This little gem in a strip mall along Penn Av in Richfield is a not so much a well kept secret...and deservedly so. A friend and I visited this hot spot for a weekday lunch. The owner greeted us promptly and asked if we wanted to sit outside on such a nice day and took our drink orders. Theres something about an outdoor table on a busy street, cool breeze and sun shining.... that allows for is just so much fun. Great people and driver watching! We started with Vietnamese egg rolls and a refreshing salad. The egg rolls were chock full solid of tasty pork and vegetables....and not greasy... but just the right amount of slick, moist and crunchy. A light dipping sauce complimented nicely. The small salad was super fresh and refreshing with Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime and slices of jalapeño. I had the Vegetable Lo Mein and while it lacked a good amount of veggies (a few tiny broccoli only), the noodles and sauce with the crunchy green were delish. Would have liked to see more veggies though! My friend had the Beef Pho which looked, smelled (and as he reported), tasted great along with a nice selection of accompaniments (lime, bean sprouts and peppers). Pho is a specialty here. We left happy and sated and looked after with care but subtle attention. It was so good I ordered another Lo Mein to take out to another friend. Perfect. While a few tables are stationed inside, I recommend outside -weather permitting - not only for distancing and protection, but for fresh air and sun. Then again who doesn't love a big bowl of hot noodle soup in the rain...... read more

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I knew this place would be legit when I stepped in this spot. It's a small hole in the wall, place full of good food & options! Their pho is AMAZING!!! It's such a good portion size and good price too! I am so surprised that I've found a good spot for pho in the suburbs and am so happy! I can't wait to go back for more and try their other items on the menu!!! read more

I had a phase where I wanted pho almost every day this past fall. Who am I kidding? I still want pho all day, every day. Cadao is located pretty close to work for me so it was easy to stop by and grab some food to take home. Netflix and pho- the new thing. Their space is small, like really small. There's only 4 tables but I've found a lot of people opt to get their food to go so I've never had to wait for a table. The staff is great here, the owner will remember if you come by a few times and will joke around with you. Also, just a note: they technically close at 8 but start to close up shop and only serve pho after 7. I've been here a few times so I've had the chance to try a couple of things (pho, bun bo hue, rice vermicelli salad, etc). Nothing that I've had has disappointed me but nothing has blown me away either. My general stance on the food is that it's good and will satisfy your cravings. I wouldn't drive out of my way to come here, but if I'm close by it's a good option. read more

Cadao Express - Shrimp rice vermicelli, cream cheese wontons, and egg roll rice vermicelli. - Vietnamese Near Me - Richfield, Minnesota

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Mmm, delicious, flavorful, and authentic pho! Portions were very generous, too. I had the spicy beef vermicelli, and it came with very large chunks of beef. My fiance had the beef pho, which he said also had pretty good flavor (not the best) and generous portions. He also said that his soup wasn't hot enough, though, so the bean sprouts and mint he added to it didn't cook well. Seating is limited, but the place was very clean. They kind of rush you off after you eat, which I guess is understandable considering the limited space. Also, you get two pieces of chocolate for dessert. Yum! read more

Cadao Express - Smallmom and pop shop - Vietnamese Near Me - Richfield, Minnesota

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Very small and cozy place. Down home Vietnamese cooking here. The Pho Tai was very tasty and they made me tofu spring rolls that were also very good. read more

Man, I really wanted to love this place. It has everything I usually like: limited seating in a small cramped space, terrible Vietnamese satellite television advertising various vitamin supplements, and OG Viets in the kitchen cooking up a storm. Rollin' with my lady, we ordered the Cafe Sua Da (Vietnamese Coffee), Goi Cuon (Spring Rolls) and the Pho Dac Biet (House Special Beef Noodle Soup). Goi Cuon - Expensive (about 50 cents to a dollar more than other places) but well worth the money. They were large, stuffed with shrimp, pork, noodles, and herbs and came with a delicious peanut sauce. This was probably the best part of the meal. Cafe Sua Da - A bit disappointing. The coffee was too watered down. It failed to have the signature strong coffee kick which is essential for Vietnamese coffee. Pho Dac Biet - While the broth, slices of sirloin, meatballs, tripe, and tendon were fine, the noodles were too chewy. As a person that makes pho, this means that the noodles are old or frozen. Worst part of my meal. Disregarding the price, I don't think I would go out of my way to return, unless I try the other soups that they have (e.g. Bun Rieu aka Crab and tomato soup). When compared to other restaurants in the Twin Cities though, it's about average. read more

