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Bao Noodles
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
391 2nd Ave(between 22nd St & 23rd St)
New York, NY 10010
Neighborhood: Gramercy
(212) 725-7770
- Nearest Transit:
-
23 St (4, 6, 6X)
28 St (4, 6, 6X)
3 Av (L)
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Barbara C. said: "Came here once for lunch and got the shrimp po'boy (banh mi with batter-fried shrimp), which was a new special offering. It was delicious - the shrimp was nicely battered, crispy, and not too heavy (actually the pieces of shrimp were…" read more »
169 reviews for Bao Noodles
Review Highlights
"make sure to order the chicken lollipop with taro fries."
(in 19 reviews)
"Iron Pot Chicken - (Gà Kho To) is phenomenol."
(in 5 reviews)
"Perfect salt and pepper squid."
(in 6 reviews)
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169 reviews in English
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Review from Lindsay H.
New York, NY
1/8/2012
I was actually very pleasantly surprised by this place! I have lived a couple of blocks away for over a year now and just got around to trying it last weekend on the always weary New Year's Day after my boyfriend and I were tired of waiting in the rain for the 2nd avenue bus to take us down to the east village to eat. I am glad we did!
First of all, chicken lollipops. Yup. Just like others have mentioned, these babies are good...like, really, really good. I'm pretty sure I have craved these everyday since eating them. Just, wow. And the taro fries served with them are just as good. You MUST get them if you eat here.
For my entree, I got I guess what you would call Vietnamese chicken noodle soup. Very basic but satisfying on a cold, rainy day. My boyfriend got one of the sandwiches and enjoyed it.
I thought the service and atmosphere were both nice...very laid back and cozy. I could see this becoming one of my neighborhood spots. -
Review from John E.
Manhattan, NY
1/3/2012
When I read the other reviews I was super hungry so I didn't much care about service or consistency..
Place has the potential to be good, but the pho is small and expensive and the service really does suck.. the pho took 20 minutes to come out (huh..?) and the wait staff spent most of the night on their cell phones so I couldn't even flag someone down to ask for the bill when I'd been waiting with an empty plate for 15 minutes.
The quality of pho itself was pretty good although really small and only a few bit of meat.
Doubt I'd bother coming back. -
Review from Dwight C.
Manhattan, NY
12/19/2011
This place COULD be VERY good, but they lack in CONSISTENCY.
We eat here quite frequently and are sometimes very happy and often times send our food back. For example, the anise oxtail broth...sometimes its so tasty and sometimes it tastes like water. Don't you have some kind of recipe? Does your chef taste each new batch to make sure it's right?
I mean, come on. This restaurant annoying me outweighs continuing to eat there.
BAO, get your sh*t together already and be the great restaurant you should be. -
Review from Cristina A.
New York, NY
2/1/2012
Ordered the vegetable spring roll on rice vermicelli for DELIVERY. The noodles were very good and the spring rolls were ok. It is a very plain and light dish. Includes some lettuce, bean sprouts and carrots on the side. It's what I wanted, but wouldn't order it if I wanted some good, strong flavors.
Can't speak about the place itself. -
Review from Nils H.
12/6/2011
Bao Noodles has cornered the market for Vietnamese food in Gramercy. Food here is decent and reasonably priced, but nothing special. If you need a quick fix of pho or vermicelli something, this is a solid bet. The iron pot entrees are my personal fav.
Note - the banh mi sandwiches leave a lot to be desired. Just trek a few more blocks up to Baoguette on 25th/Lex if you really want a taste of heaven. -
Review from Elizabeth L.
New York, NY
11/3/2011
I would never have found this place if not for the Groupon from a few months back.
Decent, but ultimately, forgettable Vietnamese fare. It's not easy to mess up a bowl of pho, and there was nothing wrong or special about mine. I was quite surprised to find that there was pandan panna cotta for dessert. Actually, it seems that the dessert menu (which changes often) is where most of the culinary creativity is to be found at Bao Noodles. Also featured were housemade ice creams in 'Asian' flavors like coconut, taro, etc.
