One of my favorite Austin eateries. It has everything I look for in a sit down restaurant experience. Quick service, no wait, ambient lighting and pretty atmosphere. You can go on a nice date or study here, it feels both upscale and relaxed. The bun belly curry is sweet and spicy. The bun belly bao is the best bao I have found in Austin (superior to one popular "bao"-named establishment). $12 for a curry, $7 for two bao, $12 for a pad Thai. Depending on how much you like the dishes that could be a little pricey but I find it acceptable. Never had any cocktails here but the bar looks cute. TLDR: food is good, atmosphere is nice, never crowded (but I hope more people find it and support!) read more

Bun Belly - Chicken Pad Thai (eating in progress) - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

A quick trip to Austin landed me here this quaint little spot. I love the decor and the service was superb. We were seated immediately as it wasn't that packed but then 15 minutes passed and the place was swarmed with patrons. I'm usually skeptical about ordering buns because I know I would compare them to what I've eaten in Vietnam. However, the pork belly buns were FANTASTIC! The flavors were so good and the pork belly had just the right amount of fat to meat ratio. We also ordered the pork belly spring rolls which were good as well, could have used more meat but still tasty overall. I wanted to try their Bun Xeo.... well it was just ok. The actual crepe needed more flavor because it was a bit bland. I'm use to being able to taste the coconut milk in it. (Again comparing it to my Vietnamese mother and grandmother cooking it as well as eating it back in Vietnam). It was filled with pork belly, shrimp, bok choy, bean sprouts and onions. The filling was quite greasy but had a lot of flavors. I would eat it as a stir fry entree. with some rice. The pho was a pass for me, too much lemon in the broth and it wasn't fixable. The pot of hot jasmine tea was perfect along with the fresh water in the bottle. I will definitely be returning to try out their other dishes and indulge in the buns. read more

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At my first time visiting this restaurant I was blown away by the decor and the attentiveness of the wait staff. They were very sweet and offered amazing food recommendations. There are plenty of vegetarian options with my favorite being the eggplant bun! This is definitely going to become my go-to spot! read more

The food was salty and the service was bad. I always support for Vietnamese restaurants in the area but I never come back there

the fried shrimps and pork bao appetizers were really good - . Other dishes we ordered that were kind of disappointing: the pad Thai, chicken pho, pork noodles, grilled fish with ginger sauce. Not coming back read more

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So delicious! I want to eat here every day. All of us left giddy with how good the food was leaving us happy and looking forward to going back. We had a pot of the Queen Jasmine tea, which was so smooth with a delicate floral tones. We ordered a Vermicelli bowl, Shaken beef and the Drunken noodles and oh my gosh we just loved all of them! The staff was great and also enjoyed the ambiance. Will definitely be going back. read more

First time coming here and staff was rude from the beginning. Pork belly bao was decent but took forever to order our food. We were getting up from our table to leave this establishment when someone came over to get our order. No one came back to check on us and we had to go to the front and find someone to pay our tab. Looking around we noticed other people had to do the same. Bathroom smells like sewage water which is common in these restaurants throughout the highland strip. read more

Food is not catered for the people who knows what banh mi and pho is supposed to taste like. The pho portions are not worth the amount you pay for ($14) and the broth tastes like the instant pho noodles. Also the banh mi is just a French roll uses the hoisin sauce instead of the normal pate. Not sure why theirs so many great reviews but if you're looking for pho or banh mi then this is definitely a no go. read more

This place has a lot of potential. The atmosphere is lovely, quaint, with pops of rustic chic Asian inspired flair. This was my first time here, I had the classic Banh Mi and a ginger root soda. I'll start with the not so good and end on a positive. I enjoyed the flavor combination of the Banh Mi with the different meats and fresh veggies, it was very dry though barely any Mayo - literally. I know Banh Mi usually has very little Mayo because it's more about the savory meat and fresh veggies jalapeno combo, but the Mayo on this was almost non existent. There's a little sneak of what seems to be a house made hosin based sauce probably from one of the meats, but I wish there was more of it, because it was really good. This being said I don't think more sauce/mayo is the issue. (Though I do have a deep love affair with a good mayo slathered sandwich....but of course this is Banh Mi people. #different. Lol) I think because the cucumber is julienned so finely you also lose out on the additional moisture cucumber brings to the table. The baguette was perfect and fresh, not too hard, yet crunchy with a good amount of softness. The small side salad was nice twist and welcomed surprise, well dressed and flavorful. The ginger root soda... Damn good Unfortunately this time the salad and soda kinda stole the show from the Banh Mi. Which is definitely a bummer, also I'm used to Banh Mi being ridiculously cheap. But I would say this one is worth it. I would also recommend calling in your to go orders, the wait was a bit long, but on the plus side the staff are kind and go above and beyond to make you feel welcomed and comfortable. All in all this one has my attention and I look forward to trying more. read more

