GAO Restaurant is truly a standout. The service was exceptional from beginning to end, and the young gentleman who assisted us was especially kind, thoughtful, and attentive. The warmth of this family-run business is felt the moment you walk in. The food was outstanding--authentic Vietnamese cuisine, full of flavor, and prepared with genuine care. Every dish felt comforting, well-crafted, and memorable. GAO is the kind of place that leaves a lasting impression through both its hospitality and its food. Highly recommend. read more

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5 stars for this spectacular restaurant. Bun Bo Hue (BBH) was always my favorite dish, and I have had it at so many locations and I must say that this place served an absolutely delicious BBH. It tasted exactly like authentic BBH in Vietnam, with different kinds of meats and with variety of veggies (perilla, banana flower, chillis, basil, and bean sprouts). The large bowl was huge and it can actually feed 2 adults. The waiter Nghia (Ted) was very sweet and attentive. He gave me and my brother everything we needed (extra napkins and rubber band for my hair) This restaurant deserved a try for whoever wants BBH in Tampa, Florida. read more

Gao Restaurant - Veggies - Vietnamese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Visited twice this week since I've heard good things about the restaurant , ordered chicken pho both times 3.5/5 had nice flavor the first visit , the fried rice 5/5 was satisfying , made with different types of fatty meat that gives the rice more richness and flavor. Vietnamese coffee with foam was strong and smooth. That said, the service was very slow. It took about 20 minutes just to receive one bowl of pho, while larger parties who ordered AFTER us were served both their appetizers and main dishes first. The restaurant appeared to be prioritizing delivery and to-go orders, which negatively impacted the dine-in experience. For a small restaurant with pre-made pho broth, the wait felt excessive. When the pho finally arrived, it was only lukewarm instead of hot, which took away from the experience, and the broth was oilier than my preference. It honestly felt like smaller orders or families with kids were overlooked until my daughter finally asked out loud, "Why is it taking so long?" Lol she was clearly hangry. I usually enjoy supporting small, privately owned restaurants for both quality and service, but with so much competition in the area, I don't think we'll be back if wait times for simple soup dishes with my busy days continue to be this long. read more

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Best Viet food in town. Central Vietnam food. Staffs are friendly and helpful. Nice sitting area

Authentic Vietnamese food. The service here is the best. So friendly and genuine. They have many noodle dishes and have various options for noodles: egg noodles, clear noodles, rice noodles. The classics like Phở and Bun bo hue are good. The bun thit nuong- grilled pork noodle is a nice option if you want something different and not with broth. It's tucked in a plaza near Lien Hoa market off of Water Ave. read more

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Food was amazing! 5 stars if for food and service that wows and Gao is it! Try the stone pot pho for all cuts of beef. The staff were so friendly. Next time I'm back in Tampa I will return! read more

Absolutely amazing! This was hands down my favorite part of our North Florida trip. Even my incredibly picky parents were impressed! The staff was incredibly friendly and gave us so many helpful tips on exploring the area, plus they helped my mom find some exotic tropical fruits. The food was just as outstanding as the service. I highly recommend the Stone Pot Pho and the Ca Phe Kem Muoi (Salt Cream Vietnamese Coffee). The pho comes with the meat and other ingredients separate, allowing you to cook them in the broth at the table. The broth itself was perfectly spiced and full of flavor--something you don't always find at restaurants. It tasted just like something we would make at home. The coffee is strong but sweet, so it might take a little getting used to, but it's definitely worth trying! We also had the Mi Quang, a Central Vietnamese noodle dish that's hard to find. It was absolutely delicious, packed with a variety of flavorful ingredients. We loved it so much that we ended up returning on our way home to California. 10/10 would definitely recommend! Just please be respectful to the staff, unlike the couple we saw on 12/13/2025, who were rude, spilled water everywhere, and demanded free food. Such behavior has no place here. read more

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After a busy, rainy day with friends, we were craving something warm and comforting--so we decided on some cozy pho. I always appreciate authentic local Vietnamese cuisine, and this spot did not disappoint. Everything was flavorful and satisfying. While I love a good bowl of soup, I opted for the cold noodles this time, and they were incredible. The meat was tender and well-cooked, and when combined with the hot sauces and fish sauce, every bite was packed with flavor. Instead of an egg-roll, I asked for spring rolls with peanut sauce--always a favorite of mine--and they were fresh and delicious. The rest of the table had egg rolls as an appetizer, which were also a hit. Several friends ordered pho, and they were happy about the rich broth, tender beef, and fresh vegetables. The table was well-stocked with everything you could need to customize your pho--cilantro, hot sauces, and more. I also had the Vietnamese iced coffee, which was smooth, creamy. One of my friends got the avocado smoothie, which was light, creamy, and just sweet enough. A surprise favorite for the table was the herbal tea -- one of the best teas I've ever had. The staff even kindly shared what was in it! Our waiter was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and attentive. The restaurant offered bottled water. Overall, this place is a fantastic local gem and a must-visit for anyone craving delicious, authentic Vietnamese food. read more