My pandan panna cotta was pretty good -- not too sweet, and the subtle pandan flavor (which resembles coconut) was lovely. -
Review from Will M.
Manhattan, NY
11/29/2011
It's always nice to find a good spot for non-Chinese Asian chow that doesn't require schlepping to Flushing or some other neighborhood. Ironically despite the name and the Vietnamese based menu I haven't tried the Pho, but after a couple of visits I'm willing to say that it's a good spot.
Their spring and summer rolls are delicious; it's nice to see a place that offers both the more decadent fried option as well as the light, refreshing healthier alternative.
I promised myself that next time I go I'll order something other than the pork belly entree, which is just a pile of delicious hunks of fatty pig meat with some rice, so we'll see how that goes. The salt and pepper squid was excellent, crispy and perfectly cooked.
I'd say avoid the Asian-influenced cocktails. They're not terrible, just underwhelming. -
Review from Federica S.
New York, NY
11/17/2011
Terrible. I've never not liked a French fry, no matter how thick or thin, soggy or dry.....but the taro fries here were legitimately baked cardboard. We werent sure if they were even food or not! The spring rills have mystery meat in them and the chicken lollipops are deep-fried chicken bones with some PINK meat on them. Entrees were OK but way overpriced for the quality and service. Our 12 year old waitress was texting the entire time and kept blatantly ignoring us hopefully she was doing homework on that iPhone.
There are no good food options in eastern gramercy besides posto. Let's get some new spots around here! -
Review from Nina B.
New York, NY
10/12/2011
Solid 4 stars for the food and a shaky 3 stars (i.e. borderline 2 stars) for the service. I'm choosing to give this 4 stars because we really enjoyed the food. Quite frankly, I'm not willing to give this place 3 stars because the food was just that good.
We had the iron pot chicken special (piping hot, savory, and perfectly gingery), the salt & pepper shrimp (fried and seasoned just right...coming from someone who always orders this dish...they did the dish justice), and hue spicy fried rice (not overcooked at all and nicely spiced).
The portions are large enough that between the two of us, we had to take almost everything home. (Not the salt & pepper shrimp though...that was all gone by the time we left.)
The service...just a little too slow, nor did they check on us during the meal. Could've been worse...could've been much better. Nonetheless, I would return, but wouldn't go out of my way. I would recommend it...with the caveat that the service is spotty. -
Review from Evan G.
10/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Overpriced for what it is, and there's not a lot of attention to detail here.
Salt and pepper shrimp was a pile of excessively greasy peel-and-eat shrimp that tasted like salt shrimp.
Server barely understood us and had very poor communication skills.
Two stars instead of one because of the great artwork in the bathroom. -
Review from Terry B.
Montclair, NJ
10/12/2011
B
I only tried one of their beef stew banh mi sandwich but it was pretty good. The meat was nice, and everything in it was flavorful.
$7+ for one sandwich? kinda expensive though.
NYC banh mi has been disappointing so far ... -
Review from Gregory W.
Brooklyn, NY
11/30/2011
I've been going to this place for years because it's close to our office and the food is quite good and not too expensive. The ambiance is also relaxing and tastefully designed so it's suitable to be out there with co-workers or after dinner drinks/eats with friends.
I usually don't complain about service, but not writing this review would be an injustice. Our server, Gelroy, was not just rude, but insulting. I've experienced rude service (e.g., Chinatown) and can tolerate it. It's sometimes even charming.
But Gelroy really took the cake today, making snide comments about my menu-reading skills, which is not written very clearly. Maybe he just had a bad day and needed to vent. Sorry Gelroy!!! But get another job then. Or get some talent or whatever so you can quit your restaurant gig and get paid for the job that you came to New York for.
Even my coworkers gave each other stunned looks after he left the table. Then we laughed and just made fun of him the entire meal because it was so comical. But seriously, not all of us love our jobs, but suck it up and don't insult customers to make you feel better.
To Bao management, the food is good, but hire better people please! -
Review from Ron C.