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I've been a huge fan of Bun Belly for several years! Now that I no longer live in Austin, I make a point to come here whenever I visit. I absolutely love their vegetarian pho. I've been to pho spots elsewhere and it's disappointing when they are mostly noodles and broth with just a sprinkle of veggies. The pho at Bun Belly has so many veggies packed in - plus such a yummy broth! I'm a big mushroom fan, and the broth definitely has nuances of those in it. It's a comforting bowl of yumminess ;) Other people I've gone with have loved their fresh rolls with peanut sauce, pad thai with chicken, and the bun sandwiches. Everything seems to be consistently made with care. The ambiance is clean and casual. I have always been seated right away (I have only ever gone for lunch and usually right at noon). Because it hasn't ever been super crowded when I've gone, the noise level is low and it's been a great spot for conversations. The servers I've had are sweet. You definitely are not bothered aside from your order being taken, your food being brought out, and receiving the check. Just an overall great lunch spot! read more

The place wasn't packed and our server was quick and so polite. I also had the bun belly sliders, the pork belly in the sliders with the Hoisin lime sauce are to die for. The Vietnamese crepe wasn't the best, I really didn't taste any flavors other than the fish sauce read more

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Just got back to the city on the way from the airport we stop for lunch this place called our fancy majority reviews on yelp were positive, so we decided to give it a try. The staff was very friendly and courteous- The place was decorated beautifully, very clean looking and well cared for surroundings. We had a light lunch; we share a fresh shrimp roll which was delicious and we both ordered a Bao ; The shrimp Po Bao (Fried shrimp with sautéed vegetable)also The Buddha Bao(eggplant braised in coconut juice with pickled carrots cilantro and scallions) Everything was delicious and presented timely and appetizing to the eye.Would definitely recommend this place to service the food the decor I found it to be a very pleasing a delicious lunch and experience would definitely com read more

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Drove by for years. Finally stopped for lunch today. It was awesome! We had the Gluten-free pad Thai noodles and the loveliest presentation of shrimp spring roll I think I've ever seen. The pad Thai is a bit spicy as opposed to sweet which we really loved, and had lots of chicken. We also appreciated the glass bottle of chilled water left on the table. Great service Everything was perfect. read more

