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Ben Tre opened up a new location in San Francisco in the Sunset neighborhood on Ocean Ave. I was looking forward to trying out this restaurant as I haven't been to the other locations. The interior is large, clean, nicely decorated, and modern with lots of seatings. There is a bar area as well. The menu is very extensive with many items to choose from, probably a little too extensive as I found the dishes fairly average. We ordered the Five Spice Garlic Noodles, Bun Rieu, and Grilled Pork and Imperial Rolls: - Five Spice Chicken Garlic Noodles. I found the garlic noodles kind of bland and dry. On the other hand, the five spice chicken was really juicy and had some crispy chicken skin. It also is served as a quarter thigh which was a nice touch as well as some side salad. For almost $25, I was expecting a bit more wow factor though, especially the garlic noodles. - Bun Rieu. This is a tomato based crab noodles. The meatballs with crab and pork were tender. The broth was flavorful. Not the best bun Rieu I've had but probably the best dish of the three we had here. - Grilled Pork and Imperial Rolls. The grilled pork had a nice char but was on the dryer side. My guess is it's probably not made to order and heated the grilled pork back up. The Imperial Rolls were crunchy but they use spring rolls instead of the traditional Vietnamese rice rolls for the skin which I prefer more. The service was adequate nothing special. They did fill our water multiple times. Overall, this location had a nice ambience but the food is mediocre at best.
This is a great lunch spot. There are lots of metered and street parking close by and it's just off of 19th Avenue and I like how we eat family style and share all the food. The three of us shared a grilled pork with imperial roll vermicelli dish, a cabbage dish with 5 spice chicken and a plain garlic noodles. Everything was flavorful and delicious. The 5 spice chicken was huge. The Vietnamese fish sauce with carrots is great in all of the dishes - makes all the flavor in the foods pop. And now we don't have to drive to south San Francisco for Ben Tre!
We came here for lunch. Staff were attentive and quickly sat us at the higher table with barstools for 5. It was nice to sit near the bar and the soup kitchen where it was more private. We ordered the following - 3. Imperial roll $13.95 - crunchy and flavorful with the dipping sauce. 7. Rare beef carpaccio $14.95 - The red onions added texture and crunch to the beef. 14. Chicken wings $14.95 lacked flavor but good in the sweet sauce. 15. Combo pho $22.95 soup was good but beef was a little tough and chewy 37. Pork chop rice platter $21.50 - pork chop was well seasoned and tender. 88. Garlic noodles with 5 spice chicken $24.50 - chicken was delish and the noodles were garlicky. Note - 20% gratuity was charged for parties of 5 and more. Nice to have a pho eatery in the neighborhood.
date & time: friday september 18, 2026 @ 7pm rating: 3.5 stars party of 4 vibe: couples & friend groups in striped sweaters, lacy skirts & maison margiela bags music: edm decor: contemporary eatery w/ bay window service: fast & efficient imbibe: 3 color drink devour: appetizer sampler platter, papaya salad, 5 spiced chicken w/ garlic noodles, shaken beef & claypot total: $135.88
Welcome to neighborhood Ben Tre! I was a little surprised to find this location with a decent bar and tv, not sure of the combination? Anyways, sitting down with my parents, I think we all got a bit of sticker shock looking at the menu. Every entree was either flirting with $20 if not well over and well, to be honest, we weren't expecting that from this type of restaurant...! Silver lining though, this totally pushed us away from just getting pho or other simple dishes. We opted to try the fish clay pot, the lemongrass tofu, and the 2 protein garlic noodles. For the fish, it was tender and the caramel glaze was sweet but had a slight zing from fish sauce. It was a tad bit salty after a while though. As for the lemongrass tofu, really excellent flavor. The onions were also lightly sautéed and caramelized so it wasn't just a lazy filler. As for the garlic noodles and protein? Classic Ben Tre. The flavor of the noodles were spot on, but a lot of the noodles were broken, not my favorite. Bad juju, usually. The protein was also well flavored but both were on the dry side this time. The pork chop had the texture of jerky and the chicken also had some dry spots and was missing that signature robust 5-spice flavor that I like from other Ben Tre locations. So overall, food was okay but at its price point, oof. You can definitely find better in the city. It was $91 with tip for 3 plates.
The best bbq pork in town. Always yummy food in general, and this particular location is very beautiful and spacious.