7/29/2011 3 photos
I was craving a Banh Mi and the closest place that had one was here. I decided to get the traditional with the Pate and Meats. I always get this every place Vietnamese place I go. You can tell a lot about a place if it's good or not on how they prepare a simple thing.
The Banh Mi wasn't really that good. They put more pate in than daikon, cilantro and cucumbers. All you really tasted was the pate. It really overpowered the sandwich and made it a salty. I opened it up and only saw a one ore two sprigs of cilantro. Banh Mis are supposed to be crisp, tasty and delicious. This was neither of them. Instead I got a cold, flavorless and really depressing sandwich. I was really disappointed.
Definitely not worth the $6.50! -
Review from Steve E.
Yellow Springs, OH
12/8/2011
Best Beef Curry Ever. Nuff said.
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Review from Susie R.
New York, NY
9/8/2011
I wanted to love Bao Noodles, the menu looked great, the restaurant had lots of atmosphere and it is close to my apartment. But I didn't. The chicken pho just didn't work for me. Maybe it is what others want but for me it was too sweet and salty. The subtle flavour of the chicken and spices was overpowered with sugar and fish sauce (or salt).
It's a fun place so I may go back but not for my hangover/feeling crap fix that I need pho for. -
Review from SheilaMarie D.
New York, NY
9/29/2011
Had dinner @ 6p yesterday and was very disappointed. I ordered soup and appetizer. BOTH orders were totally wrong, so I had to wait extra long for a simple order to arrive and be correct. I'm not ordinarily this impatient, but as a waiter, just listen and be professional. BTW, the waiter was argumentative and spiteful: he stopped coming around to give me silverware and fill my water, though he filled the others. This is the kind of treatment and bad attitude that drives patrons away to other nearby restaurants.
Food is average and overpriced. Service is inattentive and unprofessional. As a former regular patron, I'm advising everyone I know to avoid Bao Noodles; you'll be saving yourself $, frustration, grief & disappointment. -
Review from Gina X.
New York, NY
10/29/2011
The most tasty pho in this area. However, delivery always takes around 1 hr. So I try to order ahead... Otherwise I get REALLY hungry. You won't like me when I'm hungry...
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Review from C.A. D.
New York, NY
11/22/2011
did you know that bao noodles has a 9.99 brunch special that comes with a cocktail? i enjoyed my duck, pork and beef congee and my friends also liked the hanger steak and braised pork belly. all three of those are choices on the brunch menu.
for drinks, we all had their version of bellinis. cocktails (aside from the one that comes with your meal) are $6 each. awesome.
you won't find another place that offers great value + ambiance + ASIAN brunch choices! i'm not a big fan of american brunch menus and would take a nice steaming bowl of braised pork belly with a side of white rice any day.
make sure to order the chicken lollipop with taro fries. it's to die for. -
Review from Pablo P.
Manhattan, NY
10/10/2011 10 Check-ins Here
after 150 reviews, all I have to say is I wish they had vegetarian options in the lunch special. I come here frequently and have to pay more for lunch. The choices are crispy vegetable noodles, curry tofu and vermicelli with veggie rolls. I don't recommend the Bao mixed vegetables. It's just a bunch of sauteed broccoli, carrots and string beans Chinese style.
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Review from Joel S.
Scarsdale, NY
11/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Bao occupies a cute, small space. It's a repurposed bar, with a small bar, a couple of small sitting areas, great vintage floors and ceilings. The crowd was varied, with a hipster slant. Service was casual to disorganized. It was happy hour, so I had a craptacular bottle of room temperature Export 33 Vietnamese beer. If the troops were drinking this during the war, I can understand why we lost. The pho was phine. The broth was aromatic, the meat was OK. It was great for a cold, rainy evening. Overall, Bao is OK. I would be willing to return to explore the menu further.
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Review from Lily T.
5/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
this place has some amazing lollipop chicken and taro fries
the chicken was breaded and seasoned so well and the taro fries was so yummy with a touch of garlic on it
For the main entree, I had the lemongrass chicken but wasn't too impress with it
chicken was dry and flavorless and the dish was very salty. My friend got some kind of beef dish, and the beef was very dry and hard to chew
They have some yummy cocktails. I had the cucumber saketini and it was very good
I would come back here again just for their lollipop chicken and taro fries -
Review from Nina L.
