A Bit of Saigon — Restaurant in Jacksonville

My friend and I were in town for business and decided to try this place out and glad we did. I am into the hole in the wall places and this fit the bill, it is in a little strip mall with basic decorations and no frills atmosphere. The waiter wasn't and overly friendly gent but he answered all of our questions and even showed a little sense of humor when my appetizer came out. I got the crepe as an appetizer and when it came out I was shocked how big it was. The flavors all matched so well and the fresh Thai basil that came with added such a fresh touch. For my main course I ordered the Grilled beef spare ribs. the marinade wasn't overly strong but the grill char added that little extra that made the flavors pop. My friend got the Charbroiled pork shoulder and he really enjoyed that as well. I thought the prices were less than other Asian places that I have been to. We will...

Miserable experience two nights in a row. First night, googled Pho and this place popped up. Open til 10 said the website. My Asian wife and I came in at 8:50PM. As soon as we walked in, the owner - eating his dinner at one of the tables in the corner - told us they were closed except for takeout. When I told him it was 8:50, he just shrugged and kept on eating.

We gave them the benefit of the doubt and returned the next night much earlier. Same character behind the counter. Ordered Pho and ended up leaving most of it on the table; worst Pho we ever ate (and I lived in Asia over 20 years so I know good Asian food from bad; this was bad!).

Gave them two chances; they struck out both times.

I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone wanting decent Pho. I'd recommend trying the cozy Pho restaurant on Mayport road near the Navy commissary. Now...

A Bit of Saigon is a bit of nasty. I’m honestly baffled by the 4.5-star rating that A Bit of Saigon has received. My experience was anything but reflective of authentic Vietnamese cuisine.

The overall vibe was mediocre. But what truly sealed the deal was the food—if it can be called that.

I ordered the vegetarian Pho and the vermicelli noodle salad. Both were shockingly bad. The Pho was bland, under-seasoned, and worse, the mushrooms and carrots tasted like they were on the verge of spoiling. The vermicelli salad wasn’t any better—it also contained spoiled mushrooms and had absolutely no and bad flavor. Not even a trace of the vibrant herbs, sauces, or textures that typically define Vietnamese cuisine.

I left feeling disappointed, confused, and a bit concerned about food safety.

I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone and will not...