I came here years ago when they first opened and even had the chance to meet the owner, so I was really excited to come back and see how the place was doing. Unfortunately, this visit left me a bit disappointed. When we walked in on a weekend afternoon, several tables were still dirty from previous customers, which didn't create the best first impression. It also seemed like the staff waited until more people left before cleaning multiple tables all at once, rather than keeping up with them throughout service. The food itself was decent and overall tasted good, but the iced Thai tea was extremely sweet. My mom and I barely drank any of it. I was hoping for a better experience this time around, especially since I had such positive memories of this place. read more

Really enjoyed the vietnamese coffee, wagyu pho, and the chicken wings. The chicken wings have garlic and sweet caramelized fish sauce, great appetizer. The vietnamese iced coffee is nice and strong, good flavor, and good sweetness! I really wanted to try the wagyu steak and brisket pho because I love wagyu steak and brisket and their big selling point was that there was NO MSG (see picture of menu). The soup was good enough and the meat was tender. You had a choice of thin or fat noodles and I didn't know what that meant or what kind of noodles I'd be getting, but I chose the thin and it was good haha. Pho sounded weird with thick noodles, but maybe I need to try that next time. Recommend avoiding the grilled pork and egg roll vermicelli dish. The meat was dry and the egg rolls tasted weird, just wasn't for me, would not get that again. read more

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Delicious bún chả giò!! Our table ordered the vermicelli noodles with pork and eggrolls and the eggrolls were incredible, super flaky and savoury with a super satisfying crunch. The pork was well seasoned too and the serving was incredibly generous, we just wish there was more of a char on the pork. We also tried the Wagyu pho but thought the broth was just alright, I feel like there are just better spots for pho in the city. The seating was ample and spacious and we were seated immediately. This is a great place if you're ever craving bún chả giò for a light and refreshing lunch + the location in the Plant is unbeatable. read more

Roots Bistro - Vermicelli Noodle with Pork and Eggrolls - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

Whenever I'm in San Jose, I always try to grab a bowl of Pho at a different Viet restaurant each time. Roots Bistro caught my eye with their modern & vibrant interior and Pho with Wagyu! Stopped by for late lunch on a Sunday afternoon and the restaurant was packed. There were only two 2-top tables available as well as two patio tables. We initially sat inside by their Roots Bistro sign, but the chairs a bit uncomfortable for me, so we opted to sit outside. The staff escorted us out and sat us with menus. We ordered the Wagyu Pho Special $19, Softshell crab salad $8, Thai Duo Iced Tea $5.50, and Viet Iced Coffee with Condensed Milk $5.50. The Wagyu Pho Special was perfect for two people. It also came with a larger serving of tripe compared to other places! The broth was not very hot, but it had a fairly deep beef flavor. The wagyu was very tender & succulent and the tendon was like jello, it was lovely! The Softshell Crab Salad was a lot smaller than we expected, but with the Mango Kaffir Dressing, it was absolutely delicious. It was very light and refreshing. The Viet Iced Coffee was perfect! We thought about ordering another coffee to go, but we didn't because we were so stuffed at the end. It was perfectly bitter, aromatic, and sweet. I'm curious to taste their plain black Viet coffee but they said that they were out of it. The Thai Duo Iced Tea lacked a bit of flavor, but it was refreshing nonetheless. The restaurant felt a bit understaffed, so I was trying to extend some grace to them. They were very kind, and overheard us discussing the size of the salad and comped it from our bill for us. I wished I had asked for them to clean off the table, there were a couple spots of bird poop and it was fairly dusty. But there was plenty of space, and it was a nice cool day. We knew what we wanted to order pretty quick and they took our order within 10 minutes. We waited an additional 20 minutes for them to bring cups of water to us as well. The wait for the food itself was very long- about 35 minutes, but at that point thankfully everything came out together! I'm definitely curious to visit here when it's not peak business hours or when they are staffed appropriately. read more

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The environment is great but I think we got there close to their closing time at 2:30 so they had ran out of some items. Regardless, food and service was great! their broth can't be compared, it's delicious on its own, no sauce needed at all! My son enjoyed the grilled pork spring rolls, egg rolls and some noodles, he loved them too! read more