4/11/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I've recently taken a great liking to this little place. Something about the atmosphere is absolutely perfect to me. It's the greatest place to cozy up during a rainy day, and what a plus -- the food is good and not overpriced!
My favorite thing about eating at Bao is the chicken pho. It hits the spot every time when you're either feeling sick or just plain need to be warmed up. It may be seen as a bit bland but to me its very refreshing. I've tried their pork bahn mi several times and it's always consistent and delicious, I love the sauce they put on it and the bread is very fresh (good sandwich harmony). They have a $10 lunch special - a small appetizer and a soup or a sandwich. Their Vietnamese spring rolls are to die for, they always come hot and crispy as well. The only thing I've ever been disappointed with is the fried rice dish (keeping in mind I'd never had Vietnamese fried rice), I just felt like it was over seasoned and too spicy.
The service is always friendly and the place is never overly crowded. In my eyes it's definitely a hidden gem of the neighborhood. -
Review from Jared M.
5/29/2011
Bao, Bao, everywhere! I love Baoguette, so I tried this place.
The lunch specil is $10, which is a bit higher than I usually like to pay. However, you do get a pho or a sandwich AND a papaya salad or spring roll. The papaya salad was great, very nicely seasoned and the pho was pho (I guess I've never had pho that was amazing or awful). I will be back to try the sandwiches. -
Review from Liz T.
5/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Tried this place for the first time yesterday despite passing by it over and over again throughout the years.
The food here is cheap and solid--but the fried rice could have used some more seasoning and the vietmanese sandwich was a bit sloppy. Overall, I still left full and adequately satisfied, but it's definitely not the most exquisite Vietmanese food I've ever had. It's decent for the price, and a great place for a quick lunch on a busy day. But I probably wouldn't go again unless a friend wanted to go or I lived nearby. -
Review from Jackie P.
New York, NY
6/28/2011
I've been in search of great viet restaurants and failed many times...
When my friends recommended i try bao noodles, i went feeling hopeful and excited.
I originally wanted to get pho, but because of the hot 80 degrees weather, ended up ordering grilled pork on rice vermicelli. my dish was okay. i wouldn't say i was crazy about it.
Next time I go there, I want to try to the pho.. -
Review from Esther K.
I was pleasantly surprised by the food here considering the ratings. I passed by here and just wanted to get a banh mi to go. I got the chicken one for myself and the pate one for the bf; also ordered the Taro Fries and papaya salad.
The bahn mi was pretty good. I think I still prefer the cheap $5 dollar one in chinatown at saigon bakery but for murray hill area... definitely a to go choice. The taro fries were delish... they were very flavorful and the dipping sauces was just an added bonus!
The only thing I could have done without is the papaya salad, the sauce was a bit too sweet for my taste but not bad to any extent.
I may come back here just to eat the taro fries... yum! -
Review from Vic V.
Manhattan, NY
3/18/2011
Most affordable, delicious Vietnamese food in the city. Feeds a circle of three for the price of one. I go here all the time and my favorite dish is the chicken curry.
The staff is kind, accommodating and quick with the order. It is never too crowded and a very comfortable seating arrangement. The interior is nicely decorated, the wood gives it a bamboo feel.
Everything on the menu is great... top rated items are the vegetable rolls, lemongrass short ribs, vermicelli with chicken, chicken curry *** and the taro fries. All deeeeelish! -
Review from Jessica Y.
Manhattan, NY
5/21/2011
Jasmine ice cream. Oh holy shit this stuff is ahhmazing. So fragrant and yummy. You must come here immediately to taste this.
The soursop ice cream is also delicious! Will definitely be back here to try a sammich and more ice cream!
Mediocre taro fries and beef and hue soup. -
Review from Peter H.
