Great little resturant with a relax feeling. I still haven't had a bad meal there, the Pho is amazing along with a nice selection of appetizers. While the food and price is wonderful the service however is poor. I hate doing take out but I normally have to with this restaurant, the servers are most likely the children of the owners. They are really not attentive, cheerful or professional. Again I really love the food but I would strongly recommend placing an order to go. I would definitely give a 5 but the service is always bad.
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Unbelievably good food, amazing service, reasonable price!. I noticed that this restaurant had an excellent rating and decided to give it a try. The moment I walked in the door, I was immediately charmed by the cozy, out-of-the-way feel -- and the delicious scent of the meals being served.
While I waited, a waitress brought me over a cup of tasty lotus tea, and a man placed in front of me a cup of quite possibly the most delicious cup of soup I've ever had. I settled in for what I thought would be a long wait since I ordered three entrees and a couple of appetizers. But I hadn't even finished my soup when the food came out, less than ten minutes later--and that was only because one of the entrees I'd ordered was apparently more "time consuming" to make. They were very friendly and welcoming and unlike many times I might order takeout, where you feel awkward and out of place while you wait around for your meal, I actually enjoyed the experience. Considering it had been one of the hardest weeks of my life, I appreciated their collective kindness and great attitude.
The drive to my destination was close to torture, so overwhelming were the delicious scents coming from the bag in my back seat. I drove a little faster than normal, risking a speeding ticket to get it to my boyfriend's house sooner so I could try it.
I barely got in the door before we both ripped into the bag and dove into the feast like two starving beasts. Normally, we have more manners and decorum, but honestly, the food was so damn good, it should have a warning label. I had the Bun Bo Nuong (vermicelli with roasted beef), which had the most flavorful and deliciously spiced beef along with a generous assortment of shredded lettuce, mint, cilantro and pickled vegetables. My counterpart had the Vit Quay Chien Gion Sot (roast duck with sweet and sour sauce). Our dinnertime conversation, which is usually philosophical and interesting, consisted of "Mmm. Oh God. So good." Rinse and repeat.
"Where did you find this place?" my boyfriend asked, the first complete sentence he'd uttered in nearly a half hour. "That's the best Vietnamese food I've ever had."
Was he ever thrilled when I reminded him that he still had some egg rolls and another entree waiting for him. But he was too stuffed to even consider it.
His two standard poodles sat dejected in the corner, pouting. You see, he usually gives them a taste of his meal. But not this time--he was not in the mood to share a bite. Better luck next time, guys.
I don't know what my dreams consisted of last night, but I seem to remember dancing in fields of mint and cilantro. A happy tummy usually equals happy dreams.
You would think that a meal of such quality would cost you. But three entrees, two of which were seafood and duck, plus two appetizers cost a little over fifty bucks. Pretty reasonable, I'd say.
My sage diner's advice for the day? YOU NEED TO TRY THIS PLACE.
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Saigon has it all - amazing food, great service and fabulous prices. I just wrote a vivid 2 paragraph description of all the ways I love Saigon, and accidentally deleted it. Without time to rewrite the whole thing, I have to give this place at least a few nods.
The ambiance is quaint and cozy, the staff are super attentive and helpful, the food is absolutely AMAZING and they do all their best to provide a great dining experience.
I've had the pho many times (without a doubt, best in portland), as well as Vermicelli dishes and they are always amazing, hot, plentiful and affordable. Sauces are always perfect.
The deal sealer for me was when this past winter, like every American around, i was brought to my knees with a horrible cold/flu. The only thing I craved was their Pho broth. The owners/manager worked with me to prepare/price a special order where a few times a week I would order 2 lg containers of their broth and I sipped this throughout the days. It was stellar - spicy, sweet, not too salty, flavorful... just incredible. they are so kind, take care of their customers and really make sure all details are covered. GO HERE AND ENJOY!!
Best Vietnamese food around.
I'll join the other posters and sing the praises of this restaurant. We too were served complimentary cups of the crab soup. We shared one of the spring rolls which, for $3.50, has to be one of the best bargains in Portland. The peanut sauce was great and not spicy, which is VERY important for me, but hot sauce was on the table for anyone with the tolerance. Speaking of heat, my wife ordered the Pad Thai and they offered her a heat option between 1 and 5. When she said 4, the waitress asked twice to make sure. My wife loved it. I had vermicelli with beef and shrimp; also wonderful. All together, plus a small carafe of sake came to only $29. What a gem! Oh yeah, they don't use any MSG either.
