Amaziiiing. We eat here about once a week. The lemongrass beef and five spice chicken are delicious.

Tiny, hole in the wall restaurant. It literally is a "noodle bar" as it's counter dining only. As others have mentioned, it's busy with people dining in and waiting for takeout. The waitress was very efficient. Ordered the combination pho. It was fine. Not the best pho, not the worst, but average. The portion is a bit small, but overall, no major complaints. Oh, cash only, so be prepared. While I was there, this poor kid tried to pay for his takeout with a card and was directed to the ATM in the corner of the restaurant. read more

My friend and I ordered the fried catfish dinner. It was delicious! Crispy fish with salad and rice. Enough food for 3 meals.

I never have a problem here but today I went in and ordered a boba and then after my mom called me and asked me to order her something. That she wanted to eat there so this young man with a mustache took my order and I told him it was "for here"'and he started getting rude with me saying " next time you have to let me know ahead of time because now you're going to have to wait for 10 to 15 minutes because next I won't take your order." I explained to him what happened and he was still rude. And there was a lot empty seats. read more

Great Food, It's a hole in the wall joint but the food is really good. We like the chicken Pho soup and the B-B-Q chicken. This place can get busy at times but it is soooo worth it. It's not a great place to sit and eat( bar style) for me so we do take out. read more

The secret's our about this New York style countertop restaurant. This family owned business has the best pho and dry noodle bowls you can find on the peninsula. Friendly service, but you have to be patient, it's a popular spot!! read more

The place is kind of small with only counter seating. The food is so good though that I didn't mind how small the place is. I had the bbq pork dry noodle bowl and it's was very good! My mom had the chicken curry and steamed rice and that was also very tasty. We also got shrimp spring rolls with peanut sauce and that was also very tasty! We also got boba milkshakes, I got orange creamsicle and my mom got the mocha. They were both very good! I love that they have so many different flavors to choose from for the boba milkshakes. Everything we had was so good I would definitely get it again. I usually go to the other noodle bar in Marina but they are closed on Tuesday so I'm glad that this one was open. So good, I would definitely come again and maybe try something new. Anything I saw come out of the kitchen looked really good. read more

I come to the noodle bar often, usually order number thirteen with tofu. This place is gushing with flavor.As good as it gets! read more

The broth was amazing, and the 5 spice chicken was to DIE for. However, we had to wait for 15 minutes for seats. read more

I've been a true customer since day one. I've told everyone I knew about The Noodle Bar. It's a perfect eat and go place and take out joint. The hustle and bustle of the cook's and staff whilst eating is all part of the experience. Although a tight squeeze in seating, it's a wonderful place to eat a fresh meal. Try their wings and off the menu items/specials! Cash only with an atm inside that charges about $3.50... read more

Loved Noodle Bar. The prices are way more than reasonable for the amount of food that you get. The Pho is amazing.

Amazing my new favorite place use to go to Chopstixs and food was always cold and tasteless. This place is amazing love the food and the small atmosphere read more

I am new to this area and to CA, and I love Vietnamese food! I had been hearing good things and decided to stop by on a Saturday night. There were 2 seats open at the bar, the establishment's only seating, which can hold up to 12; thankfully I only needed one. I ordered the #11, BBQ pork "dry noodle bowl" or bún tht nng. This is my favorite dish and the way I judge a Vietnamese restaurant, and it was fantastic! It came with plenty of nuoc cham, but the meat was so juicy and flavorful, I didn't need to ask for a second sauce -- I often do. While I waited for my food I could hear the sizzle of the grill in the kitchen, and it smelled so good, but my food arrived so quickly! I wanted to try the wings, but I hadn't brought enough $$ (cash only, come prepared!). The small dining bar makes it good for takeout, and I look forward to trying many more dishes here. The price is amazing. This place is a gem read more

Great food and good size portions at a low price. I ordered the Chow Fun, it was amazing. According to a local who eats here 3 times a week the place is always overflowing with customers(only about 14 counter stools), some customers stand behind the counter stools as they wait for seats to open up. The local I met recommends any of the shrimp dishes as the best to try when coming here. This is a cash only business but there is an ATM inside the restaurant. Highly recommend this restaurant, delicious! read more

