Love this place and that's why I always come back for their food and their chill hang out vibes. I Believe Lisa was our server this time and she is the best there is. Thank you read more

Very good tasty and very nice service I was very impressed by everything thank you so much

Don't get me wrong, the food is great, BUT MAKE SURE YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU'LL BE PAYING! I looked at the menu on the website and based on that ordered the deep fried spring rolls ($4.50) and their combo vermicelli ($13.50). The total including tax should have come up to around $19.80. Instead, when I get there, the total is a little over $28, which was significantly more than what I had expected to pay. I asked them about this and it turns out they haven't updated the pricing on their online menu. Who knows how long they've been (hopefully unintentionally) fleecing people who set their expectations based on the prices on their website. Critically, when I placed the order over the phone, they didn't state what the total price would be; they just confirmed my order and said it would be ready in 15-20 minutes. PLEASE UPDATE THE PRICING ON YOUR WEBSITE! read more

7.75 lb fried catfish was very good. Skin is excellent if you like crunch. Head is almost all bone, so weighty. Fish meat in body was pleasing w added sauce and spring roll wraps. Expensive at the end of it all-- but an experience you don't have all the time. read more

Rainier Restaurant - A monster of a catfish! - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I've been coming here for years. Something has changed. The food is not good. Everything tastes different. The beef ong choy was inedible. The razor clams weren't sweet enough and too spicy. The fish sauce was crazy bland. New chef?, new owner?, something is wrong. Wasted $200. Will not return. My whole family was disappointed. read more

Take out is so consistent and yummy! Get the pho or the Rainier plate- get a limeade or cafe sua - love this spot

4.5 stars -looks sketchy on the outside but much nicer on the inside -i would say authentic? i don't know enough to totally say "it's straight from vietnam!!!" but the banh xeo was thin and they gave me. So Many herbs and it tasted really good -they even had snails!!! originally i was fucking terrified cus i came in early so there was nobody inside. and like i said before, it's kinda sketchy on the outside (the lot was almost empty) and i was shaking in my boots. once i sat down and they gave the menu, though, i had my redemption arc in about five seconds seeing all the stuff that i would only be able to get from my grandmother. there are good vietnamese places in seattle, but this fr one of the really good ones. read more

This is the go to spot if you're looking to have authentic Vietnamese food. What a gem! Rainier Restaurant has a great selection of dishes that can be shared family style. Our group of 3 originally wanted to order the fried fish but the smallest that was available that day was 7.5 lbs. It was way too much food for the 3 of us. We'll be back another day! Some of our favorite dishes included: - Ong Choy Salad - Banh Xeo: Savory Crepe filled with bean sprouts, pork and shrimp. Side of greens can be paired with the savory crepe. - Bun Bo Hue: The meat was very tender. Very tasty! - Spring Roll Platter The portions were huge and we were stuffed at the end of the day. We'll be back for the fried fish! read more

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We were loyal patrons two days in a row because it was just that good. Many of the dishes were undeniably delicious. They suggested a different type of snails that were off the menu. I wasn't a fan but my friend and sis both loved it. The tamarind crab and salt & pepper crab both had more batter than I liked, but the meat still tasty. It's also the cheapest crab per pound I've found. We had quite a few other memorable dishes including the quail, ong choy salad (very unique) and canh chua (had better but still good). I'm glad to have tried so many dishes. read more

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Shrinkflation is really putting the screws to this restaurant, sadly. It has some of the best tasting viet food around with bold flavors and unique dishes, but the portion sizes you are served keep going down and it's getting really hard to justify coming here when a $17 plate comes out only half full. We paid about $50 a person the other day and left with no leftovers. You can get a lot more for your money at most other Asian restaurants, so this place is regressing into a rare treat instead of a frequent staple for me. read more

Came here a couple of times with my family and got the gigantic catfish!!!! Yummy!!! My mom liked it and usually she's the one that's very picky! read more

This is the best Vietnamese food I've ever had. It felt like banquet style, I would get it for my wedding dinner food. We had to unbuckle our pants by the end of that meal. We got the catfish as our appetizer for the table and ordered around it. Got some shaken beef, some noods, and some snails as well as geoduck served 3 ways. Everything was bomb. The service and the interior is lack luster at best, about 20 years behind, but I'm going for the food so idc about the occasional side-eye if I don't speak their language. read more

I almost hate to write this because of it becoming way to crowEd! This place was amazing! It was more of an experience! First, employees were all friendly and happy. They were excited to share their culture and educate us on some of their foods. The dishes were fresh and so interesting. Portions were a nice size. E will be back! read more

