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A Dong Restaurant
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 10:30 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
57 reviews for A Dong Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"The Pho is excellent, the tofu (17c) is unmatched." In 19 reviews -
"My husband loves their bubble tea." In 7 reviews -
"The vegetarian options are inspired and lengthy." In 3 reviews
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57 reviews in English
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Review from VJ N.
West Des Moines, IA
4/16/2012
I have been to this place more than once...I like their food....The only complain I have is their slow service they are very busy during lunch hours and they will test ur patience...its not an up scale place well wroth a visit if u want to try something different ( Vietnamese food)...
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Review from Monica S.
Updated - 4/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
So disappointed by my lunch here today :( I haven't been here in a while, and it looks like their standards have slipped in my absence.
It was around 3pm for a late lunch, so not busy at all, I was only 1 of 3 people in the restaurant.
I got the summer rolls (#88) and the #25 - vermacelli noodles with marinated pork and egg roll.
The summer rolls were wrapped a bit sloppy. The lettuce inside was not fresh- wilted, and some of it a bit brown. A good summer roll should not come apart as you bite it, and this one did. The plum sauce tasted like it had been watered down.
On to the vermacelli- more of the same wilted shredded lettuce. The chopped up egg roll was ok, but the marinated pork- tasteless and dry. Like it had been stir fried previously, not fresh to my order.
I ate what tasted ok- the egg roll, the cucumbers, noodles, and sprouts- and avoided the rest. I usually would not say something, but I politely told what seemed to be the manager or owner as I was paying that my lunch was a bit disappointing and listed my reasons above to him. He meekly apologized, barely audible, and didn't say anything else. Oh well....may not be back, I don't know.Listed in: Lunch/Dinner under $10 Des…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/31/2011
Good cheap vietnamese food. I'm a fan of their spring rolls and vermacelli bowls. Service is usually… Read more »
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Review from Alexandra D.
Berkeley, CA
8/16/2011
Holy mother of delicious food. I am going to keep this post brief... because there isn't really a whole lot to say other than this is what of the best meals I have had IN MY LIFE. On day 2 of a cross country road trip, we were coming through Des Moines around dinner time on our way from Michigan to Omaha, NE. We started yelping and honestly had a hard time trying to decide where to go... so we figured we would go here because whether it was good or bad, the name "A Dong" added a humorous stop to our trip... so we walked in honestly not expecting much.
Legit, some of the tastiest food I have ever put in my mouth. I ate there a week ago now and I am still thinking about it. I would go back to Des Moines just to eat there. Amazing Vietnamese food in Des Moines, Iowa? Who would have thought?!
GO HERE IF YOU WANT YOUR MIND BLOWN. -
Review from Lucy G.
Lake City, FL
8/28/2011
So delicious!
#28, #108 -
Review from Shing Yiing O.
New York, NY
9/5/2011
I think this place is a little overrating.. Ever since I came back from NYC.. I have been researching online to search for the top restaurant.. So apparently A Dong is one of the top 10 restaurant according to Urbanspoon... I have always been trying lucky dragon and pho ha dao.. So I decided to come here to try their pho!!!
So I ordered their A Dong Pho and my roommate ordered the crispy egg noodles.. We also ordered a durian shake with it!!!
Perhaps I have too high expectation.. The pho they served is pretty tasteless and what they have in it is just a bunch of beef in it and the noodles are all sticking together as if they did not cook the pho long enough to "separate" them.. The crispy egg noodles that my roommate ordered is way too sweet!!! He had to add some soy sauce to make it saltier to blend the sweetness and saltiness together.. I think he added quite a bit of soy sauce to it and it's still really sweet!!!!! And the cabbage they have in it is really bitter.. OMG.. Do they wash the vegetables before they cook?? I love cabbage and I immediately "puke' it out when I took a bite..
As for the durian shake.. I have to spit out few of the tapioca because it's way too hard and I can't even bite it.. The bubble tea will not be as good as the one I had in NYC but still.. It's way too bad.. and it's a little too sweet for me and my roommate..