Happy Ben Tre finally opened in the neighborhood! My family and I come here a couple of times since we're fairly close to this location! The crowds as calm down a little, so we are now able to just walk in with no wait, but there's still a kiosk at the front if it does get crowded! For food, we like the Ben Tre app combo that comes with their popular starters or we just get their Fresh Spring Rolls (Grilled Pork Meatball - Nem). My favorite item that I've tried is the Tomato Crab Noodle Soup - Bun Rieu! The soup base is tomato with a bunch of other items (tofu, pork ham), and crab pork-rieu! Their vermicelli noodle bowls and garlic noodles are solid as well! Their serving size definitely got bigger! Their Vietnamese Ice Coffee is good and strong! Overall, food is good but I would say it's a little pricey compared to the south sf location!
So glad Ben Tre is on Ocean Ave now! No more driving out to SSF for my Viet food fix. My fave orders are the beef carpaccio, bun rieu (crab + pork noodle soup), shaking beef, and garlic noodles. Honorable mention goes to the house fried rice which is one of my favorite fried rice ever lol. The cocktails here are great too. Service is always friendly and VERY fast!! We've also gotten party trays from Ben Tre and are never disappointed.
I didn't even know Ben Tre was at Ocean until my coworker took me here for lunch! Stopped by and was amazed at how big it was, with a full bar on the side; I got seated quickly; the servers were attentive; and the place was prepping for lunch as people were rolling in. Lots of great photos on the walls, with an open look to the kitchen so you could see what was being made. I had the Vietnamese coffee and the pork chop combo and added an imperial roll, as I always do for my broken rice plates. The coffee was on point, the porkchop was flavorful, and everything on my plate was as I expected of Ben Tre. I was already getting full but couldn't resist finishing the whole plate so I got myself stuffed (as this was a big plate!) My coworkers tapped out and decided to take their food to go, but I went all in! Definitely will be stopping by here again.
We were party of eight Friday night at 5:30pm. Our friend made the reservation. Knowing that they had a bar hubby & I arrived 15 minutes earlier and sat at the bar. They offer HH all hours at lunch and between 5:00p-6:30p at dinner. We each had a Vietnamese fusion cocktail. Later I had a lychee Bellini. Everyone ordered his/her own entree. We also ordered two orders of quail to share. Delicious. The food was very fresh. Great portion sizes. Very efficient service.
3.75 stars Came here on a Sunday for lunch with sister and they were not busy around 11:30am. The staff was very attentive and likes to partner up to bring the dishes together which I thought was interesting. The pho dac biet beef combo pho was good. The broth is clear but I was looking for more depth in flavor. The noodles were thin and not powdery like some other places. There was a lot of meat that comes with the pho but a significant amount were flank pieces and too tough to eat. Nem nuong cuon vietnamese ham spring rolls were a bit small but came with a very tasty peanut sauce which I love. It was almost $80 for two bowls of pho and an order of spring rolls, which is crazy.
My friend and I came for lunch. I've been to the other location in South San Francisco before. We were seated pretty quickly. The decor was nice and the spacious. Our waitress was nice and friendly. We ordered a couple of dishes. Beef carpaccio ($19.50) - it was sliced thin with onions, peanuts, basil, and cilantro accompanied by a sauce. It was delicious. Combo Vermecelli Bowl with BBQ Pork and Shrimp ($22.50) - We substituted the garlic noodles for the vermicelli noodles for $3. It was good but the BBQ Pork was a little dry. The garlic noodles tasted good and was not too oily. Bun Bo Hue ($22.50) - The noodles were the round rice noodles. I didn't really taste the lemongrass flavor, we got the spices on the side. The broth was flavorful and it matched well with the noodles. I would come back to try other dishes on the menu and get the beef carpaccio again.
Prices are on the higher side but also the pho is a huge portion. We left with a to go bag. The cocktail took a long time to come and didn't come until after we had gotten our food; however, it was so good I would stop by for just the drink itself. I will say service is not quite up to par. We were left at our table for over 10 minutes without water or a menu and I had to flag someone down for the check. I'm used to not the best service at some restaurants but for the prices here I expect better.
