Cancel

Open app

Search

Renton Bistro

4.0 (568 reviews)
ModerateVietnamese, Noodles
Closed • 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

Renton Bistro Photos

Business Info

RENTON BISTRO ATMOSPHERE

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

You might also consider

More like Renton Bistro

Recommended Reviews - Renton Bistro

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Shrimp not deveined
Catherine T.

This is a fairly small restaurant right behind safeway with a limited number of seating. I came with a party of 5 during around 6pm and needed to wait 1 hour for seats since they needed to push some tables together. The waiter was kind enough to let us sit at a table meant for 4 people since we were hungry though! We heard the banh xeo was really good here, so everyone ordered it at the table! It was huge!!! We really liked it! One small thing I noticed was the shrimp was not deveined which was w little gross -- I wish I didn't notice it. Other than that, the cleanliness of the restaurant is what you'd expect at a typical vietnamese restaurant.

Jessilyn C.

So many Yelpers, and a friend told me about this place. So I told my business partners to go here during our meeting. Where the hostess/server sat us the wall had food splash stains. It was off putting but we didn't complain we just decided to have our meeting and eat our meals. Food was good, but we all felt it wasn't fantastic like everyone told me. Place was busy after a while, which is a good sign. There's so many Vietnamese places to dine in king county, but my favorite is in Hilo, Hawaii. I was more disappointed that they didn't have what I wanted. They ran out of fried trout. Also, they don't offer any bun/glass noodles dishes. That's what the server told me at least. Will I be back, not sure.

Com tam
Sally N.

I come here a lot for banh beo. The flavor is really authentic and savory. We came here on Sunday morning and the wait gets really out of control, we came at 11 and waited 45' to be seated. Super packed and this place does not let you reserve either...

Charlyn I.

Nephew's favorite Vietnamese restaurant, he decided to take all 6 of us and it did not disappoint. We are visitors from Hawaii and was very impressed with the flavors. Luckily we scored a table perfect for us to sit together. They are known for a mochi dish which was delicious.

Oxtail pho
Calista C.

Small busy Vietnamese restaurant! The food was good and came out relatively quickly. The restaurant was pretty busy on a Sunday night. They have a few tables they can push together. This night, it was pretty busy and we waited around 20 minutes for a table for 6. They had asked if we wanted to sit separately or wait an additional 20-30 min for sitting together. We sat at 2 4 tops next to each other. After sitting down for 10 minutes where no table settings were touched, a large table opened up and we asked if we could sit at the large table. Waitress said no, which we understood if there was a larger party coming. However, they ended up splitting the table into two for 2 small parties of less than 4. This left a sour taste in our mouth... If you have larger parties, expect to wait. They are very understaffed so service is poor. The food here is pretty good, but we will not be coming back. They have a good variety of more niche Vietnamese food. However, some of the soups seem to be mixed, we tasted some Bo Kho in our other soups. Parking was full in their lot that night, but there was ample street parking nearby as well.

Uyen Thanh L.

Bún mắm is my favorite dish at this restaurant , the quality is excellent and so so yummy .

Vietnamese Crepe (Banh Xeo)
Kimmy L.

