Brought the family to the Lancaster area from the Philly north suburbs for Memorial Day weekend. Pho has been lacking in the Philly north suburbs in recent years post-COVID, so we were craving authentic Vietnamese food. We ordered the Pho and Beef Stew, and both were excellent. The bone broth was outstanding—rich and flavorful without leaving us thirsty afterward, which shows they didn't cut corners by adding too much salt or flavor enhancers. The owner was friendly, service was good, and the food was excellent. We're looking forward to trying other items on their menu next time we're in the area. Highly recommend if you find yourself in central PA craving authentic Pho.
In Cognito
Have been going there for ages, the food is now ok, whereas it used to be stellar. The really disappointing aspect is the dirty tea cups and other serving vessels. It's such a decline in the dining experience. It isn't an isolated occurrence
Helena Protopapas
All time favorite restaurant in Lancaster! Their fresh rolls with tofu and vegan Lemongrass noodles are the best! My husband has been going here since he was a kid and it’s our favorite place for lunch and dinner nearby!
Andrew Eiser
I’ve had some incredible pho before and this sadly was not that. Average, underwhelming and bland. Almost no meat and all broth.
Rack of Lam
My family and I made our way out to Lancaster for a road trip recently and made some bad restaurant choices the first day (bad burgers, breakfast, etc)! We kept our fingers crossed when we selected Sai Gon Cafe for dinner during our 2nd night. We walked in to a warm, welcoming atmosphere and gentleman (Ken, the owner) who seated us to our table. The restaurant was pretty full already, which is a great sign! Ken was extremely helpful with dish recommendations and was genuinely a friendly guy. We ordered seafood hu tieu, beef pho, bun bo hue, an iced Vietnamese coffee and egg rolls. Everything was spot on, authentic and delicious! We devoured everything, leaving just a few egg roll crumbs. So glad Lancaster redeemed itself with Sai Gon Cafe!
Melissa Mondiodis
My husband and I ordered the #50, traditional pho with beef and brisket, and the #31 with shrimp. Super flavorful broth and overall great flavors. Service was very attentive and friendly. Highly recommend.
Artyemis Charmed
Number 57. Perfectly plated. Flavorful and tasty. Welcoming atmosphere.
Mya Mackey
Great Food, Great Service, Definitely will come back!!
Paulina
My favorite Vietnamese spot in Lancaster! I usually get takeout here at least once a week. I have eaten here in person a few times and the service is usually excellent despite it being so busy. The owner/manager is very nice and seems to care a lot about putting out good quality food. My go-to used to be the brisket pho but he put me onto the bun bo hue and now I’m always craving it 🥲 as someone that grew up eating home-cooked Vietnamese food, I’m happy to be able to get it here when I don’t have time to cook. Definitely recommend!
felix desangles
**A Hidden Gem for Pho Lovers!**
I've had pho in several states, and my love for it always has me searching for the best spots wherever I go. To my surprise, I found this amazing Vietnamese restaurant just minutes from my home—and wow, what a find!
From the moment I took my first sip, I knew this place was special. The broth was absolutely sensational—rich, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. Even the way they cut the ingredients stood out, making each bite easier to enjoy and adding to the overall experience. It’s hands down the best pho I’ve had so far!
The service was outstanding—attentive, friendly, and fast. I have zero complaints. This is the kind of place you discover and immediately want to share with everyone. I’ll definitely be back to try everything on the menu. If you’re a pho lover, don’t sleep on this spot!
I was visiting the area from Northern VA when I had a strong craving for pho, so I ended up stopping by a couple days ago. However the experience was far greater than I could have expected. I have been to many pho restaurants, but the broth at Sai Gon Cafe was one of the most lightest refreshing ones I have had. They don’t have different sizes for the pho, but it’s a really good portion. The food was delicious, but what really set this location apart from the dozens I’ve visited is truly the service. If great food isn’t enough, the servers and the owner were extremely welcoming, more than willing to explain the menu and everything on it to anyone that’s newer to the cuisine, and extremely helpful, friendly and attentive. Service like this doesn’t come by very often. You can really tell, even just from the interactions between the staff that it’s a great healthy environment, and somewhere you would want to keep visiting. Between the great food, friendly staff and excellent service, I don’t see why this location shouldn’t be the go-to Vietnamese restaurant in Lancaster, if not Pennsylvania. Sai Gon Cafe was about a 40 minute drive from where I was staying, but I would go out of my way to visit this specific location rather than another one that may be much closer. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys pho and Vietnamese Cuisine, and especially recommend it for those who are new to it and want to give it a try! Will definitely go for the Vietnamese broken rice dish next time I am in the area.
