I love this place! The firecracker wings are amazing, try them! I usually get the rice plate with chicken and ask for hoisin sauce on the side. I normally place to-go orders but I've sat in the restaurant a few times. The restaurant has an open view of the street (I love the window view!) ML offers amazing options along with service. Try the smoothies!! Also convenient that is so close to Berkeley Bowl! :) I wasn't able to get a pic of the wings because I devoured them. My original plan was to taste them. read more

Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant - Saigon Style Rice Plate w/ chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Berkeley, California

My wife had a craving for the crab soup that she normally hours. It has been a day since our last visit. I stopped I. And ordered the soup to go. Staff is very nice and timed my take-out order so I could swing by Berkeley Bowl so I could take care of my grocery shopping. They do a nice job disassembling the soup for take-out so it is easy to put it together to eat. I tasted the soup, the ingredients are fresh and ample crab meat. We will be back. Still as good as we remember. read more

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I really liked the spicy beef pho in their menu. It had so much flavor, I would definitely come again. Came during my lunch break, the service was great and super quick. read more

Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant - Spicy beef pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Came for a lunch around 12pm on a Tuesday. It wasn't too crowded. The server immediately gave us water and the menus. I ordered the special pho and my colleague ordered the chicken w/rice. The food came out within 5 minutes, which was fast. The pho was alright - the broth was clear, and the fillings inside were at a good portion. The noodles were pretty clumped together, so it took me some time to pry them apart with the broth heat. My colleague had nothing to complain about her dish as well. All in all, I wouldn't mind coming again for lunch whether I'm in the area or craving some pho for lunch during workdays. read more

Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant - Special pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Berkeley, California

An absolute gem in the heart of corporate buildings and a bougie grocery store (Berkeley Bowl) nearby. It's been awhile since I stopped by Mint Leaf for some lunch, and boy did I miss their spring rolls so bad. I'm an SJ foodie, which means that I've had my fair share of Việt food back home. There's no place that I've visited near home that sells spring rolls as well as Mint Leaf does! It's unique, fun, and so tasty! Whose ingenious idea was it to incorporate a crispy tempura shrimp in the center of a spring roll and pay homage to California'a wild obsession of avocados by incorporating them into the rolls themselves?! I usually feel healthy eating spring rolls, but the rolls at Mint Leaf gave me a mix of healthy and indulgent with the crispy tempura shrimp edge and abundant leafy green lettuce and avocado in their spring rolls! I had dined at their Oakland branch (also just as tasty and please say hi to Tony for me) when I was barely starting middle school. It's wonderful to know that this mom n' pop shop survived the pandemic, especially during these rough economic times. Their garlic noodles with scallop and shrimp is still as good as ever. All the shrimps were gigantic and the scallops were plump and juicy. My partner had their paella claypot and really enjoyed it! I unfortunately did not sample, so I will leave it to him to review that dish heh. We also shared a side of crispy egg rolls and a nice basket of sweet potato fries with a curry dip! Overall, service was superb and all workers were kind and courteous. The atmosphere in the restaurant was also very calm and the space felt so open and free with all the natural lighting from the big windows. If anything, I wished my workplace was nearby. This is a great place to grab a bite with a coworker~ Berkeley Bowl is next door too, so you can also shop for dinner after eating here. 10/10 recommend~ I can't wait to return to Mint Leaf again! read more

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I have gone to this restaurant for years. It has been consistently good every time. The owner is great. The service is pretty fast, unless they are packed, then it can take a while to get your order. I call ahead if it's prime lunch time 12-1pm. I used to try to convince my office to have work meetings there. Their smoothies are so good my kids love them. Their Ginger Lemonade is the best around in my opinion. I think this is my favorite place to eat in Berkeley. I have nothing bad to say except that I wish I could eat there all the time. read more

Ordered for delivery. Food was ok. Sort of bland. Ingredients were fresh but don't think this place will be in my repeat list. read more

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I ordered the garlic noodles with grilled lemongrass chicken. I wouldn't recommend this - the chicken was kind of dry & noodles were kinda like spaghetti. I ended up tossing the chicken out. I'd advise to order with caution. read more

Tried this location when I was in the neighborhood and hungry for lunch. I've gone to the Alameda location a number of times. This place was good. Busy on a weekday at lunchtime but still with a couple tables available. I was alone and happy to get a window table. Menu is good and varied. Service was good, except for one issue -- I asked to make sure what I was ordering was vegetarian (it seemed it from the menu), and the lady said yes. Then she asked if I was vegan and I said no, and she started to leave. But I said wait, what isn't vegan? I'm so glad I asked. She said it was made with oyster sauce. Well, in my book, a sauce made out of a dead animal is definitely not vegetarian. So I specified that I wanted it vegan, because apparently that is the way to not get oyster sauce (i.e., make it really vegetarian). This is a shame, because usually restaurants in the bay area understand what the difference is between vegetarian and vegan, and actually vegetarian vs. just not having meat in it. Ok, that's the end of my rant. That made me a little uncomfortable, but the food was great, it came pretty fast, and I overall had a good experience and would go back. But I'd be very careful about ingredients. read more

food: 3/5: the pho was okay. I thought the noodles were fine and the broth wasn't super rich so I wasn't very impressed. I did go during the afternoon when they weren't as busy so I'm not sure if it wasn't as fresh. The beef ball and the steak for the pho was okay was well. 5/5: the mint lychee smoothie is really good and refreshing. service: the service was okay. nothing spectacular, but not bad. ambiance: very casual vibes. good for a quick lunch. read more