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Good food, good drink and good time. I and my friend love the rainer catfish because it cooked well and crispy .Aslo,rainer beef onchoy salad is amazing .The reason for 5 stars is i can't remember 1 of girl name .. i think her name is LyLy .. she is very friendly and always smile to customer .I'll be back there again soon.You guys should try it read more

Rainier Restaurant - Catfish rainier - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Saw fung bro vid and called ahead for party of 2 on monday. Not necessary on weekdays, i think just call ahead if weekends and large party. We arrived around 1:30 pm and it was pretty empty. Sign on door was confusing (use other door? But we ended up going thru the door w the sign on it). It was pretty empty and we werent sure if it was open. Lisa (the manager?) took care of us. Best service I've ever had. Great advice to hold off on ordering until we got the fried fish. It was way too much food for me and my gf at 5lbs. She personally showed us how to roll the fish and was really really nice and helpful to getting us to try the menu. 5 stars! The catfish was amazing -- the closest thing i can compare it to is peking duck but the fish is so much juicier, moist, and not as fatty/dry/heavy as duck. My first time ever having fried viet catfish. One of most memorable meals of my entire life! read more

Rainier Restaurant - Fried catfish $15/pound - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Restaurant has a bit of an old outdated feel to it, bit the food really hits the spot. I came here with friends after a hike and this was such a filling, warming meal. I've been to Vietnam before and the food reminds me of the street food that I would get. The rainier rice plate comes with a short rib, pork, shrimp and egg and is packed with flavor. I also got a side of pho broth. read more

One of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Seattle. Loved by legends like Anthony Bourdain, Rainier Restaurant (aka Rainier BBQ), offers authentic dishes that you will not find just anywhere. Python, blood clams, alligator, oh my! The interior is clean, and has ample seating. Their extensive menu does not offer a single vegetarian option, but they are surprisingly accommodating to meatless diets. I order a Lemongrass Tofu Bun, a hearty bowl of vermicelli, shredded lettuce, pickled carrots, fried garlic, and flavorful fried tofu. It is truly a perfect meal. Another must is their Ong Choy Salad. Ong Choy is a very labor intensive vegetable to prepare, likely why it is rarely found on restaurant menus. Rainer BBQ's version is impeccable, dressed in a sweet, spicy sauce that allows the nutty flavor of the crunchy water spinach to shine. My fiancé also always gets their Bo Luc Lac. Their Vietnamese Iced Coffee is extremely sweet, extremely strong, and tastes like they add Hershey's chocolate syrup to it. Do not drink this after 5pm, if you plan on sleeping that night. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Lemongrass Tofu Bun. Not on the menu, but ask for it. Incredible vegetarian option. - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I was very excited to come here because of all the youtubers and of course Anthony Bourdain sending high praise for this place. My bf and I really wanted to try the 7lbs fried cat fish so we ordered that ahead of time. Our friend ordered a dish with a waitress and we all sat around waiting for it and asked her a couple times and she said it would soon arrive. 20min passed and we were all kind of wondering where it was, so we waved down a waiter and after we asked about the dish he promptly stated they no longer offer that dish. Needless to say we were not very thrilled and ended up ordering the scallops and crab for side dishes. The scallops were over cooked and a little dry and the crab came out cold, but did have good flavor. The best thing here is the cat fish, which I do have to say was really delicious and cooked well. Otherwise, we were not very impressed by the service or the rest of the food. read more

I often go hear with my girlfriend. Food is really good. Easy sitting for large groups as well.

Service was on the spot. Fast. 3 out of 4 of our dishes were delicious. The only one we didn't like was the shrimp on skewers, the shrimp was soggy on the inside (prob been frozen too long). We would come back for the other stuff (beef ong choy salad, catfish soup, salt and pepper chicken wings). read more

My friend recommended this restaurant and I really love it. It is good service and delicious food.

Really loved what Lisa and her family has done with the restaurant. I've been back a few times for a different number of reason. Love the updated menu with the quail and coconut snails. My friends and family usually come here for the big fried catfish and that seems to still be a solid menu item as well read more

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We visited as staying near by. Friendly staff. Absolutely. Made you happy to be there. Menu huge. Hard to decide. We ordered razor clams, lemongrass herb dipping sauce & Frog legs in a rich, red, slightly spicy sauce with veges: mostly red, orange & green pepper. Both were excellent. Lastly Sapporo on tap! Cannot recommend more. read more