Bun Belly - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

You know that song "How Bizarre?" It is a fitting theme song for our experience here. When we arrived last night, it was packed. We squeezed into the only parking spot available in the lot by backing in carefully. Carlie M. and Brian M. were in from Dallas, and they let me select from my bookmarks for the meal. It was between three different Vietnamese places, but the menus we saw on yelp drew us here from Sa-Ten for dinner. We also were intrigued by the free ice cream bao with check-in offer. I will note that the web site is down so I was not aware that the menu would be different upon our arrival. I had been looking forward to this octopus spring roll because I had never seen that on another menu. Because the restaurant was packed, we were seated in the back booth in a direct path from the door, cold enough for me to leave my coat on because of the traffic in and out. It was also right next to a bussing station for the servers and close to the kitchen. Eric R. and Brian M. asked for the back support, so Carlie M. and I got the stools with no chairbacks (why do restaurants do this????). Our server was definitely busy and did not have a lot of patience for our questions from the start, though it was our first time here. He did not take our drink orders initially. Eric R. asked about the octopus spring roll, and the server said it had not been on the menu for at least six months (then he left). He came back to mention the chef bao of the day (soft shell crab) and the fish special. I ordered jasmine iced tea. Eric R. asked him how big the pot of tea was and he went to the bar and lifted different pots and said that the sizes were different so Eric R.'s question was weird. That was definitely a bit rude. Eric R. and our friends shared a pot of green tea, and when they later asked for a hot water refill, it took forever. Before we ordered, the server warned us that the food comes when ready rather than all at once. That was certainly fine with us. Carlie M. and Brian M. ordered the beef belly (brisket bao), and two different types of spring rolls (pork belly and shrimp). Eric R. got the beef pho and the crepe with no pork, and I got the chef bao. Carlie M. and Brian M. got their beef bao immediately, within 5 minutes of ordering. Then we waited...and waited...and waited. I saw food sitting in the kitchen and no one picking it up. I found it odd that one bao would be fast and the other so slow, and that spring rolls would take so long (they were fresh, not fried). After about 30 minutes, their spring rolls came out. We continued to wait 15+ minutes, and then Eric R.'s pho and my soft shell crab bao arrived. My bao was completely cold. I wondered if it was intended that way, but Carlie M. told me her beef was hot. There is not much pleasant about eating cold fried food, but I just ate it because we had already waited at least 45 minutes for it. Eric R. said the pho was fine. Carlie M. also added another order of the beef bao at some point during our meal. We continued waiting, but nearing the two hour point, Eric R. finally flagged our server down to cancel the crepe and the beef bao. He said he would see if the kitchen would let him (uh...what?) and then he took it off our bill. He said if he was in the kitchen, our food would be cooked faster, but because to-go orders came in worth over $100, those took precedence over us! Ouch. Then another server brought us the crepe because it was finally made right after we had cancelled it, so Eric R. and I had it. Eric R. asked the server if we would have to wait another hour if we wanted to the free ice cream bao with check-in, to which the server replied, "I just work here" and walked off. We paid and got the heck out of there, because it was not worth waiting for anything else from here. Overall, we were disappointed with the service in terms of efficiency and the way we were treated. Some of the food was okay but I do not think the special for cold fried crab was worth waiting over an hour for me to eat. The web site needs to be fixed and the servers need an attitude adjustment. I will also note that every time food came out for my friends, the servers put it in front of me because I was closest to the kitchen, like it would be such an inconvenience to put it in front of the right people. Ironically, when the crepe came out at the end, it was given to my friends and they were given plates and silverware for it, and not us after the server had just removed it from the bill on our specific request. The whole experience was "off." We will not return. read more

Bun Belly - Jasmine iced tea - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Dined in. My first time visiting the restaurant. Love the Chicken 2 Ways. Delicious and fresh. I will be coming back.

Yummm! Our new go to spot! A sweet and supremely maintained family owned place. The best bao bun that I've had in Austin- even at higher end places- and loved that they had a vegetarian option. The fried eggplant bao was perfect, crunchy and packing eggplant flavor without being mushy. The spicy sober noodles with tofu were delicious crispy noodles, well cooked tofu, with large helpings of veggies mixed in. A nice sake selection- I would recommend the unfiltered nigori since many people have only had filtered. And the price- saw some complaining.... but it's actually much cheaper than other places I've been that compare in quality. Wonderful service to top it off! The wait wasn't bad at all, and I think that it's reasonable to expect that a local owned place might take a bit longer, especially as they are recuperating from the lockdown. Love love love it all from beginning to end. Can't wait to share with friends and to bring new people in with us. read more

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This place is great but there new location the air feels humid and sticky and I went at 1:18 and the worker there told me there closed when I the website it says 2:30. read more

Wonderful pho and buns. They have great service and Bao Buns. Chicken Pho was good and the chicken was very tender

The original bun belly with pork belly was my favorite dish here... And probably the only thing I would order again if I were to return. I don't feel like there was anything special about the food. Maybe I'm too picky because I eat authentic Vietnamese food almost every day. The flavors just weren't on point for me. Don't take this the wrong way, the food was not bad. It just was not "omg amazing." Also the price range is a little high for what you are getting. I just didn't think it was worth it. I would never pay that much at a Vietnamese restaurant. And if I did, I better be feeding more than just myself. read more

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Arrived after lunch, only one server available but surprisingly good service. I ordered the Pho with briskets and meatballs and it was perfect on a very rainy day. Lively Jazzy music playing non-stop. read more

Bun belly is probably our favorite restaurant. We eat here about 3x a week. Always good, very consistent. Love the Pad Thai and the Banh Xeo. Very filling but not heavy, lots of fresh herbs with every dish. We also love their Banh mi sandwiches, they come with a side of tater tots and are only available on their lunch menu. Highly recommend this place of you like Thai + Vietnamese food. If you don't like spicy just add a note requesting it to be mild, everything is a little spicy here. read more

Such a lovely little place! You'd never know it from the outside. Obvious regulars came in after we did but got a bit more love. . Beef belly banh bai was amazing. Spicy! Be ready! Shrimp spring roll was the usual but peanut dipping sauce was fantastic! Friend had pork belly pho - oh wow! Delicious! Another raved about fried eggplant bun! I will fo back and try more dishes. Still - chardonnay was $10 glass. Kinda pricey... read more

My go to for buns and noodles. Pair your meal with the lemon drink you won't be disappointed!