We've been a fan of Ben Tre for years going to Millbrae and South City, and now a new location closer to my house gives me the opportunity to enjoy Ben Tre more often. I think it's one of the better Pho spots in the Bay Area. The broth is clean, clear and so flavorful. The broth is gluten free, free from soy and other allergens. The rice noodles are also gluten free. The menu has allergen guides so take a look and ask question before ordering if you have allergies. I started getting the Beef Stew and it's so flavorful. The beef is tender and so delicious. The soup is packed with flavor. Slight spice but very hearty. It's my new go-to. Definitely one of my favorite spots and worth visiting if you're in the area. read more
Finally made it to the newest Ben Tre! I know the neighbors were concerned about this restaurant impacting parking in this nice neighborhood, but it seems that it's been okay. I parked just a block away and others in our party had no problem either. The restaurant is very spacious and casual. I actually thought it would be more upscale, but it isn't (which is fine by me!). I think it would be very easy to have a large group gathering here with plenty of room for others. We had 6 in our group. The food is pretty well on par with their other locations, which is to say it's very good. We had a variety of items, but, unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of some of them! Since we were celebrating the retirement of someone who's not a very adventurous eater, we kind of stayed with things that sounded less exotic. We all loved the Imperial rolls, the garlic noodles, 5-spice chicken, papaya salad, and the beef claypot. Our guest of honor tried (and liked) everything, but once someone called the nuoc cham "fish sauce", she wouldn't try it! I loved their nuoc cham and think it added a different dimension to the food. I saw a bill board on the way out that advertised a special lunch for a good price, so I think I will return sooner rather than later to give that a try. Their food is tasty and fresh enough for me to make the drive there the next time I have a yearning for Vietnamese food! read more
1 day ago
11 days ago
Ben Tre opened up a new location in San Francisco in the Sunset neighborhood on Ocean Ave. I was looking forward to trying out this restaurant as I haven't been to the other locations. The interior is large, clean, nicely decorated, and modern with lots of seatings. There is a bar area as well. The menu is very extensive with many items to choose from, probably a little too extensive as I found the dishes fairly average. We ordered the Five Spice Garlic Noodles, Bun Rieu, and Grilled Pork and Imperial Rolls: - Five Spice Chicken Garlic Noodles. I found the garlic noodles kind of bland and dry. On the other hand, the five spice chicken was really juicy and had some crispy chicken skin. It also is served as a quarter thigh which was a nice touch as well as some side salad. For almost $25, I was expecting a bit more wow factor though, especially the garlic noodles. - Bun Rieu. This is a tomato based crab noodles. The meatballs with crab and pork were tender. The broth was flavorful. Not the best bun Rieu I've had but probably the best dish of the three we had here. - Grilled Pork and Imperial Rolls. The grilled pork had a nice char but was on the dryer side. My guess is it's probably not made to order and heated the grilled pork back up. The Imperial Rolls were crunchy but they use spring rolls instead of the traditional Vietnamese rice rolls for the skin which I prefer more. The service was adequate nothing special. They did fill our water multiple times. Overall, this location had a nice ambience but the food is mediocre at best. read more
This is a great lunch spot. There are lots of metered and street parking close by and it's just off of 19th Avenue and I like how we eat family style and share all the food. The three of us shared a grilled pork with imperial roll vermicelli dish, a cabbage dish with 5 spice chicken and a plain garlic noodles. Everything was flavorful and delicious. The 5 spice chicken was huge. The Vietnamese fish sauce with carrots is great in all of the dishes - makes all the flavor in the foods pop. And now we don't have to drive to south San Francisco for Ben Tre! read more
We came here for lunch. Staff were attentive and quickly sat us at the higher table with barstools for 5. It was nice to sit near the bar and the soup kitchen where it was more private. We ordered the following - 3. Imperial roll $13.95 - crunchy and flavorful with the dipping sauce. 7. Rare beef carpaccio $14.95 - The red onions added texture and crunch to the beef. 14. Chicken wings $14.95 lacked flavor but good in the sweet sauce. 15. Combo pho $22.95 soup was good but beef was a little tough and chewy 37. Pork chop rice platter $21.50 - pork chop was well seasoned and tender. 88. Garlic noodles with 5 spice chicken $24.50 - chicken was delish and the noodles were garlicky. Note - 20% gratuity was charged for parties of 5 and more. Nice to have a pho eatery in the neighborhood. read more