Renton Bistro is located in downtown Renton and is one of the most authentic Vietnamese restaurants around, offering a large variety of Vietnamese dishes that you might not be able to find at other restaurants. It is also one of the restaurants that several of my Vietnamese colleagues in Renton highly recommend. The building is a house-converted restaurant. They have a gravel parking lot, but it is often quite cramp and crowded and so I recommend parking on the street instead as there are plenty of parking stalls nearby. As aforementioned, Renton Bistro has a large and extensive menu with everything from your typical pho and spring rolls to more rare gems like steamed rice cakes (banh beo), deep fried chicken wings with fish sauce and chili (canh ga nuoc man), five spice chicken noodle soup (ga ngu vi huong), and Vietnamese crepe (banh xeo). I've been to Renton Bistro twice and these are dishes I've tried: - STEAMED RICE CAKES (BANH BEO CHEN) ($15.95) - glutinous rice cakes with shrimp, green onion, and crispy onions served with fish sauce. This dish is one of their house specials and something I've only seen and tried at Renton Bistro. The set comes with 10 beautifully presented cakes in individual saucers, which makes it easy to share, and definitely recommend sharing as the rice cakes are very filling. This is truly an umami-centric dish that you will need a breath mint or two after as the fish sauce and onions will leave your mouth quite smelly. With that said, it is a unique dish with plenty of flavors and textures going on at once. - HUE SPICY BEEF NOODLE SOUP (BUN BO HUE) ($16.95) - round rice noodles in spicy beef broth with pork slices, beef slices, meatballs, and fresh bean sprouts and banana blossom on the side. If you want a change from your usual pho and like a little heat, I highly recommend giving bun bo hue a try! The heat was maybe 3 stars, if not on the lighter side of spicy, but my friend and I got Thai chili peppers on the side to add to the broth (or you can use the jalapeños they provide with the sprouts and basil) to add an extra kick! The broth was very flavorful. I wish the meat was a little more tender and meaty (as I had a lot of cartilage and fat on the pieces I had), but overall one of the better bun bo hues I've had in a while (if you're looking for the best bun bo hue, I recommend Rose Pho in Des Moines). - VIETNAMESE CREPE (BANH XEO) ($16.95) - prawns, pork slices, and bean sprouts in pan fried batter mixed with coconut milk served with fresh green vegetables, mixed herbs, and fish sauce. Another one of their house specials, this crepe is huge and super crispy. I will say that they could use a more filling in the crepe and so not sure if it was really worth the price. Also, most of the filling was concentrated in the middle of the crepe and so when splitting the crepe into four pieces, the end pieces had very little filling. They did a good job browning both sides of the crepe to golden and it comes with lots of greens so you definitely get your fill of veggies with this dish. - PORK SATAY (HEO LUI) ($10.50) - pork slices, onion, garlic topped with crushed peanuts and scallion, served with peanut or fish sauce. Out of the dishes I've tried here, this was my favorite. The pork is tender, moist, and very well-marinated with a good balance of sweet and savory flavors. The peanut sauce is nice to have on the side, but honestly not necessary as the pork is plenty flavorful as is. It's obviously protein-packed and so it could definitely be a meal on its own with a side of rice. I would say the biggest downside of this restaurant, is that their service is quite slow and you often have to be proactive to track a server down. As many other Yelpers have stated, they just don't have enough workers to accommodate and so you really can't be in a rush here, especially during high-peak dinner time hours. Overall: 4/5 for food, 3/5 for atmosphere, 3/5 for service

Grilled Pork chops rice plate
Emily N.

Came here on a weekday around 5:30pm, and was not busy initially - around 6pm, that's when the dinner crowd started filling in. We were seated quickly. The place inside is small- but do not let the exterior fool you, it serves delicious food! I've been here a couple times and it does not disappoint. If you were to come on a weekend, there will be a wait for sure. There is outside seating when the weather is nicer. This time around, I had ordered the pork chops rice plate. The protein is flavorful and the nice char on the chops give is a good crunch flavor. Also at our table was the banh xeo- it is huge! But filling, and you won't stop eating it because it is yummy! We did request some rice paper on the side to make it into a spring roll. The banh beo was not ordered this time, but have ordered it in the past, and is a MUST!

Banh xeo
Katrina C.

Small authentic Vietnamese bistro! They have about 10 tables inside so wait could be long especially during dinner time. They don't take reservations so call ahead same day if you have a big group to see if they can fit you in. Food was delicious! We got a few apps to try and would recommend banh beo (steamed rice cakes) and banh xeo (fried crepes). The soups like pho and bun rieu were so flavorful and had pretty good portions. The vermicelli rice plates were also good with a lot of veggie toppings.

Spring Rolls
Kyle T.

TLDR: Small and authentic Vietnamese restaurant in Renton. Large menu with a large menu, but service is a big challenge Food: We had an order of the spring rolls and the hu tieu noodles. The spring rolls were pretty standard with a good amount of filling and a side of peanut sauce. The hu tieu with great with a light but flavorful broth and lots of toppings. They have the option for either pho noodles or egg noodles on the menu, but allowed me to split half and half for each noodle. Service: We came a few minutes before they opened and by the time we sat down/started ordering the restaurant was already full. As other reviews mention, the service here is quite slow. It took a while to have our order taken and to get our check. For that I'll subtract 1 star Price: I think prices are pretty standard. The spring rolls were ~8 and the hu tieu was ~18

Bun mam
Aaron Y.

I would give this place a 3.5 stars with service being the thing that brings it down a full point. Food wise, it's honestly pretty dang good. We got the Bun Mam which is the anchovy seafood soup and I got the chicken spring roll platter. The flavor of the broth and the chicken was great. Good portion size too! Service wise was rough, it wasn't that busy at all. There were probably only a few tables, and there were at least two servers. We put our names down, and we just stood there. No one acknowledged us for at least 15-20 minutes. The restaurant was not that big at all, both of the servers walked past us multiple times without saying anything at all. There were a good amount of tables open too. The service just seemed very slow. Ambiance wise, it looks like a decent size house from the outside. Inside it's small but seems cozy. But nothing spectacular. Overall, the food is good. We would most likely go back for that but we really hope that the service would improve. Because they would be close to a 5 star.

Kim T.

Super cute little cottage style restaurant in the heart of DT Renton. I think it's a small family owned restaurant. Service was good. Food was good. I took down one star bcuz I kinda had to be stern to get the bottle of Siracha.

Combo Bun
Netta M.

Y'all. Go here. Menu might overwhelm if you're not well versed in Vietnamese food - ask for recommendations! Coffee also great. 10/10 will return

grilled pork chop rice plate (4 stars)

See all

Reviews are largely positive. Many highlight the authentic Vietnamese flavors, large and varied menu, and cozy, homey atmosphere.

Read the full review summary in the app

2 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

8 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1

7 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 8
Thanks 1
Love this 7
Oh no 1

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Hangie N.
14
39
337

4 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Gabriel M.
52
390
1574

5 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Sho I.
244
313
1437

1 year ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 3
Love this 3
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Mike S.
48
26
5

1 month ago

Terrible rude service with mediocre food. Will never go back. Save yourself the trip and go elsewhere better.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1
Photo of Gordon D.
21
157
0

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Pho had no flavor and the mint was mold. Restaurant looked quite dirty inside. Would not recommend

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 15

Ask the Community - Renton Bistro

Do they use MSG?

They don't have to because most Vietnamese restaurant use fish sauce which is more health and natural.

Are there gluten free options?

Yes, although they maybe limited.

Are they open for dine in yet?

As of February 1, 2021, 25 percent capacity.

View All 5 Questions

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Vietnamese 36,743 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Triumph Valley - Seafood Tofu Pot, Fried Crab W/ Dry Garlic (2Lb) (2Lb), Fried Lobster W/ Dry Garlic

Triumph Valley

3.9(528 reviews)
2.4 mi
•$$

This might be my new favorite dim sum spot in the Seattle area! Everything we got was spot on -…read moreliterally nothing missed. We came around dinner time on a weekday and it wasn't busy at all, but it did take a while for the food to come out. We got the steamed spareribs, truffle shu mai, pork and taro shu mai, fried mochi with pork, sticky rice, and salted egg yolk mochi. I loved absolutely everything so much! Flavors were spot on, textures were amazing, and they were also really unique. I loved the truffle flavor on the shu mai, and the ham sui gok was done so well here too. I'm a huge salted egg yolk fan, and they did the mochi ball here perfectly too. I want to come back soon!!

Went here planning to have dim sum for lunch, but saw they had Peking duck on the menu. I'm a big…read morefan of Peking duck and ordered the whole instead of half. In hindsight, I should have realized that a Cantonese restaurant wouldn't likely get this dish right. The "Peking duck" at Triumph Valley was actually Hong Kong style roast duck. A plate came out with the duck skin. The duck meat was nowhere on this plate. Traditionally, Peking duck meat is served in thin slices and layered under the duck skin. A large bowl was set on the table. There it was, chopped through the bone into chunks with skin, meat, and bone intact. This is a signature style of serving Hong Kong roast duck. Unsurprisingly, the flavor was not pure, natural duck flavor. Instead, it tasted of Hong Kong style with 5 spice seasoning including star anise. It was also a pain to eat because of this poor carving style. Triumph Valley didn't use the traditional thin wraps either, opting for easier steamed bao buns. Thin pancakes are the traditional choice because their light, paper-thin texture doesn't overpower the crispness and rich fat of the duck skin. Triumph Valley used bao buns because they are easier to source (frequently purchased frozen) and are simpler for kitchens to prep than handmade pancakes. Big waste of $50. Avoid the "Peking duck" if choosing to dine at this Hong Kong restaurant because it is falsely advertised there and will leave you disappointed if you have experience with actual Peking duck and appreciate its natural flavors.

Photos
Triumph Valley
Triumph Valley - Fried Lobster W/ Dry Garlic

Fried Lobster W/ Dry Garlic

Triumph Valley - Chicken Feet In Sauce

See all

Chicken Feet In Sauce

Fortune Noodle House - Fried Chicken Wings

Fortune Noodle House

3.9(362 reviews)
2.3 mi
•$

I'm always a little skeptic when a place does multiple cuisines. But this local restaurant does a…read moregood job. The best thing we ate were the salt and pepper calamari. It was tender and flavorful. You even got a bit of that wok char on it when they cooked it all together with the bell peppers. It was the most satisfying thing we ate. The chicken wings were flavorful as well but didn't love the coating. It was super crunchy but just a little too heavy on the coating for my preference. The pho was not anything I would go out of my way for. But it did its job. And for $13 for a combo pho, I was not mad at it all. Definitely packed with a lot of noodles if you appreciate that too. The broth was solid. The service was friendly. It's a small restaurant with a good amount of seating. Nothing fancy at all. But you don't hear for vibes. You come here for affordable eats that deliver on flavor. I definitely plan on coming back and trying their chow fun. If the calamari had the wok char, I can only hope their chow fun would too. I'll definitely update when I come back and try!

We were seated as soon as we walked in and the hostess/waitress/owner? Was super friendly. She was…read morequick to get our drink and food orders in and engaged with our 1.5yr old, which was very sweet. The crab rangoons were to die for, my husband loved his noodle dish. My pad thai noodles were a little chewy and under cooked but the flavors were there. And our daughter ate everything we put in front of her and had no complaints. I'm glad we stumbled urine this place. It was very delicious!

Photos
Fortune Noodle House - Front

Front

Fortune Noodle House - Fried Egg Rolls with Chicken

Fried Egg Rolls with Chicken

Fortune Noodle House

See all

Marugame Udon - :D

Marugame Udon

4.2(308 reviews)
2.5 mi
•$$
Locally owned & operated
Vegan friendly

Niku Udon -- Absolutely delicious. The broth so yummy and full of umami, and the thinly sliced beef…read moreis tender with just the right sweetness. The noodles have that perfect Marugame chew, soaking up the broth without getting soggy. * Creamy Udon -- The sauce is velvety, rich, and comforting without being heavy. It clings beautifully to the noodles, and every bite has that satisfying, silky texture. If you love creamy pasta or Japanese cream stew, this is your Udon! * Tempura Bar -- Fresh, crispy, and never greasy. The shrimp, cheese, and veggie tempura pair perfectly with both udon bowls. We asked fresh shrimp tempura!

I love Marugame in Honolulu. This was my second visit to this location and I went in thinking had…read moreto be better than my first visit (when they first opened) but it was worse! After today's visit, I'm not sure I'd return. I just don't see the value anymore. While the service was quick and friendly, the food didn't live up to the standards I've come to expect from Marugame. The bowls are smaller, they skimp on the meat (minimal meat and mostly fat pieces), the pork belly was hard and chewy...barely edible. The only thing that saved our meals were the udon noodles but even then, the texture felt a bit off. I actually watched the guy put the beef in the Nikutama and then take it back out, piece by piece, like he was counting it or something. When I finally sat down to eat and saw how much was actually left in there, I was at a loss for words. I'd rather pay more than get reduced quality and quantity. The guy at the register was really friendly and seemed to really go out of his way to help customers. When I got up to bus my table, he came over and pointed out where to take the tray. I'm hoping they make some improvements to this location or I'll just have to wait until I visit Hawaii again.

Photos
Marugame Udon - :D

:D

Marugame Udon - Creamy (tonkatsu) udon

Creamy (tonkatsu) udon

Marugame Udon - Kake udon

See all

Kake udon

Renton Bistro - vietnamese - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...