This place was the most recommended by our friends to try while we visited Seattle for the first time. What a let down. We waited over 15 minutes before we even saw anyone who worked there. We got seated and was excited to order snails and the famous catfish. We ordered 5 different snails and each time they came back and said they were out. Same thing with the catfish. The substitute dishes wasn't good. It was so freaking hottttt inside where I had to step outside twice to stop sweating. Very uncomfortable eating inside there. The beef with rice was a great dish. Perfectly cooked. Everything else we order, blahhh. Service was the wrist I ever experience. We didn't get to order until 15 minutes after we were seated. It seems they were short staff but dang, at least let people know that so they can accommodate. We didn't see our server the rest of the evening. Decor was okay. Waited another 15 minutes after we ask for the check to get the check from a different server since ours dissappeared. To recap, beef with rice was great. Everything else, service, substitute food, comfort, and ambiance was horrible. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Beef with rice. - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Adding picture of the on Choy beef salad. Yummy!!! I can't find another Vietnamese restaurant on the East Coast that have this dish. read more

Rainier Restaurant - On Choy beef salad - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Came here with the sibs to order a couple of dishes for a pre-Thanksgiving meal in November! Entrees: Black bean sauce clams - 4.5/5 -- This was delicious, had a bit of sand in there? Grilled pork chop with rice - 4/5 -- This was delicious! Spare ribs with rice - 5/5 -- I would order this one again if I come back here again. Stir fry garlic ong choy - 5/5 - because they did this well and ya gotta order some fiber with your meats! Claypot with catfish - 3/5 -- we were all not a fan of this. The fish didn't taste fresh at all. I would come here again to try their other dishes! read more

"Anthony Bourdain has been here!" is definitely this restaurant's claim to fame. They even have a picture of him mounted on the wall. That being said, it's definitely a great and quite authentic vietnamese spot! After all, there's a reason Anthony Bourdain stopped by! Definitely go for a soup, the vietnamese iced coffee, and really anything on the menu past that! The flavors are super strong from really sweet to really tangy, and I loved everything here read more

The food quality, the price and the service here definitely deserves a 5 star rating! I went here on a Friday night with 3 friends. At first we were confused which entrance to go in so note: upstairs would be more of a bar-like setting while downstairs has more of a family home-like atmosphere. We got seated within a few minutes and our order was taken about 10 minutes after being seated. I ordered the Bun Rieu along with the sauteed clams. My friend ordered the Banh Xeo, as the two others ordered the Com Rainier (rice dish) and Bun Thit Nuong (vermicelli bowl). Our food came out about 20 minutes after and all at once! We had tons of food to share since each portion came out colossal and I still don't know how I managed to eat that whole bowl of Bun Rieu! I would definitely recommend that noodle soup dish along with the Banh Xeo. I wasn't very sure about the sauteed clams since the clams weren't fresh but that's fine. By the way, every sauce you need is already provided at the table and if you need to flag down a server if you needed anything more including the check. For the price of each entree, all dishes are of value and very delicious. I would say it's as close to authentic as it can get for being in Seattle. I hope to come back and go upstairs to try more bar like foods like the razor clams, etc. You can access upstairs from the inside near the kitchen which I found was very convenient. Their drinks are very affordable and I can see why a lot of locals would go here. There isn't happy hour but the prices do scream DEALS ON WHEELS. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Bun rieu is delicious! Banh xeo is very crispy, they give you a lot of herbs and greens. - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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We were in the area and my family and I wanted to eat pho. Having been here before, we decided to come back! However the food did not satisfy our pho/noodle soup cravings. It was extremely expensive and they BARELY give you any noodles. My mom got the seafood noodles and the soup was extremely salty! The Banh xeo was also super oily. We were the second table in on a Sunday morning and it smelled super strong like incense upon walking in as well. There are soooo many other pho/noodle soup restaurants on ranier, we will definitely be trying the others in the area. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Bunrieu - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Came here for the catfish and it was amazing!!!!! It does take a while to cook..so in the meantime we got other things to nibble on in the meantime -- some pho & snails. Pretty good but the catfish soon overtakes it... It is a bit expensive but its so much food and worth the experience. We were a group of four and we left absolutely STUFFED with a good third of the food left. read more

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Good food and attentive enough service. Nothing wow but it is still nice to support POC owned businesses. read more