Woah!!... hidden gem rightly said .... pho out of the world ... lemongrass chicken so goood.... they could have done a better job on fried rice ... tea and boba drinks are also super good ... must try ... new go to place for us when in Carmel ... 1 md pho, 2 spring rolls, lemongrass chicken ..$28... read more

First time we've been to this location. Always seems to be a line out the door. I guess because they only have 13 seats at the small bar, no tables. Our food was as good as expected. I had the Won Ton soup and hubby has his usual fried Catfish with veggies and not lettuce. Don't sit at the end of the bar if you don't want to deal with people continually coming in to pick up take out orders and pay over your shoulder. This happened atleast 10 times as we sat there eating our lunch. It got to be really annoying. read more

See all

This is our favorite Vietnamese pho place. Great food, great prices, and quick service! Their BBQ pork is amazing and they give good sized portions for their dishes. I highly recommend. read more

I really wanted to like this place. It was a quaint space with seating only available along a long counter. First, let me state that I LOVE Vietnamese food. After finding this place on Yelp, I was completely stoked. So my friend (who is Vietnamese) and I went looking for some good food. We concluded that, although this placed served tasty dishes, this was not authentic Vietnamese food. The BBQ pork tasted more like Korean BBQ...very saucy and sweet. Our egg rolls came after we almost finished our entree and they were definitely not the usual fully stuffed ground pork variety. Also, they had cabbage in them, which is not the standard for Vietnamese egg rolls (usually found in Chinese egg rolls). Also, what makes the fried rice so orange? It didn't have the usual flavor of MSG. We were a little confused. Overall, the food was good; however, did not resemble the Vietnamese food we so deeply love. So I have to give Noodle Bar only 2 stars, because I found it misleading and disappointing. But maybe I'm spoiled, because I'm used to the AMAZING Vietnamese food I get in Little Saigon (Westminster). read more

Since i'm visiting from Hawaii on my first Monterey area visit I asked recommendations from yelpers about the best cheap eats. Multiple people suggested Noodle Bar and since it was close to where I was staying I wanted to give it a try. Parking: Looks to be free in the little strip mall. We found easy parking on the side the building Atmosphere: So the place from the street is pretty tiny. The front window is probably only 10ft wide. If you weren't looking for the place then you would probably miss it. Inside the place is pretty small. You'll find maybe 12 seats to sit on at the counter. The place is basically a diner. You'll find the menu on the wall and you can see all the 3-5 workers cooking your food. The bathroom is in the back and is men/women. Its pretty small. Probably not handicap accessible Service: When we arrived we were lucky enough that a group of people were leaving, so we didn't wait at all. The servers were all friendly and after I asked for their recommendation they gave me a good suggestion. Food came out within 15 min and water was consistently filled. No problems service wise on my visit. The only negatives is that this restaurant only accepts cash and that since its so small expect to wait at the foot of the door for the next available counter seat. Prices: Probably its best strength Noodle Bar is downright cheap. $5 for 4 bbq chicken spring rolls, $6 for Pho and $6 for spicey lemon chicken bowl. From what others were ordering the portion sizes were pretty good and everything I could see on the menu were under 7-8$. Boba tea was about $3.50 or so which is just alright priced. Food: So I don''t love Pho but I wanted to check this place out while visiting friends in Seaside. After reading some Yelp reviews I knew we had to try the bbq chicken Spring rolls and the pho so thats what we got. After asking the waitress for a suggestion I also went with the spicey lemon grass chicken bowl with noodles(I asked them not to make it spicey). First of all the spring rolls were good. Especially good for the value. The chicken was very flavorful and everything tasted fresh. The pho we chose was the tofu w/vegies which was the special of the day. The pho wasn't exactly what i'm used to(in Hawaii), but it was loaded with cubes of fried tofu, broccoli, carrot strips, onions and other veggies. The medium sized bowl was filled with a good portion of noodles and the beef broth(which we requested) was more then adequate. Lastly the spicey lemon chicken with noodle bowl was good. It consistently of spicey lemon chicken, romaine lettuce, rice noodles, grilled onions, bean sprouts and a side special sauce in which I poured over everything. Overall: This Noodle bar is just plain good. If you like Vietnamese and Pho then its definitely worth it if only for the portion sizes, food and prices. I'm no expert of Monterey foods(visiting) but seems to me that this is the sort of hidden jems that everyone should check out. read more