Roots Bistro - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

Wowww, very very yummyyy. Someone back there in that kitchen is making the food with LOVE. My man and I, and his family have been there a total of 6 times already. Each and every time, we left frickin happy as a clam. The menu is simple- there isn't a grand number of 100 dishes, but that just means they have the means to focus on each individual dish as a whole and make it with care- and boy do they. Every dish is so delish, and the pho isn't made with MSG. I don't think anything there is. Sorry to you MSG lovers but I promise this place won't disappoint (if it does I owe all of ya'll a free bowl of Pho). Jokes aside, this little bistro is nestled in The Plant shopping center, one of my favorite plazas to go and probably would be satisfactory if I was a non-local coming for travel. Parking's a little crazy, but that's because everyone goes there. The way it's decorated inside is SO adorable and well-intentioned. You'll love all the cute little trinkets, wallpaper, and lights. Very chic and expressive, yet comforting and sophisticated. The service is professional, attentive, and friendly. They also have a variety of cool drinks and caffeinated drinks to pick from as well. Safe to say this is officially one of our go-to spots. read more

The wagyu pho, Vietnamese coffee and wings were delicious here. I love that their pho has no msg. The broth is worth trying and very flavorful. The vermicelli bowl was okay. The fish sauce I thought was too sweet. read more

Roots Bistro - Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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This spot is currently my favorite in San Jose! I've come 3x, and each visit my staples taste deliciously the same as the previous trip, and new dishes are just as flavorful and fun to eat! Pros- great flavors, unique dishes, and fun textures to boot. Their chicken salad with the shrimp chips is super fun and tasty! It's a 3-peat dish and remains just as good each time! Garlic noodles are also quite good, and also a 3-peat dish. Shaking beef was a table favorite as was the chicken salad. Drinks are also really good... my brother came with us the last trip over and couldn't decide which lemonade to order. He was given small samples of the two he was deciding on, which was very nice of the staff to do! Looking forward to going back again! Seriously, very tasty food and friendly service! Lots of parking too, if you park behind the restaurant. Cons- they are not open on Mondays. read more

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Cute little spot - surprisingly nice inside. Pho and spring rolls were good and service was fine. Overall, a decent spot for lunch or takeout. read more

Roots Bistro - Pork & Shrimp Spring Rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

cute lil place, for some reason I wasn't expecting this kinda vibe in this area lol there's a few tables outside but we opted to sit inside sizzling shaking beef - 7/10 normally comes with bread but we asked for rice instead - however the rice seemed to be sitting out for a bit of time in that specific shape maybe, cus the whole outer layer was getting kinda dry & hard normal shaking beef - 6/10 pretty good beef & bigger chunks than I expected, however the garlic noodles were like GARLIC noodles lol - which made me a lil sad bc the noodle texture was cooked to the perfect chewiness but oh MAN it was enough garlic to repel a hoard of vampires lol I had to stop eating it bc I kept drinking water & eating rice to wash the taste out of my mouth - and even then, I was still tasting garlic in my mouth til like 12hrs later right before I brushed my teeth note these two dishes were $1 apart in price (I can't remember which was more expensive lol) service was good, considering the circumstances lol - it was just one guy running around taking orders & serving orders & seating people & bringing checks & giving to-go boxes & checking doordash pickups, etc - so I I definitely noticed a few groups waiting a bit for the thing they needed, people waiting to be seated, people waiting to get a box, waiting to get their check so they could go, waiting to be able to place their orders, etc ... we had to wait to ask for our check bc we felt bad asking when he was running around doing stuff for other tables also we never got our water refilled even tho we drank them all so I started drinking from my own water bottle that I had with me lol absolutely no fault of the guy there bc he did a pretty good job w how much was going on but I just felt kinda bad for him read more

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Great food, reasonable prices, and a wide variety of options! Whether you're in the mood for a rice dish or some wagyu pho, this bistro has something for everyone :) Service was amazing since we were their first customers of the day. He was very accommodating and answers whatever questions we have. read more