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Such a great dining experience here at Gao Restaurant. I wanted some specific dishes that I saw on their menu here, but go figure we ordered other items instead. First of all, the customer service here is glowing. Talk about so friendly, helpful, and welcoming. I loved them here. It was packed when we walked in, and everyone was Asian. That's a great sign. I usually end up in btw options here and I let them know what I was thinking about. I ordered Mi Quang noodles bc I wanted the whole combination of it all. They also brought me a sample of the other soup afterwards to try. That was so thoughtful of them. My husband had the Com Dui Ga (No. 4) - Fried rice with quarter chicken thigh. He really liked his food too. Glad we tried this restaurant. We were also happy with where we sat. The other side was groups so it was a bit louder. It was a great lunch and we will keep them in mind next time. read more

Gao Restaurant - Mì Quảng/Quảng Noodles - Vietnamese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I was recommended this place by my Vietnamese friend, when we showed up the restaurant was packed on a weekday! Bun Bo hue was great, a very generous portion but not spicy at all. The tea was fantastic as well, we were encouraged to eat the berries and apples inside after drinking all of it. read more

Gao Restaurant - H3. Bún Bò Huế / Spicy Huế Style Beef Noodle Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

One of the best pho in places in Tampa. Family friendly restuarant with great service. Menu has a good variety of options especially for people who are vegetarians. Would definitely recommend trying them if you are in the area. read more

Gao Restaurant - P2. Phở Đặc Biệt Lớn / Large House Combo Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The four of us visited Gao on a week day thinking it wouldn't be too crowded. Fortunately for us, we got there just as a woman asked for a table for 18! It wouldn't have mattered because the staff was able to handle all tables seamlessly. Our waiter was outstanding!! Because it was our first time there he let us try 2 different samples of broth. How many waiters do that?? I ended up ordering a seafood pho which was wonderful! I had enough to take home for lunch the next day. The others at the table loved their selections as well. This is definitely a restaurant to put on your list of places to eat. We'll be back for sure. read more

Excellent. Pho is really good. Got bun bo hue, bun cha, egg rolls, goi, bun. Food is fast, great service. Not too crowded on a Monday. read more

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Nice staff. Food quality is a little above average. I had the bun bo hue. It is a generous portion with lots of topping. The broth however seriously lacks of flavor. I do not taste the lemongrass flavor nor the mẳn ruốc. I could have been a great dish. Mi quang has very little broth and gets cold quicklywhen you add theveggies to the bowl. The rice cracker with black sesame seeds was replaced by a deep fried rice paper. If these two dishes are the restaurant's signature dishs , they need to take action to improve them. I don't think it is too hard to do. read more

This one is a toss up. We got there around 1130 . We were seated but then it took a bit for the waiter to even acknowledge and take our order... like I mean 10 minutes... and then another 10 minutes to get 2 waters and hot tea... then another 20 minutes to get the other hot tea. The food quality is meh... I will say their fresh rolls are worth a trip back... but I would order it to go. I ordered the grilled beef which was more riblets. I wanted to love it because the marinade was so good but it was the toughest cut of meat I have ever eaten. Super chewy like very hard beef jerky. The inside is super cute but the service is slow especially at lunch time which sucks when you only have an allowed time. We got the bun bu hue and had to add a lot of spices and vinegar to the broth because it wasn't as elevated as were used to. read more

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Honestly 10/10. Food was great and the server was so kind. Very attentive , helpful even kinda funny. We will be back !!

This restaurant was recommended to us by Vietnamese owners of another restaurant in the Tampa area. They said to come here for some of the freshest and cleanest Vietnamese food in Tampa Bay. The service was impeccable. We got seated right away with a smile. Our waiter was very attentive, refilling fish sauce, explaining food, and giving us tips for authentic ways to eat and order the food. Atmosphere was clean. Best Vietnamese eggrolls I've ever had! read more

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Authentic Food! Had the noodles with Cha Sui, Broken Rice and Pork Chop and amazing crispy egg roll! Service was very nice and smooth. read more

Gao Restaurant - Broken Rice Pork Chop, Noodles and Char Sui - Vietnamese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Winter weather needed a bowl of hot delicious noodles soup and gao did it hot and yummy also thanks to the hospitality from Ted added a bonus to the perfect meal. Will be back again for sure. read more

Gao Restaurant - Fish cake noodles soup! - Vietnamese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I went with my wife for lunch, food was amazing, tasteful. But the best part here is the staff, they are super friendly y took the time to explain everything on the menu. read more

