I was craving soup/pho since it was a little chilly. I always end up ordering my usual chicken vermicelli but decided to go with the waitress' recommendation of the pho with steak in it. I'm so glad I listened to her! It was so full of flavor! We also got the imperial rolls and the eggplant since it was happy hour. Everything was so good. Highly recommend! read more

Headed to Ba Bar to escape the heat and try out some light appetizers. My friends were skeptical due to its rating on Yelp, but I persevered, expecting to write a review that would redeem its status. Unfortunately, we had a lackluster experience, with bland food and high prices. Right off the bat, there was no AC, only very slow-moving fans that barely provided any breeze--this made the overall experience pretty uncomfortable. The decorations were otherwise very trendy and nice. We each got an appetizer: the imperial rolls, the tofu paper wrap, and the prawn, cucumber & pineapple salad. Imperial rolls: Cute idea but I couldn't really taste the prawn or the pork, as the mushroom overpowered the roll. Fairly pricey for some spring rolls and wished there were some standard options. Tofu paper wrap: These were covered in oil and fell apart super easily. My friend couldn't even finish the dish. Prawn, cucumber & pineapple salad: This was the dish I ordered and although I was happy that I could get some veggies in, the salad was pretty much all cucumber and mint. At $14, this would be an entree in other places, and the paltry amount of prawns included couldn't justify the price point. The salad could have benefitted from more sauce and pineapple. My friend also got a (tiny) Vietnamese Coffee for $5, which she said was pretty good but not worth the price. I feel bad for leaving such a low review, but if appetizers are priced so high they usually deliver in terms of flavor. Maybe their entrees would be better, but there weren't any options reasonable to order for lunch time. read more

See all

My sales team & I decided to grab lunch at Ba Bar in University Village. I went w/ their spicy pork belly which consists of pure country pork, lemongrass, chili, & shrimp sauce, served w/ broken rice. Everything about this dish was really good. The pork was juicy & had some crunch to it. It complimented w/ the broken rice as well. The shrimp sauce made everything flavorful. Just writing about it makes me want it again. read more

Ba Bar - Spicy Pork Belly at Ba Bar (University Village) - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Used to be a lot better service and food quality has gone down. Soggy rice and rotisserie chicken was overcooked almost like cardboard. Unfortunate, because they used to be pretty good. read more

The food is good, most servers are friendly and professional, but the bar manager- tall guy with a beard- seems interested in talking only to nicely-dressed rich white people (about his own real estate goals, etc). I see other reviewers have said they were treated differently at this location based on their appearance/ethnicity/race. I bet you it was this same "upwardly-mobile" guy. Much prefer Ba Bar's Capitol Hill location on 12th Ave, where the atmosphere is much more relaxed, the music is better, the natural lighting is sunnier and the entire staff is much more welcoming. read more

First off, I'm not really sure why there's so many bad/mediocre reviews of Ba Bar. I'll admit, it is a little pricier than other Vietnamese restaurants in the Seattle area and surrounding, but it's also in the U-District Shopping area, so is argue it's kinda expected... The food: there are a lot of gluten free options here! We had the crispy imperial rolls, the pho ga (chicken & egg), spicy pork belly rotisserie. The rolls were delicious, and came with fresh and pickled veggies and dipping sauce. The pho was good, nice and homey which I really enjoyed. The spicy pork wasn't so much spicy as it was sticky, but in a good way! I'd definitely try more food here! The service: it was really great! We sat at the bar because the place was pretty full, but the bartender was very attentive, and the food was served quickly! All in all, and great visit and we'd definitely return! read more

See all

I love Ba Bar - I've been to a couple of their locations and the food and service never disappoints. This time I had the spicy pork belly. It was absolutely amazing! I previously shared this with my partner but has to have the whole dish to myself this time because it was that good! The dish is also the perfect size and mix between salty, sweet and spicy! The service here was super quick and our server was lovely! Next time I'm at university village I'll definitely be coming back here! read more

