We came during lunch when we were in this area. The server did let us know right away that they only take cash. It is a hole in the wall, but the food was pretty good. I tried their pork chop rice plate (com dac biet). It was very yummy. I really don't have any complaints about it. I also ordered a side of soup with mine, which was an additional $2. Their soup had a very nice flavor so I know I would've liked their pho had I had gotten it. The rice plate came with an egg, which was cooked perfectly. It was a nice crisp on the bottom and slightly runny on the top. The egg meatloaf was also pretty good. In all, I didn't have a bad experience. I would probably come back here again if I were in the area. read more

Cafe Thuy Van - Com dac biet (yummy) - Vietnamese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

I recently visit this Vietnamese restaurant for the first time in KY. I had the Cơm Tấm đặc biệt, special broken rice dish. The fish sauce was good. The grilled pork was good, but it needd a bit more seasonings (fish sauce, lemongrass). This dish needs to have lettuce and tomatoes as well. This was decent, but the price was a few dollars too high. I ordered the Bún bò Huế to go. This was decent as well. However, the both needs more seansonings (lemongrass, fish sauce, salt, sugar, hot pepper, shrimp paste). The broth was a bit bland to me. It's missing the pork hock. The beef, and the Chả lụa in the soup were perfect. Bún bò Huế is supposed to be spicy, and this one is not spicy at all. The price was a few dollars too high a well. read more

Cafe Thuy Van - Bun Bo Hue - Vietnamese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Delicious pho and bun bo hue! The greens are fresh, the meat is delicious, and the portion size is huge. We loved both broths, as the pho had an aromatic sweet and the BBH was satisfyingly spicy. Can't wait to return and try their fresh fruit mango smoothie! read more

We love a good hole in the wall, and this place was just that. It was recommended to us by my boyfriend's coworker, who is just as much of a foodie as I am. This was well out of the way of where we usually venture out to, but I would come back in a heartbeat. We started with some fried egg rolls, these were great. My boyfriend got the iced coffee with condensed milk that he saved for after the meal because it was really sweet! He said it was delicious though. Then for the stars of the show. I got the bun bo hue, and it was wonderful. I loved trying the different types of meat in there, the brisket being my favorite by a long shot. My boyfriend tried pho for the very first time, and the look on his face after the first spoonful was magical. He absolutely loved it and was begging me to go back as soon as we could. Overall we had a great experience. The locale is no-frills, doesn't pretend to be anything it's not, but it delivers on the food big time. Would highly recommend! read more

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It tasted very very oily and you can see and taste the plain oil in the pho and the chicken fried rice had a long black hair in it. read more

Cafe Thuy Van - Very very oily :/ - Vietnamese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

.We ordered phó, shrimp rolls, and Vietnamese coffee, which was absolutely amazing. I gave this place a 4 out of 5 because I felt like the broth was missing something The service was good, though I feel like the place could use some organization and could be less cluttered. read more

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So in Louisville there are several pho options. This one I will be coming back! Cheaper than Vietnam Kitchen with a bigger portion. The service was fast, although we went on a pretty dead night the food was fresh and good. Definitely recommend trying. I hope to try another dish such as their rice noodle platters. The only thing I wish they had was more appetizers or fried options for dumplings or egg rolls without seafood. read more

Cafe Thuy Van - Vietnamese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Tried Cafe Thuy Van for the 1st time today. Vietnamese iced coffee was so good. Strong, richly flavored drink. We had #16 and #17. #16 is a vermicelli rice noodle salad with grilled shrimp, pork, pickled carrots/radish, cucumber and chopped fried Eggroll. #17 is a crab paste based broth vermicelli noodle soup with tofu, vietnamese ham and pieces of bagette. The server warned us that we may find it "stinky". It had a pungent crab flavor, we didn't find objectionable. I appreciated her giving us a "heads up" on the strong flavor. They only take cash, so hit the ATM on the way. Don't hold it against the owners. If you don't know, credit card companies charge businesses a % fee per transaction on top of the interest if you don't pay the whole balance due per billing cycle. read more

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This place was recommended to me. I would definitely come back. The food was great! Service was awesome. Owner came out and was very nice. Family owned business. Just remember Cash only! read more

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Food and Service was great, the lighting of the establishment did throw me off a little. I thought they were closed at first.

