I can here Saturday morning first thing after opening on the recommendation from a friend. I order the pho tai. The pho came out by the time I had washed my hands. The broth was lukewarm and not particularly flavorful, I feel like it might be chalked up to it being early in the morning but I would probably not put this on my to go list. The broth wasn't even hot enough to cook the meat or the bean sprouts. I made the mistake of also ordering the bahn mi to go. Not what I was expecting. I order the chicken and the pork. The meat was fine but the lettuce and tomato really threw me off. I pretty much got a deli sandwich which was weird, didn't really get any Vietnamese flavor. read more

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This is one of my fav viet restaurants in the city. Prices are solid (pho is under 10 bucks) and food tastes yummy. I feel like the fish sauce here is superior to other viet places. It's cash only. read more

Gia Lam - Porkchop and rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Excellent Pho, spring rolls and pork. Everything you need. Wish it wasn't cash only though,

After a long walk on 8th ave (the mid-autumn parade) on a rainy day, we decided to get some pho. It's been a very long time since we came to Gia Lam (was one of our favorite restaurant back in the day). We ordered some pho and a large order of spring rolls. Perfectly hot and crisp spring rolls, drizzled with Sriracha + Hoisin sauce and wrapped in romain lettuce and then dunked in fish sauce dipping sauce- just yum. Our pho was fine- just the same, but it hit the spot on this cold rainy day. read more

We ordered for pick up and food was ready when we arrived. The spring rolls were not great. The skin on the spring rolls were super thick and they felt incredibly oily. Almost no crunch at all. The lemongrass chicken over rice was pretty good, a very big portion size. Overall, I think I would skip the spring rolls next time and stick to the tried and true chicken rice. read more

Favorite dishes are beef cubes over rice, pork chop over rice and the regular pho. I like this location more than the 54th street location because I think they give more food here. This place closes at 7 since Covid and they're cash only. read more

great place ! i think they changed owners ? there's two of these but this one is def better ! prices are still great ! love their soup and pho read more

- fast delivery - cheap sandwich - good beef Bahn mi read more

I can't speak much on the pho or the other parts of the menu. But usually, I would come here to get their grilled pork over rice dish. I've tried the same dish at the other Gia Lam location and I do have to say sometimes it's hard to say which one is better, which I know can be surprising as many would agree this is better. The first time I've had the grilled pork tasted pretty good, however, the most recent time it didn't taste as good due to the pork being cooked very char liked and it just didn't reach my expectations. Overall, still a solid place to come grab some Vietnamese food to eat. read more

Pho was very flavorful and egg rolls were super good. Great price point too so definitely stop by. read more

Gia Lam - Vietnamese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This place is my favorite pho place because the dipping sauce is just so good. The orange sauce is everything when it comes to viet food for me, only sad news is they dont have viet pancakes. read more

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My go to pho place even when I'm not in Brooklyn, I will come here for the pho. The service could be better, but the food is great for the price! An order of pho is less that 7$ excluding tax/tip. It's also pretty large portion of pho. The meals are consistent and what you'd expect each visit. They also only accept cash I love their grilled pork chops/grilled slice pork chop pho as well as their #9, the most common and popular pho. The soup is also delicious and savory. I'd also recommend the spring rolls. Tl;dr - worth the price, recommend #9 and #17 for pho, cash only read more

I think this place has changed ownership so I was afraid the quality went down. Surprisingly, it still hits the spot. Gets unusually packed on the weekends, especially during lunch. read more

Definitely agree that this GiaLam is superior to the other location! And I can't believe the prices are still reasonable.... Cheaper than most other Vietnamese restaurants in the southern Brooklyn area. Grilled pork slices!!!! That's all I come here for, they do it soo well here and it's tender. read more

Four years ago my husband took me to this restaurant for our first date. He said it's his go-to restaurant. And since then till now we still think they have the best spring-rolls. And the RiceRoll with shrimp too, has to use the peanuts sauce otherwise it's too plain read more

Gia Lam - - Spring rolls (at the back) - Rice Noodle Shrimp rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The food was consistent in quality and taste; same as last time. Service has improved a lot. Came here for lunch and street parking was not a problem. read more

