Saigon Pho And Grill — Restaurant in Monroe

4.5 stars only bc we haven't tried everything, yet. I rarely give out 5 star ratings, but they may get an updated one after we have tried them a few times :)

I'm so glad we stumbled upon this place (finally) in Monroe bc we head up to Stevens Pass every other weekend for skiing and this mama can only cook and pack so many meals for every trip

Anyways, the food that we ordered togo were superb and this is a legit Vietnamese restaurant with Vietnamese cooks in the kitchen This is very rare to find these days.

The space had about about 10-12 tables and spaced out well. Lunch time can get pretty busy, but it's worth the wait! We ordered togo over the phone and stopped by to pick it up on the way up to the mountains. Make sure you ask for utensils and napkins if you're eating on the go!

What we ordered: -egg rolls: delicious, crispy & filled with traditional ingredients including pork, carrots, wood ear mushrooms, glass vermicelli noodles. Some Viet folks like to add taro to their egg rolls & this restaurant happens to do so as well. We were very pleasantly pleased. 10/10

-grilled pork vermicelli bowl: the meat was well seasoned and the fish sauce was blended just right. This dish comes with vermicelli rice noodles, shredded iceberg lettuce (not traditional, but worked very nicely), cucumbers, pickled daikon radish & carrots. 10/10 recommend

-broccoli stir fry with chicken: I loved the type of rice they used - it's so fluffy! This dish came with chicken, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. Smelled fantastic & the kids loved it (didn't get a chance to taste it, but I'm sure it was yum).

-kids meal chicken chow mein: this was a small portion of stir fried noodles with just chicken. Next time I will order the regular size so that maybe it'll come with veggies, too. Tasted fine, nothing special. Will order the regular size next time.

-crispy tofu appetizer: I love all kinds of tofu (except stinky tofu IYKYK lol), but this one wasn't really crunchy. That's okay bc I added it to the vermicelli bowl & it was a great addition.

Overall, we will definitely come back to try the other items on the menu. I'm so happy we found a legitimate Viet restaurant we can swing by to grab food whenever we head up to Stevens or down on the way home. Definitely recommend giving...

They make the best Bahn Mi sandwiches! I recently tried their version of Pho. It was beyond comprehension too! These folks are masters at making yummy foodz!!

Update Jan 26, 2025. I have been visiting this establishment for many years now. I have zero complaints.

I ordered an appetizer today, the Pepper Calamari. Let me describe this.

I have eaten at 5 star restaurants in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles and New Jersey. (Europe does not count as I'm sure most are not traveling there.) My Asian food experience has been very thorough over the years, including a 26 year tenure with one of the very best Sushi chefs in Seattle. My palate is extremely experienced.

Today, I have added a very simple addition to my normal meal. Again, Pepper Calamari. Serving size is nice. Good enough for one, but the taste will have me ordering 2 to 3 Servings. The flavor and consistency of the lightly fried Calamari was perfect. Seasoning was light. Just enough to let you know it is covered with a breaded delight. How good was it? 9.9999 stars. (They didn't deliver.) Will I have this over and over? Absolutely!

Thank you Saigon Pho and...

I have ate at Vietnamese places in many places all over USA and other countries.... So has my dining partner. Why not use the HANGING SOFT LIGHTS for uh, AMBIANCE....She and I both agreed, NEED SUNGLASSES FOR 1980s LIGHTING in Public Schools, then be prepared for, 'WE are in Monroe, WOW, there is PHO'. WE were, basically let down. Some of the $5.99 each Instant Pho on Amazon have more flavor than this places broth. We believe, equally ONLY REASON 5 Stars, BECAUSE IT IS OFF HIGHWAY 2 and people coming over mountains or done ski or hike for day, WANT SOUP. Otherwise, save you HIGH DOLLAR expensive PHO budget for a place which has much more flavor. This place SKIMPS on the sides for adding to soup also, we got one plate for two of use, and both of us, felt hungry after dining there... this place was clean, and bathroom too. Too bad the Pho is BLAND, and they charge a PREMIUM for flavorless soup. I will not ever again go here... and PHO places are usually my GoTo places to find and try. Never again here. And the staff were not even polite, or even friendly. Wow....