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

The noodle soup was delicious and if you ask for a side of shrimp paste it adds more savory and salty taste to the meal! This place has a parking lot which makes it more easily accessible. I will definitely want to come back to try the other foods on the menu. read more

Rainier Restaurant - 59. Crab Noodle Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Decided to have a light dinner at this long- time family owned restaurant. The restaurant is well- known in the area for family- style seafoods and some exotic dishes with game meat such as goat. The restaurant was full and bustling at 7pm on a Saturday night, but staff were attentive and kind. We noticed Manny's pale ale on tap, something that already makes this restaurant special. Looking around, we saw families with hot pots, seafood dishes, and soups. We decided on local Manila clams and the DIY wrap for the fresh veggies with a glass of Manny's for good measure. We were underwhelmed by the dry meats and wilted cilantro on the salad tray. It was definitely not one their specialty dishes. Clams were good, but could use a lot more lemongrass. Their menu was extensive, so we'll have to return again to try more of their specialty items such as escargot, frog legs, some seafood offerings and maybe some goat. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Banh hoi tap cam: rice noodles with various specialty meats, shrimps, and egg roll served with cucumbers, herbs, lettuce, and rice paper. - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Tasty/flavorful/large portions; helpful/knowledgeable staff; basement local - have to walk down steps... we'll return for Gr8 Vietnamese food! read more

Rainier Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The food is delicious and delightful (especially the catfish dish)! I really appreciate the excellent service and the owner's willingness to accommodate my requests. Lovely newly designed menu. There's also plenty of parking. read more

Yooooooooo ! Holy smokes this place is the freaking bomb. I can hear one time 3 years ago & forget the name of the place. I legit stalked it for years till it somehow came up on a feed & I got my in my car & I was not disappointed. Pho is banging big chunks of meat. The beef dishes amazing, fried rice yes please... highly recommend read more

We came on Mother's Day as a party of 14, and while we understand it was a busy night, the service was extremely disappointing. We were handed the check while still waiting on four dishes -- two in-person and two to-go orders. It was clear they were very short-staffed. We were served the catfish special first, but then waited over 40 minutes for any other dishes to arrive. In total, we were there for over 2.5 hours just waiting for our food to come out little by little. To make things worse, the meal was very expensive -- just two catfish plates with three noodle veggie trays, and eight other dishes came out to $220 per family, excluding the 4 dishes that we did not get (split between three families). A 20% auto gratuity was added on top. Unfortunately, the experience didn't match the price at all and half our party were hungry as we left. We won't be returning. My constructive criticism is that you should be hiring more workers for more on demand nights, to prevent the workers from being overworked and unsatisfied customers. read more

The food here is always amazing! Delicious aromas, perfect presentation and we always eat every bite. The service is always nice.

I really love coming here. It's one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants, like top 3 favorites. Everything I've gotten here is so good and always so well made. I don't think there's been anything that I haven't enjoyed. Pictured is the hot pot I got not too long ago and I thought it was great. I've also had the crab soup, pho, bun bo hue, summer rolls, Hu Tieu, and so many more items the numerous times I've been here and it's all be so delicious. I always recommend this place to people who will be in the area and want some good Vietnamese food. I will say the place looks a little scary at first and it's definitely a hole-in-the-wall feel but the food is so worth it. The servers are usually awesome. Some are awesome and go above and beyond and others are run of the mill. We've never had a problem with anyone when we've went here. I just really recommend this place. A have a ton for Vietnamese friends who also enjoy this place and consider it one of the best and most authentic spots to eat at. My partner took his dad here not too long ago and he really enjoyed the food and experience. I really encourage you to try this place! read more

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Food always on point with a big group! This time we ordered luc lac, balut, salt pepper squid, honey walnut shrimp, fish sauce wings, frog legs, on choy, bung, broken rice kalbi, and catfish soup. Been here a handful of times! read more