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I was ravenous after a long day and was happy to find this restaurant with high ratings in this area. The chicken rice was great! The fried chicken was delicious and the breading was unique and very tasty. The portions were generous, and it was a good mix of protein, carbs, and veggies. The decor is cool, note that this is a a small spot and might be challenging for large parties. They do have some tables outside as well The guys working here are pleasant and hard-working, and I wish them the very best. read more

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OMG I went to Wingstop right next door and just saw this place and their menu looks bomb!!! I wished I ordered for them originally. I am catholic so tomorrow is Lent no meat..but all good I will be back on Saturday. But I did place a quick order: Beef Carpaccio Salad...I will update my review once I devour it lol. The lady at the front desk was quick to take my order too. read more

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I got the special pho and it was packed with flavor--easily one of the better bowls I've had. Service was quick, everything came out clean with no issues, and their recommendations were spot-on. The kitchen's big and surprisingly well-ventilated, so you don't walk out smelling like broth, which is a win if you're dressed up. Definitely recommend Root Bistro if you're in the area. Oh and the Vietnamese coffee.. well yummmmyy read more

Roots Bistro - The menu - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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First time visiting this place to try a new viet restaurant. The settings was nice but it was a cold day and even with door closed, the inside was still low temp. We had Goi Cuon, Pho Vegetarian, Shanek Filet Mignon with Garlic noodles and Sizzling plate of filet mignon with bread. My dish was the sizzling plate and comparing it with a few that I had eaten before, this was just ok. The flavor wasn't there as good, the eggs were overcooked instead of just enough so the yolks could dripped out. The beef was well done. The overall of the dish was smaller to other restaurants and for its priced. The other dishes was just decent from what the family said. read more

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Came here for lunch over the weekend and thankfully had no trouble finding parking or getting a table. We decided to share the wagyu brisket pho and the grilled chicken egg roll bowl. The waiters were all great and kept checking in on us. The food was quickly served and they provided extra bowls for us to share. Food was yummy and pretty reasonably priced. For drinks we got the jasmine green tea and the iced strawberry matcha. I really liked that the sweetness of the matcha, but wish they had boba. Would definitely want to come back and try more dishes. read more

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we love Roots Bistro so much so that we drive from contra costa county just to eat here. I would consider this AsIan fusion. The food is always fresh and creative and did i mention the prices are very reasonable. There is plenty of parking in the backside of the building. I tend to always get either the Rib plate or ribs alone with different side dishes. I often get the fried wonton and went with karage chicken too. my wife usually gets a chicken plate and or pho. the servings are good size and the service is always good. I noticed a donut shop nearby if your craving a donut afterwards but we are usually too full for dessert. read more

Roots Bistro - Fried wonton with my love - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

While in the area, I looked up Vietnamese and Roots Bistro with their Wagyu Pho caught my eye. Here's what we had: Wagyu Pho Dac Biet - the beef was tender and not dry like their lean counterparts, broth was flavorful Seafood Udon - good, but not my favorite Crispy Shrimp Rolls - fried breaded shrimp, cucumber, and carrot/daikon pickle wrapped in lettuce and wrapped again in rice paper, yum Service was attentive, helpful, and friendly. read more

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I really enjoyed the soft shell crab as a crunchy snack/appetizer. However, the wagyu pho didn't really stand out to me. My main dish was the seafood udon and it has that gelatinous egg drop soup consistency. I didn't really taste much seafood on the broth but it comes with shrimp, pork and eggs and other toppings. The udon was nice and bouncy so that part was good. I really liked the style and decor as well and will possibly try the dry dishes next time. read more

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They've updated their menu since the last time I was here. My colleague wanted soup and sos t want to go to far from work. So we decided to stop here. The both has definitely improved. It was bad last time, but this time around s it had more of an authentic taste. They give you plenty of meat but not overbearing. The meat also tasted fresh. The only down side was that the noodle was a bit too al dente. We also got the soy garlic fish sauce wings, not the traditional wings I'm use to, but still good. Still a great place for this end of town. read more