NOTE: This is a very belated report from last summer. I hope things have changed. I'm really disappointed with my fellow Yelpers who led me and my family here. Either they've never had Pho before or I came on a very bad day. First, the young woman who was working the counter was really unfriendly. When we ordered she acted like she didn't know what we were talking about. I know my pronunciation may suck, but I'm sure 90% of the white guys who walk in the door sound just like me. She was really unpleasant. Then, the food. We ordered Pho and the boba tea. We immediately noticed the Pho broth was really bland yet somehow very familiar. Then I looked down. Right against the wall behind the counter, in clear view, was cases of Swanson's Chicken Broth!! These people aren't even trying. Bad Pho, bad service. Never again. read more

Let me start by saying I was a loyal regular. I really liked this place, especially the lemon grass beef! That was, however, until I had the worst service experiences I've ever had. After being seated, I waited 10 minutes for the young serving girl to notice me waving my hand to come take my order. I already knew what I wanted when I sat down! She really looked like she hated her life and didn't want to be there. Then she brought out lemon grass chicken, not beef, didn't refill my water without me waiting and then asking (3 times!), forgot my egg roll order, and basically ignored me. It wasn't even busy! There were free seats at the bar! WTF! Look, I know you probably make shit tips on a $5 bowl of pho but the idea here should be turn and burn. Then I waited another 10 minutes with my empty plate sitting in front of me until, again, I had to flag the girl down for my check. Again, it's wasn't busy! There wasn't a line out the door! There weren't people rushing in and out with pick up orders! The server was just standing with her back to the bar trying to whittle away time in her work day! I wasn't rude about it but I'll never go back ever again. EVER. What's the saying? It takes years to gain a customer and only seconds to lose them. read more

After living in 3 major cities, one with a huge vietnamese population, the Noodle Bar continues to be my favorite Vietnamese Restaurant. Note that I only ever order Pho with tofu. I love the charm of the tiny, counter-space-only, hole-in-the-wall restaurant experience. With the small (always order this one and have leftovers) or large bowl of pho option, they give you a plate of bean sprouts, cilantro, jalapenos, and lime to add as much as you wish. The hot sauce is on the counter as well. If you are looking for a cheap and filling restaurant ...go here! read more

I needed a quick lunch so decided to try the Marina location. I heard good reviews about location in Seaside and hoped this would be the same. One table at lunch should have been my first clue. Waitstaff was cheerful and attentive, I hope this person finds a better job soon. Rice dish ordered was inexpensive, but that does not matter when it is inedible. It would have taken the Pinkerton Detective Agency to find the protein the menu promised. All I could taste was grease in every bite. When asked about my meal when cashing out, I was honest but polite. The host informed me it was supposed to taste that way. I wonder which restaurant will be there next year? read more

Visiting Monterey we had a hankerin' fer Pho. Lost of tourist traps around. So we found a well rated hole in the wall in a working class neighborhood, off the tourist beaten path. Worth it. Much better than the glossy overpriced places. Excellent Vietnamese and other crossover Asian treats there. It's a bar, so don't expect table seating. Carry out is A+. Cash only but there is an ATM on premises. read more

Vegetarian pho was awesome , lots of vegetables and fried tofu pieces. The broth wasn't bland either as with some vegetarian broths. The veggie egg rolls were also good they had mushrooms in it I think. Good hole in the wall place, super tiny( 10-12 bar seats) most ppl take Togo.... Don't know how good pho Togo is but I'm sure the rice plates will hold up fine. read more

Favorite place! Lots of food for super cheap! Love the lemongrass chicken, BBQ chicken, chicken chow mein (best chow mein I've ever had), shrimp egg rolls, pork are good too! I can never decide what I want. I've never been disappointed. Probably best to take out since the place is so small. read more

The waitress's attitude is awful! When we entered the restaurant, there was no enough seats, the waitress just stayed 5 meters away and said "you have to wait", with an expression like I owe her a thousand dollars, we left immediately. read more

