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    Noodle City

    3.7 (628 reviews)
    InexpensiveVietnamese, Noodles
    Open 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Noodle City Photos

    NOODLE CITY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Noodle City

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    This photo makes the broth look even better than it looks it person, but pales in comparison to the usually delicious rich yet light broth.
    Pamela S.

    What happened to Noodle City??? Tonight we ordered takeout Pho. We've been here dozens of times and typically love the savory broth so much. But tonight? Blech! The broth was absolutely flavorless. Terrible. No matter how much chile oil or hoisin we added, it tasted bland - nothing like NC's usual Pho. The broth usually tastes like it's been cooking for hours... rich & delicious. Not tonight. It tasted like a shoestring had been soaked in water. I'm afraid to go back and be disappointed again. This was utterly FLAVORLESS. if I could give tonight's rendition of Pho zero stars, I would. Please bring back the delicious broth!!! I used to be such a fan. :(

    S B.

    Best place to come during a lunch break, fast friendly service. I asked for extra limes and he basically brought me a lime tree! They have chili oil on the table unlike some pho spots so you don't have to ask for it. Me and my coworkers love coming here for a quick filling lunch

    Amanda L.

    Best Vietnamese food in the area. Yeah, it doesn't compare to OC or the Bay Area but you'll get your fix here for pho, bun bo hue, or hu tieu. Everything is solid, even if they might not have all the most authentic toppings. The vegetables are fresh and they will give you more if you ask. The service is brusque and efficient, and the food comes out fast. This is a good place if you need to have a quick lunch but you'll be competing against the workers in the area. A lot of people come to pick up takeout, and they do a good job with packaging them. This is an old town staple and I'm glad they're still around.

    Pho tai
    Karen G.

    I ordered the pho tai and it didn't disappoint. I like the way they cut their meat into bite size pieces. The noodles were not overcooked and the broth was flavorful. The restaurant has an old school feel. The service on the other hand makes you feel like you are being rushed because they will bring your bill when you are half way through eating.

    Number 11, shrimp rolls and Thai tea

    Missing this place extra today!! I moved to Irvine for school and I always go to noodle city when I come to town. Honestly love their pho, I always get the number 11 which always hits the spot. The service and ambience is alright for what it is but I never complain since I love this place. The Thai tea is wonderful as well.

    Egg rolls
    Melissa L.

    This spot is definitely a local hang and I'm so happy we stumbled upon it for lunch one day. I am guilty as I've driven and walked by this spot way too many times to not have come inside. I just think this spot isn't as pulling from the outside as to how delicious the food is on the inside. That's why I definitely say it's a locals spot because they know about it and it was pleasantly busy on a weekday at lunchtime. A great Vietnamese and Asian inspired restaurant in Goleta/SB. As I mentioned above this is a humble little restaurant advertising their pho and noodle dishes. We found street parking pretty easily but I could see how it would be more challenging on the weekends. The restaurant just gives classic old school diner restaurant vibes, no frills, you come here for the food and not the ambiance. Fine by me. I love that the tables are stacked with chopsticks, spoons, and chili oil canisters, that is always a good sign. Service was very efficient and the gentleman who served us was on top of things. He checked up on us many times throughout our dining experience and we were impressed how quickly the food came out and it was piping hot! Super fresh and everything came out, correctly to order. I ordered the egg rolls and the big flat combo noodles that had shrimp, chicken, and beef while my friend ordered the same one but with just beef as the protein. Thai egg rolls were a solid 4/5 as they were crispy, fresh, and the light broth for dipping was good. The noodles though were a 5/5. I love a thick rice noodle and this had plenty of protein to noodle ratio. Really what makes it so delicious is the sauce mixture with the noodles. It was super filling but we couldn't stop eating it because it was so delicious. Add chili oil and this was the best dish I ate this week. Fabulous! Lastly, the value and pricing here is incredibly reasonable. I couldn't believe how big the portions were for under $15. You really can't find that value for such good food anywhere else. This place is a dive, the bathrooms aren't super clean so I know that gives some people the ick but I accepted this place for what it is. It's no frills and probably they don't care as much as they are just striving to get customers in and out with stellar Vietnamese inspired dishes. You don't come here for the ambiance it's all about the food.

    Cristina B.

    Ah one of the best pho places I have ever tried!! Restaurant is super tiny and service is super fast. Everything on the menu is very delicious. Broth is so hearty, clean and flavorful. Some of the meat can overcook inside the hot broth but I don't mind it since it depends how fast I am eating. Noodles are always cooked very well and they give such a great portion of bean sprouts. So yummy!!