How can this be one of the top restaurant???? I guess their dishes are mean to suit the taste of Iowa-ians??? That's what my roommate and I thought... -
Review from Jade N.
Lynnwood, WA
10/9/2011
After an exhausting day of travel where I could think of nothing but food, any food really, I was very optimistic about Yelp's 2nd highest recommended restaurant in Des Moines but it was one of the worst meals I've ever encountered anywhere.
I had the lemongrass beef (had being used very loosely because I couldn't eat more than 3 bites). The dish was watery and unseasoned with beef that was gray in color and smelled so strangely that not even lemongrass (my favorite aromatic herb) could salvage it. The rice was soggy and overcooked and the "fresh" limeaid was also equally terrible because they used spoiled limes.
Even if I had zeo expectations I would still have been disappointed because any place that serves food should have food that was at least edible. -
Review from Marcella A.
Des Moines, IA
10/14/2011
Although not the best place to order pho in Des Moines, their pho surely isn't bad.
All of the other dishes are always delish!!
Service: 9 out 10 times, good! (unless you normally like to chit chat with the servers)
P.S: I've never tried anything from their Chinese menu, but if you wanna eat Chinese food, why come here? Go to a Chinese restaurant elsewhere. -
Review from Carrie M.
Urbandale, IA
6/26/2011
SWING AND A MISS!!! Seriously, this was hands down the worst Asian cuisine I've ever had. Run, run away quickly. There are so many fantastic restaurants in town (see my suggestions below).
Here's why I didn't like A Dong:
The egg rolls and spring rolls lacked a good flavor. My husband had a cashew chicken dish that tasted like bad chicken noodle soup. My beef dish was bland, scratch that, bad, it was just bad.
Here are a couple other restaurant suggestions: Sakari (just west of Downtown), Fongs (off Court Ave.), House of Thai (Urbandale), or Haiku (Drake Area). -
Review from Amreeta C.
West Des Moines, IA
1/22/2012
Friendly place, delicious food.
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Review from He and She I.
Independence, IA
12/21/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Five stars for consistent delivery of exactly what is promised....fresh, wholesome delicious food, warm inviting atmosphere, reasonable prices, and quick, personal service. This Des Moines gem is a place we visit nearly every time we are close enough to make the stop, even on a trip from Omaha to home. It is worth the detour. Do not be put off by the off-the-beaten path location. There is plenty of parking, and you'll be eating with the locals.
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Review from Mark R.
Salt Lake City, UT
11/20/2011
Passing through Des Moines, I looked up "restaurant" on yelp and this came up. What a nice surprise in Des Moines! Even more surprising considering the somewhat unwelcoming industrial looking location that it is in. Ended up eating way more food than I wanted to, because it was all so good. The soup was great (forget which one I had).
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Review from Scotty M.
Atlanta, GA
8/21/2011
Best thing i had was the rare beef with lime dressing with rice,,
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Review from Erica H.
Grimes, IA
10/8/2010
I love this place. Very fresh, very tasty. I haven't had Vietnamese food anywhere else, so I can't compare, but according to others it holds up well.
I almost exclusively order off the vegetarian menu (and it's pretty extensive), I did once try a soup with fish balls in it, and I can say that I won't try it again. Soup was fine, fish balls are not for me.
The bubble tea is fun and yummy.
The place is sparkling clean and very spacious, and the staff is super friendly. -
Review from Gina K.
11/4/2009
I found this place with my handy dandy yelp app on my phone! Yay!! I was so excited about coming to this place, the other people on the plane were laughing at the fact that I was excited about coming to Des Moines. Hey I happen to like Iowa!
Came here at lunch with a friend and the meal was ok. Almost missed the place because it doesn't look like a restaurant. Look for the plain red brick box like all the other red brick boxes near it. Yeah see what I mean?