16 days ago
date & time: friday september 18, 2026 @ 7pm rating: 3.5 stars party of 4 vibe: couples & friend groups in striped sweaters, lacy skirts & maison margiela bags music: edm decor: contemporary eatery w/ bay window service: fast & efficient imbibe: 3 color drink devour: appetizer sampler platter, papaya salad, 5 spiced chicken w/ garlic noodles, shaken beef & claypot total: $135.88 read more
Welcome to neighborhood Ben Tre! I was a little surprised to find this location with a decent bar and tv, not sure of the combination? Anyways, sitting down with my parents, I think we all got a bit of sticker shock looking at the menu. Every entree was either flirting with $20 if not well over and well, to be honest, we weren't expecting that from this type of restaurant...! Silver lining though, this totally pushed us away from just getting pho or other simple dishes. We opted to try the fish clay pot, the lemongrass tofu, and the 2 protein garlic noodles. For the fish, it was tender and the caramel glaze was sweet but had a slight zing from fish sauce. It was a tad bit salty after a while though. As for the lemongrass tofu, really excellent flavor. The onions were also lightly sautéed and caramelized so it wasn't just a lazy filler. As for the garlic noodles and protein? Classic Ben Tre. The flavor of the noodles were spot on, but a lot of the noodles were broken, not my favorite. Bad juju, usually. The protein was also well flavored but both were on the dry side this time. The pork chop had the texture of jerky and the chicken also had some dry spots and was missing that signature robust 5-spice flavor that I like from other Ben Tre locations. So overall, food was okay but at its price point, oof. You can definitely find better in the city. It was $91 with tip for 3 plates. read more
12 days ago
2 months ago
Happy Ben Tre finally opened in the neighborhood! My family and I come here a couple of times since we're fairly close to this location! The crowds as calm down a little, so we are now able to just walk in with no wait, but there's still a kiosk at the front if it does get crowded! For food, we like the Ben Tre app combo that comes with their popular starters or we just get their Fresh Spring Rolls (Grilled Pork Meatball - Nem). My favorite item that I've tried is the Tomato Crab Noodle Soup - Bun Rieu! The soup base is tomato with a bunch of other items (tofu, pork ham), and crab pork-rieu! Their vermicelli noodle bowls and garlic noodles are solid as well! Their serving size definitely got bigger! Their Vietnamese Ice Coffee is good and strong! Overall, food is good but I would say it's a little pricey compared to the south sf location! read more
So glad Ben Tre is on Ocean Ave now! No more driving out to SSF for my Viet food fix. My fave orders are the beef carpaccio, bun rieu (crab + pork noodle soup), shaking beef, and garlic noodles. Honorable mention goes to the house fried rice which is one of my favorite fried rice ever lol. The cocktails here are great too. Service is always friendly and VERY fast!! We've also gotten party trays from Ben Tre and are never disappointed. read more
I didn't even know Ben Tre was at Ocean until my coworker took me here for lunch! Stopped by and was amazed at how big it was, with a full bar on the side; I got seated quickly; the servers were attentive; and the place was prepping for lunch as people were rolling in. Lots of great photos on the walls, with an open look to the kitchen so you could see what was being made. I had the Vietnamese coffee and the pork chop combo and added an imperial roll, as I always do for my broken rice plates. The coffee was on point, the porkchop was flavorful, and everything on my plate was as I expected of Ben Tre. I was already getting full but couldn't resist finishing the whole plate so I got myself stuffed (as this was a big plate!) My coworkers tapped out and decided to take their food to go, but I went all in! Definitely will be stopping by here again. read more
4 months ago
We were party of eight Friday night at 5:30pm. Our friend made the reservation. Knowing that they had a bar hubby & I arrived 15 minutes earlier and sat at the bar. They offer HH all hours at lunch and between 5:00p-6:30p at dinner. We each had a Vietnamese fusion cocktail. Later I had a lychee Bellini. Everyone ordered his/her own entree. We also ordered two orders of quail to share. Delicious. The food was very fresh. Great portion sizes. Very efficient service. read more
3.75 stars Came here on a Sunday for lunch with sister and they were not busy around 11:30am. The staff was very attentive and likes to partner up to bring the dishes together which I thought was interesting. The pho dac biet beef combo pho was good. The broth is clear but I was looking for more depth in flavor. The noodles were thin and not powdery like some other places. There was a lot of meat that comes with the pho but a significant amount were flank pieces and too tough to eat. Nem nuong cuon vietnamese ham spring rolls were a bit small but came with a very tasty peanut sauce which I love. It was almost $80 for two bowls of pho and an order of spring rolls, which is crazy. read more
