This was our first stop during our most recent trip to Sea-town. We had a whole weekend planned for eateries, but we left kinda late and got stuck in the evening traffic. But what a great detour this was. It was nice to just walk around University Village. But then we saw Ba Bar. The staff was very friendly and we were seated immediately. It helped that we chose to sit at the bar. We ordered some pho and a side of fish sauce wings. They really hit the spot! The pho broth seemed that it could use a little more beef flavor. It didn't have that "simmered all day" kind of flavor. But what the broth lacked in depth, it was made up in content. There was SO MUCH meat in that soup. And each cut of meat had a distinct flavor. read more

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We decided to eat at Ba Bar several minutes after 9:30 PM, knowing they close at 12 AM but servers, particularly the woman server was rushing us to order making it feel like we were holding a line (which was nonexistent). We usually love the chill vibes at the U village spot, but this was a whole different story. And before we could even finish our orders, they were dropping the check on the table --not just one, but two receipts. Like, come on, we hadn't even hit the one-hour mark yet! Customers typically ask for the receipt when they are done. And there were plenty of empty tables--it was a Monday night after all. It really put a damper on the whole dining experience Long story short: if you're planning to try Ba Bar, I'd pass on this place and head over to the University Village location. Food here is also bad compared to that location. Trust me, you'll thank me later. read more

Ba Bar - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I dream about the food here it's so good! The lemongrass beef vermicelli is my go to. The ambiance is fun, a great place for group dates or to impress visitors. read more

Staple for me anytime I'm in Seattle. The pho Hanoi style and the chicken wings are my go to. Great service and the owner is fantastic. Solid drinks and open late which is a plus. My favorite Vietnamese spot in Seattle. read more

first time trying bun bo hue and it was really yummy!! i was scared that the broth was gonna be too fishy but ba bar made it super yummy and slightly sweet :) only thing i didn't love about the place was that the broth wasn't steaming for both the bun bo hue and the pho tai nam, and temperature is key to a good pho. the bo nuong sa (lemongrass beef skewers) were super tender and flavoured to perfection, so definitely give that a try as an appetizer read more

Ba Bar - Bun Bo Hue, Pho Tai Nam, Bo Nuong Sa - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The menu has downsized. Bun cha ha noi was one of my favorite dishes here and is no longer offered. Banh cuon fell off the menu also. I also found the 'updated' happy hour menu to be quite disappointing as pho is no longer on the happy hour menu in any variety. It might be some time before I think about going back to Ba Bar as items are pulled off the menu. read more

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Three and a half stars. It's a trendy little bar/restaurant that specializes in Vietnamese fusion foods. The bar is definitely fun to sit at with a bartender climbing ladders to get your alcohol or choice! Lol drinks are pretty spot on. The food is dependent on whether or not you like fusion. It's tasty, but for some who like the more traditional then this is not for you. It's located right across from Seattle University's part of campus so you will definitely see a younger crowd. The music is nice and loud but the atmosphere has energy to it. I had my bowl of pho which this time was a bit different. It was served tsukemen style with the broth to the side. It was rather interesting and the noods were thick though like chow fun so it was different. Had a Moscow mule that hit the spot. Wasn't too hungry this time for appetizers! Great time and super sweet and energetic food server. read more

Ba Bar - Sorry didn't take pics of the restaurant but this was my pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

What ever happened to customer service? Good food. We won't deny that. But the service is so bad. The host is rude. I am a few minutes early for a dinner of two. I could not sit down because the other person was not yet here. WHY DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A GUEST STAND AND WAIT WHEN I COULD BE AT MY TABLE HAVING A DRINK. BUT NO. YOU HAVE TO STAND AND WAIT. I ant believe that sitting a guest a few minutes before can make such a difference. The experience is ruined not just by the stupid policy but also by the rudeness of the host. I hate going there to be treated badly. Good food. Horrible service to clients. read more

This place has gone down hill. The service is terrible and the food is subpar. They can even do the bare minimum and I'm not sure why they're charging so much for lukewarm food read more

I'm very familiar with Vietnamese cuisine, and have a good grasp of its typical flavors. However, I recently had a late dinner here with friends that didn't quite meet expectations. The pho, for example, featured much thicker noodles than what I'm used to. The thick noodles were served in a small bowl with little broth, making it awkward to eat. There was a noticeable lack of the main ingredients and was instead loaded with other vegetables in another dish. And overall, I felt it lacked the familiar flavors I typically enjoy in my favorite Vietnamese dishes. Drinks were okay according to my friends. I took a photo of the receipt as a reminder for us not to return to this place. :( read more