The place was very busy for lunch but still was sat and received the food in a timely manner.
Pho was just ok. Nothing stellar. Next time I'll be trying something else. Most meals were about 7 dollars!! Wow! That's about the price of appetizers back in SF, not the main course! It's nice to be in the fields. =) -
Review from Charles B.
New York, NY
1/17/2010
It's funny, this place completely bewildered me the first time I ate there. Back in the day, I was a 16-year-old vegetarian in a Bob Marley t-shirt, and I'd never had Vietnamese food in my life... there really wasn't any in my little Iowa hometown. I ordered a big fat bowl of vermicelli with tofu and vegetables and a mystifying sauce. I had no idea what to make of it.
Fast-forward a whole bunch of years... A Dong moved out of its original dive a long time ago, and actually has some style now. I developed a Vietnamese food addiction in San Francisco. And guess what? A Dong might actually be better than Tu Lan or Sunflower in San Francisco, and it's definitely better than anything I've had in NYC.
And I didn't just get lucky: I ate with four other people. We ordered a total of seven dishes. (Yes, we're gluttons.) Bring friends so that you can eat off their plates, and don't even think about eating here without getting a bowl of the yellow curry stew... one of the best dishes I've ever had anywhere. No disrespect to my friends at Boi, but if A Dong opened a restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, I'd be a much, much happier man. -
Review from Jeff Z.
Des Moines, IA
11/8/2009
Easily my favorite restaurant in Des Moines. I like it , not only for the incredible food, but they actually have a separate vegetarian menu with a plethora of options. I enjoy the spartan atmosphere with kitschy Buddhas and hit it up at least once a month and is my first choice to bring visiting friends. The service is excellent and fast!
I keep trying to work myself through the menu to try everything but keep getting 23c , my favorite there. Also, try the spring rolls - incredible! -
Review from Phoukham B.
Des Moines, IA
5/30/2010
A Dong never diappoints! Been here a million times but never ever recorded how I walk away completely satisfied. Food is Fresh. Tastey. And service is quick and responsive. I always go with the same thing...1c veggie egg rolls (best anywhere!) and 60 stir fry chicken curry. Add cafe sua da (Vietnamese iced coffee) and it's pretty much a perfect meal. A Dong has a huge menu from classic Vietnamese Bun to Pho to more exotic offerings like bahn xeo(Vietnamese pancake/fritada) and banh coun(pork and black fungus stuffed rice crepe). All are pretty great. Lastly this place makes my favorite nac mum(lime sauce/dressing), it's sweet a bit savory and not too strong on the fish sauce - just the way I like it!
Good job A Dong! -
Review from Euge C.
Santa Monica, CA
10/2/2006
Yes, it seems we have the best Vietnamese food in the DSM.
I'm actually from San Francisco. With all due respect to all of Iowa, I'm going to have to pull rank and say that I know what I'm talking about when it comes to Vietnamese food. This place is really rather good, although unfortunately named.
Clean dining room, quick service. Food always satisfies. -
Review from Tom H.
7/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Inexpensive and large variety of menu items to choose from. The simplest things are often the best: the pho and egg rolls
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Review from David F.
Oak Park, IL
7/17/2008
My favorite food in Des Moines. I lived here for 6 years and would eat there at least twice a month. Probably would have been more often, but they only took cash at their old location and I was a poor college student living off credit most of the time.
The food is dirt cheap, fresh produce, fantastic noodles and meats. Even the seafood seemed fresh for a land locked state. It always seemed like a fairly authentic experience (with the caveat of never having been to Vietnam) and not a dumbed down westernized version of Vietnamese food.
Great vegetarian options, expansive menu, not just eggrolls and pho.
The staff is attentive and friendly.
This may be the best Vietnamese food I've ever had. I go out of my way on westbound road trips to stop here. -
Review from kristen X.