Gao Restaurant - H3. Bún Bò Huế / Spicy Huế Style Beef Noodle Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I can't say enough good things about this restaurant!! First off, the service here is UNMATCHED. They are sooo friendly and helpful when it comes to recommendations. I was even able to sample several broths! 10/10 recommend the mi quang, bun cha ca, grilled pork rice plate, and salted foam Vietnamese iced coffee. read more

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I've might have just had the best phō in my life. The service was incredible. The waiter was friendly and funny. Will definitely return read more

Gao Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Excellent pho and other foods! Friendly service! Always go here at least once a week. Authentic pho. Highly recommend

Second time to visit and still blown away by the service, staff friendliness ! Grilled shrimp with rice is really tasty! Ted even offered a second serving of the pho broth which is phenomenal! They even give you a free water bottle with your meal! That's a rarity nowadays! Looking forward to coming back and trying the mi quang... read more

My bf and I went on Labor Day and they were relatively empty until 20 min in and they had a packed house at 6:30pm. Absolutely blown away by their flavors and quality. You can tell they curate their menu with love. The server gave great recommendations and was just a lovely guy. Even though it was busy with people coming in to place to go orders or pick up , the servers did a great job in looking out for everyone and it was a friendly service. I ordered the pho 5 and my bf had the #1 rice with grilled pork (he substituted it from the pork chop). I had leftovers because the pho was so huge. It was so comforting and you could taste the flavor profile. A delicious bowl of Pho requires a sophisticated and skillful combination of various spices to enhance the overall taste of the dish. While star anise contributes a mildly spicy flavor to the broth, cinnamon provides depth to the taste. It was like as if it was simmering for days because it had so much depth. It was rainy outside and such a great meal , very comforting. It felt so nourishing. The ambiance is chill and you can tell locals love this place. There is so much variety to choose from and all true to the Vietnamese culture. It felt like we truly were having a once in a lifetime experience in Vietnam. read more

One of my favorite places for pho! Its a small restaurant tucked away in a corner. The egg rolls here are homemade and soooo delicious! Their shaking beef was also better than most restaurants (definitely on top 2). The service can be extremely slow, especially during busy hours. read more

Came here for dinner with my wife. We had been here once before but it had been crazy busy and we didn't have the best experience. We decided to try it again and this time for dinner. I an glad we did. The staff and specifically Ted are very passionate about their food and helping us understand the differences in taste you can achieve by small additions of noodles , sauces and condiments. We started off with fresh rolls with peanut sauce. They truly were the best we have ever had including the peanut sauce which was wonderful. Then the meals came. Wow we were impressed. The broth was good, The noodles were good and everything just worked perfectly including the vegetables and the condiments. We both really enjoyed the meal and certainly will be back . read more

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I do not recommend this place. I've never given a 1 star on yelp because I understand a lot of these restaurants may be family-run, and every poor experience I've had at other places may have been redeemed by some positive quality. However, my experience at Gao was just a complete snowball of utterly displeasing experiences. The most positive experience I had in this entire ordeal was probably just being seated at a table that was clean....Everything was downhill from there. Once seated, we waited for 15 minutes before menus were even offered to us. At this point, I was skeptical about the service, but I had some hope. We asked for 2 waters and 1 vietnamese coffee for drinks (important for later), then we placed in our food orders. 10 more minutes passed... then 20 minutes... then 30 minutes... not even water was brought to the table. Meanwhile, in hilarious fashion, dishes and utensils were brought to our table 1 by 1. It was The Office-level comedy, in the worst way. First came a fork... then came spoons... then plates and napkins... then small bowls. It was like they were stalling. Still no drinks. At this point, we were pushing 1 hour. I waved over a waiter to share my concerns, and he tells me that they have a catering order they have to do first. I'm ready to get my food to go or just cancel the order. He tells me "they're preparing it right now". I ask, "what about the drinks?" Finally, we get 2 waters, but no coffee. 10 more minutes pass. I ask about the coffee. No coffee. At this point, I just want to leave. 10 more minutes... Finally, the food comes. I immediately ask for takeout boxes because I don't want to spend another minute in this restaurant. I tell them "cancel the coffee". The response: "oh no, it's ready right now!" 10 more minutes pass... are you kidding?? And then, without even an apology, about 1 hour and 30 minutes after we had put in the order: "here is your coffee" Thanks, food was mid, and I definitely won't coming back. read more

A year later and Gao is top quality with pho, summer (fresh) rolls, and unusual items (for Americans). So, get what you like and ask for recommendations, too! They have fresh noodles, hot sauces made from scratch, and Mi Quang/Quang Noodles which is my new fave. read more