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wow this place is generous. I screwed up an order and misspoke and they were kind enough to replace with what I was truly craving. I had pho and spring rolls and both were flavorful. It's a challenge to order these food as take away because you just lose the crispness of the rolls and by the time you pour the soup with the noodles the soup is just not that hot anymore. I really wish COVID would be gone already so we can relish these food again in its best form. In the meantime, this place provides the closest proxy to these comfort dishes. read more

AMAZING Food, great service. Only had one experience that did not go well, I ordered the Iced Lemonade and when I revived it, there was something floating on top. But they gladly made a new one right away. Love the Gia Lam special which is Grilled porkchop, chinese sausages, over easy egg : ) NOM SO DARN GOOD and I added the egg crab patty on the side:) must try and also their Beef Cubes and fried rice is a popular item. A lot of ppl raved about it and I tried some from my cousin and I must say it's flavorful. MUST TRY if you're around the area:) PORK CHOP is BOMB.com !! read more

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This was a first time experience of having pho in Brooklyn and I didn't expect much. The reviews seemed good so my grandma and I decided to try it out. We were seated, not asked what to drink. The waiter gave my grandma hot tea and water for me. Not sure who ordered these to be honest. We ordered pho. Mine was alright. The broth was definitely watered down and lacking in flavor. Pretty skimpy on the brisket even if it was 7 dollars. The problem came when my grandma got her seafood pho (beef broth FYI). It came with assorted vegetables, the carrots were sour. The only seafood thing about the soup was 2 shrimps. 2! The only thing that stopped this from being a one star is that they took it back and brought her another seafood pho. This time containing 2 squid pieces, one fish ball cut in half, one shrimp (guess cause she ate the two from before), and a 1/3 crabstick. Easily became the worst pho place I been too (no exaggeration) and I been to a lot in a wi assortment of places. read more

Gia Lam - Brisket pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Not a big fan of the food but it really has to do with my tastes. My family seem to love the spring rolls there and they are always keen on the soup noodle dish. Me, I would prefer Ramen. Small establishment and for the life of me, I don't know why the phones always appear to lose signals whenever we are there. I would like to explore the menu a bit more to provide a more comprehensive report. read more

Gia Lam - Vietnamese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The Vietnamese foodie snobs of the world will be disappointed to know that this place is essentially run by Chinese folk (no surprise here - it's Brooklyn Chinatown after all). Surprisingly the experience was fantastic and completely fulfilled a late night craving for warm, delicious food. The decor is is not one to balk at but it certainly surpasses the dingy standard in the area. It looks clean (even the bathrooms) and almost cabin like with its woody interior. After a gander in their menu, it was clear most people were here for their super cheap prices and extensive selection of Vietnamese fare. Our waitress knew no Vietnamese and was not ashamed to admit it. She claimed that while the owner is Vietnamese, none of the staff was Viet or even Yue Hua Qiao (Chinese Viet). They did have a lot of recommendations for us and was friendly throughout the course of the meal. I had a little bit of everything, from samples of their delicious Banh Hoi and Bo Kho to my own generous bowl of Pho Tai. Without a doubt, the food was mighty tasty. My broth in my Pho was strong (perhaps a little too much star anise?) but packed a lot of flavor punch with every sip. My thin strips of flank beef, were perfectly chewy without any hint of toughness. The Cha Gio were abundant with just the right amount of crisp and tasted even better with a dip into the fish sauce. Gia Lam is also open late as well, closing at midnight on weeknights and till 2AM on the weekends. If I'm ever back in Chinatown in Brooklyn during a late night again, this will be one of my future stomping grounds for decent Vietnamese food. read more

Pretty solid Vietnamese restaurant in Brooklyn Chinatown. The main room is pretty spacious, with a TV way at the back by the kitchen, and wooden panels that give it a cabin-like appearance. Not amazing by any means, but certainly above average for this part of town. The spring rolls are really delicious; nice and crispy, they pack a lot of flavor. Not sure what the filling is, but these babies are really tasty. We tried two different pho. My seafood pho (#19 on the menu) was actually disappointing. The broth was tasty, and the noodles nicely chewy, but most of the seafood ingredients were of the pre-made variety: fish balls and crab meat sticks, plus two pieces of cuttlefish, and two shrimp. What I like better of this pho, in the end, were the vegetable bits (bamboo and mushrooms in particular). The classic Pho Dac Biet (#9 on the menu) was a lot better. Stick with the classics and you won't be disappointed. read more