8 years had passed before I had a revisit, and only because Washington Trails Associations had a board meeting there. So glad because I got introduced to the best dishes on the BaBar menu: the garlic crab noodles. OMG, so amazing that I went back for it in their U-district location and again recently in their Cap Hill location when I was flying home from a work trip. Favorite app is the Garlic butter shrimp. Not so great is the Grilled Asian Eggplant (Chao sauce is peanut based, and I'm not a fan of mint) but only because I don't like those flavors personally - if you like peanut and mint, you might love it. This location is 45 min from my house, so it's rare that I'd go, but they do have a lovely heated outdoor patio area, and the food is better (by a hair) compared to the U district location. Highly recommend! read more

I've heard that this SLU location is generally preferred to the one in UDistrict, but I've never tried that one out so I can't speak on its behalf. However, I really liked the environment of this restaurant and doubt the one near UW would have this much space. The interior decoration was very ambient and we got wall seats for two on bar stools, which some people might dislike, but personally, I love it when my feet don't touch the ground. The vermicelli dishes tasted very fresh and there was more than enough to take home the leftovers and have a modest dinner. Waitstaff was attentive and efficient. Docking a star for how tiny and slightly rickety the table was (I was knocking over signs left and right), which I usually don't really care about, but it was annoying enough to make an impression. read more

Ba Bar - Grilled Chicken Vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Good food and drinks! Came with my friend to try out their happy hour. I ordered some thing diff of there that were reasonably priced and then got pho from their regular menu. Overall the food was good but service was a bit tricky. It was hard to get a hold of our server and we asked her for a to go cup but she forgot about it and after a while of waiting we just gave up. read more

Ba Bar - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

OK so please don't judge me. I am a Pho lover, I mean I love pho I can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. All I have to say is if you love pho is not the place for you because I enjoy eating my pho the bowl was so small full of noodle the side dish was so small , when I eat my food, I'd like to have at least 4 lime and extra jalapeño but anyway I asked for more he didn't wanna give me any he just give me slasher what is OK it's a new please for me I guess but I have not eat any other food so I cannot chat on any other food but I will go back there and try a different kind of food beside. pho And then I will let you all know how it the rest of the food taste like is really nice lovely restaurant so beautiful inside. Customer service is not so good take a long time for me to order my food. read more

Ba Bar - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Dinner with wonderful humans and flavorful food 10/10 would recommend. I had rockfish on pandan rice and tamarind soup with one of the best cabbage salads I've ever had. And there was some chicken pho, and duck noodle soup! That duck (Italian kiss) But ofcourse we ordered apps and the wings pow pow pow!! My goodness they were right up there with some of the best wings I've ever had also the shrimp with fried Chinese doughnut! Who doesn't love a savory doughnut covered in garlic sauce?!?! You gotta check this place out $$ read more

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Have you ever wondered what the full potential of a pho restaurant could be? Clearly, that is exactly what the owners of Ba Bar imagined and I think they have accomplished this. Everything was fresh and delicious. Also, the restaurant is clean and well designed with lots of natural light. You gotta splurge a little and come experience this place. I doubt you'll regret it. read more

Pho is very spicy! Pho is street food style so not your traditional Vietnamese style. Delicious and highly recommended read more

Ba Bar - Pho Tai Nam - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The food and drinks at this place is over the top expensive in the Central District. This upsets me so much because they don't even make the food affordable for the locals that were there prior to them moving in to the area. I paid $14 for a Manhattan and $28 for some pho and the portions was very small. After tipping I spent nearly 50 bucks for something that I really should have paid no more than $30 for it if you include the drink. The meat also had fat attached to it which I hate. read more

I joined colleagues for a lunch to celebrate. It was the first time i had PHO and it was a nice experience. My colleagues enjoyed their meals as did I - dishes ranged from fish, chicken and some fun nonalcoholic drinks. I'm not sure I'd go here again but it was a pleasant experience. Give it a chance. read more

