Pro tip - call ahead to reserve your catfish. When we showed up it was on the table and ready for us to dig in! The catfish was so tender and flavorful. They give you all the fixings to make your own spring rolls. And some yummy sauces to dip into. We also tried the beef bites and it was super flavorful as well. We ended the meal with complimentary mango and regular tofu desserts. Great service here and amazing food! Would definitely visit again. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Crispy catfish - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We entered from the back, and took several minutes to figure out the restaurant was on the first floor down the stairs. The floor is dirty and sticky. Service is decent. We ordered: +Steamed Clam in Lemongrass Sauce $22 - clam is big and fresh, lemongrass seasoning is refreshing and emphasized the freshness of the clam. +Plate of Nations spacialty for $35: pho of choice, pork chop plate and shrimp spring roll. Pork chop is surprisingly the crowd favorite, both my kids loved it. The combo pho broth is decent, lots of noodle and toppings. I especially liked the tendon and tendon balls read more

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Old haunt that even if I don't remember exist, somebody will always remember and suggest this place to go to. The restaurant has been changed hands multiple times, good thing the food stays consistent. Service ...eughh, please go find a clean table and sit your party down! Yes, need to come back for more dishes but it's an Asian join, stellar service is not a requirement especially when they serve good enough food read more

Been here many times and recently went to try the whole fried catfish. It was pricey but enjoyable. We were impressed with how crispy the exterior was while still being nice and moist inside. We had an 8.5lb catfish and it was just barely enough for 7 adults. We polished it all off. It didn't seem like it started out as an 8.5lber but maybe it shrank quite a bit when frying. I'm not sure we'd do the whole fish again as the price seems a bit high considering the cooked size. We had several other dishes too, the ong choy salad, stir fried green beans with chicken, salt and pepper squid, mongolian beef and honey walnut prawns. We managed to polish off just about all of it too. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Fried catfish! - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

One of the best authentic Vietnamese restaurants in Seattle with huge portions! It's kinda in the middle of nowhere but everyone knows about this place so it's constantly busy. The food is homey with lots of fresh herbs and bright flavors. The best dish here is the whole fried catfish. The smallest catfish they have usually serves 3, so you need to come with at least that many people for them to let you order it. It also takes 30 minutes to make so if you call in advance, they'll have it ready when you arrive. The skin is super crispy and the meat is extremely tender and juicy. It's served with a garden of herbs and fresh vegetables as well as rice paper so you can make your own wraps. It's a super fun dish to share with the table and it's delicious. Another great dish here is the banh xeo. It's like a savory crepe stuff with a bunch of bean sprouts, pork belly, and shrimp. The banh xeo here is bigger than any other banh xeo I've ever seen, and the first time I came here, they had a happy hour special of banh xeo for $12 which was a crazy steal. read more

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Food came out quick (ordered ahead), but the things we ordered at the table took a bit (egg rolls, escargot, congee) everything was super fresh, crispy and flavorful. Service is good and prompt! Congee was super flavorful and so, so good. Chicken salad was moist and the cabbage was seasoned well (before dumping the sauce). read more

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What a delicious experience!! Pre-ordered a fried catfish before our Friday 12:30pm arrival. Parked in the rear, and arrived to a fried catfish, ready for us to devour. Marketprice = $20/lb, which seems steep, but there is simply no way to recreate such a crispy and delicious fish at home. It was a family affair, and I'd say we have pretty large appetites (runs in the family duh), but our group of 4 killed the entire ~7lb fish. It also helped that the fish was SO DELICIOUS - crispy, crispy skin (reminiscent of pork cracklings) and flaky and tender flesh. The veggies were super fresh, and sauce was crack as well (re-upped on this). Just wow. We also ordered a lunch special since it was just before lunch ended. The plate came out so quickly, again, including fresh veggies. Took most of this home, but the lunch deal was too good to pass up. Also got a couple desserts, which were alright. Fish was on the pricey side, but again, I can't eat this anywhere else. It's a hole in the wall with bomb-ass food, what can I say! Would come back in a heartbeat, but would pass on the deserts. read more

Shout to MIMI!! She was amazing and so helpful!! Thank you MIMI for an awesome birthday meal!!! read more