I may not be the best to measure the taste of Vietnamese food. This was a first for me and when looking at the menu I was super confused. The other reviews swear by the authentic taste and value. I opted for an item mentioned in the reviews but was not listed on the menu. We started with the spring rolls, with the yummy peanut dipping sauce. I ordered the Vietnamese sandwich, it was pork with mint, cilantro, carrots and onions. I wasn't really impressed. My my ordered the #31, it included rice noddles, vegetable mix, beef, pork, and shrimp. It was ok, not much in regards to seasoning. Maybe next time we need someone who can suggest dishes for us. This is a CASH ONLY restaurant. Thankfully, I had cash on me. It was about $22 for the both is us to eat. read more

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Our absolute favorite restaurant the pho is the best in the city and we have tried them all. Been coming there for many years and will continue to do so. read more

Found myself out this way and decided to see what this little cafe was all about. (First off, a quick warning, this place only takes cash! And the day I was there the only ATM nearby was out of order so I had to drive a significant way to find another bank! I'm so glad they told me before I ordered!) Anyway I got the Hu Tieu Kho (rice noodles in a soy based sauce with sliced pork, quail egg and shrimp - so good!) to go and what I ate there was an egg roll and Banh Uot Cha Lua which was rice noodle sheets, vietnamese ham, lettuce, mint, bean sprouts, cucumbers and fish sauce. Reading the description I thought it was going to be like a "do it yourself" kind of sandwich deal. And the dish came out with everything neatly separated. But I think I totally did everything wrong, because the rice sheets were very sticky, and did not work as "bread" like i thought they would. Anyone know how this dish is supposed to be eaten? It was very delicious even in my obviously wrong way of consuming it, but I would love to get it again and eat it properly! Other than that, the space is a little run down but neat and clean, and the service was very friendly. read more

Hidden gem in the Louisville area. I had made my first stop at Vietnam kitchen, unfortunately they happened to be closed this day. I quickly pulled up my Yelp app as I was in the mood for pho and this wonderful place popped up. Hidden in a shopping plaza connected to a gas station this place can easily be missed. Upon entering we were allowed to pick where we sat. Menus were promptly brought and drink order taken. My friend and I had ordered fried spring rolls to start and the recommended bahn mi. For entrees we ordered both the combination and chicken pho. Food was promptly served and came out piping hot. The spring rolls were delicious and the banh mi extremely tasty. The pho came out piping hot. Only disappointment is the fixings were not included on the side. There was also no chili oil available. Overall, meal was tasty, staff friendly, and good experience! Definitely recommend if in the area. read more

Cafe Thuy Van - Chicken Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Don't let the look of the outside of the restaurant fool you. It's a nice a hole in the wall family owned restaurant. They have all the traditional Vietnamese food. The pho had a very rich broth, it was delicious. They serve small chopped chili's instead of jalepenos, which adds a different type of spice to the pho. The small bowl is pretty big, but they offer an option to go even larger. This is probably the best pho you'll find in Kentucky. 4 stars because it's cash only. read more

Cafe Thuy Van - Combination Pho with brisket, meatballs, and tripe. - Vietnamese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Great restaurant, very authentic food Got an order of the #23 (larger beef pho) and it did not disappoint. Rich broth with good quality noodle Also got an appetizer of the shredded pork spring rolls, fantastic with very good dipping sauce Will gladly visit again read more

This establishment is one very close to home, I have been coming here since the beginning bc it's a family friend's. If you like Vietnamese food this is a good place to try. But before coming here make sure you go to the ATM to get cash because this is a CASH ONLY establishment. The food here comes out quick and the people are friendly and nice. Lots of seating so it is great for big parties. When you walk in you pick your own seat and that is what I love most about Asian Restaurants, immediately a server will come to ask for drinks and your order. I would recommend everything but if you like avocados you should order the avocado smoothie here! read more

Cafe Thuy Van - Hu Tieu Nam Vang - Vietnamese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Hands down the best place in Louisville for Vietnamese, and I've been to all of them. Saigon Cafe in the St Matthews area was the best until they closed a few years ago. This is the most authentic Vietnamese restaurant I've been to and they don't have Chinese or Thai dishes like most other Vietnamese restaurants that feel they have to cater to less adventurous diners. All their dishes are very good, especially #16, Bun Thit Nuong dac biet (vermicelli bowl) but the pho is the star, and the dish that sets it apart from other Vietnamese restaurants. This is great pho, and it begins and ends with the broth, a light brown color and layered with deep beef flavors that I know took a long time to create. I always get the combination with brisket, flank steak, meatballs and tendon, but these ingredients are just there to support that amazing broth. The bahn mi is also the best you'll find in Louisville, great French bread with succulent marinated pork slices and pickled daikon and carrots. It's a decent sized restaurant though short on decor, but it's clean and the great food more than make up for this short coming. The first time I went there, the food inspector was there and they got an "A" rating. So if you want the best Vietnamese in Louisville it's Cafe Thuy Van or go home! Don't forget your cash. read more

Located in the outskirts of Louisville Kentucky. This restaurant is a Hidden Gem on its own, it's a cash-only restaurant but the selection and authenticity of the food is worth it. Prices and variety of dishes are plenty and friendly workers. You can't go wrong with this restaurant highly advisable and worth the try. read more