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The ambience was a little sketch. I'm not sure if there was AC in the upstairs room that we were in, so it was pretty warm. Despite this, you can get a reservation the day of and get amazing Asian food for a completely reasonable price. There's all kinds of stuff that if you are adventurous, you may not have eaten this kind of food before. I was a group of people so I tried things that I had before, and I was pleasantly surprised... Other than the pig feet. I didn't quite get that one! I would totally eat here again. read more

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I was craving something soupy this cold Seattle night so my boyfriend and I made our way to Rainier restaurant! On the menu I saw many different soupy and noodle dishes including pho, bun bo hue, canh chua and so much more but my eyes were immediately drawn to hu tieu dac biet that came out flavorful, hot, and full of toppings including fish cakes and shrimps! The chives and soybean sprouts brightened up the dish and provided freshness and textural difference! My boyfriend wanted to eat something lighter which the restaurant delivered as well with summer rolls and morning glory salad which he notes was light and fresh! The beef in the salad was tender and seasoned well. Additionally the sauces that came with the summer rolls and salad were a good pairing. The servers came quickly and checked in with us often! Lastly it had a friendly and casual environment. I would definitely come back to try their other dishes. Maybe the catfish because I've heard great things about it! read more

Rainier Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Found a hair in Rice dish at the restaurant. Ate it when home has stomachache and diarrhea. Notice there flies flying around and my daughter try to kill it. NOT GOOD read more

My friends and I really wanted to try the fried catfish spring rolls, but when we got there we did not order it, as they only had a larger catfish meant to feed 6 people! They advised us to call ahead and reserve a smaller catfish in the future. I wish we knew! We ordered these items instead: 3A. Grilled Sweet Snails - they were overcooked and way too chewy 5a. Grilled Conch Scallion - these were a hit 8A. Coconut Milk Snails - delicious! Banh Hoi plater for 3 - I appreciated how fresh the veggies and herbs were Lemonade Plum Soda - my favorite! I enjoyed the food and I'd love to come back. read more

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One of the best Vietnamese meals I've had! You must try the fried catfish with all the fixings - it's really finger-licking good! That fish skin is super crispy! read more

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I've been to this restaurant under numerous different owners. I just went with the fourth owner for the plate of nation special. The quality is still really good. The spring rolls have both shrimp and pork, which you should know in case you're not used to having pork in the spring rolls. The sweet-and-sour soup which is flavored with pineapple is delicious. My dining companion doesn't like seafood so we had it with tofu. I would normally recommend getting it with the fish though. The caramelized pork over rice is delicious. The servers were nice. We were seated quickly. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Plate of nation, special: caramelized pork belly with egg, spring rolls, sweet-and-sour soup (tofu) - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Rainier Restaurant: A Hidden Gem for Vietnamese Cuisine in Seattle Rainier Restaurant has quickly become my favorite Vietnamese spot in Seattle. The parking is ample, and the entrance is conveniently located downstairs. Note that you cannot access the restaurant by going up the outside stairs. My group of friends and I ordered a variety of dishes, and each one was delightful: Bun Rieu: This dish had a nice tomato crab flavor, though it didn't particularly stand out. Bo Luc Lac (Shaking Beef): This was probably my favorite dish of the night. It had a great smoky beef flavor and was perfectly cooked. Seafood Soup: A nicely balanced, mild soup with plenty of seafood and okra. Beef Salad Special: Pretty good, but not great. Shrimp Fried Rice: A standard shrimp fried rice with good flavor. Fried Catfish: This was the dish I came for, and it did not disappoint. Although we didn't get enough cilantro in our herbs, the catfish was cooked very well. It was nice and tender, and the crispy skin paired perfectly when wrapped in the rice paper roll. The prices were reasonable, and the draft beer was only $5. If you're looking for a comforting, family-style Vietnamese restaurant, give Rainier Restaurant a try! read more