Rainier Restaurant - Deep fried catfish and butter garlic snails - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Delicious hole in the wall Vietnamese restaurant in the Othello neighborhood. I ordered the Com Tam Suon Heo (pork chop broken rice plate $18) and the Banh Xeo (crepe filled with bean sprouts, pork belly, and paired with herbs $16). Both were delicious and the food was more than plenty for two people. Everything tasted super fresh. They have a big parking lot which is a plus. I'll be coming back. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Com Tam Suon Heo - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The fish was fried to perfection and it was so crunchy and meaty, fresh and crispy. The only thing that I didn't like were the sauces. I requested for fish sauce, and peanut sauce because their signature sauce was not it. Overall it is still ok. Service was A1. The server there was very smiley and welcoming read more

Rainier Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Love the on choy beef salad and the baby clams stir fried with lemon grass, onions, mints, and peanuts served with crispy sesame rice paper are my favorites! The menu is very big and can be overwhelming, but at least they will have something for whatever you are craving. I leave feeling full every time. The restaurant is pretty big and although they might be short staffed sometimes, the service is always great, even taking the time to box up your leftovers for you. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I visited this restaurant with a friend last Sunday, and felt right at home despite being here for the first time! I don't really know how to describe it well, but the atmosphere felt very nostalgic. I ordered a broiled pork/broken rice dish, and I appreciated that the server was very friendly and took the time to answer our clarifying questions about some of the dishes. The food took a little longer than expected to arrive, though this is probably because we came during lunch rush. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how large the portions were. My order was enough for two meals, and the food is very delicious! read more

Rainier Restaurant - Com tam suon, bi (G2) - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Had a great time here! Food was delicious, service was fast and servers attended to our every need. We had a big party with lots of different orders and everything came out in a timely manner. Will be back! read more

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Feels like home at Rainier Restaurant that I'm bodies homemade and authentic Vietnamese cuisines. I came here for an early lunch and tried a bunch of drinking dishes including snails, clams and shrimps. I definitely enjoyed the wings, nicely fried with a simple dipping sauce. Vietnamese coffee, strong but sweet. Service was good. Our server was accommodating with our large group. Spacious restaurant that reminded me of all my childhood. The restaurant could use some updating but than it won't feel like the hidden gem Vietnamese restaurant in Seattle. read more

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Always a good time here. The service is always nice. They have great lunch deals until 3 pm. Has its own parking lot so there's never an issue. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Com tam combo - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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"If you're a foodie like me, you'll love this place! The menu has a fantastic selection of dishes, and loved everything that was ordered. Only good comments about the food. I can't wait to come back again!" "The menu offers a wide variety of options, and everything was delicious. I especially loved the creative twists on classic dishes." read more

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Rainier restaurant's food is as amazing as I've last remembered. I haven't been back to Seattle in a few years and returned to this restaurant because I was feeling homesick and wanted authentic Vietnamese food. This place did not disappoint! Luckily, I came on a Thursday and their banh xeo had a special. It was $10! The banh xeo was approximately 10 - 12 inches and was so crispy and delectable. It's one of my favorite dishes! Mimi was spectacular as our server as usual. I really like her approachable and friendly manner. She made me feel right at home with her easygoing personality. Please ask for her when you come, I couldn't guarantee a better person to make you feel welcomed! The strawberry lemon drop is a must try! I have never had one before and it's pretty good. Sugared rim are a must! read more

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After a full day of hiking in the frigid forest, we craved a hot, comforting meal. Finding this Vietnamese restaurant felt like coming across an oasis on our long trip home! If Anthony Bourdain ate here, we figured it must be super good! We parked in the back lot and scurried down into the basement of a building. The interior smelled musty and could've used some sprucing up. But service was quick and friendly. Ca Kho To (Braised Fish): Fall-apart tender fish braised in a savory, caramel sauce. The sauce is incredibly salty and rich, so I recommend ordering a side of rice to pair with this! I just wish that the fillets weren't sliced so thinly. Chicken Wings: Okay, not really seasoned. Just a heads-up for friends on wheels: To enter the restaurant, customers must walk down stairs. This is not quite wheelchair-, walker-, or stroller-friendly. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Ca Kho To (Braised Fish): Fall-apart tender fish braised in a savory, salty and caramel sauce - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Such a disappointment that my used-to-be favorite spot is now changed. The menu has changed, the taste has changed, maybe they also changed the chef. We started with Oc Len Xao Dua. The sauce was too salty; too much cilantro mixed together in the sauce completely out-flavored the coconut taste (who would put cilantro in the coconut sauce anyway?!) The snails themselves were plain and didn't soak in the sauce either. I ordered Rau Muong Xao Toi, but got Goi Bo Rau Muong instead! They apologized and fixed it, but it took another 15 minutes. The main entree was Thai Hotpot, but it had some issues! The okra was the wrong type (long & stiff Indian okra instead of the softer Chinese/Vietnamese kind). Plus, they left in non-edible parts of the broth like lemongrass stems. A rule of thumb for a restaurant dish is everything on the dish must be edible. Those lemongrass stems and lemon leaves should be bagged during cooking & removed before serving! This is basic food safety; so disappointing this place didn't care. A child could choke! Last but not least, the waitress served the hotpot without turning on the fire stove, she didn't check if the gas was working! We waited over 15 minutes for the broth to heat up, running out of gas. We finally had to flag someone down for a replacement. My last time visiting here for sure. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Lemonade soda - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Very good food! Fast and friendly service as well. I had the number 8 lunch special which was superb. Would highly recommend and will be a place I return to. read more