Cadao Express - Trying Cadao's Pho Dac Biet... - Vietnamese Near Me - Richfield, Minnesota

I've always believed that small little family owned, whole in the wall, restaurants such as this place will always taste the best. I have not been proven wrong. To start, this place is small, like 3 tables only, small. Two tables have 4 seats and 1 table has 2 seats. There is parking in front and also additional parking in back. I only go for their pho and have not wanted to venture to other items on the their menu yet. I always order the special Pho which comes with sliced beef, tendon, tripe, and meatballs. You can also add additional items for $1 extra. I love when my pho broth is clear and they have the clearest broth I have ever had compared to all of the pho places I've been too in the twin cities. I kid you not. Just look at my photo, LOOK! And its still just soooooo flavorful. The only bad thing about this place is that they do not have AC so if you plan to have a nice, delicious bowl of pho in the summertime, be prepared to sweat like a mofo. I, personally, will choose good pho over AC. read more

Cadao Express - Special Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Richfield, Minnesota

Went in on a Monday after 1pm. The place only had one other customer, which I was seated with (even though there were 3 other available tables). I was not greeted, I was just ask if I was dining in. After given the menu, I was directed promptly to the pho selection (which I thought was rude since I did not go there intently for the pho.) by the elderly man. I ordered the beef vermicelli salad with a side of pho broth. The salad had very little veggies and the vermicelli noodles were a bit cold. The supposedly sweet sauce that is made to pour over the salad was rather bland and oily. However, the beef was exceptionally flavorful. They also do not serve you water, you must purchase beverages if you want something to drink. Overall, Given the unsettling feeling of being watched and being hovered over while I eating and was seated with a stranger, I probably wouldn't dine in again. This really is a take out place only. Just as the other reviews have stated, it really is a tiny place with four tables and a capacity of 12 people max. read more

My pho tour in the twin cities next stop: Cadao Express. Stop number #4 The restaurant has a vibe of a Taiwan night market. This is your mom and pop shop/hole in the wall. The restaurant has 4 metal tables and metal stools. Max capacity maybe 20 people. I got my 3 items I've been getting at every stop. Beef slice pho, spring rolls, coffee. The pho was excellent. Great flavor, and the beef really hit the spot. They used steak sirloin and it was cut perfect to my liking. The noodles were cooked just right. The spring rolls were a good size. It had two slices of bbq pork and 3 half of shrimp. The sauce for it was ok. Coffee was very disappointing. It came pre mixed. It's not your typical drip Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk. The price was .50-1.00 more per dish than the previous 3 locations I had visited I would have given it five stars if the coffee was on point. Will definitely make this my new home place to visit when I'm looking for pho. Downside they are not open on Sunday. read more

Cadao Express - Vietnamese Near Me - Richfield, Minnesota

The pho does the trick, but the fried rice is actually where it's at! You can call ahead and order take out, which is what I would recommend because the restaurant itself only has four tables inside with some very uncomfortable stools (minus one star for the seating situation), and a couple of tables outside. Overall a good little hole in the wall! read more

Cadao Express - Vietnamese Near Me - Richfield, Minnesota

This is my favorite little noodle shop in the Twin Cities. The ambience alone is worth a trip. Reminds me of stepping into a little shop in an alley in SE Asia. The food is bomb if you get the real deal holyfield specialties --one of which, Bun Mam, a fragrant fermented broth with hearty seafood and thick noodles that only this place makes in the whole TC. My other favorite the Bun Rieu is up there with Quang's weekend special take on this crab tomato soup, IMHO, maybe better on somedays. And you can get it everyday. Be forewarned: these aren't for everyone. Strong fermented flavors, especially in the Bun Mam. But to me, this is up there with the best food in the entire world. Think a dish that food writers and food show stars would seek out in their travels. The cook here makes a really nice, and, frankly, approachable version of it. Mmmm... that funky, hearty slightly thick Bun Mam, with aromatic herbs and big, very fresh-tasting, chunks of tasty fish. It is solace on a cold winter day and cut with with some lime, hot chili oil and extra herbs, really nice for working up a cooling sweat on a hot summer day. The Bun Rieu soup is excellent if you love crab. A nice hearty, slightly funky slightly acidic broth, very fresh-tasting crab cakes - sometimes you even get small pieces of shell- a sign that they are using whole chunk crab. I've never gotten the pho here and I don't think I ever would. There is something magic in the two soups I've described above: I eat here at least once a week as my personal secret for longevity. I've included a picture of the Bun Rieu, but I don't have one of the Bun Mam - however Nos N. knows what's good and has one up on the business's page. read more