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Gia Lam is my favorite Vietnamese spot in Brooklyn. I've been coming here since I was a little girl and nothing has changed from then. The same lovely woman still works at the front desk and the staff is very nice. Of all the Vietnamese restaurants in Brooklyn, I find that this spot has been the most consistent with the meal and with the best prices. I will return here again and again. :) My favorite to orders are the beef pho, grilled chicken pho, grilled chicken with white rice or the beef cubes with white rice. read more

I was in the area and checked my bookmarks for something to eat and saw this place. It was a cold day so I decided to get some Pho to fill and warm me up. The staff were cool and it's still a cash only establishment. However, the menu items are very affordable. The first time I visited, it was pre-lunch time and the place was empty. There were about 12 different Pho options to choose from and I decided on the Pho Thit Nuong grilled sliced pork with noodle soup. When I got home to "pig out" I was pissed that the soup items were separated. Yes I am lazy and I just wanted to heat and eat, LOL. However, after I threw the meat, noodles and beansprouts in the broth I was ready and boy was it worth the wait. The broth was so tasty and the sliced pork was very yummy, I wished the meat was sliced thinner which I eventually did myself towards the end of my devouring. That Pho really hit the spot and I was very happy that I decided to make another visit. The 2nd time I visited it was lunch time and the place was packed with patrons. I decided to try their most popular Pho according to the employee, Pho Dac Biet special rice noodles soup with beef, brisket, omosa, eye round & tendon. I enjoyed this Pho which was good but not great like the pork option I had the first time. The next time I visit, I will be prepared to have time to sit and eat and check out some other menu items. read more

Situated in Brooklyn's chinatown you'll find this 10 table vietnamese restaurant. The smells coming out of the place just tells you its authentic and a Lil family mom is making the dishes in the back. Great service and super attentive. They even brought hot boiled water over without us suggesting and were a step ahead. The fried spring rolls were super crispy on the outside and tender flavorful pork and herbs inside. Usually places over fry them and they dry out but here it is the exception. It's accompanied with fresh thai basil sprouts and lettuce to wrap them up and dip them in a nice vinegar sugary sauce. The pho I ordered was also great. Beefy brothy goodness with hints of lemongrass. The bowl was filled with wonderful vermicelli beef round tripe that worked well with the broth. A empty bowl at the end for sure. Their grilled pork with rice was also delish. Nice charring, a good sauce and tender. Their vietnamese coffee though I found was a bit heavy on the condensed milk which skewed it super sweet. Other than that I will definitely be back. read more

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I've been doing food reviews for a while. Honestly a very long while to the point where I took a hiatus after my Yelp Elite status in 2018 because I became so immersed in reviewing that I sometimes cared about food more than people. I re-installed the app today and I was actually surprised to see that I haven't posted a review for this place. The way I usually go about it is, I would bookmark a place on Yelp, try their food, and then rate them based on my experience. But Gia Lam is different. For those of you who don't know, this one is the OG Gia Lam. They opened their second location on 54th St. years later. This Gia Lam location embodies my entire childhood which is why I feel a strong emotional tie to it. This has been here for over 20 years. I have been here for over 20 years. My grandmother used to bring me here all the time before she passed. I was quite a picky eater as a kid but I love Gia Lam. I had my first embarrassing fall here as a 7 year old who really needs to have her butt glued to the chair (growing up, I was always called 'monkey girl' in Cantonese because I just can't seem to sit still). Even when I moved out of state afterwards, I would still come back every year just to visit and eat at this place again. My favorite dish here is the porkchop, lapcheong, and egg over rice with a generous drizzle of the sweet vinegar-y pickle juice. I don't know the exact English name of the dish on the menu because for the past 20 years, I've only ever known it by 三寶飯 - three treasures over rice. It truly is a treasure. I've never ordered anything else so this is going to be a pretty biased review (sorry not sorry). I have heard good things about the classic pho and curry chicken but sadly, I haven't tried it for myself so I can't tell you about those dishes. One thing remains constant in all my food adventures is that nothing is constant. The taste of the dish changes with the chef that makes it, with emotions he's feeling while making it, with the weather that's outside, with the flow of the restaurant... just so many intangible but ever-present factors play into the flavors of food. But Gia Lam has always been consistent. Do you know how much has changed over the span of 20 years? Too much. People come and go. Prices went up. The park I used to play hide and seek in has since been torn down. My neighbors have moved away. Brooklyn 8th Ave is no longer predominantly Toisanese. The population is now an overwhelming majority of Fujianese. Businesses along the Sunset Park 8th Ave stretch has opened and closed down. Some not even opened long enough for us to remember the names of. Us kids who were born in the mid to late 90s have all grown up, graduated, and left to start our own families and careers. But this dish remained the same. It seems simple enough with the sausage and the egg and the pork chop but what I've come to learn is that it's the things that seem simple in life that are never really that simple. I honestly don't know how they do it but I just hope it never changes. So, after reading my essay-length touching review (that on second thought, should probably have been a diary entry instead of a Yelp review), I urge you to give this dish a try if you haven't already. I'm sure you've never expected a savory dish like this to taste so sweet. 10/10 would recommend. read more

