12 Best Vietnamese Restaurants near San Rafael

“One of the few true good Banh Mi places left that haven't gone bougie. Great BBQ pork, extremely reasonable prices, and the Vietnamese coffee is sweet but also still has a strong coffee taste to it which I prefer. Even though I appreciate getting in and out quickly, this place deserves lines out the door all day

Parking: There's free parking but it's really tight“

“The best broth I’ve ever ate in my life. The Beef Combo Pho is the one I would go for. Perfect balance of savory, umami and spices. It looks this place is family owned and they probably carry this receipt through generations you can tasty that. Service is good, and fast. A must in San Raphael.“

“The best pho in Marin! This restaurant is a treasure. Amazing staff, amazing food, love them! Out of all the places offering pho in the area, this one is the best. They always include utensils and everything you need when you order takeout. They even include culantro which is how you know this place is legit. They are quick and reliable, even when we are lagging behind and ordering 15 minutes before closing. They keep us fed and happy.“

“Highly, highly recommend this place (of all the banh mi places in SF and Marin). This place is a gem in the North Bay. I've been to both locations, but live closer to the San Rafael deli. As a Vietnamese who grew up eating banh mi (not "bahn" - please stop misspelling this word!, although I understand "bahn" has been spelled like this to make it phonetically easier to pronounce), I vouch for this place. It is wholeheartedly the best banh mi place in the Bay area. Growing up, I lived in a close-knit Vietnamese-American community, and my mother and another lady in our village sold banh mi, so I have a discerning taste for banh mi. This place is totally legit and super authentic. The french bread is just the right texture (light and flaky, but not dense inside). The actual bread in a Vietnamese banh mi is not the same as a french baguette that is more often dense and chewy (and thanks to French colonizers, they left the Vietnamese with french bread and amazing architecture). I know many places in the Bay area that serve more dense baguettes for banh mi, which isn't authentic. The filling is perfect and the right amount with no special brown sauce or gravy. Vietnamese banh mi filling is not sweet, but has a slight tang and citrusy flavor from the pickled carrots and daikon.This is the perfect example of Vietnamese banh mi. I don't normally write reviews, but I want to spread the word that this place serves very good banh mi. Another added value is the price of a banh mi that is 30% less than the price of other places that are now charging $10-13 per baguette. The owners are super sweet, too. If you happen to find yourself in the North Bay and craving a banh mi, or want to find an authentic example, this place is a must!

Vegetarian options: Has a veggie sandwich

Kid-friendliness: Kid-friendly in a small cafe

Parking: Limited free parking in the front, but mainly 10 minutes spaces. There is ample street parking available as an option.“

“They have the best food. Anything you order will amaze your tastebuds. We get 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ service every time. Course it helps we go every weekend!!“

“Amazing food, amazing ambiance, amazing service, amazing prices. Everything you need when you feel like having confort food and want to be in a friendly environment. My husband and I had the brisket pho and the wonton soup, both highly recommended!“

“I’ve had many of the dishes here, when it’s good, it’s very good. The vermicelli bowl with grilled meat and all the toppings was extremely flavorful and delicious last time I got it. The meat was just perfectly grilled and had so much flavor. The bhan mi sandwich is also very traditional, with the pate and really soft baguette.

The portions are a bit small. And it is a bit expensive. But I guess that’s Marin county.

What I don’t like is that the ordering experience is completely anonymous and either online or through ordering kiosks that ask you a hundred questions. It’s like ordering with a robot, and it’s just unpleasant. Especially touching the screen that a hundred other people have touched right before eating, it’s not great. Also, the way the menu and ordering is laid up is annoying and difficult to use if you don’t go there all the time.

Part of ordering at a restaurant like this is having someone “take care” of your order, maybe ask a question, maybe get a recommendation. That’s not happening here. It’s just anonymous. And then they expect a tip? No. I’m not tipping if I’m doing all the ordering work myself at these prices. If you took care of me, I would tip you. A tip is for service. I assume assembling a sandwich if what I’m actually paying for.

The atmosphere inside is loud and not clean. The tables were dirty, the music was so old, and so loud, it was as if they were telling the customer “don’t hang out in here”.

And finally, the brief interaction with the person that gave me my drink and sandwich was unpleasant too. I don’t think she was happy that I didn’t tip.

I have to agree with some of the other reviews, sometimes I’ve gotten somewhat disappointing meat on my sandwich (which is my preferred item here).

Anyway, I do wish them well, but please make the stupid ordering kiosks optional, clean the place up, turn down the annoying music, actually interact with your customers, who knows, maybe it would help everyone have a better experience.“

“The VN grill has never failed me. I just tucked into a perfect pork chops and rice dish- excellent seasoning on the chops (2), and they were perfectly grilled ($16.95). I've had pho here many times, always good. And the service was great as usual. The server brought an extra glass of ice water as I was about to finish my first (it was HOT out!)“

“Wow, the food blew me away, it was incredible! I normally only come here for boba, but I decided to order food for the first time. My partner and I both got different rice bowls. We both looked at each other in complete surprise of how absolutely, mouth watering delicious the food was. So unexpected. I would definitely recommend this place. If you’re a boba lover, their taro boba is really divine. The other flavors are good too!

Dietary restrictions: They have dairy free options for boba. They also have vegan and vegetarian options as well as gluten free.

Kid-friendliness: Lots of good kid friendly options like bowls and banh mi sandwiches.“

“Great food, clean place and friendly staff. Vermicelli/salad with spicy pork belly was delicious. Portions are decent. (I couldn't even eat shrimp rolls, had to take it for later).
Would definitely get back again if I'm in the area. ❤️“

“The food was alright. The meat was tender and flavorful, but the bowl of vermicelli could be improved with some herbs, at the minimum, mint. So even though the protein was flavorful, as a whole, it felt bland.

We didn't order much so I can't attest to the other dishes. The coffee needs to be more authentic, either use dark roast or one with Chicory. I tasted vanilla and nuttiness in my cup.“

“Amazing people, helping the community during the Corona Virus pandemic💖 Great boba drinks and the ability to make items gluten free!“