Love coming here after the climbing gym which is right next door! The service is fast and the food is delicious! Lots of vegetarian options and meat options as well. I love the pork plate with egg roll, rice and salad. A well rounded meal that keeps me full. I also love the prawn sandwich, it comes with sweet potato fries and a delicious curry sauce. Highly recommend these two dishes. Their banh mi is also really delicious. There is usually not too many people and so you come, get seated and are you on your way quickly! read more

Food was good, both in amount and taste. I really love their curry tofu spring rolls. Service was pretty quick and the restaurant has lots of windows so it had good lighting. read more

Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant - Pineapple Pineapple Curry Fried Rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Nice place to have lunch. They have an outdoor sitting area with heaters so you'll be nice and cozy when it's cold outside. Their vermicelli here was good. Their menu is huge and they also have smoothies as well. Service was good, lots of seating indoor, and located a block away from Berkeley Bowl. Convenient especially if you get hungry after grocery shopping. There's plenty of street parking. Cheers! read more

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The beef pho! Seriously though. I now crave it almost every week. Not sure what magic is in it but get some. The other dishes are delicious as well. Quick takeout/delivery. Super light and fresh. A favorite. read more

Their service is awful, they act like you're a burden, and their food is bland. While parking is limited! No thank you . read more

I'm happy to report that it's been years since I last had lunch here and although the prices did go up, the quality is still there. The place gets packed during the lunch hour, so much so that I was seated directly across a stranger. However, they decided to move us to separate tables to open up the tables we were at for a larger party. I ordered the Bun Bo Hue and the spice was perfect. The noodles that they use in the bun bo hue was prefect and it had the right amount of meat. read more

Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I stumbled this place while I was on my way to the grocery store. My friend had mentioned about this place that her and her family comes here a lot. Location is great easy to find. I do like how there's outdoor setting. I ordered the imperial roll which was really tasty it wasn't overly greasy or taste weird like some places (I also give up on ordering imperial rolls). I also got the coconut shrimp fresh spring rolls without rolls this was my far favorite. It was so light and the dripping sauce that comes with it was light as well. I give that a rating 4/5. I didn't give it a 5 because I had some old pieces of lettuce but it wasn't that bad. Normally I would be grossed out but not this one. Lastly, I ordered chicken pho which was a huge disappointment. I was hoping the broth would have more of a chicken broth flavor like it should be. It tasted like as if it was from a wonton soup broth. I'd come back here again but definitely not ordering the chicken pho again. read more

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*Warning* Mint Leaf has an extensive menu of goodies, you may find yourself revisiting often. I am here for the Eggplant Tofu and it pairs perrrfectly with the coconut rice. This clay pot dish is just as wonderful as I imagined it would be. It is savory and a must try for lovers of eggplant and tofu. The summer roll is refreshing. The coconut batterfried prawns are perfectly coated and fried. The only disappointment is the garlic noodles, I found the noodles are quite hard and dry even after soaking in the fish sauce. Chicken is also leaning on the dry side. I also got an Avocado smoothie, it was good but $8 good? Hm. I need to think about that some more. I will absolutely be back! read more

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I ordered the special pho and Vietnamese iced coffee via Door Dash for delivery. Pros: -The Vietnamese drip iced coffee was good -generous portion of broth -everything was packed securely Cons: -there was hardly any basil that was given -My photo attached to this review was the only basil that was provided and all the leaves were discolored My rating of 2 stars is based on the quality of ingredients that they provided with their pho topping. This is the first time that I have ever been given discolored basil from a Vietnamese restaurant. read more

Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant - Basil was not fresh. This was the only portion that was given for the pho I ordered. - Vietnamese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The mint leaf is truly a breath of fresh air in the area. No matter if you want to dine in and have a fresh pot of ginger tea with your meal, or you order a plate to go, you will not be disappointed. I really appreciate the consistency of the way they prepare their meals -- the taste is fantastic every time. Don't sleep on their coconut rice If you know, you know! read more

Had one of the best spring rolls of my life here. Other dishes ordered: - beans with shitaki mushrooms ( my other fave - you can find it on the side dishes section) - seafood clay pot - ginger lemonade + Thai ice tea - pho - fresh green papaya salad with prawns. It doesn't matter what one orders because the flavors are so authentic, fresh and finger licking delicious. Will definitely come back! read more

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Pretty solid vermicelli bowl! We got pork and it comes with an egg roll, which makes it extra tasty and good value. We got it twice in one week! The veggies were pretty fresh and the pork was of decent quality I ordered through a delivery app and it was super smooth read more

Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food was good but be aware if you order a stir fry dish like the shaking beef and want rice with it, you will get charged $4 for a small bowl. read more

Best food prepared fresh and consistently good. Wait staff is very friendly and always has your order done exactly how you requested it.