Minneapolis, MN
12/19/2011
Nice atmosphere, food smelled good, menu looked nice, but then BAM - hit with terrible terrible service. Had to wait an hour for food with no explanation then send it back because it was cold. Every request we had to repeat several times. And last but not least, the dessert came out accidentally garnished with a green onion. Was not worth going through all that trouble for mediocre food.
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Review from Romana claretta H.
Long Island City, NY
12/7/2011 2 photos
i ordered the salt and pepper shrimp, but the skin was still left on there and made it very difficuilt to eat. the sauce that came with it however, was so tasty! my friend got the pork chops and she said it was really good. the pancata cake was light and yummi. cute lil restaurant and service is quick. prices are very affordable. i wud def come bak to try something else.
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Review from Chris B.
Manhattan, NY
7/28/2011
Go for the Pho. It's delicious and very moderately priced. The banana spring roll dessert is also amazing. The other items on the menu are hit or miss.
The ambiance pretty cool for the neighborhood. And they have some pretty good saketinis. -
Review from Kimberly F.
Manhattan, NY
2/22/2011
i LOVE this place.
It's unpretentious, cute, friendly, quaint with really, really, really good food. And I am a quarter Vietnamese, so I what Vietnamese food is supposed to taste like. =)
The order:
*Shrimp summer rolls (perfect)
*Chicken lollipops with taro fries (sooo good)
*Short rib bahn mi (one of the specials..good, but I love ALL bahn mi)
*Vermicelli with grilled pork (yum!)
The service was attentive but not overwhelming, drinks were creative and the small, intimate place is quaint and has nice touches like the french-VIetnamese coffee tins and Vietnamese newpapers on the wall.
Going back for lunch this week. =) -
Review from Susan s.
OMG disgusting. My roommate and I came here yesterday for their late lunch special, I should of known. We were the only table in the whole restaurant. Usually thats a bad idea. I wanted to try something new without reading the Yelp reviews. I ordered the Pho because how could ANYONE mess up on Pho?! They brought over a basket of bean sprouts -shrived with discoloration of beige when its supposed to be bright white (means not fresh) and two small leaves of basil on a long stem and two small triangles of limes. My bowl of Pho was hot, the noodles were still STUCK together in the broth, the beef was so overcooked, salty and chewy. I ordered the first one that was supposed to be RAW beef on top. I told our server, he sort of gave me a snobby attitude when I asked him to take to back and maybe just get me something else. I never usually complain and just eat my food but it was that UN-EDIBLE.
At least the server let me order something else without charging me again. I replaced it for a Bahn-Mi with pate and slices of bologna. Anyone that knows Bahn-Mi knows there is NOT supposed to be MAYO in it!! (see attached pic) WTF its not a normal thing, and the pate tasted like chopped chorizo and the bread was STALE.
I can't believe I even tried to eat it when I was SO hungry and even paid for it. I mean at least they changed my order without paying extra so I just did the normal paying and tip of 20% just to be fair. Never again though. I can't bear eating here ever again. -
Review from JR Y.
Manhattan, NY
10/6/2011
This isn't the most authentic Vietnamese place I have been to. So if that is what you're looking for, I'd only give it 4 stars. But if you want excellent food with excellent value, this place is your spot. The lollipop chicken is the best in the city. Come for happy hour and their drink deals are ridiculously cheap.
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Review from Helen C.
San Francisco, CA
9/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've had better vietnamese sandwiches and noodles and for a lot cheaper. But if you are looking for a cute place for vietnamese place, this isn't so bad.
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Review from Julie K.
3/14/2011
Not too bad at all.
I got delivery to my office. It was a little slow (and there was some problem with the seamlessweb that was quickly sorted out), but the food still arrived warm and tasty.
I got the grilled pork banh mi, which was pretty good. The bread wasn't crusty enough but it traveled a ways so I'll forgive them. The sandwich wasn't spicy at all (which is actually unforgivable) but they gave me some sambal oelek so I made it spicy on my own. Sandwich is HUGE, enough for two meals (score!).
I also ordered the pork soup which is fairly tasty. I have plenty of that left over for tomorrow as well.