The fried catfish is good here. I recommend reserving it over the phone in advance, though be warned that it is ready upon arrival. So coming late to your reservation isn't advised. We got the 8lb split between 8 people. There's actually not as much meat on the fish as it looks. We also got the meat salad, crab asparagus soup, and another meat dish. The crab asparagus soup was sweeter than I would have liked. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Ssshhheeesssshhhh this place is great! Ordered takeout Lemon Chicken Rice dish plus egg rolls and was not disappointed! A generous amount of chicken and rice, fantastically seasoned, with a pleasant, fresh salad. I dunno for sure, but someone's grandmother wants you to eat right! Service was awesome as well. A recent change up in management left a gap in Yelp (GrubHub) ordering. Warning: They don't use it anymore, just Uber. The person there helped me out with getting things squared and got my order placed and ready in under 15 minutes - wild work! Great stuff, looking forward to coming back! read more

Second time trying their food (the first was takeout, this time dine-in), and both experiences were great! I love Vietnamese food, so was really excited when my friend recommended Rainier BBQ. Definitely a more lowkey spot, so don't come expecting ambiance, but everything I've tried so far is great. Service was also friendly & attentive. My favorite dish from both times is the beef with ong choy - I love the sauce and how they shred their ong choy, such a labor of love. Their fish sauce chicken wings are great, perfectly crispy, great, but not overwhelming fish sauce flavor. The lemongrass sauce with the bo luc lac was delicious. We also got the razor clams, which were good, but not my favorite out of everything. The table next to us got the giant fried catfish & it looked amazing; can't wait to try that next time I'm in town! read more

Rainier Restaurant - Fish sauce wings, beef ong choy, shaking beef - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This spot is just what I was looking for ... open late. I ordered the Catfish clay pot to say it was delicious is an understatement. My tastebuds, tummy and time were satisfied. read more

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I got the beef short ribs rice plate which was ~$18. Good Vietnamese restaurant. Short ribs were tasty and not too salty. read more

Rainier Restaurant - com tam - short rib - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Thai tea perfect and the pho was excellent thank you. Been coming here for about a couple months and its service is always so greeting as well as welcoming. Feel at home. Satuu read more

Rainier Restaurant - THAI ICE TEA Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Came here with a party of 14. We ordered quite a bit but here's what I can remember :) Fish Sauce Chicken Wings Rainer Beef On Choy Shaking Cube Beef Grilled Sweet Snails Scallion Grilled Asian Razor Clam Grilled Squid Sate Riced Cracker Baby Clam Bun Rieu Pho Sizzling Viet Crepe Roasted Veal Huge catfish Food was lovely and quite flavorful and the service here was solid. Enjoyed all the dishes we ordered as we all had a good time. My favorite was probably the smoked roasted veal, the Rainer beef on choy, and the shaking cube beef. read more

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This is a Vietnamese restaurant that we frequent a lot . I love the snails dishes here and the price is reasonable. The Vietnamese food is pretty authentic and we love to dine in as well as do take out almost once a month from here . The staff here is pretty friendly and I feel like the service is good :) . read more

Rainier Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This is one of my go to restaurants as it is just down the hill from my house. We eat here at least once a week. They have so much variety, you can go family style with their famous Ong Choy Salad or whole fried catfish to name a few of my favorites or order a bowl of pho or any of their other noodle soups. My favorite is the bamboo noodle soup with a duck salad on the side, the dressing is so tasty, it will blow you away. We also like the pork & shrimp crepe...you get a ton of fresh veggies & herbs to wrap the crispy crepe up in. The servers are young but very friendly, they make us feel so welcome since we are regulars. The restaurant is like a hole in the wall but those are often where I find some of the best tasting food. read more

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One of my favorite Vietnamese spots in Seattle! I love coming here for Viet dishes I can't get everywhere. I especially love the ong choy salad, crispy whole catfish (for special occasions), and deep fried quails. Tip: if you'd like a fried catfish, call ahead and let them know when your party will arrive. We called a day before and when we arrived everything was set up and the fish was still nice and hot! read more