My friend and I came for lunch. I've been to the other location in South San Francisco before. We were seated pretty quickly. The decor was nice and the spacious. Our waitress was nice and friendly. We ordered a couple of dishes. Beef carpaccio ($19.50) - it was sliced thin with onions, peanuts, basil, and cilantro accompanied by a sauce. It was delicious. Combo Vermecelli Bowl with BBQ Pork and Shrimp ($22.50) - We substituted the garlic noodles for the vermicelli noodles for $3. It was good but the BBQ Pork was a little dry. The garlic noodles tasted good and was not too oily. Bun Bo Hue ($22.50) - The noodles were the round rice noodles. I didn't really taste the lemongrass flavor, we got the spices on the side. The broth was flavorful and it matched well with the noodles. I would come back to try other dishes on the menu and get the beef carpaccio again. read more
3 months ago
Prices are on the higher side but also the pho is a huge portion. We left with a to go bag. The cocktail took a long time to come and didn't come until after we had gotten our food; however, it was so good I would stop by for just the drink itself. I will say service is not quite up to par. We were left at our table for over 10 minutes without water or a menu and I had to flag someone down for the check. I'm used to not the best service at some restaurants but for the prices here I expect better. read more
3 months ago
Came back for lunch on a Saturday with a party of 8! I made a reservation through Yelp ahead of time which was easy. Lunch wasn't as busy as dinner usually is so we probably would have been accommodated as a walk-in but it's always good to make a reservation for large parties just in case. The food was excellent and so was the service. We got a combo appetizer platter, a banh xeo (savory crepe), 2 orders of bun riêu, a combo vermicelli bowl, a 5 spice chicken rice platter, a combo rice platter, and 2 orders of the coconut dessert soup. This was the perfect amount of food for a party of 8, the portions were large and everyone was full at the end of the meal. The staff was also very accommodating and provided extra bowls, ladles, and a scissor when requested which made sharing easier. read more
I was craving Vietnamese food and heard this place was new. The ambiance is beautiful once you walk in-- definitely showcases some Vietnamese culture. Service was quick, friendly and helpful when choosing a meal because there are so many options to choose from. I wanted to try everything. I got the vermicelli bowl and my friend got the 5 spice chicken. Both were huge portions and we definitely took food home. The quality and taste was comforting and spiced well. There is a happy hour/happy hour menu. There is plenty of seating inside. Parking is paid meter/street parking. I will come back for a good Vietnamese lunch/dinner and excited to try more from the menu! read more
4 months ago
If it's $26.95 (~$34 including tax and tip) for garlic noodles with 2 types of meat, it better be good! Buuuut it wasn't. At first glance, the plate looks massive but the salad took up a good amount if space on the plate. I asked for extra garlic in my noodles and it was not garlicky at all. The noodles themselves were pretty bland; there's really nothing special about them. For the meats, I chose beef and pork. Both meats were a bit dry, parts were very chewy, and other parts were even hard so I'm not sure how fresh the meats are. Overall, this was a disappointing lunch. I'm in no rush to return but hopefully they can work out their issues because I'd like to try other items on the menu in the future after their soft opening. read more
4 months ago
Stopped in today for a lunch date and got slapped in the face with flavor! This new location has convenient parking and an easy waitlist, depending on the time of day. Ambiance is more upscale than the typical pho restaurants in SF. The seating capacity is pretty big and there is a lot of natural light along with really beautiful wall art and light fixtures. The kitchen is visible from the seating area so you can watch the magic being made which makes this a unique dining experience. I ordered the Phở Tái and my date had the Phở Đặc Biệt and we shared shrimp spring rolls for an appetizer. The spring rolls were herbaceous and paired with a sweet and savory peanut sauce 9/10. The Phở Tái (rare beef) came out steaming hot served with onions, basil, cilantro and sprouts with lemon and an assortment of sauces on the side including chili oils and hoisin. The noodles were thin, tender and perfectly slurp-able. The broth was so rich and light at the same time, full of flavor. I literally could not stop sipping the broth and eventually had to pick up my bowl and drink it. 10/10 I tried my date's Phở Đặc Biệt which was excellent as well. A Combo Pho, with Rare beef, Brisket, Flank, Beef Ball, Tendon, and Tripe, the broth tastes similar with a little bit more assortment of protein. The meatballs were especially tasty. Service was super fast and friendly. We were seated immediately and had water and appetizers on the table within 5 minutes and our main arrived no more than 5 minutes after that. We ended up having to take the spring rolls to go as the soup filled us up, and the waiter had the intuition to include a peanut sauce to go without being asked which I totally appreciate. We will definitely be back! read more