Cadao Express - Bun Rieu - Vietnamese Near Me - Richfield, Minnesota

mmmmmm..More delicious egg rolls! It seems to me that vietnamese restaurants know where it's at for making phenomenal egg rolls! Big, crunchy, and filled with delicous stuff inside. Plus the dipping sauce with some siracha makes it finger licking good! Pho is delicous too! The meatball and beef Pho had great flavor and the meat came out rare-medium rare which is perfect because it finishes cooking before u can start eating it! Huge portions and great prices. Warning! If you pay with a card, you need a bill higher than 15$ otherwise there's a 50 cent charge. Not a big deal. Pretty comparable to Kimsons and will definitely be alternating between the two places. read more

Cadao Express - Egg Rolls! - Vietnamese Near Me - Richfield, Minnesota

Checked out Cadao Express yesterday. Lovely quaint restaurant. Very small and with Covid they only had one table in store and allow one person in at a time to order. I do think they had a couple of tables outside? I ordered take out. On to the food...I just had take-out for myself and I had the curry beef. It was scrumptious! The flavors were amazing, the vegetables and beef perfectly cooked. It was fresh and hot which has not always been the case with takeout lately. The heat (spicy) level was perfect. If you like things extra spicy you would probably want to ask for a little more heat but I was happy with the overall flavor as is. I will definitely be back! read more

Wow! This place is incredible. Absolutely love their Vietnamese-style noodles with pork on a cold, rainy day. Their ingredients are fresh and cooked to perfection. read more

Cadao manages to be exactly what you want from Asian takeout. Nothing fancy. Nothing spectacular. But it satisfies my craving for old-school takeout. Love that it's local and not a chain. Love that the owner never even asks for my name when I order. It'll be ready when he says. read more

It only took 7 years for me to find good Pho in Minnesota and Cadao was worth the wait! It's a tiny little dive that I've passed a million times. Four metal tables inside. You can see the kitchen when you're standing at the cash register and it is spotless...not always typical of dive restaurants. I loved hearing playful banter between the workers in the kitchen. Everybody was so nice! The owner told me that the Pho is made with a family recipe that's been passed down for 6 generations. He also told me that every Cadao location (Minneapolis, St Paul, Utah, & California) is owned & run by family. I loved it. The pho was great--I got the special which had brisket, tendon, tripe,& meatballs. It was absolute perfection--not too much MSG or sodium, perfect broth to noodle ratio--and it cake with been sprouts, fresh basil, lime wedges, and jalapeño slices to add to the soup. I also got the Vietnamese egg rolls--comes with 2 egg rolls cut up into 4 pieces total, but they're huge! I liked the egg roll wrap they were in and lots of meat on the inside. It felt like I was sitting in their home in their kitchen. Will definitely be back to try their Bun as read more

Cadao Express - Vietnamese Eggrolls & Special Pho (brisket, tendon, tripe, & meatball) - Vietnamese Near Me - Richfield, Minnesota

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Stopped at this spot on a whim, was mid work and starving. Only 4 tables inside, hole in the wall type of joint. Saw 3 people eating pho, so I opted for the same. It did not disappoint. I asked for half order of spring/eggroll. Both were fresh and delicious. They don't bring enough sauce (at least for me) so ask for extra right away. The pho broth was one of the best I've had in a while, and I'm pretty snobby about broth. Very impressed, it was definitely the highlight of my lunch. Meat was good as well. Just the perfect bowl of pho. The iced coffee was just ok for me, I like it more sweet. However, I will definitely be returning for the pho. At this point, I'm not sure if I'll even bother trying anything else. Be aware: no bathroom, unless you ask, and have to walk around the back of the building. It's in the back of the kitchen. All in all a great little hole in the wall. Recommended read more

I got Chicken Pho, Cream Cheese Wontons, and Fried Egg rolls. All pretty good. Ordered a takeout order over the phone during COVID-19. Friendly phone and in person customer service. The food was waiting on the counter. Left cash in the counter while we tried to keep distance. My favorite Pho restaurant is not close to where I live so Cadao Express is a good alternate. read more