I wanted to love this place so much but alas Here's the thing our waiter was fantastic!! And I mean hands down friendliest guy ever! But.... he waited on so many tables it's amazing he got anything done Let's talk good we had the chicken wings!! OH MY OH MY.... yep it was lip smacking good for the wings I'd come back time and again and have 2 plates oh wow it was good I had the grilled prawn vermicelli bowl... umm no, I'm sorry it was a noodle salad sans any special sauce with a side of cucumbers and a decent amount of prawns (that could have been cleaned and de shelled better) We also had the oxtail pho which was an absolute hit!! Gets a little messy but definitely worth a try HOUSE-MADE LEMONGRASS SODA!! Ooohhhh it's soooo goooooood Look if anything take this from the review Get the chicken wings Skip the vermicelli stuff Order the lemongrass soda Pho is on point Have fun! read more

Ba Bar - Chicken wings omg so good // shrimp vermicelli (skip)// pho oxtail yummmyyyy - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Imagine working at UW and you need a break in the day. A short 5 minute bus ride to uvillage is not bad! The walk from the bus stop to the main shopping center is manageable with a bridge under pass. Not the most beautiful scenery. My coworkers and I went here during lunch hour. It was not too busy, but started picking up as we left (around 1pm). Before I give my rating, I want to first establish my Vietnamese cuisine experience. I love pho. I love bon bo hue. Vermicelli is my go to. This is not generic or to say "I know good Vietnamese food" but you know the good Vietnamese spot? Yeah I got that. So I want to rate this spot with 3 things in mind. 1. Food? Is it good? Will this dish be served at a friend's house? Will the food remind me of home? 2. How is the restaurant atmosphere? General demographic? 3. Service? -------- 1. We got a plate of wings for the table. And wooooooo let me tell you it was kicking. Not like you immediately need milk, but a solid 2 star spice for those who can't handle the spice. More saucy and sticky, which luckily they provide you individual hand wipes to prep or clean your fingers after the chicken. I got the beef lemon grass vermicelli bowl. I did not expect lemon grass to be beef. It was more of a sautéed onion with beef. It reminded me of a Filipino meat sauté than lemon grass flavor. The vermicelli sauce was also surprisingly sweet! Now, I've had fish sauce. I was expecting to keep a safe distance after this meal. But that is not needed. The sauce was not kicking the way I know it can. That being said, my overall food rating is a 3/5. Not bad, not the best. Considering the price (and I remember when bowls used to be tops $9) it was okay. The portion was great for lunch. 2. The atmosphere was very cute. Cozy and up kept. Not the kind of place that I'd go to growing up, but now that I have the money I can. It was clean and aesthetically pleasing for pics. 3. Service was good. Attentive considering the place picked up. We were well stocked with water (and I can drink some water). Food came out within 10 minutes of each other and plates were cleaned up as we finished. Overall, I'd give this place a 3/5. Not bad, but also not amazing. Another food spot to consider when I'm around uvillage, hungry for some Vietnamese food read more

Great place to hangout with friends. Food is good, but the portion is not the same each time. Services are the same. Every time is different. Lot of empty tables but still have to wait for 20 mins. Not sure why.... read more

I came here for the first time a few days ago. I originally thought it was just like any other Vietnamese pho place in the Ave, but the menu is actually much more extensive and the restaurant overall has an upscale and sophisticated ambiance to it. I ordered off of the rotisserie menu and got roasted duck ($16) with a fried egg (+ $2.50). It came with broken rice (which is just rice without the kernel), fish sauce, radish, tomato, pickled lettuce, and pineapple. The duck was perfectly cooked and the egg and rice were very tasty too. My parents both ordered buns (cold rice vermicelli noodles). I think they were about $13-$14 each. They got one combo which came with pork, chicken, shrimp, and egg rolls and one with grilled turmeric fish. Both were very nicely plated and filling. Overall, 5/5 for excellent service and food. read more