My first experience here was about five years ago my dad and I walked in an were kind of ignored no on looked up or welcomed us, we left with out even trying to order or get seated. Flash forward to yesterday totally different experience. The person who welcomed us was the same person that serves and too or order. When I walked in with my friend we were quickly greeted and told to grab a table. We knew we wanted the catfish they're known for Ca Bong Lau Da Gion. We were told the smallest that day was 5lb. We said fine we would have leftovers. I want to say our fish came to about $76 which would be about $15.20 a pound market price for the day. The other dish we ordered was the Crispy Noodle Combo Mi Xao Gion Thap Cam which I believe was $16. The noodles came out first with the platter of sides for the cat fish. The noodles we so good shrimp, squid, mushrooms, bok choy and cartots and I think with maybe chicken or pork. Was nice snd hot and the noodles were so crispy! Would definitely order this again as well as the catfish. The seasoning and flavors are spot on. The catfish is so crispy, you can use the rice paper wraps to make rolls or the lettuce for lettuce wraps its the combination of the fish, sauce and fresh herbs that really make the dish. Messy but worth getting in and enjoying the dish! Staff was wonderful helpful and very informative and took great care taking our pic and switching out plates for us. Also splitting the fish for us in two containers and bags to take home. looking forward to returning with my family. read more

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Such a hidden gem in Seattle for Vietnamese food. We came for their specialty fried catfish spring rolls and it did not disappoint. The fish was crispy, flavorful, and the fried garlic with scallion oil on top is such a nice touch. It is DIY spring rolls, so it comes with a plentiful plate of all the fixings. The dipping sauce is a traditional pineapple sauce, sooo good. read more

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My coworkers and I planned to come here to celebrate our last days working together as a group of 7 originally, but ended up with only 5 of us showing up. We made a reservation, but it wasn't a problem to adjust the group size since the table we were seated at could seat up to 8 people. The menu is pretty big! Lots to look at and choose from. There are items that are meant to be for sharing, but even some of the individual plates are large enough to share. All the food was good and the staff were patient with assisting us when we needed them. Once it came to paying, both our friend group and the staff totally forgot that one of us ordered food to-go. We had all left the restaurant before realizing. Luckily, when we came back, we were still able to get the food, especially since it was already paid for. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Passionfruit Margarita - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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No wonder Anthony Bourdain has been here... I didn't come here for that reason, but because my brother and I were seriously jonesing for bomb Viet cuisine before he had to pick up his rental car at SeaTac. As a dancer in South Seattle, I've passed by this spot a ton but had never bothered to step on in. And gosh, why didn't I?? It was reminiscent of stepping into your friend's house and having a lively meal there. Ever the curious foodies, my brother and I got: - deep fried quails/chim cút quay ($17): the skin was fried to a crisp, the meat was cooked well, and the cilantro sauce this was served alongside was really tasty. - grilled Asian razor clam/óc mong tay ($20): this was topped with peanuts, mushrooms, and xo(?) sauce, which threw me in for a loop, but it sure was tasty! - crab noodle soup/bún riêu ($16): first bún riêu experience, and definitely not my last. Rainier Restaurant's was generously filled with toppings, especially crab fat, which I love. - spicy beef and pork noodle soup/bún bò huê ($16): amazing broth, amazing toppings, can't complain here. This meal was so fun, and I can't wait to try more things the next time I go! read more

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Hidden gem in south Seattle. This place is only known to the locals and it's extremely hidden. No fancy signs or lights, just straight to business. Plenty of parking. Service was pretty fast and we had a huge order. Could get pretty loud the later it gets. Catfish: 5/5, must try if you're into fried fish (call ahead to order as this takes time) Shaking beef: 5/5, not dry at all and seasoned Ông choy salad: 5/5, explosion of flavors and texture read more

The fried catfish was one of the best I've ever eaten!! It was amazing so please get that if you ever go here! Tip- call ahead for the catfish since it'll take a while to cook so when you're there, you don't have to wait too long! The restaurant was small but still comfortable. read more

