PHO SAIGON — Restaurant in Dundee Township

I visited Pho Saigon this past weekend, and although the restaurant wasn’t very busy, the atmosphere was welcoming with plenty of seating available. We chose a booth near the sushi bar. While they don’t serve sushi (the space used to be a sushi restaurant), I wouldn’t be surprised if they add it to the menu one day. But let’s talk about the food—because it was excellent.

We started with the spring rolls, which were fresh and tasty. The dipping sauce really stood out—it had bits of crunchy garlic that made it extra yummy. For the main course, we ordered the Saigon Special Pho with extra tendon. The broth was rich, flavorful, and packed with all the classic pho spices. Honestly, it was so good on its own that I didn’t feel the need to add anything. The tendon was tender and perfectly prepared.

We also tried the Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio (vermicelli with grilled pork and egg roll), and that ended up being my favorite dish of the night. The pork was savory, the egg rolls had a great crunch, and the fish sauce tied everything together beautifully. Definitely ordering this again!

Just when we thought we couldn’t eat any more, our server surprised us with complimentary sesame balls for dessert. They were fresh, lightly sweet, and a perfect finish to the meal. To top it off, we were given a sample of their mango milk tea, which was creamy, refreshing, and delicious with the right amount of sweetness.

Overall, the food was outstanding, the service was warm and generous, and the whole experience left a great impression. I’ll definitely be coming back and would recommend Pho Saigon to anyone looking for authentic...

My husband and I stopped here for a late lunch and we were the only customers in the restaurant. The food we received was delicious, but the service was terrible. Normally we're very lenient when it comes to bad/slow service because we understand many restaurants are understaffed and are struggling, but given the fact that the entire restaurant was empty it was pretty disappointing. There were 3 staff on duty standing around and talking with each other, and ignoring us almost the entire time. The waitress who took our order didn't write it down, which would be fine, except our order was put in wrong. I requested a spicy Pad Thai (with no other modifications) and it came out with mild and with no spice on it. Again, a small mistake like this normally wouldn't bother me, but with no other customers for her to take care of it seemed like she just didn't care to remember our order correctly. After our food was brought out we were never checked on again to see if we had everything, and the drink my husband ordered was forgotten and he had to go up to where the staff were standing and talking to request it. We also had to walk up to them to request the check because we were left sitting for a while after finishing our meals. If it's a slow business day I don't mind seeing the staff stand around and chat, as long as they are keeping up with their minimum duties. It did not seem like any of the staff that was there cared to check on us or remember our drink...

This is hands down one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in the Algonquin, Carpentersville, LITH area! My wife and I ordered pho, spring rolls, and fried rice, and everything was absolutely fantastic. The flavors were authentic, fresh, and perfectly balanced. The portions were generous, and the prices were very reasonable.

Having lived in the city near Little Vietnam, I know what truly great Vietnamese food tastes like—and this restaurant is absolutely on par with city quality. I recently traveled to Paris, France, one of the greatest food cities in the world with a vibrant Vietnamese culture, and the dishes here were every bit as incredible as the ones I enjoyed there.

The service was incredibly fast and attentive. What really made the experience stand out was the owner. He took the time to chat with us, sharing stories about his hometown in Vietnam and his passion for cooking. He even let us try his extra spicy homemade chili sauce—it was out of this world! We learned he grows his own peppers locally, which explains the amazing flavor and heat.

The restaurant itself is clean, inviting, and has a warm, welcoming vibe. It even has a couple TV's, so I was able to catch a little bit of the game. If you're looking for top-notch Vietnamese food with Chicago-level quality and exceptional hospitality, this is the place to go. I can’t wait to come back and explore more of the menu! The Banh Miis...