See all

Ba Bar is a great place to go have a nice lunch with friends or celebrate an achievement with colleagues. I've frequented both the u-village and the Capitol Hill locations, and while they're different, they're both stylish, comfortable. More importantly, they offer fresh and flavorful food and great service. Some of my standby favorites are the eggplant starter, the chicken wings, and the grilled chicken vermicelli. But I recently had the lemongrass rockfish with rice, cabbage salad, and soup, and it's my new favorite! Perfectly cooked fish with bright and tantalizing flavors across the plate. Looking forward to my next chance to eat it. Their cocktails are also great if you're so inclined! read more

I was invited to a business party here right around dinner time so naturally I was starving. When I realized it was Vietnamese I thought oh great, prepare to be hungry and watch everyone else eat as this cuisine can be challenging with a gluten allergy. As I prepared myself for a night of rumbling tummy while watching others nom, the server blew my mind by telling me their whole menu was practically gluten free..say what? Certainly you don't mean those crispy little rolls of crunchy flaky goodness..Yes mam the Imperial rolls are gf. Ok ok well the chicken wings have to be off the list of options cause I never get wings..You can have the wings lady. Hahaha well I've got you at the noodle dishes cause, well they're noodles..Mam, vermicelli noodles are gf. Well dang nabbit what are we sitting around for? Bring on the chow! I had the imperial rolls, the chicken wings, some sort of noodle dish someone was passing around I'm not even sure they intended to share with me. I. Just. Couldn't. Stop. Everything was crispy, saucy, and delicious and I super appreciated the knowledgeable server answering all my questions. The restaurant has a simple interior design theme with wood tables, colorful yellow painted accents, and an abundance of windows flooding the dining room with natural light during the day. It's a beautiful spot with fantastic gf eats; looking forward to returning in the very near future. read more

I had lunch here for Friday of Christmas week. It was a bit noisy, but it was ambient noise from the fairly large crowd, not obnxious music. I was seated right away at the bar, and had the Lemongrass Beef Vermicelli Noodles. It was a really good dish, and arrived very quickly. Good place to go in the Village. read more

Great ambiance, lots of seating both inside and outside. The dishes were very tasty and portions were quite big. I got the combo vermicelli bowl and there was so much variety and every piece was delicious. The parking lot can get quite full so try to get there early to find parking read more

I love Ba Bar! It has such a fun, modern twist to a Vietnamese restaurant. There's even a Bánh Cuôn station where a lady is making the rice sheets and rolling them with minced pork, woodear mushrooms and shallots! That's what I ordered for dinner: the house special bánh cuôn Sàigòn which also came with cha lua, imperial rolls, mints, Thai basil and bean sprouts along with fish sauce! It was delicious. My boyfriend ordered the lemongrass beef vermicelli bowl and he really enjoyed his. It was a great dinner with amazing service last night! We were able to catch the last 30 minutes of happy hour to get the Drop in the Bucket whiskey shot with a Rainier beer for $6.50! I also highly recommend the sticky, delicious fish sauce chicken wings and imperial rolls on their happy hour. Will always come back to try other dishes. I know one of my favorites the Oxtail Pho is delicious. I don't really like the Bún Cá Lá Vong very much (fish was very dry). read more

Ba Bar - Pho Tai Nam, Saigon Chicken Wings, Cucumber Salad and a side of rice!! - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

