must say. Food portion are on the small sale but taste is good.

Parking: Small parking lot

Wheelchair accessibility: The handicapped parking is in front of the restaurant“

“So happy we found this place...Pho Bo is as authentic as it gets. Don't put the hoisin sauce or chili sauce in the broth...You know it's the REAL DEAL when you don't have to put the sauce into the broth. Don't get me wrong... love the hoisin/chili combo as a dippin' sauce...just don't put it in the broth...seriously - it's that good.

Parking: Didn't have issues with parking... we did do a late lunch. The food is great... the servers were nice... the restaurant is clean, well kept...“

“A cash only Vietnamese place that serves some unique dishes. I only tried their small clams pancake, which came with a large crunchy thin rice cake and a small bowl of small clams stir-fried with onions, garlic, and chilies. It’s very tasty and a little spicy.

Will come back to try other items.

One thing to note: They have not updated the prices on their menu, yet. Please see the black and white update sheet.“

“The food was fresh, the portions were bigger than I expected. Arrive was quick and friendly. My son enjoyed his rare steak pho and (delicious!) coconut snowbubble. The shrimp spring rolls were light and fresh. The popcorn chicken was so-so (not as spicy as I expected). The restaurant atmosphere was modest, functional, and clean. The value of this meal was very high.“

“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“

“This is my FAVORITE pho spot in North County!! The food is amazing and service is phenomenal with quick food delivery after ordering. Highly recommend if you love pho and shrimp spring rolls as much as me and my kids!

Kid-friendliness: My kids love it here. They're 8 and 6 so we'll behaved but the staff has only been friendly so I'm sure they'd understand your temper ridden toddlers too ☺️“

“They have great vegetarian options and I haven’t been disappointed with a single dish. Very delicious!“

“Food is delicious with great affordable prices. Definitely worth the drive.“

“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 best restaurant. Vietnamese food here is so good. I want to eat here everyday. I like the well done beef Pho noodles soup most. I and my family will come back. You should try once. It is very near SeaWorld San Diego (7 minutes driving only). Having lunch and dinner there when visiting SeaWorld is the best.“

“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.“

“Cause it's good! Duh!!!!!“

“The owner was very kind and I came with my family even though I asked for takeout, the man told me to go with my wife so I wouldn't worry, he would take the food to the car, nice action on his part and everything we brought was very delicious, thank you ?“

“I’ve never had a bad meal here. I’ve tried almost everything. The service is real good too. It’s not fancy but it’s authentic, clean and convenient. Best eggs rolls and noodle dishes. Good people run this place. Thank you for feeding me well:)“

“Good authentic food. Great service“

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

“This place is awesome! Great, friendly staff, and so many tasty vegan options! I love the vegan crispy egg rolls and the dumplings. Every time we go, I’m in the mood for pho so I haven’t tried the combo plates but there are a couple with all vegan options, which is so rad. The vegan pho comes with tofu and a vegan ham which is so good, the texture is actually really nice. We love it!“

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

“If you’re looking for authentic delicious Vietnamese food…this is your spot!

I am from the Bay Area where there is a plethora of good Vietnamese food. I’ve been on the hunt to find a great spot here in SD and I strongly believe this is the one.

I think I finally found the Best pho and banh mi spot in San Diego. I know that’s a big statement, but I mean it 100%.

All of our food came out piping hot and all the flavor was there.

I ordered the crispy tofu banh mi ($8.95), my husband got the grilled chicken banh mi ($8.95) and my toddler had a small beef bowl of pho which contained thin slices of beef, rice noodles and vegetables ($13.47). Plus two yummy cups of jasmine tea ($2.70 each). The broth surprised us the most because of how tasty it was.

I met with the owner who is also a cook here, he told me the broth is marinated with beef bone for more than twenty hours.

I absolutely loved how much flavor is packed into each dish. My tofu was cooked perfectly, crispy on the outside, soft and delicate on the inside.

Even my picky toddler approves this restaurant.

The total of our meal came out to $40. Which is soo affordable compared to other restaurant prices in San Diego.

The staff was very attentive and kind. There is seating inside and outside. I think the seating area inside could use some remodeling and updating, but other than that — this is a spot is perfect.

Vegetarian options: Tofu banh mi is a great choice!!

Parking: Parking in the back

Kid-friendliness: Spacious. High chairs available“

“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“

“Food came out quickly. Good quality.“

“I loved their manu, easy to read (clear display) and price- friendly! of course the food is very good!“

“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.“

“Found this little gem through Maps app and it exceeded my expectations. Don't let the little strip mall exterior fool you, the food is legit and the prices are reasonable. Will definitely be adding this to my list of go-to take out places. Service Take out Meal type Dinner Price per person $20–30 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 3 Recommended dishes Spring Roll, Marinated Grilled Pork, Rolls“

“Food is always worth the trip“

“A decent Vietnamese restaurant with a tasty bun special. It had all the fixings and it's huge so you might not finish it if you're not super hungry.

Service was super friendly, the inside was clean and a great place for a work lunch.

Food: 7/10
Service: 6/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Value: 7/10“

“My family has been long time customers of this restaurant’s pho. Even when Vietnamese family out of town visit, we’ve come here as a large group and have never had to wait for seating.

The food is solid and reliable. We also like to get takeout to bring home and eat. The takeout portion is large!! Bigger than when dining in, so we usually turn 2 takeout orders into 3.

Only downsides are they are cash only and if it’s been a hot day, the inside of restaurant will be extremely hot (they don’t cool it well). We dined here some evening and I had to take off my clothes down to tank top. Outside seating was much cooler but we’re afraid of being bitten by mosquitoes.

Parking: Parking is plentiful and easy in a large grocery store complex“

“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!!!!!“

“So glad this location opened up! Hands down best Banh mi in San Diego. Homemade bread, high quality ingredients. The cookies are also absolutely phenomenal! Chocolate coconut. The bbq pork bahn mi is my go to. Great atmosphere, clean restaurant, perfect music“

“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.“