Basil & Sprout — Restaurant in Pensacola

TL;DR: The best Bánh Mì in Pensacola; disappointing Phở; decent Bún; faulty online/phone ordering.

Let me preface this review by saying that I've had countless opportunities to enjoy Vietnamese cuisine in many cities with high concentrations of Vietnamese restaurants where I've lived and visited over the past decades: DC Metro, Boston, NYC, San Jose, Garden Grove, Seattle, Houston.

The bánh mì at Basil & Sprout ranks right up there with the best I've had in the country. The ingredients — meats, pickled vegetables, and pâté — are all delicious; but just as importantly, the bread is perfectly toasted. The phở, on the other hand, lacks depth and richness in its broth, and the vermicelli noodles are often limp. Meanwhile, the bún entrees are better, with noodles that aren't overly soggy, and with the same ingredients as the bánh mì, except in bowl form.

The restaurant interior is modern, inviting, and for the most part clean, so dining-in is a pleasant experience.

Unfortunately, the service is excrutiatingly slow. From what I can tell, there are multiple cooks in the kitchen, but only a single person who assembles all of the ingredients onto every single plate — so that single person is always the bottleneck. If just 2 or 3 people have ordered ahead of you, expect a 30 minute wait. Contrast that to ordering at Saigon Market — where 20 people ahead of you equates to a 20 minute wait.

What's even worse is that Basil & Sprout's online ordering system is constantly broken, and if you try to phone in an order, you're required to pre-pay via a text link to a Square-based payment system that fails more often than it succeeds. (I wouldn't be surprised if Basil & Sprout loses 50% of their takeout opportunities due to ordering frustrations.)

Therefore, whether you plan to dine at Basil & Sprout or pick up takeout, don't waste your time with ordering ahead. Just head directly to the restaurant, order at the counter, and wait the 30 minutes for your meal to be assembled. If you use one of the third-party delivery platforms like DoorDash or Grubhub, be prepared to wait an hour...

You're welcome: Basil & Sprout is your new go-to place for delicious and authentic Vietnamese street food. The combination of aroma, taste, and texture of the options here is mouth-watering.

One of my all-time favorites is their banh mi. The bread was perfectly crusty on the outside and soft on the inside, and the filling was a delightful combination of protein, pickled vegetables, and just enough cilantro. I stick to their vegetarian options, but my partner raves about their BBQ pork.

The service at Basil & Sprout is bright, friendly, and FAST making it the perfect pit stop during a grueling work day. When I can, I still like to dine inside to enjoy a meal or sit in their outdoor patio space to soak up the gorgeous Florida sun. The restaurant's ambiance is cozy and welcoming, and the décor adds a hint of Vietnamese culture.

Their decor and style, including branded cups and even parchment paper, are better than they need to be and probably more than Pensacola deserves tbh. They put so much attention and investment in every detail. You can really tell.

Overall, Basil & Sprout is one of the best street food restaurants I've ever been to. It's perfect for a quick bite or a relaxing meal with friends. If you're craving delicious Vietnamese food, this is the...

I like Vietnamese food so I thought I would try this place out, and I have heard good things from others. I was pretty pleased with the food. I got the Chargrilled Chicken Vermicelli Bowl and the Chargrilled BBQ Pork Sandwich. Both were very good, but I will probably just get the Vermicelli Bowl next time. I would say the sandwich was a bit on the dry side, so if it had more sauce, that would help out with the overall taste. Compared to Tu-Do's for Vietnamese food, I prefer Tu-Do's, but Basil and Sprout is still pretty good. The pricing seemed about on par with what you get, as far as the taste and the amount of food you get. They have a decent selection to pick from on the menu, so I opted to try both a sandwich and a bowl. Everything seemed to be made fresh and the ingredients tasted very fresh as well. All the workers I interacted with were very friendly and polite, and the place was very clean and inviting. The place is well lit, and decor was aesthetically pleasing and overall very nice. They have a fresh ingredients and sauce bar that is very nice to get extra ingredients for your meal. I wouldn't mind coming...