Before this restaurant was very good I've been here 17 years ago with my family when I was a child and now I wanted to see what this restaurant is like but unfortunately it went all down hill, I would give this a 0 if I could. My boyfriend order a beef short rib and a young coconut.. waiting time was alright about 30min. The beef short rib was really hard and chewy, the rice was really dry. Young coconut was good but they didn't slice the inside of the coconut for us, we ask the waiter to do it but he said no you have to do it with a spoon yourself, really rude! I order a crab soup, it was very hard and salty. Overall this place is really expensive and the service is terrible. The worst place I ever been too. The best place to go to is called Hoang lan it's like 2 min from this place. I promise you guys the food there is way better but it's not a big menu. read more

I've read so many great reviews about this restaurant and I was not disappointed. Upon arriving, we were greeted and sat down at a table right away. There are a lot of tables which is great for big groups. The service was friendly and the food was delicious. We ordered the raw beef sliced salad, shrimp chow fun with gravy and the shaking beef. The shaking beef comes with seasoned rice. I would've opted the rice out next time since it was very dry and the flavor didn't complement the dish. Other than that, service was friendly and the food was delicious. read more

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So good. Absolute gem, I feel like this place isn't talked about on Yelp as much as it should (maybe it was in the past?), but so many unique Vietnamese dishes that make me want to come back to try. It's been a very long time since I've seen fried quail on the menu and it was my favorite dish there. The meat is duck-like, with a crisp exterior. Definitely get hands-on with these! Snackable appetizer portion for 2-3 ppl. Their catfish soup is apparently one of the main things they are known for. Variety of vegetables in there that pair well, and 3 pieces of catfish. The beef cubes were tender, and came with an optional salt mixture seasoning that switched it up a bit. We ordered a side of rice with everything and it was a nice rounded bowl for 2 to share. They have standard seating for 2-4 ppl, and a section with a few tables that have the rotating circle meant for large parties. Fresh seafood options with fish tanks around the restaurant. read more

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The morning glory salad with beef is their specialty dish and now I know why. It's delicious and well balanced and a huge portion! The snails were just okay, they didn't come out hot enough. I liked the soft shell crab and grilled shrimp. Their green sauce could use a little more spice. Service is pretty good. Would recommend for Vietnamese seafood. read more

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Was so excited to try this spot after hearing so many good things! Came with a bunch of buds and ordered a smattering of things - salt and pepper chicken wings, clams in some thai sauce, morning glory, rice paper rolls with beef, and wide rice noodles in some sort of gravy with vegetables. Unfortunately I don't know the names of many of the dishes because my friend did all the ordering, but everything was really good! Surprisingly one of my favs was the morning glory which was made super well. The sauce that came with the clams was delicious, and I totally couldn't just dunked a bowl of rice in it and eaten that. The rice paper rolls with beef were super good although we did have to order extra beef since we had a larger group, and there were only a few pieces of beef. We wanted to get the fried catfish, but the only one they had was 8 pounds which was way too much. Vibes were very hole in the wall asian lol which is how you know it's good! read more

I came here with a big group of people and just had an okay experience. The inside of the restaurant is a lot bigger than it may seem and they have two stories. It's a bit worn down and older, but still clean. Service here was slow but the staff was very very friendly and joked around with us a lot. We ordered a variety of dishes: honey walnut shrimp, Rainier beef, Rainier chicken wings, grilled squid, bo la lot, canh chua, and fried rice. To be honest, I thought all of the food was fairly good, and the Rainier beef was a favorite at the table. The dish that I was most underwhelmed by was the honey walnut shrimp/prawns. The dish had barely any sauce and the presentation was a bit disappointing. Moreover, the dishes came by so spaced out and slowly that by the time the final dish(es) came out, everyone was already full and bored from waiting. Overall, I think the restaurant might be better for small groups and although the food wasn't bad, it wasn't the best Vietnamese bbq place that I've been to. read more