As far as taste goes, Rainier hits ALL of the marks! I had a layover from Orange County, CA so I was not expecting amazing Vietnamese food (and just amazing food in general, more on that later)... yet here I am writing a review about my unbelievable experience at Rainier. It was so good that I'm bookmarking this place to come back when I have more time to spend in Seattle. Positives 1. THE FOOD - I'm so sad I didn't have time to order the grilled catfish but everything we ordered was delicious: -Shaken Beef -Salted Fish Fried Rice -Raw Oysters (So fresh, not super briny and it comes with a unique acidic sauce that isn't the traditional vinegar and cocktail sauce which I actually preferred over the traditional American way!) -Grilled giant shrimp -Grilled Dried Squid -There are healthier options at this place! Obviously not super macro-trackable but it was easy to estimate the grilled fish and they specify what kind of meat they use for shaken beef (filet mignon). 2. Service - The ladies serving were so, so sweet and patient! They answered all our questions because we were just trying to get a quick meal before our flight and gave us some stellar choices. The food also came out fairly quick! Negatives 1. The outside of the establishment.... well it looks like it would be authentic, that's all I have to say - to me, it's a bit charming but may be intimidating to some Neutral 1. The actual restaurant is downstairs in the building - I read some reviews that says there is an upstairs but start by going down! And don't go pulling on all doors like I did! read more

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This used to be the go-to spot growing up. The quality the last few times I've come in has been so poor. We got the Bun Bo hue - it full of noodles, barely any toppings, and the toppings that were in there seemed to be random toppings... not the usual that's on BBH. The broth was flavorless and a NEON reddish orange. I've never had such a bad bowl of BBH before, my and my friend both paid for the bowls (which are also more expensive then the average bowl) but only could take a few bites. We had to stop at McDonalds on the way home since we were still starving. 0/5 wouldn't recommend the BBH here. So disappointed. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Bun Bo hue - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We drove here from Seattle because we missed Vietnamese food and we were not disappointed with what we found. This restaurant service in ambience felt like a family owned and family cooked restaurant. We were walking with smiles and seated immediately. The menu is robust and reflect all three regions of Vietnamese food. The portions are large enough for you to enjoy with your friends and ordering three dishes between two people meant that we had enough food to bring home and eat again in this economy. That is definitely a plus while going to the restroom. I noticed an order a couple share a noodle dish because the portion was so large. We also had the three ingredient dessert which was OK. I preferred the food much more so if you're coming in town and you have a craving for Vietnamese food don't skip this place. It's a definite must try. We enjoyed the beef salad and the catfish soup! My hubby ordered the curry frog legs and finished the entire plate himself!!! read more

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First time here and what a great experience. Stopped in for takeout and had no clue what to order, they were so helpful and friendly. We had the Canh Chua and Cam rainier and egg rolls. Thanks for the delicious dinner! read more

The fried catfish and salad here was amazing, loved the food here as it wasn't too salty or greasy. Service was stellar. The food came out real fast too. I'd come back, they have a lot of food on their menu you can't get anywhere else. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Came here because I saw Seattle foodie advertising that the old chef is back. The food is very flavorful I will give them that 5/5 but the portion was so small 3/5.... Also it was freezing cold, like the AC was on blast or there's no heat element. I will say while dining it was very uncomfortable I had my sweater and jacket zipped up all the way to the top of my neck and also both my sister and I, was so cold that are our feet was uncomfortable cold lol. If the atmosphere was more comfortable I think we would have enjoyed our food a bit more. read more

A hole-in-the-wall restaurant serving authentic Vietnamese food with a menu so large, you're going to have difficulty choosing. Everything here is packed with flavor. They're serving Viet street food, seafood cuisines, and have a variety of drinks. There is a happy hour menu that includes oysters, yum! I've been wanting to come with a large group to try their baked catfish. Their beef salad was one of the best I've had, definitely a must. I really enjoyed their razor clams and goat curry. I def recommend coming with a group so you can try multiple dishes. read more

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