Gia Lam - "This is mah very favoritest food in the whole wide world!" -- 5-year-old me trying it for the first time and me now, almost 20 years later. - Vietnamese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Impossibly tight seating. We were banging chairs with the tables beside us! It makes sense to seat tables of 2 in tight 4 person "booths" but trying to squeeze 3 grown adults was almost infuriating to watch and experience. And there were larger open tables in the middle! Just wtf. Get some 2 person tables and leave more space for your 4 person tables! You're welcome! Service left a lot to be desired. It's the first time I've used this phrase and it describes this situation exactly. Single dipping plate for multiple orders of pho. We ask for some extra bowls for our table (of 3). They bring 2. It might sound like I'm nitpicking but sometimes things just build on each other to make up one of worse experience ever. And then lastly, I received one of my saddest bowls of pho I've seen. No basil. No mint. Two sprigs of cilantro. Combination broth no fatty brisket. No navel/tendon. Single piece of tripe. Some eye of round. It might tie with the time I receive lemon instead of lime and zero bean sprouts but you don't see me writing a review about that cuz their service was fine. I've worked in service for over a year. There's a difference between "it's management" and "dgaf." read more

Gia Lam - Pho with no basil. No mint. - Vietnamese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I always stop by here if I'm in the area and craving Pho yet don't want to go to a place that breaks my wallet! I usually go for the first item under the Pho category but I've also tried to mix it up and got the seafood this time. Both are definitely good (very dependent on the broth) but I do have a preference for the beef Pho (#9 I think) than the seafood pho. There's a lot less flavour in the broth versus the beef Pho which I think gives it the authentic Vietnamese taste that most people crave to have. I've also tried the Summer Rolls, both beef and shrimp and I've gotta say.. Shrimp hands down. The beef is definitely WAY too salty to be delectable.. unless you have a huge palate for savoury stuff. The shrimp summer roll is more refreshing and fits more with Pho than anything. Give the shrimp summer roll a try! My friend also ordered the fried calamari which was surprisingly good. It came with what seems to be sautéed lettuce and fresh tomatoes. Right amount of spices in every bite. :) Although this isn't my top pick for Vietnamese all across the board, I'd stop in here for their regular Pho and shrimp summer roll but not much else. I'm not sure if everything else is just as salty but the ones I've tried when I swayed away from my usual has me hesitant on trying anything new. read more

A neighborhood staple. Pho is one of the best here and everyone is friendly. I always get #9 and their spring rolls wrapped in lettuce. The place is popular with the locals and people who work nearby. Love this place! read more

Gia Lam - Vietnamese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I came here and ordered the Bun Bo Lui aka Grilled Beef w/ Seseme Seasoning on Vermicelli (Rice Stick) and I was sadly disappointed. The beef was not tender and the vermicelli was too hard. OMG, I was so reluctant to finish the entire bowl of Bun Bo Lui. I only enjoyed the Viet Iced cofffee. Words of advice: Order anything except for the Vermicelli in Gia Lam! read more