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Number 15. Lemongrass beef vermicelli bowl, with veggies. And a side of Nuoc Mam sauce. OMG. So good. The Nuoc Mam was perfect. The beef was tasty and slightly charred, just right. Also had a pork egg roll, and it was exceptional. My wife had beef and meatball Pho, and gave it 4 stars. Not as good as mine, but equal to anything yet found in the Louisville area... and we've tried them all. It is cash only, so be prepared. Service was friendly and prompt, place was a wonderful, clean and inviting, hole in the wall of exceptional Vietnamese food. read more

The food is delicious. They don't accept credit cards. Cash only. The drinks are a bit pricey but the food is good.

This place is excellent. I have a wheat allergy, and there are plenty of flavorful rice options here. I got the pho ga (chicken pho). It came with a veritable mountain of Thai basil in it. I also got the limeade, which was a bit sweet for me (I'm weird that way), but nonetheless delicious. I will come here as often as possible whenever I'm in Louisville. Also, Café Thuy Van is open on Tuesdays, unlike some other places that close on ALL my days off. Ten out of ten, will do again. read more

Cafe Thuy Van - Pho Ga - Vietnamese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

All the food here are great The taste like vietnam then another place. I try many vietnamese food in KY but very bad. read more

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One of my favorite authentic Vietnamese spots in town. I wish I knew of this place sooner! Love everything I've tried so far. read more

My friend came to town and I brought her here to satiate her serious craving for authentic Vietnamese noodles. We were not disappointed. Lucky for us, we did not get the same server as the last time I was here. This time, she gave us plenty of time to check out the menu prior to ordering. The apps: cha gio (fried Viet spring rolls) and banh xeo (Viet crispy omelette/pancake) The cha gio was just as good as last time, in fact, they were the best I have ever had! Crispy, beautifully wrapped outside, dense and meaty inside. The banh xeo was impossibly crispy and airy. It came with an assortment of herbs, even ones that I don't recognize...always a good sign for an authentic place. The entrees: #18 bun bo hue and #21 banh canh gio heo. My friend really liked her #18. She asked for extra spicy and received fresh hot chilies on the side to make it even hotter. My #21 was a revelation: thick, clear, chewy banh canh noodles with plenty of odd pork slices including liver, heart and a chunk of pig trotter in addition to squid, quail egg and more pork slices. All of these were in a wonderful broth and plenty of herbs on the side. On a side note, I would have given it 5 stars if I had gotten the correct order, I ordered #20 instead of #21. But since banh canh is one of my favorite crave-worthy noodles; and that my tolerance for mistakes is high when the food is good, I did not bring it up. I guess this means I must come back for #20 soon! read more

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We got the mixed seafood noodles which was not super impressive. Noodles were a little soggy and the seafood didn't taste all that fresh. Given they have amazing reviews, we ah have caught them on an off day. read more

Cafe Thuy Van - Mixed noodles - Vietnamese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

The best Vietnamese food in town. You won't go wrong with anything on the menu. The owners and their family are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. Keep up the great work Thuy Van read more

Recently I learned about this hidden dining option gem located on National Turnpike. This area of town is limited on sit down dining options and I am always eager give anything *new" a try. I later learned that this Vietnamese restaurant has actually been in the same location for 20 years. This fact speaks volumes knowing that many locally run restaurants don't survive past 5years. The restaurant is located in a small strip mall and once I walked inside I was impressed by the size of the space. As we were seated we were told that since no cards are accepted for payment, cash is the only currency option. The menu feature a large variety of authentic preparations and there are many pictorial representations of the dishes. The quality of ingredients which were used to prepare our Lemongrass-Rice Noodle and Barbecue Pork Pho was good. We enjoyed our food and decided that we would try other dishes on our next visit. read more

The food is really good and authentic here, I go back and forth between here and A Chau for banh mi's, (Vietnamese sandwich) pho, and vermicelli bowls. I am used to the kind of chaotic, and disorganized service growing up in Seattle and going to many Vietnamese shops. The language barrier doesn't bug me but it may for others. The more I come here the less I find the need to go to Vietnam Kitchen although both are probably the best Vietnamese restaurants in Louisville. Cafe Thuy is cheaper though. read more

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The Banh xeo was extra crispy and delicious. Only thing I'd change about the dish is the fish sauce, it was way too sweet. Their goi cuon was great. Most restaurants just use lettuce in the roll, but they have different herbs in theirs which in my opinion makes it taste much better. The bun bo hue is missing some spice and flavor. read more