The cute turquoise building? Yes, that's Ba Bar and it's full of vibrancy and life inside! Parking is so convenient because Ba Bar is located in University Village. You can park in the garage that is right next to Joey's Kitchen and Din Tai Fung. When you exit the elevators you will literally be right next to Ba Bar. I came here to meet a girl friend after she suggested we grab lunch here. It's pretty spacious and we were seated promptly. It's based off Vietnamese cuisine, although there are a few other Asian options such as congee here. After some perusing, I decided on the vermicelli bowl with grilled chicken. The food is beautifully presented here. This place isn't your typical Vietnamese or pho place. It's more modern and more Americanized. This has to be the prettiest vermicelli bowl I've ever been served. The veggies tasted fresh and the chicken was grilled really well (and they gave a lot!). I couldn't finish the entire bowl (portion is big). Overall, it tasted like a quality vermicelli bowl. If you're used to a pho place to get your fix of Vietnamese food, you might not be happy with the prices here which are upwards $12+ for things like pho, bun bo hue, vermicelli bowls, etc (I believe my bowl was around $14). The service was mixed for me. Our server was funny and amiable. My friend ordered a bowl of congee and our server started to recommend adding mushrooms or an egg to it. There was a bit of a misunderstanding because he didn't clarify that there was an extra charge for doing so (although it might make common sense). I wish he would have said, "I recommend adding these things for an extra charge" just to make sure it was clear. Not a huge ordeal though. We wanted to split our bill which they were kindly willing to do. However, they mixed up our credit cards and put each transaction on the wrong card (mine on hers, hers on mine). Our server kept asking if it would be okay to just let it be. It really sounded like he was too lazy or not wanting to go through the hassle to fix it for us, so we just let it slide. We also waited a long while to flag someone down for the check, the check mix up, and to get boxes. It took a lot longer than I would have wanted. So overall, the experience was "eh." It wasn't horrible, but it definitely wasn't the best either. read more

Ba Bar - Vermicelli Noodle Bowl - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Delicious! Good service. Sat outside bc of puppy. Had outdoor heater. Every menu items are delicious. Should try all. read more

Ba Bar - Bun Bo Hue - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I'm surprised that, as of my review, it has three stars. The service can be a bit slow, but I attribute that to the general situation for staffing during COVID. And the staff have always been professional and courteous every time. This is a generally enjoyable restaurant I've eaten at over multiple visits. Everything we had was very solid and well-prepared. read more

I was pleasantly surprised with this location! It seems to be a lot bigger than the other locations - this is my favorite! I thought the service was great and the bun cuon station is in the middle of the restaurant for your viewing pleasure. I love watching chefs in action! I tried multiple things here and the top three things that impressed me was the eggplant, the bun bo hue, and the egg rolls. YOM. It is extremely difficult to fry rice paper but if it is cooked right, it should be very crispy and a little chewy. They were not stingy with the filling as some places are. It was all meat and mushrooms! I really enjoyed the egg rolls and it's best eaten right away. The bun bo hue really impressed me! I normally don't care for noodle soups but this is keeping me coming back for more. The broth was flavorful with a kick of spiciness and the pork on the bone was super tender!! The eggplant was cooked in a delicious sauce! I have never had this at any other Vietnamese restaurant but it's delicious. I will definitely be back! YOMMY read more

Ba Bar - The flying fox!! It was delicious ! - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Service is horrible here! Food came out fast but I think they need to hire more hosts and busboys, there was one hostess with no one helping her with a line out the door and the busboy moved soooo slow it was almost comical. The waiter was nice and smiled, that's about it, won't be back!! Maybe the other locations have it more together!? read more

Note: this is only a reflection of the sub-par U Village location. Ive been a big fan of the other Ba Bar locations and I love their menu as a whole. I've had a number of problems with this location. A couple of times they've forgotten part of my order. Another time the egg I ordered on top of my "broken rice" bowl was cooked solid (if there is no runny yolk, what's the point?). Then tonight my friend and I went in for happy hour and were told "it is only available in the bar." We were then told, "But you can't sit in the bar because there is a private party tonight." We asked if we could still get happy hour in the main restaurant and told, "No, no exceptions."Never mind the chalk reader board outside boasting about the great happy hour... How pedantic can you be? read more

Service sucked at epic levels tonight. Our waiter was never there when we wanted him and when he was he was brisk, "put out" ( he loudly would sigh and roll his eyes) and down right rude. If you do choose this restaurant I hope you do not have this waiter because you will leave here either depressed or angry. I did enjoy my meal. The food is actually quite good- clean and fresh. read more

Any negative review has not had the marinated lemongrass beef. Service is fine. Also the Chinese donut is incredible in the marinated garlic shrimp sauce. We eat here frequently with three small kids. Shrub and seasonal drinks are great too. read more

Imperial Rolls are super tasty and great presentation. Fresh veggies with yummy fried rolls.