23 hours ago
This is by far my favorite Ben Tre location. Nice and clean inside and out. The staff are always happy to help. I also love that you can see the kitchen as they are preparing your meals. read more
We were looking for a spot to grab dinner after 8 PM, and Ben Tre came through as one of the few places in the area open late! We were seated right away, and I was immediately impressed by how spacious the restaurant is. They have family photos hanging on the walls, which is a really sweet touch that makes the big space feel incredibly warm and homey. They also have a nice bar area if you're just looking to grab a drink. It was a chilly SF evening, so I was craving some hot soup. I decided to try their bún riêu, and it did not disappoint. It was absolutely delicious and hit the spot perfectly. To top it all off, the service was incredibly quick and friendly. So glad to have this new location on Ocean! read more
It was our first time here and we all enjoyed it! We got some delicious appetizers like the rare beef carpaccio, fried chicken wing and bahn xeo. For the main dish, almost all of us got a rice platter which was sooo filling!! My husband ordered the bun rieu, I've had this before as takeout and was excited for him to try it. He absolutely loved it!! Great flavors and savory broth. read more
Slightly upscale excellently prepared Viet Cuisine served with polish all in a clean, casual, pleasant upbeat environment. Backstory: Ben Tre on Ocean Ave is the latest new location for this family run mini-chain of high quality Vietnamese eateries served by the team that brought us instagram-worthy Gao Viet and earlier Ben Tre locations in South SF and Millbrae. Fun Fact: This particular location on Ocean Avenue used to be the location of US Bank. Look over by the bar, and you can see the big walk-in safe stiil! My first visit here was around noon on a Sunday. The place was close to packed with only two tables free, but no waiting. Predictably, it was a little bit loud inside - not too much, but I was quickly seated within moments. The menu here is fairly straightforward with the expected staple dishes that you anticipate - Pho', rice rolls, Rice Platters, Vermicelli, but also a full drinks menu and dessert too! #31 - Combo Vermicelli Rice Bowl For this visit, I chose the #31 Combo Vermicelli Bowl - BBQ Pork, Grilled Shrimp, Imperial Roll. After a few short minutes, my lunch arrived in a big bowl. Everything was super fresh, with each ingredient at the proper temperature, leading off six chunks of crunchy and warm deep fried imperial rolls (two whole rolls) and PERFECT grilled pork served on top of a cool bed of lettuce with rice vermicelli underneath. Everything in this dish could have been a total standout on its own, but I think the grilled pork was beyond perfect with just a tad of char around the edges and moist and tender througout without being too fatty. I can't say I've had better than this. Easy 5/5!! The other dishes I spied on neighboring tables looked great too, and my fellow diners heartily agreed without hesitation! Verdict: Oh YES, I can't wait to come back here! read more
5 months ago
Just tried the new Vietnamese restaurant that recently opened in the Lakeside District. We've been to their Millbrae location many times, so we're already familiar with the menu. The portions here are noticeably bigger compared to the Millbrae store, and the new location is much more spacious and nicely designed. Parking was also very easy, which is always a plus. The pork and steamed egg were absolutely delicious and stayed tender even after cooling down. The bun rieu was as good as usual. The fried quail was a little on the dry side, but the flavor was still very good. Overall, we had a great experience and will definitely be coming back again! read more
Food 4/5 Finally the long awaited SF location is now finally opened! We ordered a pork spring roll and a combo pho for two people. This location is more expensive than their Millbrae location but the portion size isn't any bigger. The spring rolls are very standard and nothing special. The pho broth does taste better than the millbrae location and the noodles were cooked to perfection. Service 4.5/5 Service was pretty standard but they are more attentive compared to other pho restaurants. Ambiance 5/5 You can definitely get a sense of Gao viet kitchen here with the decor and layout. Ambiance is great and is suitable for all party sizes. read more