Came with two other people and had three orders of buns and two 'large plates.' Price was fair for the amount of food we ate but a little on the pricier side, especially if you're on a college budget. You can treat it as a beer and apps kind of setting or order entrees individually. I highly recommend trying the Bun Belly (pork belly bun). The pork is extremely tender and fatty, just the way pork belly should be. The beef buns were a close second for me, packed with really intense Vietnamese flavors. I was less impressed with their plates as I was the buns, but the salt and pepper tofu is a fried tofu that is typically dipped in lime sauce and topped with jalapeno which was pretty delicious. Overall, I would highly recommend coming here if you are in the mood for Vietnamese food and also want something a little more fancy than your neighborhood pho restaurant. read more

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Cute interior , very convenient place next to kome , and right by my house Food over all is okay nothing too fancy on the pho. But for the price and amount I probably will stick to 888 or pho Dan / pho read more

Bun Belly - Apparently they will charge extra $.50 per Togo container And probably one of the most expensive pho in Austin - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Just had a lovely dinner at Bun Belly, we ordered the Salt n Pepper tofu and the Spicy tofu salad. Neither dish was at all what we expected but both were sublime. The Salt N Pepper Tofu came with a light lime sauce that was perfect. The tofu was fried with a light fluffy batter. All on top a bed of rich greens. The Spicy Tofu Salad was really more of a main dish. It was also on greens but was not fried the same way as the S N P tofu, it was more like grilled or sautéed in spices. And I didn't find it painfully spicy, just really flavorful. We'll definitely return but will have a hard time trying something new as these two dishes were just that good ! read more

Met a friend for lunch here yesterday, and loved everything about it. The decor is lovely. The server answered our questions and was just attentive enough. I noticed that a recent reviewer said he/she was ignored while the "Asian" customers were served promptly. Yesterday at lunchtime, I was the only Asian person there and everyone seemed to be receiving attentive service. I got a rice box with spicy tofu, which also came with a mound of roasted vegetables and lightly pickled cabbage and carrots. The spicy tofu was excellent, but the best part was the rice. I'm going back just for that! read more

The One Where They Made Me Threw Away My Coffee... No, I'm serious. We walked in, got seated, and then the server noticed my half consumed coffee and told me that was not welcomed. I don't think I've been told since circa 1999. Wow. So now that you know what to expect (don't bring ANYTHING outside in there), let's talk about food. If anyone has been to Fat Baos in Houston, it's like a small rip-off version of that (but Fat Baos is SOOOO much better than here). We tried their pork belly bun, which surprisingly was not too fatty at all. The pork belly was cooked to a crisp (a plus) and an order comes with 2. We initially wanted the beef belly one, but they were out (apparently, our server was too worked up about my coffee that he failed to mention any specials or what they were out of, etc.). We shared their Beef Pho and their Chicken Curry (lunch portion). Both were okay. The pho tasted like watered down beef broth, nothing special or good at all. The chicken curry was better flavored, but it was a bit heavy. The only complaint I had with the chicken curry was how the rice was undercooked. It was crunchy (umm... yeah... crunchy rice sounds about normal... not really). I was not impressed with this place at all. I wish I had taken back my lunch hour and went to Kome, which is next door. Yelp alert: they do have a yelp check-in offer (free ice cream bao) and I liked the presentation. The bun was grilled on the top and had a scoop of ice cream in it. However, I was pretty tired of all the bread and carbs by the time dessert came out. read more

Bun Belly - Their dessert bun (this was from the Yelp check-In freebie) - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

The Good: This place seems to have everything you can ask for in a restaurant. Great menu selections, good service and a pretty ambiance. The dish I heard was a must try, Egg Noodles, was delish but the dish our server recommended, Shaken Beef, was by far the best! The Bad: this is a small restaurant so don't plan to go with a large group. Perfect for small groups. Can't wait to go back and try everything on the menu. read more