Milwaukee, WI
7/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
First time here and I can say from my experience, this is not the best pho place to eat, the flavor of the broth was very plain and the eggroll was not tasty, I'm sorry but if a Vietnamese restaurant pho is not good it's not consider a good place, my opinion. I had the pho with beef and meatball, there was no meatball in my bowl so I had to tell them also. The service wasn't that great at all, but it's common for Asian restaurant, they do sell bubble tea, i ordered the mango tea and also i was disappointed, they put too much powder all i could taste was the powder.... Not the best experience for me. in the meantime I'm going to search for a good pho place in this town if there are anymore options ;) I give it a two star bc the place and atmosphere was clean.
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Review from Justin B.
Johnston, IA
6/8/2011 18 Check-ins Here
I am surprised by the great reviews this place has. I think to find a Vietnamese place in Iowa is rare enough so that is maybe why people THINK this place is so good. I wasn't completely unsatisfied, but it's a place that I would never go back to even if I was in the area, nothing great. I can cook some of the dishes here in my kitchen with a bag of Ramen noodles better than some of the food at this place. Noting special.
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Review from Tim N.
Des Moines, IA
8/9/2011
This is a pretty decent, really affordable Vietnamese restaurant. I never seem to go unless I'm near the airport, but I'm never disappointed when I get there. Plus they have bubble tea! BONUS! :D
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Review from Tim H.
5/2/2010
Great quality Vietnamese food at low prices. Almost all dishes I saw were under $10. Quick service.
The house pho I had was excellent. Also had the shrimp and crab soup noodles which were also good. The bean sprouts, basil, lime, and hot peppers to go with the noodles were very fresh which I can't say is always true at even the better Vietnamese places in Chicago.
If passing through Des Moines again, I would try to stop by again without hesitation. As others have said, A Dong is a stop for good Vietnamese food regardless of what city you are comparing it too. -
Review from Adam P.
Des Moines, IA
8/21/2008
The food is good although it is not my first place to eat because I am not a huge Vietnamese food fan. I will say A Dong was the first place I ate that made me think that Vietnamese food is acctually good. The service is fast and friendly and the staff makes sure guest are satisfied with their dinning experience. This is not a fancy place nor does it try to be.
I can defiantly tell you this though it is a Des Moines favorite spot. People who love Vietnamese food go back there on a regular basis. -
Review from Janet E.
11/30/2010 5 photos
I was craving Vietnamese and didn't think I would find very many asian restaurants in Des Moines, but I was wrong!! I didn't have any menus or any idea what A Dong served, but I figured they'd probably serve Bun right? Sure enough, when I called to carry out a Pork Bun (cold rice noodles), they told me it would not be a problem! 10 minutes later, we arrived and my food was already waiting for me on the counter to be picked up! Super fast service. The restaurant smelled a little funny when I walked in and the cost was about $6+ which I thought was a bit steep for Des Moines, but other than that, this place is great!
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Review from Dani Z.
Austin, TX
2/10/2011
A Dong is a good place for you to start venturing into Vietnamese Cuisine. However, as far as Vietnamese food goes, it falls flat. Their Phô is, if anything, bland and tasteless; and Phô is the one dish that any Vietnamese restaurant should master to have excellent food. Their eggrolls are good but not memorable. And the wait for a table during dinner or lunch is abundant. Altogether, I would recommend other less known restaurants, such as Lucky Dragon, Fong's, or Phô Ha Dao.
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Review from Chris T.
San Jose, CA
6/21/2009
I'm giving this place 4 stars because this is the only place to eat semi decent pho in Des Moines that I knew of way back when. Had this place open up in cali it would close the week after.
also when i went there it was a little hole in the wall spot with dirty chairs and tables. judging by the pictures it looks like the decor has improved greatly.
Chris
http://marketamerica.c... -
Review from Kirby H.
Eau Claire, WI
7/7/2011
Fabulous great food, was driving by DES moines well worth trip off interstate, pleased meat eaters and vegetarians. Go for the hot pot.
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Review from Chris F.