I have been to all the other Ben Tre locations on the peninsula and it's my first time trying this location. I actually live in this neighborhood and didn't really cared to check it out, since I had a bad experience with their sister restaurant Gao on Irving. The prices are more reasonable compared to Gao for lunch, but not necessarily cheap for the ambiance. Came in during the lunch hour and there appears to be a lunch special of some sort for students going on with a student ID, not sure if the target audience is SF State or Lowell students. The right side of the restaurant has a full bar, but there's no one sitting there during the lunch service and there's plenty of tables in the dining room. They do have happy hour during lunch and around 5pm, perhaps more people will come after work for $10 drinks. We ordered the banh xeo, 5 spice chicken garlic noodles, and pork chops garlic noodles. Portions here appear to be fair, but they should give more noodles than vegetables. The amount of vegetables/lettuce to wrap the banh xeo was perfect for the portion size and you can always ask for more. It does work to eat family style when I come here with my friends, family, and coworkers, everyone gets a dish of their choice and share with the table. As for the location, it's located by a lot of medical offices, always good to time your appointments before lunch to get a meal here. There is supposedly a bank vault door behind the bar, as it's a former bank converted into a restaurant, but I didn't really pay much attention, but I believe it's just the door. The vibe is definitely different from the South San Francisco and Millbrae location, but the design of the kitchen and the bar definitely mirrors Gao. I imagined what Mr. Gao got himself into by doing business in San Francisco and opening 2 restaurants from scratch, it definitely had friction and wasn't easy. Good to see him expand and seeing the restaurant still run by himself and his family. He doesn't cover these locations as much on social media which I do respect, but I actually like the vibe better without it being viral and just has occasional mentions that this restaurant exists, especially with it being more family oriented and home style Vietnamese cooking. read more
6 months ago
4.5 STARS GLOW UP! A nip, tuck, and a BBL, if we're talking size. Soft opening this week: Ben Tre's third Bay Area location. In 2008, Bên Tre (family-owned), began as a small hole-in-the-wall spot and they've since grown to a mini Bay Area resto empire alongside their bougie sister resto, Gao Viet Kitchen. This location is niiiiicccce (took over U.S. Bank) and a huge upgrade from their OG location next to Mom's Tofu in SSF. Soft opening promo: FREE autographed bottle of Mr. Gao Fish Sauce (17.6 oz) for the first 200 tables. As of 2:30 pm-ish, I was told they have a good amount left. M E N U Large Southern Viet menu with nearly 80 items, even a vegetarian section. However, for the soft opening, it's a limited one pager. Expect SF pricing. IMO, they're best known for their bánh xèo (crepe), gà quay (five-spice chicken), bún bò huế (spicy beef noodle soup), bún riêu (tomato crab noodle soup), and garlic noodles. FULL BAR. F O O D * Bún Thịt Tôm Chả Giò: Vermicelli Noodles w/ grilled pork, shrimp, imperial roll ($22.95) - Request less noodle, more salad - Add bì, shredded pork skin (+$?) My Ben Tre go-to, this was perfect in this unusual warm weather we're having - it hits all the flavors and textures. Warm, tender pork and firm, smoky charred shrimp paired with chewy rice noodles and a crisp, refreshing mix of iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, bean sprouts, and herbs. The savory imperial rolls add an extra layer of crunch, while the shredded pork skin gives a gelatinous chew. The accompanying nước chấm runs on the sweeter side. S E R V I C E Warm and friendly. It's day one so food does take awhile to come out. A M B I A N C E Trendy and spacious (similar to Gao) with family pics adorning the walls. There's about 25 tables. Love that they kept the vault from the bank. Bar area has TVs to watch the game. Overall, it's great to see Ben Tre make its way into the city. We used to visit their SSF regularly for nearly a decade, but over time the food became very inconsistent. Hoping they can maintain better consistency at their new spot! read more
I've been a long time fan of Gao since I moved to SF over two years ago. Finally made it to their sibling restaurant, Ben Tre, over the weekend and can honestly say it does really embody the homecooked vibe and style. I got the five spice chicken with the recommended yellow rice instead of jasmine rice for a lil extra. The chicken and rice was pretty good and got the job done. Nothing exceptional, especially at the similar price point as Gao, but the portion size was huge, so I'll give it that. Overall, I'd say I prefer Gao a bit more, but I'm glad I stopped by, and given that I live between the two, I would come by here again since it's comparable but a lil more accessible. read more