Not a bad choice for lunch delivery. I'll be ordering again (and trying their stir fry/iron pot dishes). -
Review from Claire V.
Updated - 8/2/2011
Still 3 1/2 stars. On an extremely rare "date night," we happily devoured the popcorn chicken with taro fries and mayo (I need to ask for seconds on the mayo, it's sooo good); splurged on the banana cocktail and mango martini (half-priced at happy hour, which was still going on at 6:30) which were very tasty, particularly the banana one, and cut through the spiciness of the food nicely; he got the chicken vermicelli with refreshing lettuce, sprouts, and carrots (the chicken was very tender thigh meat); I got the market fish basa, a giant bowl of tangy-spicy sweet and sour fried whitefish. Another win, Bao.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/13/2011
3 1/2 stars. A friend and I went around 8 on a Wednesday, and it was more than half-full, which was… Read more »
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Review from Amy S.
Manhattan, NY
3/25/2011 1 photo
My friends and I were walking home from flag football practice and we spotted this place and we went in to have dinner.
I got the brisket pho and it was alright. The meat is nice and tender, but I wasn't completely "satisfied" when I was done though. A friend got the chicken curry and THAT was really good.
Dessert - Got the banana spring rolls. It's basically fried banana. It wasn't bad, but the fried dough had more flavor than the banana. It was nice and warm though. The mango sorbet that came along with it, delicious! Next time I'm getting just the mango sorbet.
Interior is nice and cute! The lighting is dim, but not dim enough so everything looks really dark.
Pricing is reasonable - would probably come again to try other things on the menu, or get the chicken curry. (: -
Review from Jonathan J.
New York, NY
1/11/2011
I've always been in the mindset that there are multiple factors that come into play when eating. Obviously a chef's goal is to fulfill the five senses of any customer that walks through the doors of their restaurant. It's safe to say my trip to Bao Noodles was already accelerated simply because my dinner companion made the meal even more enjoyable. Some times great conversation and a great smile can make a decent meal an exceptional meal.
That being said, the food here is very very good. It's truly hard to find an authentic Vietnamese spot in the city that serves great tasting Bahn Mi. Bao Noodles hits that note nicely. The Bahn Mi had layers of flavors, from the char broiled-yet-tender pork to the healthy slathering of sauce to the fluffy bread, this Bahn Mi hit the spot.
Next up we have the fried vegetable spring rolls. A bit greasy (expected) but a lot heartier than their cold counterparts and definitely delicious. Once again hitting the spot and filling my belly beyond expectations.
Our last order of the night was the Pho with Brisket. The brisket was prepared nicely and the broth was extremely flavorful. A lot of times when I go to Vietnamese restaurants the broth comes to you already heavy and spiced up, which winds up throwing my spice levels off. Not this time!!! I threw in my greens, a bit of lime, and of course some spice for good measure. I thought the noodles were a bit too thick, but they weren't stingy with the amount of noodles provided. Definitely more bang for your buck!
The decor is playful and imitates what one would expect a small pho shop in the newer parts of Ho Chi Mingh to look like. All in all, my experience at Bao Noodles was delightful and had me craving more. Next time around I will absolutely try some more interesting dishes. Let's just hope that the next time I walk in there isn't a drunken-passed out women in the front booth with police officers carrying her out.... not the best way to be introduced to a restaurant, but then again.. this is NYC... roll with it! -
Review from Nancy L.
New York, NY
11/18/2010
Everyone needs an affordable go-to Vietnamese restaurant, and for me, it's Bao. I usually order take-out from here, and my coworkers fell in love with this place after we ordered in for a late night at the office. Any of the iron pot dishes are delicious (my favorite is the iron pot pork and shrimp), and the taro fries and lollipop shrimp are great sides.
Because I'm so used to ordering in from this place, I sometimes forget how nice it is to actually eat at the restaurant itself. The staff is very nice, and the place, while small, is clean and comfortable. They usually have the Beatles playing in the background, and when the weather is nice, they have the full length storefront windows open...great, comfortable vibe.
