Grandpa Tao Kitchen — Restaurant in El Cajon

So far, we’ve only ordered the Pork Banh Mi. Twice. And love it. I think it’s the best banh mi I’ve had as far as ingredients go. Everything is super fresh. The pickled daikon, carrots and cucumbers are so good. I could eat a side of those veggies just by themselves. There’s plenty of tasty meat as well. Plus the peppers and a bit of onions and cilantro. Just add the sriracha and there you have it. So good. It’s crunchy, chewy and messy. Found this place through DoorDash lookin for banh mi. It is a great find and the price is right! Even for delivery. Look forward to trying more from this place in due time.

Ok, we tried the F4 Special Combo fried rice and I added extra egg to it. It was pretty good. Though it could have used more seasoning for flavor. The proteins were cooked well. Nice n tender. I would order again and notate in the order to see if they could add more seasoning to it. Or I’d just do it at home. Also tried the N5 Veggies & Tofu noodles. This had plenty of flavor in the sauce. Nice combo of veggies. Had some crunch with that celery. Didn’t taste stale. I liked that. And I liked the fried tofu. There was lots of it and each piece had nice almost crispy edges and plenty of absorbed flavor from the sauce. I would reorder that one for sure. Just a note: my pics of both of these dishes was after my hub already got his half from the containers. So it’s only showing half of the filled order. I would add that I think the Veggie Noodle dish could use more noodles. Can’t go wrong with that. I...

It’s nice to have a Vietnamese fusion place in this part of town. They have a parking lot in the back. You can enter from the back or front entrance along the side walk. Great outdoor patio.

The service was friendly. The gentleman just talks really fast and short. Please don’t take it the wrong way thinking he’s rude. More than one review has stated that. He’s just direct, fast and English as a second language.

We ordered the house pho and filet mignon pho. Bone broth was fragrant, I came home smelling like pho. It doesn’t have MSG. The filet was sliced, as it should be compared to others.

I ordered shaking beef that came with steam rice and salad. The meat was a bit tough and I’ve had better seasoning elsewhere.

The shrimp tempura rolls were a bust. I would just stick to the Vietnamese dishes and not get the fusion dishes. It’s generic and has cream cheese which I hate.

The garlic pepper wings were good. Must be eaten while it’s still hot and crispy. I loved the seasoning on the skin.

Overall, the pho and wings were the winner. We have a plethora of restaurants near us. I would still drive to City Heights or Convoy. But if you need a quick fix, Grandpa Tao is the place to be.

Great outdoor space for a large group. Order the...

Went tried out this place it was new to us and wanted something near by and with some variety in dishes. We arrived and we were immediately seated. They brought out waters and menus. We ordered and one from our party was still deciding but the waiter took the menu from them anyway. And we had to go get it back. The food started to come out one by one we had a large party it was understandable. Once we got the food the waiter forgot our drinks so we continued to wait. I asked for another glass of water and to please bring the tea. He bring the pitcher of water and asked for my cup I said I don't have one, he replied in a loud and annoyed tone that I should have told him that as he walked off. My son found a hair in his pho. The pho was really bland. We have enjoyed pho before at different restaurants we know the taste varies but this has no flavor. I talked to the woman in the front and she said she wouldn't charge us for the soup with the hair. I didn't complain about the bland food we just wanted to leave quickly. The woman apologized and that was enough. I wouldn't go back to this restaurant. My entire family got sick we were throwing up as soon as we got home. This was our experience. It just...