The overall ambiance is more upscale and the prices reflect that. I do appreciate that they have a lot of meat included in the bowl of Pho Dac Biet that I ordered. A lot of similar places charge the same but are more stingy with how much meat, tripe, tendons, etc they include. The broth was nice and light for me. They always refilled water without having to ask. read more
Went to Ben Tre for their soft opening on a Thursday afternoon for lunch. Arrived around 1 pm and was seated right away, and the food came out in about 10 minutes. Ordered the Garlic Noodles Combo with BBQ Pork and Chicken, along with an Imperial Roll. Portions were very generous--easily enough to share. The BBQ pork and chicken were tender and lightly seasoned, and the imperial roll was crisp and not greasy. I did wish the garlic noodles had a stronger garlic flavor, as they felt a bit light for my taste. The decor and lighting are thoughtfully done, and the addition of a bar area where food can also be ordered is a nice touch. Since the space used to be a bank, it's great that they preserved the original vault, which creates a unique focal point at the bar. The restaurant is also decorated with personal photos, which adds a warm and welcoming feel. Parking is fairly easy with street parking available, and it's also accessible by public transportation. Overall, the ambiance stands out as a highlight--well designed and inviting. read more
Overall, ambience was good. It was spacious, bright, and clean. The menu was similar to the other locations, pricing was higher than I remembered, but pretty typical for San Francisco. We got the spring roll, the chicken wings, papaya salad, a beef pho. I accidentally ordered the wrong spring roll (beef instead of shrimp) and they were super nice to change it for me, as my dad does not eat beef. Everything was tasty and on par with their other locations. The cost came to about $87 for three people so pretty reasonable. Parking was free as near residential. There is also plenty of meter parking on ocean. If you want boba, or pick up pastry for afternoon tea, just down or across the street. Happy to see more restaurants opening on ocean. Will return. read more
We love Ben Tre, and we frequent the Millbrae location often. Mr wanted to try the new location in San Francisco right on Ocean Ave. Parking can be hit or miss. This used to be an old bank and they made it work. Love love love the open concept kitchen. Very bright and spacious. Love the windows along the wall. It's still in its "soft opening" stage and the menu isn't very vast like the other locations but we were easily able to find what we like. Mr went with the shaking beef and upgraded to the garlic noodles. D2 got the Pho Tai and was so excited. She's rather a purist with her pho and doesn't like too many things in it, as long as there's cilantro and bean sprouts on that "condiments plate" she's a happy camper. I got the combo vermicelli bowl and it was everything I always get. Everything was delicious as always. Wait staff is on point. And nice to see the owner cooking and checking quality control before leaving the kitchen. read more
6 months ago
Ambience 5/5 Plenty of parking around the area, they are both metered, but free after a certain timeframe in the evening. The front door is very easy to find and walk. It has a clean and modern field. The dining area is on the left-hand side and the bar is right. Really cool cause that's the first time I've seen a dedicated bar area in a Vietnamese food restaurant, Service 5/5 Was impeccable! Everyone was super attentive and friendly. You could tell that everyone supports one another and helps each other out. Food 4/5 Overall, really good, but a little bit stiffer than other places I've been to. The garlic needles with two proteins was so worth it.... The needles were semi-al dente and not mushy, had pieces of garlic, and it was really flavorful. A reasonable amount of noodles, along with a side of cabbage with pickled vegetables on top. I would 100% get this again. We also got the four which overall was really high-quality. And it was a very protein packed. I just felt like this soup had a little bit less depth of flavor (maybe less spices? compared to others I've tried. Overall, a really great experience! Will definitely be back for the garlic noodles and try some rice plate plates read more
I've been waiting for this for over a year I think. I live nearby and when I saw the permit application go up I was stoked. The wait was worth it. The place was packed, busiest spot I've ever seen on a Tuesday afternoon in the area. I've eaten at the other Ben Tre locations but this place is a few notches up. A full bar is a great touch too. I ordered the BBQ combo with an imperial roll, showed up fast and was delicious as is expected. I will be back for Pho when its a little colder out read more
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2650 Ocean Ave
San Francisco, CA 94132
Lakeside
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(415) 571-8647
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https://bentrerestaurant.com
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