Pros: good imperial rolls, cute atmosphere Cons: to-go service charge we weren't made aware of, just showed up on the receipt, causing a $6 Vietnamese coffee to cost $8 and automatically charged for a bag without being asked (so a bag fee + to go charge for a single coffee ??? Make it make sense) We came when it wasn't at all busy and we could see our order was sitting under the hot lamp for a good 10 minutes while staff would pass by and ignore it, our server was chatting with other staff which is fine but our hot food was sitting there for quite a while so we felt ignored. Weird and awkward experience, wouldn't return or recommend this location unfortunately. read more

Ordered a combo, Service was good and the food tasted okay but 20mins after eating at this place I got a throbbing headache which only happens after I eat MSG. Don't recommend this place if you get side affects from MSG. read more

Do not come to this location for Ba Bar - better yet, if you want actually good Vietnamese food that doesn't cost an arm or a leg, go anywhere else. I probably would have given them a one star but the food overall wasn't terrible, just the service and everything else. We came here last night (Sunday night) for dinner around 6:30pm. Half the restaurant was empty including a fairly empty bar, yet there were at least a dozen people waiting to be seated. Our best assumption was that they were extremely low staffed, but how can you be so poorly staffed on a Sunday night?! They should have suggested to people that the bar was open seating at the very least. We had to check on our names multiple times to get any kind of update. When we finally got seated, no one came over to greet us or take drink orders or anything. We had to eventually flag down the host person to ask for our waiter so we can order. For food, we ordered the honey chicken wings and fresh spring rolls with shrimp and pork to share and we all got pho for entrees. I thought it was really weird that our waiter kept asking each person if they wanted tendon, and then I noticed that it's not included in any of the pho dishes and it's an add on for an additional $3.30! Which is INSANE. Who pays an extra $3.50 for tendon?! Luckily two of us said no but my friend didn't realize it was an add on and said yes cuz she thought it was already included so she felt tricked. So basically her oxtail pho was $19! The food overall was decent. The bowls of pho could have been bigger. The pho was extremely overpriced at $12.50-$15.50/bowl depending on which one you ordered. I guess this is what you get for Vietnamese fusion food. We also ordered two drinks - 1 bubble tea and 1 sparkling rose. They somehow forgot about the rose and we had to remind them after all our food came. Basically, don't come here for pho or Vietnamese food in general. There's so many better places in Seattle! (like Pho Bac sup shop) read more

See all

Consistently good and the best place to grab a bite to eat in U village. While the pho has the most options and is always good, the other plates are also really good. Love the wings and they have wing days on Tuesdays. Imperial rolls are also a great fried snack and addictive. The lemongrass beef with vermicelli is also very flavorful and good. They also have a version of Singapore noodles which is not 100% authentic but a nice fusion version with the exact same taste that I remember while living there. Service has always been pleasant and efficient, and their patio is a great spot for outdoor seating. It's a bit pricier but you are getting high quality ingredients and large portions. It's been our go to spot at U village since moving back to Seattle last year. read more

The boujee ba bar. The pho, which I had it with a Chinese donut (my friends recommendation) was pretty good. My service is sub-par and I have been a couple times now. I use to come for a lunch break when I worked in the village but I happen to be in the area and I figured I would give it another try. The food here is good but really inconsistent service has really put the overall experience down. I know times are tough hiring but rather than focusing on visuals within the restaurant I would suggest taking that extra money and investing on better staffing programs. read more

See all

There's a great sense of passion that I felt when entering this restaurant. Ba Bar offers A nice variety of traditional Vietnamese dishes. The presentation is on point and the service is absolutely excellent. They really do a great job here. read more

See all

Came in on a late Friday night, they are open till 1 and they have late happy hour which was convenient. We got coconut daiquiris, we all loved them, they are on the sweet side. We also got some fries and the crispy imperial rolls, also good. We liked the service as well. read more

See all

I was satisfied eating here for lunch today. The service and our server were fast, efficient, and friendly. The food we ordered came out at the same time and looked and tasted delicious and fresh. Food pricing was decent. The restaurant is very airy and has ample seating. The decor is cute, uncluttered, and tasteful. Parking was easy in the malls parking garage. I would totally eat here read more