Needed to grab a quick dinner with my parents and had never been here before (though it's been around forever). We started out with the summer rolls, which were super bland. The rice paper was too thick, the shrimp was tasteless, and the only thing that had any flavor was the peanut dipping sauce. Not a fan. I ordered the #13 Pho (with beef tendon & tripe) was pretty good. Could have used more noodles, but the broth was tasty. All in all, Gia Lam is cheap compared to other restaurants outside of Brooklyn Chinatown, but within this neighborhood, it's pricier than the superior Nha Trang on 59th street. Oh and cash only! read more

Gia Lam - Mediocre summer rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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A decently good viet restaurant around 8th Ave. The broth for the pho is beefy. The pork chop is grilled nicely. What's unusual is that they serve fries and onion rings but I'm getting it's there for the kids to order. Their fries are pretty delicious tho. read more

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Great place for early in the morning! I stopped by here when it opened. The service here was quick and the food was great. The waiting time for the food was less than 15 minute. The food is affordable, the price range is around $-$$. The restaurants in this area did not open as early as gia lam! read more

Gia Lam - Pork chop with rice noodle - Vietnamese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Soooo sooo good. Quality was much better than gia lam 2 on 55th street. Broth was very flavorful, so hot and delicious. My favorite food I could eat this every day.1 One star off cause it was little on the expensive side cause of covid but it's still my go-to. (one bowl of pho was $9.50) read more

Gia Lam - Pho ($9.50) to go - Vietnamese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Gia Lam is def the OG viet restaurant in 8 avenue. Prices are reasonable - food is prepared quickly. I usually order the grilled pork over rice and summer roll and it does not disappoint. read more

Good portion considering I have been to many pho places. The price is reasonably cheap $7.30. Flavors was great. Will be back if I'm in the area read more

Gia Lam - Beef - Vietnamese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Not authentic. Chinese style Vietnamese food. Very disappointing. We ordered Vietnamese spring roll, sweet and sour shrimp soup and lemongrass squid rice. All were bland and not flavorful. Also ordered the salty lemon soda and it was not very salty or lemony enough. Will not go back read more

My entire experience was 5 stars. The food is on point. Pho number 13 was banging, the flavor of the broth was just right and the noodles were delicious. I recommend this soup. Make sure to add fresh cilantro. Make sure to order the spring rolls, they are not your ordinary spring rolls, they have a unique crunch to them and filling. Order the beef Banh hoi... Off the hook! Complimentary tea, good and fast service... Very friendly I might add. Very good Vietnamese cuisine. I will make sure to return often. read more

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Yay! Finally had Vietnamese food in New York! Well, besides the Banh Mi sandwiches. I mean a full sit down meal, yes sir! I went alone and was met with love. I was surrounded by the complimentary tea, Vietnamese spring rolls with lettuce and finally my pork chop and shredded pork over rice. Alone, I felt like Lips Manlis from Dick Tracy. Gorging myself, stuffing my face, oh baby it has been so long! Then a couple sat pretty close so I became aware of my moaning, slurping, and crunching, but really didn't care. It was a fresh meal, full of taste and pretty damn cheap. I think I got out of there spending only $12, this includes tip. The atmosphere was nice and clean, mostly adorned in wood. The service was attentive and personable. It really satisfied me, but it wasn't mind blowing, contrary to all of the orgasmic details above. Good though, I'll definitely go back. read more

Gia Lam - Vietnamese Spring Rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

*This review is based on a Take-Out experience* I placed an order for dinner for me and the boyfriend and the woman I spoke with wasn't very friendly. When we arrived we waited 5-10 minutes for our food to be ready. The boyfriend had the grilled pork chop over rice. I ordered the Bun Thit Nuong-Cha-Gio (grilled sliced pork with spring roll on rice stick) and it was possibly one of the best Vietnamese rice stick dishes I've had! It was packed with lots and lots of food. I like that their lettuce is shredded and cucumber too. The spring rolls were fried perfectly and full of flavor. I was super full afterwards. We've never eaten at this location, but have been to the 54th street one and quite frankly that one - the people there aren't the friendliest either. read more

Gia Lam - Bun Thit Nuong-Cha-Gio (grilled sliced pork-spring roll on rice stick) - Vietnamese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York