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Awesome food! Captivating every taste bud you have this food doesn't miss any flavor! You get the sweetness in the sauces, the heat on the meat, the freshness of cucumbers, the ginger, the everything! It is a phenomenal combination! I genuinely don't think you could order and go wrong. The coffee was classic Vietnamese and presented as a pour over at the table. It is sweet and strong! It smells slightly of caramel! Wonderful concoction. While the food is amazing and the service is fast the front of the restaurant doesn't showcase the quality of the food. They also only take cash. Other than the style and the payment options this place is perfect! read more

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BEWARE CASH ONLY. All of the food was fantastic. Delicious beef pho, egg rolls to die for and a creamy mango smoothie with real mango. Or server was very friendly and happy, we appreciated that, but service was slow at times. We waited a good 30-45 minutes to get out after finishing eating. I will definitely be coming back soon with CASH and more time. read more

One of the best Vietnamese restaurant in especially KY. Highly recommend this place. Good service and friendly servers

Food is authentic and amazing! If you're looking for authentic and tasty Vietnamese food that's a local hole-in-wall- this is your place!

Listen to me ... if you want real Vietnamese food. Come to this place. Vietnam kitchen and all the other viet places usually cater to the non Asian audience thus the food isn't that great. This place has the BEsT PHO in town and I will bet money on it! Make sure u bring cash as it's cash only. The place is just down the street from Vietnam kitchen and worth the drive. Once u have thuy van u won't go back to Vietnam kitchen. Oh and I will back up others peoples comment about being served/treated different because ur not Asian. Buddy I'm Asian but not Viet and Yes they will server u different so just make sure u tell them u want it Authentic style. read more

I was feeling a bit under the weather today and needed a pick me up. I think it's the flu! I needed one of momma's home remedies to get me back in order and this is where I landed. This place is a little hard to find because I did not see any storefront signage. Once I got inside, it absolutely felt like a pho restaurant from Westminster CA. We started with the banh xeo, which is a Vietnamese crepe that is filled with bean sprouts, shrimp, and I believe mung bean. It was very good from flavor and texture and the portion was great! It was a great appetizer for two to share and I must say that it was spot on. For the main event, I had the extra large pho (pho xe lua) which had everything in it pretty much. It is a beef broth soup with tripe, meatballs, and rare steak, with thin rice noodles. It comes with a side plate with bean sprouts and greenery. I ALWAYS ask for my sprouts steamed and toss it all in. I pick the mint or basil (whatever it is) off the stems of course and give the whole bowl a generous dousing of Sriracha so my bowl glows red. The broth was great and if msg was used, it wasn't over the top compared to what I've had before at other restaurants. The flavors were just right for me but the noodles were a little bit off in texture. I think the issue is that they aren't as fresh as they could be. They are possibly dried pho noodles so they are a bit stiff but overall, it was fine. I also had the soda Chanh which is like a fresh Vietnamese version of sprite where they use real lime, soda, and sugar. It was pretty great! I also had the Vietnamese coffee, which I felt tasted a bit off. Almost chocolate flavored which was strange but not terrible. Overall, I'm glad that I was able to find a real authentic pho place in Louisville that reminds me of lunch with my parents. I checked out other Vietnamese restaurants via Yelp before finding this place and this was the only one that has an xlarge bowl option which really sold it to me. Other places seem a bit pricey in comparison. I'm glad I dropped in and will be back! read more

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Looks like a hole in the wall but I highly recommend. They do only take cash but their pho is very authentic!!

best pho in town. the most authentic and best value at the price range. Have tried so many pho places in town and around the state, this remains unbeatable. REALLY, the best my boyfriend and I have had. BEST IN TOWN FOR SU read more

Cafe Thuy Van - one of the rice noodles - Vietnamese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Being born in Vietnam and raised in a Vietnamese family, this place meets most of the authentic vietnamese expectation. The food is very flavorful! The down side about this place is that its cash only! so make sure to bring cash while visiting. My favorite dish is the dried rice noodles mixed with seafood. I can only find it at this place! Another favorite is the broken rice dish. Get the deluxe and you'll have everything! $1 extra if you want the soup. read more

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The best Vietnamese restaurant in Louisville as far as taste and authenticity (I've been eating Vietnamese food since birth!). Chances are you'll be the only foreigner in this off the beaten path place. If you are tired of the standard pho and vermicelli dishes (which are always great and full of flavors), create your own an authentic family style dinner with sweet and sour soup and braised catfish in clay pot. You can ask them to make it for any number of people. If its a busy day they might not do it because it takes a while. People tend to forget dessert, they got the best Che Ba Mau (three color pudding)! It's an amazing combination of three types of bean (hence 3 colors), coconut milk, crush ice and condensed milk. Mix well and enjoy! The only downside to this restaurant is their smaller selection. They also only accept cash. read more