Ba Bar - Noodle dish with shrimp and pork imperial egg rolls. So delicious!!! Good drip coffee with cream, too. - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Pork belly rice plate was good, nothing crazy just good warm mom made dish. Pho Ha Noi was good, wish they were more brave going all out with the spices, but I get it this way more people can eat. Bun bo Hue and Mien Ga were ok, its americanized, quite bland. read more

See all

I'm not too sure why all the lukewarm reviews. We enjoyed our dining experience although it was a little bit pricy for lunch and the server wasn't the most attentive. I had the combo vermicelli bowl--it was delicious and enjoyed the fresh flavors. It was too big for lunch and wish they had a smaller, less costly option! My husband had the pho and enjoyed it as well and with the price point did seem like a step up from the $7 pho you get. With that said, he would most probably opt for a vermicelli bowl next time as well. I love the open interior and wood throughout. A great spot with little people. With it being the lunar New Year, it was sweet that they had a dragon dance on the patio and then going through the restaurant. A memorable afternoon. We'll be back. read more

Imperial rolls are great but I kind of wish that was all they served... the rest of the bowls are just noodles and vegetables with some sort of fish sauce and was very underwhelming. We got the chicken vermicelli noodles and imperial roll appetizer. The drinks were alright. Giving four stars for the great service! read more

Ba Bar - Grilled Chicken Vermicelli Noodles, Crispy Imperial Rolls Plate - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

THERE WAS A SPIDER IN MY FOOD :( I placed an order for pickup and when I got back to my office I opened the Pho container and there was literally a spider crawling around the bowl. I immediately put the lid back on and went back to ask for a refund. I didn't care about having it remade because it made me lose my appetite for Ba Bar however the girl apologized and said a manger would be on the way to talk to me and give me a refund and remake the food for me. Instead another server came out and handed me a bag of rock hard French macarons and said "I feel kinda bad that happened, here's some macrons" I was stunned that he just felt "Kinda Bad" the remake came out pretty quick but I didn't enjoy the food. I also never was issued a refund which is REALLY disappointing especially when I was told I would be issued one. I'm assuming the fresh vegetables in the pho were not washed before being put in this dish which is why there was a live spider in my food which is honestly gross. read more

Seems I twirl around looking for parking for recent visits to UVillage...but patience often rewards itself and determines where I end up at. I saw that Ba Bar in the former Liam's spot was open late Sunday afternoon (8/6/17). The new ramen place will just have to wait...until 8/8/17. Trust me, just go to Ba Bar. Walked in and definitely the restaurant group made good use of the space and much bigger than the Capitol Hill site. Never been to the one at SLU. Stared at the nearly cleaned out pastry case while waiting to be seated. Was offered a seat at the bar for Happy Hour...score and continuing the trend for spontaneously showing up! Good sign, given both HH and regular menus with both my ice water and my Gosling Ginger Beer again on ice ($3). None of that tepid water stuff. I liked the hipster decor, the variety of seating arrangements, decent music, and peekaboo views of the kitchen area. Oh and it was another plus that the bar/wait staff were easy on the eyes, as brief distractions. I ordered the Imperial Rolls (@ HH, $7.50). Crispy solo, but taken to another level of deliciousness wrapped in romaine with noodles and sliced carrots. Upon recommendation of my server, I also tried the Beef Lemongrass Skewers (@ HH, $6). Both selections made for a lighter early dinner and much easier on the wallet, since it was still Happy Hour. Ba Bar, another welcolmed addition to the growing list of dining spots at University Village. Definitely recommended! read more

See all

$5.50 for 1.5 meatballs less than an inch in diameter is highway robbery. And this wasn't an accident; it happened with all three of the meals in our order that we ordered extra meatballs on. We always tip well at this restaurant, but the penny pinching needs to stop. This is ludicrous. read more

I ordered Crispy Imperial Rolls and Rotisserie Chicken and got the worst food poisoning of my life. The chicken did not taste fresh (seemed like it was sitting under a heat lamp for too long). read more