PROS: Location & parking Decent menu at reasonable prices Lots of vegan and vegetarian options Friendly servers Bar/alcohol Plenty of seating and a nice atmosphere Noodles were good This is a casual joint only CONS: Mediocre tasting pho Broth tastes extremely watered down and lacks depth of flavor Bun Bo hue was disappointing. It was not spicy, no Birds Eye chili included, lacked clear flavor profile, and no pork sausage came with my meal as promised. They dumped pork blood in it and it tasted awful. The meat had zero flavor, tasted boiled and was severely under-salted. If the intent was for the broth to flavor it, well the kitchen clearly doesn't know how to prepare pho. Meats should always be salted and flavored separately, given how unimpressive and flavorless the broth was it didn't do anything for the protein. The broth to protein ratio was poor. The experience was entirely underwhelming, I'm glad my family enjoyed their vegetarian dishes. That's about all I can say. 2 hrs later I was very hungry, this place didn't even keep me full. It's a no for me, dawg. NEXT! read more

1st & last time coming Not the best TBH Very over hyped on reviews. Portion size is very small one size pho Hardly any meat on 4 different pho types For the price definitely wouldn't recommend Service was decent but not the best only saw our waiter once and I had to go pay on front desk she never showed up once we finished read more

We went on a Wednesday night and it was not busy at all so we were instantly seated. Everything was yummy though portions were on the smaller side. We got two mains and an appetizer between two people but definitely could've benefitted from another appetizer/plate. Would go back to try other dishes! read more

Good service and reliably tasty food, we had a party of six to get a table on a Saturday night can be a challenge. The staff and location on 12th are fantastic, we are back every few months. read more

This place used to be so good but now they just cut corners everywhere. Only got two oxtail in the pho and honestly would be willing to pay whatever just give me oxtail when i order it. This is also the third time i've tried to get the ice cream and it's a no go like McDonalds, but you're paying top prices. Ice cream machine takes 10 minutes to shut down, just wait until after service because it makes you look cheap. Also this place partnered with a Vietnamese baker then took her recipe and now sell it like their own. No credit or anything despite her being a top tier baker in NYC now. Disappointing all around and much better Viet food, better people to support for the prices. Signed, a long time fan. read more

I've been ordering delivery for the last two years and have been such a huge fan. I've raved about their "transcendental" wings and amazing imperial rolls to friends. And the pho broth was amazingly complex and delicious. Not sure what happened, but quality has tanked over the last 6 months. I was hoping it was temporary thing, but it's been consistently bad unfortunately. Wings: now hit or miss. Most of the time they are dry and hard, pale, much less sauce/seasoning than previous. Had that bready edges thing that happens after battered wings sit in the fridge overnight. Not fresh. And makes a huge difference in taste. They're no longer transcendental; the fish sauce glaze no long smacks you in the face in the best possible way. UD does a slightly better job than SLU but they're still not even close to what they were just a couple month ago. Chicken salad: tried this for the first time this week and woooow no. So different from the delivery app photo. Literally just a entire grocery store bag of shredded cabbage and 3 oz of dry, hard, unflavored, unseasoned mostly dark meat, chicken. Complete with bits of fat and gristle. Just as if it were the leftover scraps from a overcooked grocery store rotisserie. Like how does one even overcook dark meat?? No blossoms. The only flavor comes from the nuoc cham dressing; everything else is just unseasoned grocery store food. Imperial rolls: they only come with 3 tiny rolls although the photo they submitted to the delivery app shows 4-5. They're pale and soggy instead of golden and crisp, like they aren't frying them long enough. Prawn salad: this is still legitimately delicious. Complex, interesting flavors not just from the dressi. But. Can you really call it a prawn salad when there's only 4 average-size shrimp on top the otherwise dinner-size salad. Pho: the broth is still the best I've ever had. However everything else (meat, noodles, and fixings) is gross. The noodles are a hard dry clump glued to the paper bowl. They are clearly prepping the bowls a couple days in advance and holding in the fridge. You'll have to reboil the noodles and pick out the paper glued to it. And they've really jacked up the price for extra broth, and stopped filling the containers. Used to be $19+8 for two quarts (two filled quart containers) of broth plus the fixings for one. Now it's $19+11 for one quart (two half-filled quart containers). Photo is of the chicken salad (with only half the shredded cabbage it came with). I just can't justify giving them my money anymore. It's heartbreaking. I loved them so so much and ordered a lot. read more

Ba Bar - Saigon Chicken Salad - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