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I used to go here a lot when I was little, and I see not too much has changed in terms of quality and how many times I've come back for their stuff! For this review, I will be reviewing two back-to-back visits, in which I essentially had the same great experience during. I was seated quickly both times even when one day it was packed. There's basement seating that has mostly tables for 4 people and some larger tables, and then there's upper floor seating which can seat larger groups for the most part. It's noisy both up and downstairs. The menu is pretty huge; you have everything from rice plates to noodle soups, fried rice and catfish dishes. I got both the grilled beef rice plate and the Rainier rice plate on separate days, then combined each with a Thai iced tea on one day and a three color dessert on the other. Rice plates are solid; you get tons of variety with each of them and they both come with veggies and broken rice. The Rainier rice plate definitely has more variety, as does the combo rice plate one of my friends got. Grilled beef was appropriately chewy and very well-flavored, as was the grilled pork on my Rainier rice plate. Their Thai tea is standard, but I wouldn't go here for their three color dessert; it wasn't done very well and the cup was pretty small. On one day I got Viet sour soup catfish and catfish stew along with the Rainier rice plate. I didn't eat the catfish in the stew but I love the sour soup a lot and it's been a while since I've had it! Very nice taste and not overly sour. This is one of several Vietnamese restaurants that are within a comfortable driving distance from where I frequent, so I'll definitely come back again for more stuff! read more

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Service is bad and food is okay. I'm not sure if it's because the place was busy or if the restaurant is understaffed, but service was terrible. We had to keep flagging waiters for missing things such as sauces, bowls, and dishes. It was also very hard to find someone to flag at times, so we had to wait around for someone to show up. Food was alright, but not worth it for the price. We ordered 5lbs of catfish, the V4 family meal, and the shaking beef. The fried catfish was great, but be prepared to work for your food as you'll need to carve the meat out of the bones. All the dishes from the family meal were meh. We asked for thit kho, but got ca kho instead. With the bad service we just decided to keep the dish instead of sending it back. The shaking beef came out after the catfish and it was lukewarm like it had been sitting out. It felt very flavorless and was missing the sour aspect to the dish. The fried catfish was good, so I would maybe order that togo, but I wouldn't want to dine in or order anything else. read more

The food was delicious here. Service was friendly but not very attentive. There's parking in the front and the back lot. Ordered the following: Shrimp chow fun with gravy - so delicious, the chow fun had awesome wok hei (smoky, charred aroma and flavor), the shrimp were fresh and big, and the gravy was tasty Bo luc lac - delicious, the beef was flavorful and tender and nicely paired with romaine lettuce and sliced tomatoes Would definitely come back! read more

Rainier Restaurant - Shrimp chow fun with gravy - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I'm sad that it's taken me this long to find Raineer Restaurant. I saw a video about this restaurant on social media and decided to try it out. It's located on the block before Ventiane Grocery Store. I did some research here on Yelp and went there intending to try their famous ong choi salad, I also read many people liked the shaken beef. I arrived around 830 pm and it was fairly empty. I was quickly seated and given a menu. I decided on the combination plate with rice, ong choi salad, shaken beef, and (by the recommendation of my server) the grilled razor clams. Everything arrived at the table fairly quickly and was served at the appropriate temperature. Each dish had a sauce that went with it, or a dry spice mix to sprinkle over it. My server, Mimi, suggested I squeeze the lime juice into the dry seasoning mix, and dip the clams in that. The taste was incredible; the briny clam meat with peanuts and crispy garlic, complimented by the fresh lime and the seasoning mix. Everything I ordered, I enjoyed and would order again. The service was quick and my server was very friendly and made an excellent suggestion on a dish I absolutely would have never ordered if not recommended. read more

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Classic! If Bourdain liked it, so will you! Authentic with the Buddha with offerings, greeting you as you walk in. A little confusing where the restaurant is since it also has a BBQ Take out annex in the same lot. Not handicap friendly but if you can make it inside, it will be worth it. Food was fresh, plentiful and delicious. Enough food to share or take home leftovers. Helpful staff to make suggestions and clarifications. Will need to come back to try other items. read more