Our first (and will be more) visit to this restaurant as we didn't really wanted to try out after some of our acquaintances visited (not good reviews) when it 1st opened in Tampa. We heard the new owner have changed things so we tried it out today. Well, the foods and services are both wonderful. We also have good Vietnamese black ice coffee. We will try some other dishes next time. read more

Gao Restaurant - Fried Chicken thigh and rice. - Vietnamese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I visted expecting the same experience as the photos on this Yelp page from the previous ownership. The menu now is much more limited. Hot noodle soup on a cold day Are you looking for a different kind of noodle soup to try? Gao has a few unique soup options: Seafood based broth Chewy, thick rice noodles Since November, Gao has had new ownership and a revamped menu. This simplified menu is noodle soup based, focusing on Florida sourced ingredients. The owner also told me that new broth is fresh each day. Featured in reel: 1 Bún Chả Cá - Fish broth vermicelli served with fish cake, a central Vietnam special. 2 Chả Giò - Egg Roll  3 Bánh Canh Chả Cá - Thick rice noodles in fish broth with fish cake. These thick, chewy noodles were my favorite. 4 Cafe Kem Muối - Iced coffee with condensed milk and salted foam on top. 5 Cơm Đùi Gà Nướng - Crispy fried chicken leg and thigh with rice. read more

The service was excellent, the server was knowledgeable of their menu and attentive. Everything we had was delicious, fresh and decent portions. read more

Been here quite a few times - had the rice / have had the pho & spring rolls. Service / Food taste - atmosphere & overall experience is a perfect 5 star worthy. The noise level is low & relaxing. It is however a small restaurant with limited parking. I personally recommend their fresh noodle pho special. read more

Gao Restaurant - Grilled Pork with Steamed Rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I had a few friends who have been to Gao before and they decided to introduce me last night. Everything was delicious and the service was amazing. The restaurant is small, about 8-10 tables if I remember correctly, which makes it feel intimate. There's no loud music which makes it easy to chat with whoever you are dining with. I had the Com Chiên Duong Châu, which is a fried rice dish with veggies, sausage, shrimp, and pork. It was so flavorful, especially with the sauce that came with it. In addition, we were brought a side bowl of pho, on the house, which was delicious. Everything about the experience here was amazing, and I would definitely recommend Gao if you're in the mood for amazing service and flavor. read more

Gao Restaurant - Com Chin Dac Biet - Duong Chau - Vietnamese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I heard several great things about this small place by the one-word name Gạo, which means Rice in Vietnamese. I decided to give it a trial after participating in the Tampa O'green River event. We had one passion fruit and one avocado smoothy. We tried the Lotus Root Salad with Shrimp and Pork, which was well marinated. Our server Hiep recommended Hue's Spicy Beef Noodle Soup (Bun Bo Hue) and Fish Cake Noofle Soup (Bun Cha Ca), so we took his choices. They were delicious. I noticed the menu has various Phở (Vietnamese noodle soup) and Rice dishes. The owner stopped by to see how everything was. He proudly said that he cooked all broths fresh daily and never kept them frozen. His mom and dad are in the kitchen. I personally like less broths on both noodle bowls since I can see the ingredients, and I shared that feedback with the young owner. I love to support family run local business like this. Yummy! Just like the dog friendly city of Tampa, Gạo allowed us to bring our puppy in, which was also nice. read more

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Wow, the food was fantastic not a huge menu to confuse people but really good food. The broth of the Pho was the best (tasted homemade) I've ever eaten. The servers were very friendly and were willing to answer all of our questions. The restaurant faces the west and the setting sun kept getting in my eyes and they did everything they could to make me comfortable. The restaurant location is not in my normal area but we will definitely return for another visit. read more

I had a great time dining here with my family. The food was delicious and the service was excellent. The interior of the restaurant was pretty casual. GAO restaurant offers 2 types of noodles for their pho. The fresh ones are served by default and they are unique, wider and flatter than the thin rice noodles I was used to from other pho restaurants. Our server was the owner's son and he was very friendly. He said that they imported the fresh noodles from Vietnam! The pho broth was delicious and I would return. read more

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The food at Gao Restaurant is delicious and authentic! The staff are super friendly and welcoming, and the place is clean and cozy. Highly recommend for great Vietnamese food in Tampa! read more

Gao Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Upon entering the restaurant we were immediately seated. We were offered a complimentary drink along with a couple of samples off the menu prior to ordering. The pho broth was a 15 out of 10. Absolute the best we have ever had. We never had to ask for a single thing. The staff were very attentive! Definitely will be a returning customer. read more

This was our 2 nd time eating here. It was good enough to come back again. However this time I got the mi quiang and there was a big black hair in it after I ate half of it ( which happens ) it's still gross! The young waiter offered $1.50 off of my meal "special family discount". In addition, the menu stated it was 14.95, my receipt said 15.95 so I never got a discount at all. 2nd and last time for us read more