While brunches get all the hype on Sunday, I decided to get away from the busy dining environment and check this place out. Although still busy, I didn't need to wait for a table, and because I solo dined, I was seated at the bar. That didn't detract from a legitimate dining experience as the bartender had great hospitality, immediately filling a cup of water for me and presenting a QR code for the menu to order. I did not face any pressure to order a drink just because I was at the bar, but they do want to make sure you are 21+; otherwise you might need to wait for a table. I decided to try out a lot of what they are popular for so I got the Combo vermicelli noodles which included their popular Imperial rolls. The dish is above average compared to the places I have tried. It's great to have a bunch of variety like pork, chicken, shrimp, and Imperial rolls to get a little bit of everything. Shrimp and lettuce are fresh which are quite nice. The sauce they served was a bit too strong and sour, so adding a spoonful is more than sufficient for a nice vermicelli bowl. Imperial rolls were crispy and flavorful which meet my expectations. It was a moderately sized meal. The downsides to take note of were that the dish was a little bit pricey although quality is a bit above average, and that it took a long time - so long that I see a few parties seated after me and got their food already before I did. Maybe it might be this dish that takes a while, but I also noticed the bartender checking up with the kitchen if they forgot the order, which was a great thing he did. Overall, this is a solid Vietnamese restaurant albeit a bit pricey, and it's also a pretty good coffee shop environment when during less busy hours of the day - seeing people bringing their laptops while they have a drink and food. read more

Ba Bar - Combo Vermicelli Noodles - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Delicious Pho! You can always tell a place is going to be good by the crowd it draws. This is an upbeat, hip restaurant that does not disappoint in flavor! I had to pick up the bowl and drink the last bit of broth! The soft boiled egg was cooked to perfection. A bummer though the soda machine was down, I wanted to try the Lemongrass soda. I will be back for more macarons too! read more

Ba Bar - Pho 'Ga (Chicken Pho) - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Food is good! Crispy imperial roll is my favorite. It's a good starter to add anything.

I came with a lot of expectations from this place but was very disappointed. The food was ok, but it was mostly service. We ordered the wings and the tofu wrap. The wings was pretty good, it was crispy even though there was sauces and the flavor was spot on. The tofu wrap was a little too oily for my taste and very hard to eat as it was pretty loosely wrap. Prices is a little high in my opinion, even with their 'specials/happy hour). The wings special was $9 for 10 wings which is pretty good but you have to buy at least $6 worth of drinks to make that eligible. That's same with their happy hour deals as well. what irks me the most is that the waiter said you have to buy at least $6 of drinks even though the menu didn't specify the price and just says as long as you buy a drink. We ended up getting 2 iced tea ($8). Another thing was that I wanted the pandan chiffon cake and the menu says it's available Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. But the waiter says it's only available on Saturday...I also wished they gave us options for hot drinks as the menu with the qr code only had cold drinks but they had hot drinks available. Overall, food was mediocre, pricy. Service and discrepancy of menu could be better. Most likely not be back read more

Ba Bar - Tofu wrap - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Today, it's not busy around 11am. I got a bun Bo hue. Their chili oil tasted amazing! And the portion is great and won't have too much. I think this is my go to food when I come to babar, Service is great, I didn't know my waitress name but she is so sweet, enthusiastic and polite! She deserve a five star just for the service!! read more

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I celebrated my birthday here and as always, it was excellent. The food, the cocktails, the service, the ambience - all make me a returning customer. Although it's slightly overpriced for pho, it's a great place to drink and gather. A few of my favorite dishes are the spicy pork belly, rockfish, and imperial rolls. On Mondays and Tuesdays, they have 10 wings for $9 which is a great deal because their wings are BOMB. read more

Ba Bar - Pho Tai Lan - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Listen, I was skeptical because Vietnamese food is not my favorite, but I was encouraged by a friend to just give it a try. That encouragement along with the good reputation that Ba Bar has, meant I had to try it, and I am glad I did. I ordered a tamarind soda which was deliciously unique, tart and sweet. I also ordered crab garlic noodles. This was okay. The amount of crab you get is not even noticeable, but the noodles do taste good and garlicky (I bought Dungeness crab from the grocery store to add to my leftover noodles). But the real star of the show were the wings! Go on a Tuesday because there is a wing special. These wings were perfectly crispy, and sweet and caramelized. They were absolutely delicious and I'll go back for them again and I'll recommend them. The service was great and attentive. The food came out quickly, but the tables are pretty close quarters so don't expect privacy. read more