Efrain Villanueva
My family was in the area for the weekend and had a strong craving for Vietnamese food, so we decided to give this place a try. We were blown away! From the moment we walked in, the staff greeted us with genuine warmth, and I have to give a special shoutout to Ken, the owner, who takes the time to personally connect with every customer. The food was exceptional, with generous portions that left us completely satisfied. His son Vincent clearly puts in a lot of effort as well. If you find yourself in the area and are craving outstanding Asian cuisine, you absolutely must visit this restaurant!
Kit Horan
Sai Gòn Café came highly recommended for dinner by our local connection and he joined us for dinner one night. From the moment we entered the staff was attentive, polite, and just genuinely happy to see us. The owner himself got up from his plate and spent a solid ten minutes walking us through his menu. He took the time to highlight the process of making his broth, how particular dishes were prepared and seasoned, and offered recommendations to each of us. I started off with pork spring rolls, which are actually shrimp and pork, but they were happy to accommodate for my shellfish allergy. The rolls were fresh and delicious, with a more raw peanut sauce than I’ve ever encountered, which was the perfect complimentary flavor.
I also had a glass of the jasmine tea / limeade they make in-house. I’ve never tried this mixture before and would recommend it to anyone. The jasmine and lime flavors blend very well.
Then I took the owner up on one of his entree suggestions, the (off-menu) shaking beef on a bowl of lemongrass vermicelli and veggies. This was the freshest vermicelli I’ve had, and while the vegetable mix was very simple, it was also very fresh. The shaking beef is a higher quality cut of beef specially prepared, and once mixed into the bowl with the noodles and veggies, it was astounding how good the flavor was. I personally don’t eat a lot of red meat, but this was more than worth it. The meat was well seasoned, well cooked, and had the perfect texture. I would come back for this dish if I wasn’t so excited to come back for the pho which others at my table raved about.
Overall, this was an amazing dining experience. The restaurant itself is simple and not very large, but the foods are made with skill and passion. I highly recommend coming in.
Alison Conquest
Sai Gòn Café was amazing! From the moment we walked in, the owner made us feel so welcome, taking the time to walk us through the menu and share his recommendations. The staff was incredibly friendly, and our food came out quickly—perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious! The edamame and wonton soup were out of this world. I can’t recommend this place enough and will definitely be back!
Fanta N'Diasseny
The food was AMAZING! The staff was very friendly and took their time to explain the dishes to our large group and make conversation with us! I highly recommend this restaurant, we left very full and happy! I will definitely be back again when I am in the area. 10/10!
Brought the family to the Lancaster area from the Philly north suburbs for Memorial Day weekend. Pho has been lacking in the Philly north suburbs in recent years post-COVID, so we were craving authentic Vietnamese food. We ordered the Pho and Beef Stew, and both were excellent. The bone broth was outstanding—rich and flavorful without leaving us thirsty afterward, which shows they didn't cut corners by adding too much salt or flavor enhancers. The owner was friendly, service was good, and the food was excellent. We're looking forward to trying other items on their menu next time we're in the area. Highly recommend if you find yourself in central PA craving authentic Pho.
Have been going there for ages, the food is now ok, whereas it used to be stellar. The really disappointing aspect is the dirty tea cups and other serving vessels. It's such a decline in the dining experience. It isn't an isolated occurrence
All time favorite restaurant in Lancaster! Their fresh rolls with tofu and vegan Lemongrass noodles are the best! My husband has been going here since he was a kid and it’s our favorite place for lunch and dinner nearby!
I’ve had some incredible pho before and this sadly was not that. Average, underwhelming and bland. Almost no meat and all broth.
My family and I made our way out to Lancaster for a road trip recently and made some bad restaurant choices the first day (bad burgers, breakfast, etc)! We kept our fingers crossed when we selected Sai Gon Cafe for dinner during our 2nd night. We walked in to a warm, welcoming atmosphere and gentleman (Ken, the owner) who seated us to our table. The restaurant was pretty full already, which is a great sign! Ken was extremely helpful with dish recommendations and was genuinely a friendly guy. We ordered seafood hu tieu, beef pho, bun bo hue, an iced Vietnamese coffee and egg rolls. Everything was spot on, authentic and delicious! We devoured everything, leaving just a few egg roll crumbs. So glad Lancaster redeemed itself with Sai Gon Cafe!
My husband and I ordered the #50, traditional pho with beef and brisket, and the #31 with shrimp. Super flavorful broth and overall great flavors. Service was very attentive and friendly. Highly recommend.
Number 57. Perfectly plated. Flavorful and tasty. Welcoming atmosphere.
Great Food, Great Service, Definitely will come back!!