So good! You may have to wait to get a spot during lunch and dinner times but definitely worth the wait. BBQ tofu is my favorite! I think about it all the time. Staff is very efficient. I will go back again and again and again! Prices are very reasonable for the area. You MUST go. You can call in to-go orders too. Yum! read more

Probably won't be going back. It's extremely cramped, which wouldn't be such a bad thing if the quality of the food was good. Pho made with Campbell's chicken broth? Come on! And they don't even try to hide it...everything's stored out right there in front of you...nothing's fresh and did I mention it was crowded/cramped. It may have something to do with 10ish seats. read more

Good food and very affordable. I've been to The Noodle Bar a few times in the past month and order something different everytime I go in. So far, I have yet to be disappointed. Yes, the restaurant itself is very small, but it definitely adds to its charm. The only thing that I would change is their use of styrofoam to-go containers and plastic cups for dining in. Maybe sometime in the future they'll be willing to change to a more eco-friendly option. Also just a side note, they don't accept credit or debit cards, so make sure to have cash or checks handy. read more

(: Boba-Foodholic Says :) My order: Chow Fun + Honey Smoothie with Boba I ordered the same food in seaside after realizing that the Marina location close on Tuesday. So I called it in so I don't have to wait for the food to be cooked. So I try to make a phone call; however, even after 5 attempts, no one picked it up. So I tried it one last time, the person finally picked it up. I called it in at 7:05PM so I can pick it up around 7:20PM. During the phone conversation, the lady couldn't understand the english, which is really frustrating and annoying because I had to tell her several times it is this and not that. Then when I get there around 7:20PM, after the lady told me it will be ready at 7:20. However, it wasn't ready at all so I had to wait another 15 minutes for my food. Also, by the time I got home, the food was already smashed. Also, I think the food was old (some of the ingredients) because after eating the food and the next morning. I was really had my sick stomach where I can it from old food. I won't be going back here. read more

This place gets one star for being cheap. It gets another star for smelling like a Vietnamese restaurant and featuring some classic Vietnamese noodle dishes. It does not get a star for being full of weird men slurping noodles and oggling my co-worker who was in a dress. It does not get a star for serving a guy first who came in fifteen minutes after us. Though I guess it pays to know the waitstaff. It also does not get a star for making it difficult to tell the difference between 5-spiced chicken and barbecue pork. Well, okay, it was kind of fun trying to guess who's food was what when we got back to the office. But it was also kind of gross. read more

Decided to give this place a try last weekend. My husband and I went around lunch time and there were a couple people other than ourselves sitting at the bar area, the only place to sit because it is such a small area. A couple people came in for take out. I ordered the five spice chicken with chow mein noodles with no veggies because she wanted to charge me $2 for veggies even though in the description of chow mein it specifically said it came with veggies . The lady taking our order was not very nice. And never look in the kitchen. You do not want to see the chef preparing your food. The utensils he used were dirty and he was pouring oil from a big blackened container. the food tasted good and that's why people come here so that's why I gave it the three stars. read more

The service is great, there are only Vietnamese food, by the way. They have drinks like smoothed and green tea. There is also boba to drink as well. I ordered the chow fun and it was great!! It tasted really good. read more

Amazing little joint. Got the udon soup and it was delicious. My wife got the chicken pho and she said that it was one of the best she had. Ordered the lemon grass and chili chicken with yellow rice and that was outstanding. Would highly recommend. It's a small place... No tables... Just a counter... So seating is tight.... I got take out so it was not an issue. My total meal for two soups ans chicken was $18 which was very inexpensive for the quality and quantity! read more

Great food. Need a bigger place gets too crowded. Good place to take the kids. Fresh food. Good customer service.

A fantastic little noodle bar tucked away in a strip mall. The space is very limited to eat in so we ordered to take out. Had chicken chow mien, egg rolls and fried rice. All very delicious. Price is excellent. Would highly recommend a visit. read more

Awesome bbq chicken and chow mein, also bbq beef is great and the prices are unbeatable.

My favorite place ever in all of California. Flavor, quality, quantity, price, service it's all fantastic and if this place ever closes I'll die. Love you Noodle Bar. read more

Absolutely delicious food! One of my favorite places to go, the only issue I have is that it's cash only. Love their boba and everything on the menu. read more