My neutral review base on my order of wings and stir fry vegetables: Taste: 2/5 Speed of service: 5/5 Quality of food: 4.5/5 Customer Service: 2/5 Ambiance: 2/5 I don't have much else to say. read more

Great flavor, served fast and hot. I love a good pho & egg rolls are not bad. Crispy & quite tasty. Good size portions. Would have enjoyed a few more noodles in my soup but I'll definitely come back. Everyone was very attentive to make sure i didn't need anything else. Left full and happy. read more

Cadao Express - Beef pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Richfield, Minnesota

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Repeat customer here! This is that little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that will provide the best Pho and Spring Rolls for a cold winter's day. The portions are generous, the service is polite (and quick), and the price is low. Credit where credit is due. What more could you want? read more

Good tasting food, but the portion sizings were shocking. They probably gave me less than a cup of rice with my Szechuan chicken. Please give more rice. read more

Really cool little independent shop in the Penn Central district. I haven't tried the Chinese/Vietnamese menu other than the pho, but it was impressive. Generous portions of lean beef - nice and tender. Broth hot and fresh, if not the most flavorful I've had. Definitely needed a bit more of a kick, which was accomplished with some sriracha. Really hearty portions for the price - much less expensive than the Eat Street alternatives. Absolutely recommend and will return. Like others have said, get take out as the dining room is very small. Excellent service and good communication, too. Enjoy! read more

Cadao Express - Delicious beef noodle pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Richfield, Minnesota

THE BEST PHO EVER. Literally been going every week for 3 years. The broth and quality of the beef is so beyond any place I've been. The spring rolls and egg rolls are the absolute best too. read more

Cadao Express has the BEST sesame chicken and egg rolls. I also love their Thai Shrimp Noodles. The customer service is always fantastic, and I eat here at least three times a month. read more

Amazing and authentic... the person being rude saying they expected rudeness because they've dealt with Chinese places.. BITCHHH THEY'RE VIETNAMESE, with your ignorant ass.. anyways.. I felt like I was back home and in Vietnam.. the staff was NICE and treated me well. :) read more

Why do their hours say until 8 if they give you snark about picking up an order at 730?? I ordered my food more than an hour before close two different times and the cashier was rude both times about them wanting to close soon. The food is great if you want to eat at 5pm. read more

Great place and greeeaaat pho. The restaurant is tiny and considered to be your typical "hole in the wall" restaurant but that really doesn't matter because you can see that they put the majority of their focus into the cooking rather than the look of the place. At the end of the day it's about what you're eating..not where you're eating. What I found amazing about the pho is that I didn't need to add Sriracha or hoisin sauce..the broth was just perfect and at the right temp. I totally recommend this place for singles and dates...not big groups due to the size of the restaurant. However they do take out and cater so if you do have a large part, then by all means take advantage. read more

Cadao Express - Best pho ever! - Vietnamese Near Me - Richfield, Minnesota

A hidden gem. A hole in the wall restaurant with awesome flavor. Pho is mighty tasty and aromatic. The bun bo hue is pungent, burn a hole in your face, awesome!! Very authentic. 5 tables in total, so you better come at good time to sit. read more

I love finding family owned hole in the wall restaurants that serve awesome food. The pho was pretty good; but would definitely do take out next time. We sat down to eat and as soon as we ordered we realized it was a mistake. The man helping us was not friendly at all and stood and watched TV right next to us during our entire meal. We were the only ones who stayed to eat during our entire meal. It all made for a very uncomfortable experience. We will return for take out only. read more

Cadao Express - The man serving us was not friendly at all and stood right next to us to watch TV during our entire meal. Pretty good pho though. - Vietnamese Near Me - Richfield, Minnesota

We've been coming to Cadao Express for a couple of years now. We don't live anywhere near the restaurant (about a 25 minute drive) but it's well worth it! The owners are incredibly nice and the quaint little restaurant has the perfect atmosphere The seating is very limited and is the ONLY downside. Each dish is made with authentic ingredients...so good. You can't go wrong with the Spring Rolls and hot, fresh bowl of Pho. Check their hours before going... read more