My favorite Vietnamese spot in Lancaster! I usually get takeout here at least once a week. I have eaten here in person a few times and the service is usually excellent despite it being so busy. The owner/manager is very nice and seems to care a lot about putting out good quality food. My go-to used to be the brisket pho but he put me onto the bun bo hue and now I’m always craving it 🥲 as someone that grew up eating home-cooked Vietnamese food, I’m happy to be able to get it here when I don’t have time to cook. Definitely recommend!
**A Hidden Gem for Pho Lovers!**
I've had pho in several states, and my love for it always has me searching for the best spots wherever I go. To my surprise, I found this amazing Vietnamese restaurant just minutes from my home—and wow, what a find!
From the moment I took my first sip, I knew this place was special. The broth was absolutely sensational—rich, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. Even the way they cut the ingredients stood out, making each bite easier to enjoy and adding to the overall experience. It’s hands down the best pho I’ve had so far!
The service was outstanding—attentive, friendly, and fast. I have zero complaints. This is the kind of place you discover and immediately want to share with everyone. I’ll definitely be back to try everything on the menu. If you’re a pho lover, don’t sleep on this spot!
Restaurantji Recommends
I was visiting the area from Northern VA when I had a strong craving for pho, so I ended up stopping by a couple days ago. However the experience was far greater than I could have expected. I have been to many pho restaurants, but the broth at Sai Gon Cafe was one of the most lightest refreshing ones I have had. They don’t have different sizes for the pho, but it’s a really good portion. The food was delicious, but what really set this location apart from the dozens I’ve visited is truly the service. If great food isn’t enough, the servers and the owner were extremely welcoming, more than willing to explain the menu and everything on it to anyone that’s newer to the cuisine, and extremely helpful, friendly and attentive. Service like this doesn’t come by very often. You can really tell, even just from the interactions between the staff that it’s a great healthy environment, and somewhere you would want to keep visiting. Between the great food, friendly staff and excellent service, I don’t see why this location shouldn’t be the go-to Vietnamese restaurant in Lancaster, if not Pennsylvania. Sai Gon Cafe was about a 40 minute drive from where I was staying, but I would go out of my way to visit this specific location rather than another one that may be much closer. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys pho and Vietnamese Cuisine, and especially recommend it for those who are new to it and want to give it a try! Will definitely go for the Vietnamese broken rice dish next time I am in the area.
My family was in the area for the weekend and had a strong craving for Vietnamese food, so we decided to give this place a try. We were blown away! From the moment we walked in, the staff greeted us with genuine warmth, and I have to give a special shoutout to Ken, the owner, who takes the time to personally connect with every customer. The food was exceptional, with generous portions that left us completely satisfied. His son Vincent clearly puts in a lot of effort as well. If you find yourself in the area and are craving outstanding Asian cuisine, you absolutely must visit this restaurant!
Sai Gòn Café came highly recommended for dinner by our local connection and he joined us for dinner one night.
From the moment we entered the staff was attentive, polite, and just genuinely happy to see us. The owner himself got up from his plate and spent a solid ten minutes walking us through his menu. He took the time to highlight the process of making his broth, how particular dishes were prepared and seasoned, and offered recommendations to each of us.
I started off with pork spring rolls, which are actually shrimp and pork, but they were happy to accommodate for my shellfish allergy. The rolls were fresh and delicious, with a more raw peanut sauce than I’ve ever encountered, which was the perfect complimentary flavor.
I also had a glass of the jasmine tea / limeade they make in-house. I’ve never tried this mixture before and would recommend it to anyone. The jasmine and lime flavors blend very well.
Then I took the owner up on one of his entree suggestions, the (off-menu) shaking beef on a bowl of lemongrass vermicelli and veggies. This was the freshest vermicelli I’ve had, and while the vegetable mix was very simple, it was also very fresh. The shaking beef is a higher quality cut of beef specially prepared, and once mixed into the bowl with the noodles and veggies, it was astounding how good the flavor was. I personally don’t eat a lot of red meat, but this was more than worth it. The meat was well seasoned, well cooked, and had the perfect texture. I would come back for this dish if I wasn’t so excited to come back for the pho which others at my table raved about.
Overall, this was an amazing dining experience. The restaurant itself is simple and not very large, but the foods are made with skill and passion. I highly recommend coming in.
Sai Gòn Café was amazing! From the moment we walked in, the owner made us feel so welcome, taking the time to walk us through the menu and share his recommendations. The staff was incredibly friendly, and our food came out quickly—perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious! The edamame and wonton soup were out of this world. I can’t recommend this place enough and will definitely be back!
The food was AMAZING! The staff was very friendly and took their time to explain the dishes to our large group and make conversation with us! I highly recommend this restaurant, we left very full and happy! I will definitely be back again when I am in the area. 10/10!
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