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Very friendly staff, great food! I definetly recommend the pork belly bao! They are a small operation, so be patient. If you're in a rush, order their takeout ahead of time instead! read more

Relaxed and casual joint. Staff was friendly despite busy setting. Tried the pork belly bao and pad Thai - decent size and truly enjoyed the fare. read more

I will admit that the food is okay and the atmosphere is pleasant, I discovered this place when they were on the other side of Airport Blvd. However, I would not recommend ordering a bottle of sake or wine from this place. A glass is fine (if that is all you desire) but is very much overpriced. If you really want the bottle of sake/wine from this place, I would recommend asking for the style of sake/wine and just walking over to the Ranch99 Market and purchasing it for about 14 dollars less. The service is also on the slow side, so do not have expectations. Also, one of the ladies in the restaurant is not very nice and is a bit rude. Apparently, they are now unable to do "refunds" once they have closed out a ticket (I never heard of a restaurant doing this and I work in the industry). So make sure your order is correct or what you wanted before purchasing. Editing because I got a ding from my bank and they gave themselves a really large tip. Please be cautious of this place. read more

I really like the atmosphere at Bun Belly. It's got that wooden, modern feel and there are actually some parking spots right in front. I ordered the pork belly bun because it appears to be a people's favorite. The order came in two buns and I was pretty disappointed when I tasted dry pieces of pork belly in my mouth. One bun had twice the amount of carrots compared to the other - talk about inconsistency. The only flavor I got from it was some cilantro + the hoisin sauce. Where's that delicious pork belly taste?? Fortunately, their Thai tea was actually pretty good. Honestly, the best part was just the interior and a free ice cream bun dessert because of checking in on Yelp. The free dessert didn't even taste that great but it was free after all. read more

Bun Belly - Pork belly bun + Thai tea - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

This place is a perfect hidden gem of a restaurant with owners who truly love what they do!! The atmosphere is perfect and then food very tasty. Definitely return with friends or on a perfect date! read more

This is a pretty cute place and I'm giving a bit of a skewed review because I only got one dish while I was waiting for kome sushi next door. It's generally overpriced for Vietnamese food especially for the area (rent has to be here than down on congress), but my dish was good. It smelled a bit like fish sauce I the restaurant and seats are a little tight, but I wouldn't mind coming back since my friends live so close. I got the appetizer squid salad and it was well done. The flavors were pretty Vietnamese and it was grilled to a soft texture. The sauce wasn't too much and there were nuts and other elements that made the dish interesting. Overall, not bad as a place to eat. I just may not agree with pricing too much for asian food. read more

Bun Belly - Suits salad - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Great place to eat. Good for a date or for a friends dinner. Food was perfectly cooked and very fresh. The woman's bathroom needs to be fixed! I got stuck in the bathroom because the door gets stuck. read more

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10/10 staff with 10/10 food. The best bao in the city. Everything is delicious and the interior of the establishment is cozy.

I saw a friend bookmarked this and it looks interesting enough. Talked to some friends and realized that she knew the owner. We got a tour of the place. The owner and her husband pretty much gutted the place and designed everything. It's a very nice restaurant. We went during their soft opening time period also and received a nice discount. :) They were still working on their permanent menu so I hope they keep the Belly Sliders. So delicious. Everything was set beautifully. We had the Spicy Calamari salad, Salt and Pepper tofu and for entrees, we ordered Pad Thai, Bun Belly Egg Noodles and Shaken Beef. It was a bit too fusion for me and we talked to the owner about this. She really wants to convey that it's contemporary Vietnamese cuisines. It's a very interesting concept. She definitely noted our suggestions. We were all Vietnamese and was hoping for a bit more traditional taste on the entrees. The meal was enjoyable. We can't wait to go back and try some more dishes. read more

Keep giving this place a chance with dine in and takeout because it's close to home and the husband likes pho. The staff are consistently rude and service is slow. Food is also consistently mediocre. read more

If you want to come and try their sliders or their rolls this is the place to go. Their portions are pretty large for the price and I think it is worth to give this place a shot. Parking is fairly easy with both and the front of the restaurant being available. Service was a little slow due to it being understaffed, but the waiter was very attentive and kind whenever we requested for assistance. I ordered the shrimp spring roll and the chicken curry. Both were pretty good and I would come back to order another round again. read more

Bun Belly - Chicken Curry - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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