    Cassandra Z.

    Literally the best pho spot in Santa Barbara. When it comes to the Asian food scene (whether it be Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, etcetera) Santa Barbara is not currently big on it. Noodle city is the gem that hits my pho cravings whenever I need it in SB! Service is efficient and quick, but don't go looking for friendly service here! Food is yummy and taste as close to authentic as you can get in the area. Noodle city used to be my go to when I lived in Isla Vista and is still my go to when I visit and crave some quick and yummy Vietnamese food.

    Ambiance?

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    3 months ago

    Absolutely the best pho I've ever had. The restaurant is pretty small so it fills up fast, but the food comes out quickly.

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    6 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Small, cramped and fast. Love it's charm, will be coming again and the food was amazing.

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    7 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Super quick and easy and reliable service. I love them. My go to Pho place in town! Plus it is affordable.

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    Simple sit down restaurant with great service and fresh made noodles that are great. Quick service and friendly server's.

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    Page 1 of 16

    Noodle City Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Noodle City

    Do you have a vegan pho option? Do you use vegetable broth?

    No. Only chicken and beef broth. ):

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    UCen Soup Guy

    UCen Soup Guy

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    UPDATE: Soup guy now runs the whole kitchen. Soup quality still good…read more The University Center has many food offerings. Now they are offering the Soup Guy and his soups. M-F, he makes two soups every day. He tweets about them so we can all learn in advance what soups are being made. The large soup comes to less than five bucks and it is very filling and healthy. The UCSB soup guy is one of the great new things about UCSB. Follow is twitter and instagram accounts for updates on the soups of the day.

    Great flavorful soups with different varieties every week. Favorite food on campus…read more -- Large soup is $4.50, smaller soup is $4.10; you can ask for samples. There are two soups available very day-- one vegan and one non-vegan option. I first tried some of his soup during a cooking demo hosted by the Food, Nutrition, and Basic Skills program. He had made chicken noodle and butternut squash then. Sooooooo good. I bought a large soup and tried the artichoke shrimp bisque (with Asiago cheese) and it was amazing (available in Romaine's Salad Bar and Coral Tree Café). Wish I had discovered the Soup Guy earlier. Hope to try all the soups on the menu eventually. -- I've now also tried the chili con carne, mac and cheese with ham, vegan pho, and split pea soups. Chili con carne is so good. I normally don't like peppers but it tastes great in the soup. Not bitter/spicy at all, almost sweet. Mac and cheese with ham is like slightly more soupy mac and cheese with lots of salty ham. Vegan pho tastes different from the pho you might get in a Vietnamese restaurant but it's really flavorful (with broccoli and tofu as interesting additions, I think it's a more Japanese broth flavor though). Split pea soups: they're good for split pea soups. I hate peas but somehow managed to eat most of a cup. Even the soup guy can't redeem peas for me.

    Woodstock's Pizza Isla Vista

    Woodstock's Pizza Isla Vista

    4.0(666 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    If I could give this place 10 stars, I would. However, it wasn't necessarily the establishment but…read morerather who works behind the scenes. I just wanted to write this review for an absolute work tank called Erick. I was having a bad day, came in pretty late after Soltopia had ended and right away Erick noticed something wasn't quite alright with me. Couple minutes go by and Erick comes with appetizers as well as a pitcher of Beer, says it's on him and to think of it as a "pick me up." He sits down and asks me what's been going on, I build up the courage to tell him and he's just there, listening, which is really all I needed at the time. Well time goes by and before I knew it I was smiling and laughing, I had temporarily forgotten the reason why I had came in looking so sad. I'm personally a firm believer of it isn't what's in the establishment, but more so WHO's in the establishment which is why I went out of my way to write this. Woodstocks is so lucky to have such a high calibre of an employee working for them!

    I've always heard great things about Woodstocks so I had to give it a try! I ordered their Lethal…read moreWeapon pizza which came with jalapeños, pepperoni, and sausage on thin crust. I was surprised by their take on how they develop their crust. It's folded over the slice making for an interesting texture profile. Each bite was packed with flavor and the crust was great enough on its own! I'm also a big ranch with pizza guy and their ranch is phenomenal. Big kudos to Woodstocks for absolutely crushing it!

    Photos
    Woodstock's Pizza Isla Vista - From our seat

    From our seat

    Woodstock's Pizza Isla Vista
    Woodstock's Pizza Isla Vista

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    Noodle City - vietnamese - Updated May 2026

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