This place is pretty great for large groups. We were guided upstairs and saw large parties/gatherings, as well as kids. We had a group of 5 and were comfortably seated. We ordered the fried catfish in advance when we made a reservation. It was a huge fish, which came w a plate of veggies and rice paper to make spring rolls. It was definitely enough for 4 adults and then some. We opted not to get a separate veggie dish once we saw how much veggies came w the dish. The catfish came out before we actually ordered anything else, so it was nice to gauge how much food we should order based on that. We also got a combination fried rice, which was a little tasteless, but was easily remedied w hot sauce. We tried the lemongrass sea snails. This came w a good number of sea snails that you have to use the poking sticks to reach. Not to crazy seasoned but the sauce itself was a little salty. Overall, a pleasant experience but nothing life changing. We got the Mung bean drink (green) and this was interesting. I was not a fan, but this is probably lore a matter of preference. Parking was great as there's a lot behind the restaurant w back door access. read more

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Been eating here for years as it's a long standing Vietnamese restaurant in Seattle. Today I found a bug in my food. At first it looked like a tamarind seed but when I took it out to take a closer look, I saw the legs and wings. Immediately lost my appetite. read more

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I was really looking forward to eating here for the first time. Never coming here again. Ordered a shot of Tito's and found bug legs in my cup. The lady was super nice but unfortunately this was really gross! read more

Rainier Restaurant - I wanted to throw up. - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

My stomach is growling and mouth is watering thinking about the food that I had here. This is the most legit Vietnamese spot, Anthony Bourdain has dine here before. They are known for their fried catfish, & drinking food menu. Yes that's a thing, it's an extensive menu too with exotic meats like alligator, rabbit, etc. Other popular dishes are beef ong choy salad & shaken beef, oh my gosh, so flavorful! Rainier Restaurant is located off MLK with a giant private parking lot. There's 2 floors, large space if you want to host a dinner party that you want to invite me to. No frills type of place, that's how you know the food is authentic. This is a staple in the community where not only locals frequently visits, but you must come if you're visiting Seattle to explore the food scene here! Tell me about your experience if you've been here or is going to after reading this review:) read more

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This is a fun place to go with a big group, and especially one with an adventurous pallete. There's a reason why it's an absolute staple among the Vietnamese community in Seattle and also why Anthony Bourdain has visited (rest in peace). Rainier's got everything from an 8 pound fried catfish to spicy marinated alligator. For the less daring, the shaking beef, chicken wings, and ong choy salad are strong recommendations. Go in with an open mind and order something you wouldn't typically find at another restaurant. Life's more fun when you try new things! read more

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Little gem that one would never suspect serves such delicious meals. We ordered the family style meal. Everything was freshly made and very efficiently cooked. My favorite was the lamb dish (only lamb dish they have on the menu). Kid friendly Easily accessible Ample parking Unsure of environmental friendly practices ****Recommend this place**** read more

Rainier Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Don't judge this place by it's looks! The food was amazing. We specifically came here for their fried catfish. Our friends from Seattle said it's a must!! I believe you have to pre order this dish at least 24 hours in advance. The fish is huge so make sure you come with friends! We ordered a bunch of dishes from their "Drinking/Exotic Dishes" and everything was amazing! Will be back next time we're in Seattle. read more

Rainier Restaurant is very authentic when it comes to preparing vietnamese dish. Also Lisa is the most friendly person there to help you out if you don't know what you want to eat. She will describe each dishes very well with details. So know know what is in it. If you visit here tell her John from Vue Lounge sent you. She will take care of you. read more

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I've been coming here for a long time, but ever since the new management took over, I will NEVER come here again!! First, they didn't take our order for a long time, and I had to flag them down. Second, I ordered a large pho rainier, and she gave me com rainier (a rice dish). When I told her I ordered a large pho, she looked at me confused, and took the dish away. Third, she brought out my "large" pho, which was the smallest bowl I've ever seen. I talked to my server TWICE about it, and said how this bowl is smaller than another tables bun bo hue, and my husbands vermicelli bowl. And she said it was just the different type of bowl. WRONG. There was so little pho noodles, I wasn't even full. It wasn't even the right type of pho. Fourth, I saw a real large pho come out of the kitchen, and it was significantly bigger. It's like she just wanted to con me. Fifth, the prices for every dish went up ~$2 more with new management. And they took away a lot of common Viet dishes and added some Chinese ones like hot pot and salt and pepper chicken wings. Sixth, when paying, a DIFFERENT server owned up to the dish mix up, saying they mixed up the pho with another table. But, if they knew this all along (I saw other servers stop and look at my pho - so I assumed they were gossiping), WHY didn't they fix it when they realized. Such terrible service. Also, the table next to us didn't get one of their dishes for 30 minutes, while the other person got, and finished, their dishes. Overall, terrible service, and the food isn't even that good anymore. The dishes are so overpriced too. NOT WORTH IT. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Right is supposedly the "large" pho. My server said the bowl just makes it look small. She obviously doesn't know anything about the menu. - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington