Diamond in the rough. Tried my usual, the seafood pho, which was just a good as others I've tried in town. My group also tried the bahn mi sandwich was decent. Lastly we got a platter of spicy beef fried rice with assorted vegetables which was very spicy, flavorful and outstanding. The team worked effortlessly together in a small and high-paced environment. You could tell they're all incredibly proficient in their jobs and love working there. The staff was the highlight of our visit honestly. There was so much more than pho I wanted to try on the menu and I am really looking forward to coming back in. read more

I remember seeing this place on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives, and Guy Fieri has never steered me wrong. We got the Combination Fried Rice, and it was the best freaking fried rice I've ever had. Not only was it flavorful, but it was also generous on the portions - both in the overall quantity and in the amount meat that they had. They didn't skimp on the amount or the flavor here. The Banh Xeo, even though it was supposed to be the main attraction, became kind of the side course. That's not to say it wasn't tasty, it was also delicious. But I think the main star of the show is their fried rice. Additionally had some Thai Iced Tea. And again, one of the best Thai Iced Teas I've ever had. Strong but tasty. It definitely kept me wired and wide awake for my wilderness drives. Didn't expect to find such a random gem when traveling to the Last Frontier. read more

Ray's Place - Banh Xeo - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Delicious Vietnamese food. When we planned our trip to Anchorage, this was the one place that my husband wanted to go during our trip. Made it over for lunch, and it met all the great reviews and then some. Combination fried rice was incredible. So flavorful and filled with meat. First time having a Banh Xeo, and that was excellent as well. Very quick service. Such a delicious meal. Highly recommend. read more

Ray's Place - Combination Fried Rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

An OG Anchorage spot for sure. I went today for my first time, the restaurant is small and locally owned, and it was a full packed house. We were seated in less than 10min and the food came out in less than 15min. Very friendly warm atmosphere, super hospitable staff. We got the spring rolls, bahn mi, and a small Pho. It was the perfect amount of food, I was happy they offered small pho instead of only a giant bowl size only since I like to dunk my bahn mi in the broth. read more

my family & I are always looking for new places to try & we got recommended this place from My Husband Boss, since we skipped the gym today we decided to give this place a try. It was our 1st time here so we ordered what my husband boss recommended & it didn't disappoint. we ordered the tofu Banh mi & the tofu crepes as apps & it was so good. The sauce they use for the crepe is house made & it was freaking delish. I'm definitely buying a couple of bottles next time. You definitely have to get their fried rice it one of the best I had while living here. the bun Bo hue everything so good but I wish they use the right noodles & not the pho noodles. & the Vietnamese iced coffee tastes like Mr. Brown Blue Mountain Coffee & was a bit on the sweet side. I think Gia or Pho 4 still has the best Vietnamese iced coffee. The service was slow but I guess because a lot of people were ordering take out. but overall I would recommend you try this Vietnamese place out, I mean Triple D did come & eat at this place. read more

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We had a company luncheon and the office wanted Rays Fried rice. I ordered the several orders of rice two days in advance just because this restaurant is always busy due to their outstanding food and customer service. The restaurant is super clean and all the employees are stellar. Unfortunately I didn't get pictures because our group of guys couldn't wait and proceeded to dish up and devour the food! I highly recommend the curry added to the rice and order extra crispy read more

Ray's Place is my absolute favorite Vietnamese Restaurant in both Anchorage, & pretty much all of the United States. I've lived in New York City and Seattle and upstate NY. All have good restaurants, but Ray's Place and Gia Dinh in Anchorage, Alaska are tied for the best Vietnamese food I've ever had. Curtis and his family are so very kind and friendly. They treat everyone like a welcome family member and ask you about your life in a very genuine way. They really care about their customers. Seafood Cold Noodle w/ the teriyaki sauce is my 99% go to meal. I know I need to try other things though. I've had their pho a loooooong time ago, which was good. I'll try their crepe next time. read more

We visited Ray's Place after reading about their distinctively Alaskan-Vietnamese fusion dishes, arriving to a completely packed parking lot and restaurant for Friday dinner at 6 PM. There were tons of people picking up takeout orders as well and we joined that line due to my in-laws request. The waitress warned me of a 20-25 minute wait - it took exactly 25 minutes. By that time, the restaurant actually started clearing out, so I guess it's better to visit later in the evening for no wait. Banh Xeo Vietnamese Crepe ($18) - Filled with shredded boiled chicken and halved shrimp, along with cabbage, onion, bean sprouts and other veggies. The crepe is pretty thin and I'm pretty sure was crisp to begin with but unfortunately wilts after steaming in the packaging. There is of course lettuce, basil, and cilantro to wrap around the crepe and increase the ease of eating. Alaskan Halibut, Curry ($21.50) - Good breading on the fish, fried well with a good crunch that stands up to being steamed in the packaging. The sauce is excellent, very concentrated and reduced curry flavor. Rather than being a SE Asian curry, filled with coconut milk, this one seems more like a Chinese-style curry but with the addition of other spices and then reduced until the curry flavor is concentrated into a supreme savory flavor. Now unfortunately other than the flavor, this dish has some issues. Firstly, the rice is undercooked with most grains having a firm, almost hard center. Next, the vegetables seem to have only been blanched a short while and not cooked much afterwards. It's a mix of squash, zucchini, carrot, broccoli, and cabbage. The latter three are still very crunchy, and there's quite a bit of the raw cabbage bite when eating the cabbage. Finally, while the fish has a good crust and the flavor is nice, it's clearly overcooked, becoming quite tough on the inside rather than being flaky. Alaskan Salmon, Vietnamese ($21.50) - The waitress recommended getting this dish with the Vietnamese sauce since it's their specialty. The sauce is indeed very good - it's full of fish sauce umami, is a little sweet and generally very tasty. Again, the fish has a good crisp fried crust, giving texture and pleasing mouthfeel. Plaguing this fish is unfortunately the dryness - clearly overcooked and tough, far more so than the halibut. In addition, for some reason, the rice in this dish is overcooked and approaching mushy. Spicy Chicken with Cashews ($19) - I thought this would be small chunks of chicken in a typical cashew sauce ala cashew chicken at a Chinese American restaurant. This one is totally different - instead of cubed chicken, it's deboned thigh meat filets, then glazed in a reduced sauce while being cooked. While it's labeled as being spicy, it's barely so, causing only the slightest tingle and warmth in the mouth. The sauce is otherwise sweet and savory with possibly a little ginger essence. The typical five veggie combination is adulterated by adding cashew and onion, giving some additional sweetness, nuttiness, and texture. Like the other veggies, the onion trends towards the crunchy raw side, barely cooked enough to reduce the raw onion spiciness. In this dish, the rice is actually perfectly cooked. I am so confused how the texture of the rice is so different between the three dishes - restaurants usually have a single huge rice cooker to serve all dishes out of. Does Ray's Place have multiple rice cookers or something? It's just bizarre... People aren't lying - the flavors here are to die for. It's unfortunately the textures and technique that are a little off. Still, for those seeking excellent flavors, this is probably one of the best spots in Anchorage. Bathrooms - Two unisex rooms read more

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We went for lunch and the place was packed. We shared a large table with sone others but it was awesome. The staff were friendly and very efficient. The food was delicious!! I had spicy duck and could happily have it again and again. What more could you want? Great food great service and friendly people!! read more

Beef pho~ incredible. I only could finish 1/2 the regular bowl so had it for lunch next day :) Love the broth read more

Rays Place is a Vietnamese and Thai specialty restaurant along Spenard Road. I have been there twice and had their Thai Soup. It was excellent with a good mixture of hot broth, vegetables and seafood. This is my favorite dish at Thai restaurants and the one I use compare them. It is not a critic of many of their dishes unless I am dinning with someone else. Based on my standards this was an excellent dish and I would order it again. Both times I have been there has been lunch hours and they are extremely busy. The service is fast and efficient. The cost is reasonable for Alaska. Observing those around me the portions and expressions give me they believe that people find Ray's food very good. I would recommend that you try it. Parking can be a problem as no on street parking in front of the restaurant is available but side streets and a short walk is find. I don't remember if they have a rear parking area because I have a poor memory and didn't did to find it. Not good for large groups unless they have an additional dinning area I did not see. My next visit I will be more observant. read more

This place is great with awesome food,i had the sweet and sour chicken taste so good,if you are looking for some good food you need to try here read more

Ray's Place - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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Ray's has the best fried rice I have ever had. This statement is from a guys who have lived in 5 countries and been 21 different states.

Now I know why I rarely go here. Their number wasn't going through when I called.. I had my husband try and that worked (he confirmed they were open). Then I tried again and it worked and placed a to go order. We got the bahn mi, spicy cashew chicken and tofu curry. The bahn mi was severely disappointing. Seemed like maybe pork, and store bought ham.? Would not recommend. The other two dishes were delicious! Their open sign wasn't on when we went, so that, and the phone issue, seemed like they weren't open for business. Just an odd experience. Decent to go food. But more reliable places to go like Gia Dinh. read more

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Food is amazing. And the service was super fast and friendly. You can hear people talk but it's not a loud place . A true hidden gem. Totally worth coming by here read more

Quick and easy lunch spot with traditional flavors. Egg rolls were hot and fresh tasting. Tofu well seasoned. Noodles a bit on the hard side but the simple dish was exactly what I expected. Nothing special but perfect if you're looking for a simple Vietnamese meal. Fast and friendly service that got us in and out while I was in town for work. read more

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I love everything about rays place and always get sad when I forget they are closed on the weekend. They have the absolutely best fried spring rolls in town and the servings are always large and tasty. read more

Guy Fieri got it right this time! I'm a fan of the dude's show but not such a fan of most of his featured spots. However, I'm tempted to agree with Guy's view that Ray's Place is perhaps the best Vietnamese food in North America, In the minimum, I concede that Ray's is absolutely the best Vietnamese fare in Northern North America. Ray's is actively managed by the firecracker matriarch, whose recipes were brought over from the old country and prepared is similar fashion from back home. The entire staff was hospitable, professional and eager to please. This is a family owned and operated business, and even non-family staff served as though the place was their own. We tried about a third of the menu, and the pictures I posted were of the highlights of the highlights. If your version of fine dining consists of exceptionally tasting food served with a mother's TLC in a modest setting, then Ray's will be the place for you as it was for me. read more

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We have to admit that we are pho snobs coming from Los Angeles where we have many places to choose from, which makes this place all the more impressive. Delicious fresh ingredients. Everything was very clean. The veggie Bahn Mi was tasty and well prepared. Light, flavorful broth for the pho with excellent quality meat. Great spot where we weren't expecting to find one. Nice service too. read more

Met a friend here recently. Yummy, flavorful food served by attentive and efficient servers. Looking forward to another visit! We had the Spicy Chicken with Cashews. So good that I decided to bring some home to share with my better half! read more

I came here for dinner on a Monday night with a friend and we enjoyed our meals. We had a hard time choosing because the menu has so many great options. The prices are a great deal considering how large the portion sizes are. Very unassuming exterior that's easy to miss. Interior is comfortable and clean. Service was very fast for how busy it was. I ordered a Thai iced tea and spicy chicken with cashews. The Thai iced tea was too milky for my liking. The spicy chicken with cashews wasn't as spicy as i expected but overall I enjoyed it. The vegetables were fresh and well-cooked and there was plenty of rice for my friend and I to share. Solid option for a quick fresh meal. I'd like to return and try more offerings. read more

Ray's Place - Spicy chicken and cashews - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

I think I had been here when I was a kid, but that has been awhile! So we stopped by on a Friday night. Parking lot was full. Not too busy in the dining room tho. Lots of takeout. We got fresh spring rolls. They had shrimp, chicken, noodles, cucumber, and lettuce. They were ok. The taste was a bit off for me. For dinner I had the seeet and sour duck. Came with rice. The sizes of duck meat were pretty good and not too many pieces of fat which was nice. The sauce was very flavorful. It was a thin runny sauce and was soup like with cabbage, carrots, pineapple, broccoli, and onions I think. Probly other veggies too. Service was friendly and they were fast. Prices were actually decent as well, not too many dishes over $20. read more

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Ray's Place Rocks! And I'm kind of shocked I haven't written a review yet, but better late than never I suppose! I really enjoy this place, and has a lot of Spenard Nostalgia for me. My most recent order was another adventure in office lunches, and I'll chat about that in a moment. But first, the menu is fantastic, the staff is wonderful, it's tiny but the service is great! Parking.....eh, but that's okay, it's worth the hassle. As for our to go order the meals were spot on, I always get the cold noodle salad and it was super delicious. The sauce was different than what I remembered but still really good. Of course the fried rice is amazing, and 100% a meal in itself, I also dig the Bahn Mi, the bread is great, and it's an easy meal to enjoy in an office setting. This is absolutely on our rotation of regular places we order from, but I do prefer eating there. read more

This place is truly a hidden gem in Anchorage. Their food is amazing and the service is just as good.

The food is amazing especially the chicken cashew and their fried rice. I love how they are always making you feel like family. They are so friendly. read more

I'd never been to Ray's Place before - mainly due to the fact I've found my go-to place for Beef Fried Rice. So went to my go-to place for Beef Fried Rice last Thursday, and i was shocked by how bad it was on this most recent occasion. We asked the server was there a new chef, but she said no. It was bland, the rice was overcooked and mushy, just no flavour at all. Anyway, she did not charge us for it, and also gave us a couple of red bean pastries on the house, so no shade thrown at them. Let's just say Chef was having a bad day, and leave it at that. But i was still Jonesing for the Beef Fried Rice, and when Ray's Place popped up in a search for chinese food, i was confused because i thought it was Vietnamese. I should have known, that most Asian places in town are somewhat flexible in their dishes, and have a selection from most Asian countries. There was a great review for Beef Fried Rice, so i informed husband that i wanted to go to Ray's Place. Goodness, it's a busy restaurant, constant order pickups to go, and the dining hall was busy too. I did like the space, there's a big crystal chandelier in the shape of a boat as you walk in, and then smaller chandeliers over each table. Table tops are marble. Really nice space. Not too much clutter (ie "art") and fast service. I ordered the Beef Fried Rice, which also had the option for a couple dollars extra, of coming with curry sauce. I chose not to have the curry sauce. Blake got chicken curry. They had very nice stainless steel tumblers for the water. I was handed a really large plate of Beef Fried Rice, and Blake got a really big bowl of Chicken Curry, and a bowl of rice. My Beef Fried Rice had an enormous amount of other vegetables than is normally included in this dish - cabbage, carrots, broccoli, sweetcorn, and of course the beef. Now i will say this, and it's the reason this review is 4 star, and not 5 star. The beef was a little chewy, whereas my previous go-to Beef Fried Rice always has very tender Beef. The Chinese have a "secret" way of tenderizing even the cheapest cuts, and i can tell. I can also tell that this method has not been used on the Beef in my Beef Fried Rice here at Ray's Place. It's still delicious and savoury though, very good, perfectly cooked veggies, and the rice is excellent. It has a different overall flavour than my favourite fried rice at the other place, so I'm a little sad about that. Par for the course, I cannot eat it all, and get a to-go box, so i can scarf it down later. Blake's curry was also delicious, very distinctly Chinese in flavour, with a mild kick. It had some lovely big potatoes in it, and they were perfectly cooked despite their size. Not everywhere mange's to get them fully cooked through AND still have flavour. This was a lovely Chicken Curry. I was very happy with the food, the service, and the dining room, and will definitely return. read more

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Now delivering smaller portions via Door Dash! Disappointed in Rays Place for changing to a smaller to go container. read more

Ray's Place - Combination Fried Rice - Their to go containers for smaller. Disappointed delivery from Door Dash! - Vietnamese Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Hard to beat Ray's for comfort Asian food. I had the Vietnamese crepe and the halibut in tamarind sauce, extra spicy. Although the spice of the halibut wasn't "extra" it was still savory and delightful. The crepe wasn't too bad either but I would've enjoyed a little less grease on the crepe itself. I would definitely come back and try the rest of the menu if I had time (they kick you out at 8:30 on the dot!). The other caveat is that they don't serve alcohol which sucks because a nice Pinot noir would've complimented many of their dishes. The other caveat is that they stop taking orders at 8:10pm and kick you out promptly at 8:30. No ambience to the restaurant, no music playing and it's tacky decorated. Thank God they have great dishes or they wouldn't survive. read more

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This places delivers every time we go. The Duck curry is the best thing going. Vietnamese crepe was delicious

We love Ray's! when family from outside comes to visit, the only place they want to go is Ray's Place!

I've been here a handful of times and have tried something new off their menu each time. Each dish has been beautifully put together and served within minutes. I had the sweet and sour duck recently and it was full of chunks of veggies and meat in a wonderfully made sweat and sour sauce. Very good Vietnamese food and it's locally owned. read more

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This is one of my favorite places to eat in Anchorage! I award's order the shrimp fried rice with curry, no cabbage, extra crispy. AMAZING! I love that it's very family oriented and the service is great. Such a homie place to eat! I love going to rays place! read more

I've enjoyed Ray's Place for several years. Always good food, great service, and the good vibes sent out by everyone who works there are shared by everyone who's come for a meal...just feels good. And Ray's is always closed on Saturdays and Sundays...maybe that's partially why everyone enjoys being there... And the place is closed for about a month each winter, giving all who work there time to visit family, relax, and just be thankful for such a great place to work. Thank you, Curt and your whole family. read more

Normally a favorite but they seemed preoccupied with closing, rushed our meal then told us we had to leave. It was still 8 minutes to closing time. Probably won't return. read more

Go to Ray's!! Hands down best Vietnamese food in Anchorage!! We had the bbq ribs, pork friend rice and fried egg rolls and everything was soooooo good! Staff was friendly and food came out very quick! This is now our go to every time we're in Anchorage. read more

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Had the halibut Vietnamese style the sauce and veggies were so good with the halibut. Bun bo hue was spicy and really good. Would be nice if there was more blood meat. Pork spring rolls were delicious with the peanut sauce. This is now my go to restaurant when I'm in anchorage. read more

TL;DR I've had worse Details: First of all, this isn't a Vietnamese restaurant. The menu is American Chinese with a few Vietnamese dishes. The good news is that all the dishes can be made with your choice of meat. If you prefer chicken breast to thigh, it's a small upcharge. We had cashew chicken but they forgot the cashews. They did add them in afterwards. The food was ok. Service is a bit forgetful but well-meaning. The decor is stereotypical 1960's Chinese restaurant from the Midwest. read more

Excellent food, fast service, in a family style restaurant. Family own business, food is delicious, highly recommend. read more

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We came to Anchorage for work and wanted some good Vietnamese food. We've see the reviews on this place and also the episode of Guy Fieri eating here. Said no more and the food is fantastic. We ordered the fresh spring rolls, meatballs and brisket pho and the fried rice. Everything was sooo delicious and the ambiance was great too. I highly recommend Ray's place if you are in the need of some authentic Vietnamese food. read more

Great food, great service, and great view of the marina, bay, and mountains! Well worth the wait to be seated. Will definitely return if we ever go back to Seward. read more