Modern Vietnamese restaurants have really increased in popularity in the recent years and it's easy to see why. With a focus on fresh, healthy ingredients and bold, flavorful dishes, these restaurants offer a dining experience that is satisfying, healthy and delicious. Ba Bar is a Vietnamese restaurants that has an innovative takes on traditional recipes. You can find classic dishes like pho, Bún bowls / vermicelli noodles & Sài Gòn Chicken Wings on the menu. On Mondays & Tuesdays they have Wing specials - 10 Wings for $9, but you have to order a drink. The wings are sauced up with nước chấm (fish sauce) so very flavorful! Service was pretty good here, the staff is friendly, attentive, and always willing to make recommendations or accommodate any dietary restrictions. The atmosphere here is welcoming and decorated nicely, we were sat in the back of the restaurant so it was quieter. It was the perfect place to relax, catch up and enjoy a meal with my cousins. I ordered the combo vermicelli noodles for $19. The portion was decent, the noodles were chewy and perfect texture, the chicken thigh was cooked nicely and not dry, but I wasn't a super fan of the house made beef & pork sausage. Overall, a fun, trendy place to go and get Vietnamese food, but priced a bit higher than your typical Vietnamese restaurants. read more

I've been to Ba Bar a couple times over the years, so a review was long overdue! Overall I'd say 3.5 stars is pretty accurate--3 seems a bit low based on my overall experience... therefore, my decision to go with 4 stars. The first time around I stopped in for a drink (or two) with coworkers and quite frankly don't remember what I ordered (this was a few years ago). Although I did enjoy the cute interior from the get-go. During my most recent visit I chose the Vegetarian Vermicelli ($18), which includes a spinach tofu wrap, tofu medley, shiitakes, vermicelli noodles, lettuce, bean sprouts, cucumber, pickles, fresh herbs, and peanuts. Overall I was satisfied with a healthy(ish) option complete with protein and veg, although it was a little hard to eat... maybe a bigger bowl would have made it easier to mix the ingredients around for easy well-balanced bites. Next time around I might try another plant-based/veg option, although I was content at the time. The tables are a little close together, apologies to the people sitting next to my friend and I because we had a lot of catching up to do and our conversation was definitely impossible to ignore for anyone in the near vicinity. Service was okay. I don't have much more to say in that regard. I've always been able to find a parking spot in the garage, so that's not a problem. Although it's not perfect, I'd be happy to come back again in the future if a dining buddy wants to get drinks or food at Ba Bar. read more

It's our regular spot for our late night Pho cravings. Love the food, service and ambiance.

I would give this place a million stars if I could. Amazing food always tastes how you expect it. I've had several dishes off their menu and they have all been delicious. This was our go to take out place the last year and now that we're feeling more comfortable with eating outside at places we go here at least once a month. Get here early if you don't want to wait! They have an outdoor heated patio that's nice and airy the inside is also open for dining at limited capacity. read more

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I would leave a 0 star review if I could, my boyfriend and I came in for the first time and received the worst service I have had in my life. I've been a server for over 8 years and I could never understand treating customers like this. We were not checked on even once after ordering food, our drinks were empty for over 20 minutes when there were 4-5 servers on duty and a restaurant with 3 4-tops, we were treated badly and had to talk to 4 different servers and even had to go up to the bartender to ask for a drink and even then he sent over a server that took 15 minutes to even talk to us. My food was mid par and the fact that no one even asked how it was really ruined the experience. I have never in my life tipped 0% and this was the only experience I have felt like that was necessary. I really hope they do better for other patrons. read more

Ba Bar is a very nice Vietnamese restaurant and bar across the street from Seattle U. I've been told that it can get very busy, but in the Monday afternoon that I was there, it was a mellow and relaxed atmosphere. It was happy hour, but I found that a lot of the food dishes were only marginally cheaper, and unless you wanted their cocktail specials, it was not a huge saving anywhere. Having said that, the food was good. I had some prawns and eggplant for starters, and a vegetarian phō for main course. The phō had a nice taste to the broth. It could have had a bit more spice, but was filling. My table mates had other dishes, but all were happy with their food. If I had a wish it would be that they had more vegetarian and vegan choices on the menu, and preferably a bit more adventurous. read more

Went for happy hour! Great drink and food prices. Wings were on special and so good we had to order two. The lemongrass beef skewers and meatballs were amazing! Caipirinha cocktail was very refreshing. read more

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This is one of my favorite spots in Seattle. The food is reliably delicious and the cocktails are always INCREDIBLE. The people are so sweet and treat you kindly when you are in a large group or alone. read more

Ba Bar - A bartender creation. I can't remember what it's called but it was delicious. - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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