Wonderful place!. Great place! Reason I am writing the review is how impressed we were with how they took the time to help us properly enjoy the main dish. This was our first time in a Vietnamese restaurant so our background was basic at best. Often we choose things on the menu that we are familiar with and wont deviate for fear of the unknown, this place is the place to give something different a try. They showed us how to blend the extra ingredients such as a little ginger and pepper spice to give it just the right flavor and just the right kick. So many places will serve and come back at the end but they were so friendly even though it was one busy place. Place was very clean with silverware that was better than home, price was not bad at all hence a nice tip was very easy to figure in.
This place made trying new cuisine a fun delicious experience. Looking for a new place to try? This is a must to put on the list :)
Soooo good. Authentic southeast Asian food. The staff is so friendly. Prices are very low...a must the next time you're "jonesin'" for Asian food
Best Vietnamese restaurant in Portland!. I have tried out so many different Asian restaurants in Portland, and I can't find a place that is better than Saigon. The location is great with plenty of parking, the food is wonderful and the service is great. The owner always makes a point to come by our table and personally greet us. I'm at the restaurant at least 4/5 times a month.
The food is terrific and consistent. The Pho Ga is great.
Excellent Spring Rolls & Pho Soup. My wife & I are used to eating in Vietnamese restaurants in Boston and Worcester where there are many to choose from. We came across this place while passing through Portland and were delighted. We started with an order for each of us of spring rolls. These are only to be found in a Vietnamese restaurant; it's veggies, shrimp and sprouts surrounded by a translucent wrap. You then dip it in whatever sauce you like. I prefer the peanut flavor sauce, my wife likes the red hot pepper sauce. We were also served herb tea and an appetizer soup. We each ordered a pho soup. I had the small size, but it came in a large bowl and was plenty for me. Perfect for a cold winter day. The service was prompt and friendly and the whole place was ultra clean. As we go by Portland often, this will be a regular stop for us
Best pho in town...hands down. I lived in NYC for ten years and have eaten pho in so many places I can not count. When I moved to Maine January 2010 I feared I would never have a good bowl of Pho unless I made it or went back to NYC. This Pho is the best in Portland and kicks the hell out of any Pho in NYC as well. I'm so psyched that there is an awesome Vietnamese restaurant in Portland. You can actually taste the cinnamon, anise, cardamon and ginger in the broth- it's so rich and delicious. And their prices are the best in town as well. Saigon gets my vote of approval. Best Pho in town. Hands down.
Excellent food and nice staff. Had dinner here with my wife last night. It was my first time eating Pho and the waitress was kind enough to show me how to prepare the Pho and explained what each item was. Well, the Pho was delicious! It was a nice meal at a very fair price and the staff made it even more enjoyable. I can't wait to go back!
By the time we left, I had managed to drown a craptastic day in a giant bowl of Pho and fish sauce. Mai and her staff at Saigon are definitely serving up the cures to what may ail you and it's more than worth the trip out Forest Ave. to pay them a visit.
I intended to go to The Loft the other night, to pursue this burger that is served on a donut instead of a bun. I have not given up on my mission, but on this night, the Loft was closed (rat infestation? doesn't phase me), and I was momentarily stymied, since I was on foot. Faced with the relatively bleak dining options of out Forest Avenue (Dominos? Takeout?), I was excited to see Saigon, a Vietnamese restaurant I haven't tried. I wrote about the pho at Thanh Thanh 2 during an O-rama, but have yet to make it across the street to the other Vietnamese restaurant in that block. Some fairly standard soup, dumplings, and crab rangoon started out our meal. They didn't indicate much about the quality of the food to come - they were fine, but forgettable. A. and M. ordered pho, which came accompanied by a giant plate of fresh vegetables and herbs to add to the soup. M. fixed his soup and dug in, but A., not having had pho before, was a little slow to start. One of the employees, maybe se
I haven't been here for quite awhile now, but the pho is amazing. The complimentary tofu soup is absolutely delicious, although I'm not sure if they still do that. I haven't been in since before covid. Clean place and very friendly staff.
I come into Portland quite a bit from the sticks of Maine....I was lurking Reddit for the best Pho places and this one was recommended by all.
Amazing Pho for a fair price!! Absolutely coming back.
Remember to make reservations before arrive!! They graciously squeezed me in. Thanks!!
Great quality all around.
Omlete banh mi was simple and absolutely perfect (build-your-own format for take out purposes is ab excellent idea).
Taro and pork egg rolls were delish as well.
Noodle dish was spot on and the kids loved it too.
Can't wait to come back.
Delicious food every time. We’ve gotten takeout here 4 times and every time it’s so good. Decent prices, kind folks. Their pho ga is my favorite along with egg rolls and vermicelli with chicken. Highly recommend!
Great food and friendly people. Hands down the best Viet restaurant in the whole state and I’m talking about quality wise. Tried out almost every single on the menu and all of them are phenomenal. Definitely my most favorite spot of all time.
Very sweet and kind service. The food was delicious. We will be back when we visit portland again. We are from Lynn MA.
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