Metairie, LA
6/25/2007
Awesome place. So fresh and delicious, and I don't know what it is about their Eggrolls, but you can't stop eating them.
Even if you're not hungry it's a good place to stop by and get a Bubble Tea. Prompt and nice service that is very reasonably priced. -
Review from Carla P.
North Liberty, IA
2/11/2010
The best Vietnamese restaurant in Iowa!
I love their food! It's great vermicelli dishes that are served with fresh veggies and very well clean grilled meats. I crave this place all the time.
My husband loves their bubble tea!!! They have a ton of different flavors that you can mix and match. My favorite is mango.
Staff is friendly and the prices are AUH-MAH-ZING! -
Review from Jessica D.
Des Moines, IA
2/15/2010
This is the place I go for my comfort food: 119, yellow curry with chicken and rice. I started frequenting A Dong when I was trying vegetarianism, and it was a great boon for a vegetarian in a midwest pork producing state. Now that I'm back on the meat, I still love it. The food is ALWAYS fresh. Try the spring rolls with shrimp and mint, or if you prefer a hot appetizer, the egg rolls are great, too.
Really, the most frustrating thing about A Dong is trying to make up my mind about what to try. The extensive menu is quite impressive. -
Review from Diane A.
Tustin, CA
3/21/2011
Best spring rolls in town and they're open until 11pm on Saturdays, how can I not LOVE this place????
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Review from Tony L.
Arlington, VA
9/15/2008
Fast, friendly, welcoming place with fresh food - just not my taste. For asian cuisine I usually prefer Japanese or Thai over Vietnamese, but it's good for what it is. Worth checking out for sure.
I love very flavorful dishes full of strong spices and Vietnamese is just a little bland. When it's spicy, it seems to be spicy for the sake of spiciness and looses the flavor behind 'hot'. -
Review from Christian R.
Johnston, IA
7/26/2009
Great Vietnamese food in the middle of Des Moines? I was surprised too.
Of the restaurants we've discovered in our short time in DSM, this was definitely a top-5 keeper. The Pho is excellent, the tofu (17c) is unmatched. The vegetarian options are inspired and lengthy. Overall, their food is a 5/5, no question.
Only the rather ascetic surroundings make this a 4/5 in my book. I would happily dine there 3 or 4 days a week. -
Review from Victor L.
Madison, WI
4/7/2010
I tried only one dish. It was rare beef with fresh basil and cilantro. Rice on the side with lime and mix of spices. Waiter was very helpful with selection.
Amazing. -
Review from Tyler U.
Des Moines, IA
11/16/2010
A Dong is certainly a Des Moines institution; and I applaud them for introducing a lot of people to a new type of food. But this is Vietnamese food for white people, without a doubt. It's a good beginners course but omits a lot of the wonderful flavors you find at a lot of the other, much smaller, authentic Vietnamese places in Des Moines. Don't get me wrong, I eat here and understand why people enjoy A Dong. But do yourself a favor and get out there to try some of the other places in town - Lucky Dragon, Lee's (for their banh mi and whole fried duck), TNT, and several others.
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Review from Cassie C.
Lawrence, KS
1/9/2011
I am not from Iowa but I make sure to eat here every time I'll be nearby - three times so far. Have tried different drinks, appetizers and dishes each time and have always been extremely satisfied. Sometimes think about making the three hour drive just to eat here. Delicious food, great service. Portion sizes are enough to make you full without leftovers (in my experience Vietnamese food is best enjoyed right away)
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Review from barb n.
Des Moines, IA
1/24/2011
Yummy! we went after 7:30 pm on a saturday night, no waiting for a table. the service was fast and friendly. we all had either egg rolls or spring rolls, both were delicious. the food arrived quickly and was very hot. we had a great time!
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Review from Nathan R.
Des Moines, IA
3/11/2011
The best Viatnamese food I'vehad in Des Moines! The Pho was delicious. Very low-priced as well.