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Make sure to call in and pre order if you want to get the fried catfish!! We were driving up from Portland to Rainer and they were able to accommodate our big group of 21 people with great service and our food came out fast too which was super impressive! We did call 3 hours ahead to let them our time of arriving and pre ordered the 2 large cat fish and paid over the phone ( it was about $400 roughly with tax for 2 Large catfish order) The food tasted amazing and received a lot of compliments from the elders in our group and that's saying a lot. Try to call them in advance because I think their hours are wrong, we thought they closed late on Saturday but it turned out they closed at 10PM! Theres a parking lot in the back which is nice. Highly recommend dining here the restaurant looks like a low key spot inside is very homey and their food is packed with flavors. I will be back! read more

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Have been here 25+ times in the past 15 years. Have always been happy with the quality that comes out this kitchen. Recently I visited to try the rice plates and was not disappointed. One of the best places to get a rice plate on MLK read more

Rainier Restaurant - Combination Rice Plate with Grilled Pork Chop - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I had no idea there is an upper level, and I booked for two people and got placed on 2nd floor. We had the place to ourselves and it was quiet and perfect to catch up with my gf. Enjoyed the meal a lot. Just a perfect way to end Christmas Eve. The server was sweet and hopefully he enjoyed the nice tip for the holidays. read more

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Everything is good but the dish stand out the most for our family is bún riêu. We love the service make us feel like home. Give it a try when you're in Seattle. read more

I think ownership has changed hands a few times but the most recent changes seem to have brought new modern looking plates, which was nice for aesthetics! Food was mostly on point, and my friends that I brought enjoyed everything. The bun rieu was light on flavor but otherwise one of the better ones I've had around Seattle and pretty packed. The vietnamese coffees were much too sweet (even for my friends with sweet tooths) and thai teas tasted really artificial. Com Bo Luc Lac pretty decent (it used to be slightly better and more flavorful with possibly more meat but it's still decent). Banh Xeo was beautiful and huge with a mountain of herbs which we loved. Grilled razor clams were overcooked (dry and really chewy, and shells were so charred that they disintegrated upon touch - couldn't pick up by shell, only meat)- but otherwise would've been such a nice dish. Stir fried flat rice noodles with gravy was good, light on flavor, but at least a well portioned dish. Missing the usual protein in it though. Overall would return, it is one of my favorite spots for vietnamese and while it has been inconsistent the past few times I've been, nothing replaces this spot with the vast vietnamese menu of dishes to try. read more

Rainier Restaurant - com bo luc lac - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We ordered takeout from here for Christmas evening. Service was quick, the employees were kind + helpful, and the food was pretty good. We ordered the house special chow mein, fried chicken wings, and sweet sour pork. I'd say the fried chicken wings were the biggest hit for our group -- crispy and good seasoning. Pork had a lot of bones in it, making it a bit difficult to eat. They carry both Vietnamese and Chinese food, and I would definitely come again to try some other things on the menu! read more

**Visited 7/8/2024 We had visited Rainier Restaurant with a large group of 21 - we had called ahead and was able to reserve two large tables for dinner as well as two large fried catfish. Highly recommend calling ahead if you want a catfish! * The restaurant itself seemed a bit small, but I could be wrong as there were two different areas for dining in. Though the decor was a bit outdated, the food was pretty dang tasty. There's a private lot for parking and it's quite spacious. Our staff was seemed quite stressed with our large party, and seemed to be either upset or irritated while serving our orders (he had given an order for one table to the other table, and didn't inform us until 10 minutes later)- granted, it was a hot day and we did have a fairly large group. OKAY THE FOOD: * CALL AHEAD FOR FRIED CATFISH The food was pretty good, the catfish was perfectly cooked/ fried - it was still juicy yet had the crispiest outer layer. We had also ordered fried intestines, fried/ crispy noodle, and a salad. All of which were tasty and great portions. Their thai tea was good, though it was on the more basic and average side of the taste spectrum. Definitely give this spot a try if you're wanting a traditional family style meal with a fried fish, rice paper wraps with veggies, and different entrees. read more

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Rainier BBQ is where I go when I want Vietnamese food. I still have not found a better place for Vietnamese food. I was introduced to this place by Vietnamese people and they all enjoy coming here and I am never disappointed. It is a whole in the wall restaurant and not a place you would think has very good food but boy was I wrong. read more

Surprised to meet the new owner of this well renowned Vietnamese restaurant in South Seattle and it still hits the spot. I can see they have reduced the menu from the all extensive one and you can tell they are focusing on the quality of the food. They did warn us that the signature fried Catfish would take about 20-30 mins and it came out so good! We also go the beef salad with on choy which is another of their signature dishes that was fresh and well seasoned. The restaurant still has that similar vibe it's always had with focus on the Seahawks and supporting the local team. The beers on tap are cheap and go well with the catfish like you would be having in Vietnam. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington