Saigon Pho — Restaurant in City of Rochester

Seriously my new favorite place!

I'd been here once before for banh mi, but I got there too late today to enjoy a repeat of that deliciousness. Pro-tip 1: the banh mi sells out! Get there early (before 1pm on a Sunday) if your heart's set on that delicious sandwich. If you feel like branching out a bit though, ask for a menu and some recommendations. The staff is super friendly, knowledgeable, and accurate in their descriptions of the dishes.

I liked the look of #12, the banh uot (rice flour crepe roll with seasoned ground pork and herbs, served with fresh veggies, pork-fish loaf, and lots of Thai basil, fried shallots, and garlic), and ordered that to begin with. One of the warm, motherly-types that float between the counter and the kitchen warned me away from that, saying that if I hadn't had it before I might not like it. She recommended the bun thit nuong, rice vermicelli topped with fried spring roll and roast pork with peanuts.

I was swayed, but at the last minute decided to go with both because the younger guy manning the counter explained that the fish sauce in #12 is overwhelming for some people. Pro-tip 2: if you don't like fish sauce, there's a McDonald's down the street.

Opting for both was the best decision I made all week. Everything was absolutely delicious, fresh, and I got a ton of real homemade food for ~$10 per dish. Definitely going to make this a...

I've eaten here at least 30 times in the last couple years because I really enjoy their food, but my last visit completely turned me off of this place. Only one of the staff members was wearing a mask (the other four walked around without masks, including the cooks) and they didn't follow any of the current NY guidelines. They didn't require customers to have masks, and one customer continually got up and walked to the front of the restaurant to blow their nose and then walk back to their table, no mask. They also sat separate parties at the same table and there are no barriers between groups. Tables also didn't look to be six feet apart. The fact that they don't follow any of the requirements now really makes me question how they prepare their food, and if that meets safety standards even in non-covid times. I'll be finding another place to get Vietnamese food in Rochester from now on, unless they...

The bun bo hue was lacking in flavor, so i recommend to ask the waiter for SALTY fish sauce (not the sweet one). However, the noodles and meats still were delicious! For $7-8, it was better than mediocre

The com tam suon bi cha was also better-made than other Vietnamese places, except I ordered it to-go, and unfortunately, the chef forgot to add the pork skin (bi). It was $10.

The chef was also the waiter today, as the waiter was grocery shopping for the restaurant.

Oh, and the location is not great. This may be a generalization, but based on what i saw, many were on drugs, or smoked marijuana, or were drunk. Different people at different times were intoxicated and talked to...