Nina and I met again today at Mint Leaf. We knew we wanted to order the garlic noodles w/ shrimp and scallops again because it had been so good. The second dish was open for discussion. We discussed the green papaya salad, which we hadn't had here. Then Nina saw the mussels appetizer and since we love mussels we agreed to try that. We ordered both dishes and each ordered the ginger lemonade, which we both adored last time. Our tastes align in so many ways that we know if one likes it the other probably will too. The mussels came out first. We tried them and were completely disappointed. They were overcooked and tough. Fortunately the portion was relatively small because it was an appetizer. One wasn't open and several had broken shells. Particularly since the last mussels we had had at Rendez-Vous a few weeks ago had been so stellar, this was a disappointment. Happily the garlic noodles were excellent and redeemed the meal and comforted our palates, as did the the ginger lemonade. So we will return, but we certainly won't order those mussels. read more

WOW. Possibly the best soup I've ever had. I was very intrigued with their Hot & Sour Noodle Soup "Cahn Chua Bun" with rice noodle, catfish, prawns,tomato, pineapple, okra, jalapeño and sprouts, and was not disappointed. I never knew what "buttery" fish tasted like until this. The pineapple was a nice touch and not too sweet, and the okra was cooked perfectly so it wasn't mush or slimy like it can be. Wonderful balance of flavors and textures. HIGHLY recommend. On my favorites list and I'll be back for sure. read more

Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant - Hot & Sour Noodle Soup "Cahn Chua Bun" with rice noodle, catfish, prawns, tomato, pineapple, okra, jalapeño and sprouts - Vietnamese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I've eaten at Mint Leaf about 20 times and the food is consistently delicious. The dish I wouldn't mind having as my last good meal on this earth is their eggplant & tofu clay pot with coconut rice. Full of flavor and so comforting, I would kiss the feet of the person who conceived this recipe. In the summer, I love to delight in their watermelon and jalapeño drink. The service is good too. read more

Highly recommend the crab soup noodle. As it is traditionally, the noodle is a different texture than pho. I usually order this and swap the noodle for pho noodle, and it is perfect. Restaurant is clean and so is the bathroom. read more

One of the better bun me sandwiches we've had in the Bay Area. Can't wait to go back and try more dishes as well. Highly recommend!

WARNING:: MSG is used in the broth/soups other than the vegetable broth!!!! The vegetable broth is delicious. But I sure hope they don't start adding MSG into it. read more

Gave this place 2 tries. Wednesday during lunch and this place was surprisingly busy. I ordered their lunch special, L19 Saigon style rice plate with pork chop. Pleasantly surprised by those pork chops. Quite tender, bits of fat on the outside to make it extra juicy. The plate also came with a couple pieces of pork I believe. Nicely charcoaled, crispy on the edges, and not too chewy. Thai coffee was alright, too much condensed milk and not enough Smokey heavy bitterness in my opinion. Last time I came here, I ordered L17 Saigon vermicelli bowl with chicken. The chicken pieces were quite hard and chewy. The bowl itself didn't have much flavour, but the fish sauce dipping sauce was too salty for the noodles. meh. Overall, Would recommend getting pork over chicken. read more

Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant - Saigon rice plate - Vietnamese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I've had great experiences going in to dine before covid. Sadly, their takeout didn't taste as good. I am guessing probably because Pho is hard to do take out. Their service was great, food came out quickly, I don't have much to complain. I just wish this stupid virus goes away and I can dine in again haha read more

Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Berkeley, California

sometimes i like a restaurant where they leave you alone to eat and check up every once in a while. especially because this place normally isn't very packed but has a couple people working. they are sweet and are accommodating. the pho is the best i have found in the bay and i much prefer the pho here than even monster pho which is more famous. read more

A little expensive, but the food is great! Love to order the Bahn mi combo and the Saigon vermicelli dishes.

My goto pho in Berkeley. Flavorful, clean & a lot of options. Service is great, and the restaurant has such great natural lighting inside. It's refreshing read more

I really don't know why they have so few stars. This is a solid Vietnamese place plus you can get fresh juices or fun coffee drinks. It's my go to for pho ga. It's clean and tasty. read more

Open during the shelter-in-place. Food is fantastic! Be sure to support the businesses you love during this time....

I came with classmates and was impressed with the quality of food and cleanliness of the restaurant: the warm, intimate setting and excellent customer service make for a delightful Thai experience in Berkeley. read more

I ordered the Thai Iced Tea and Pho (#21) of course ot was so good. Fast and friendly service. Next time, I'll try the Banh Mi. read more

Mint Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant - Thai Iced Tea - Vietnamese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The pho is so good. I also love the wings (they're not spicy). The staff have always been kind.