Cadao Express - Chicken Pho (#10) - Vietnamese Near Me - Richfield, Minnesota

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I was looking for a healthy, inexpensive meal, and bam! Vietnamese it is. Based on the great reviews, I had wanted to try Cadao for some time, and I was not disappointed one bit. Holy giant spring rolls Batman! They really are a decent size, filled with yummy veggies, rice noodles, and at least three different kinds of lean meat, and served with delicious peanut sauce. When can I have another one of those things? The pho was also exceptional. Of course the portions were huge: along with the broth you get beef, scallions, sprouts, rice noodles, peppers, and fresh basil, and once it's all mixed together in the bowl and topped with fish sauce and lime, there's nothing like it. Seriously, where else can you get that meaty, savory, spicy flavor? One of the best parts: the portions are very generous. My one order of beef pho and cold spring rolls ended up being three full meals of umami heaven. Talk about bang for your buck! I think it worked out to less than $5/meal, including tip. Sure, you could do the Dollar Menu at some fast food restaurant for about the same amount of cash... but of course, cardiologists aren't cheap. I'll stick with the Vietnamese, thanks. read more

Really good prices and large portions. The spring rolls are massive! They're like spring roll burritos, and that's kinda awesome. The pho is pretty good as well. I've had better broth, this is best you'll find south of 62. Oh, it only comes in one size, massive. The Egg Roll Salad is fantastic, also massive, and the egg roll is really well flavored. I eat here about once a week, and the food has been super consistently well done. Everything tastes fresh, simple, and home made, and the family that runs the place is very kind. The place has literally 3 tables (4 seater, 4 seater, 2 seater), so it's essentially a hole-in-the-wall. I call it, "a place of good eat'in!" read more

I live really close to this little joint and it is the best take out in the area. I've had the pho, fried rice, egg rolls, wontons, and I've never been disappointed. The helpings are generous and the prices reasonable. I usually choose to take out as the dining area leaves a little to be desired. But the staff is always great. read more

Ditto on the owners, and the eggrolls. I've never seen them this big or this stuffed. The shredded carrots are very noticeable because there's so many. it's a good sauce but not enough for these monsters, get extra. I got the usual beef lomein. Not only was it good, but the most attractively served in a take out I've ever seen. A couple of older women were going to town on the beef pho. I asked if it was as good as it looked. They thought it was delicious, as they told me between slurps. I think I'll check it out. I might even eat in, they now have 3 tables, and pretty good sized. One negative that almost made me dock a star. Lately I've been finding some really great cream cheese puffs. Skip here, more dough surrounding a tiny blob of cream cheese. I'm giving them a pass, since man can't live on cream cheese puffs alone, and here, you won't miss them. read more

One of my fave places for pho'. You know its authentic when its a 'hole in the wall' place. AND... its super close to my house. I take the bus, so easily accessible is a huge requirement for me. read more

It's a cozy and small place, but has the best pho in the area. 10/10 recommend, you have not lived until you've had good pho.

Just your ordinary Americanized Vietnamese/Chinese restaurant. Their Vietnamese egg rolls are good though. They do deliver within a 2-mile radius so that might keep this restaurant in play for me. Don't try to dine there. The place is a dive and doesn't have seating. This place is purely take out or delivery. read more

"Best Pho ever! ", my kids were chanting as we drove away. I know what you're thinking - your not going to take a recommendation from 2 elementary school kids. Let me say this. We know our Pho. When we travel, we seek it out. We make our own Pho at home. My 8 year old claims Pho as his favorite food- even requested to serve it at his Birthday party( we went with pizza because we didn't want to be know as the weird family). Yes, the place is crazy small. It is also clean and the service is over the top. They greeted us with packages of small toys for the kids to play with. The kids didn't even have time to rip open the packages before the spring rolls were set on the table. They were big and fat and full of shrimp and pork. I can tell they make their own Thai peanut sauce. It was excellent as we're the spring rolls. 4.50 for 2 is kind of pricey but .. The Pho- best ever. Not a giant bowl but we had #7 and #8. The meat was very tender. The meatballs were great and the broth was perfectly balanced, flavorful and sweet. What more could you want? A highchair you say? They have a very cool looking one on wheels. It was super clean, not crusted with food like you find at even high end resturants. Oh, and the owners entertained my 1 year old while I wrestled the Pho away from my 10 year old. read more

Great Pho! Spring rolls are good too! Small and took a little while to prep food, but very clean restaurant. Best for take out.