Roots Bistro - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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Flavorful, large portioned dishes with unique flavors. The broth for the Seafood Udon was creamy, more like a ramen broth, but went well with the variety of seafood included anyway. Service was on the slow side, but it was a busy holiday, so perhaps they weren't expecting it to be so busy. Parking can be a challenge in The Plant. read more

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Small place at The Plant. Food was awesome! Came on a Friday for lunch. My friends brought their kids (ages 2-7) and they were very accommodating. Truly appreciate that! Busy parking lot as there are many other restaurants & retail shops here like Famous Dave's, IHOP, Applebee's, Target, Ulta....will definitely come back when I have more time! read more

Wow is for starters. A few of my girlfriends got together and we met up here. We tried different dishes and each one was wonderful. The smell in the restaurant was amazing. I will return again. The service was excellent just a wonderful surprise. read more

Roots Bistro - Filet Minon - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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Granted that I was there a while back (Nov & Dec 2023), but I still heard good things about it recently, so I think it's worth it to write about it. This is a modern and clean bistro serving high quality Vietnamese food. Need I say more? When a place is clean, it just puts ur mind at ease. I also think it shows the owner cares about what they do and serve. I experience the "care" through its friendly service, great food in taste and in presentation, and the cute and clean dining space. And what's up with the price?! It's very reasonable without all that crazy add ons. I hope more ppl know about this place because for both the times I was there during dinner times, the place was kind of empty. See my pictures with descriptions. Enjoy! read more

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Stopped by on a weekend in hopes to order the beef stew but they weren't serving it that day, sadly. We are suckers for Vietnamese beef stew so that was a bummer. We ended up trying the crispy shrimp spring rolls, pho, and shaken beef. Everything was delicious!! Using crispy, fried shrimp in a spring roll was unique. I love the crunch and texture that it adds. The shaken beef was well marinated and even the rice was full of flavor. The meat was incredibly tender too! The noodles in the pho were so dang soft and perfect! And the meat once again was high quality and tender. The broth had depth and we didn't even need to add in any sauces. Aside from the fantastic food, the interior is also so cute. I love all the different light fixtures. When eating Vietnamese food, I'm used to go to "no frills" type joints, which of course I don't mind at all, but the ambiance here was a pleasant change. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Got the side order of garlic noodles and these were BOMB. The cilantro sauce elevated the flavors even further. Well done! Got the shaking beef sizzle plate thing with rice, and I enjoyed it very much. Great flavor on the meat and good balance of flavors with the mushroom and kimchee. Topped it off with the strawberry matcha latte. Overall, I left extremely satisfied and will absolutely come back. read more

The Pho broth was good where you can tell there is a difference. The place was nice and clean - we got there before 6pm on Saturday, (party of 3), where we got to sit anywhere that was available. The wait staff and the manager was courteous and had a pleasant experience overall. We'll be back again to try different items next time! read more

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Authentic viet food? Not at all. Great stepping stone for those that are trying to dip their toes in. Great service. I wish there was more fish sauce, but it's the perfect amount for the audience they are marketing towards read more

Roots Bistro - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

After Target I was hungry and wanted to find something to eat in The Plant. I was debating between a couple places but decided to try Roots Bistro. I came in for lunch and there was only one other table. I decided to order a bowl of pho and a side of garlic noodles with no meat. HELLO!!! I highly recommend the garlic noodles This dish was simply delicious!!! The cilantro sauce that came on the side of the garlic noodles was different but really good. The garlic noodles on its own was great..but when I put a couple drops of the cilantro sauce on the garlic noodles it made it even better!!! My mouth was poppin with flavor eating the garlic noodles!!! The garlic noodles were so good I decided to order a garlic noodles with shrimp to bring home to my dad. The pho here was also very satisfying. The broth here tastes better than most other pho places I have eaten at. The broth did not lack flavor and the aroma of the pho smelled very good. Overall, I had a really good lunch at Roots Bistro. David was my server and he was really nice and attentive. I will be back soon..I always crave pho..and now I know where to come when I'm craving garlic noodles!!!! read more

I was craving for garlic noodle and found this restaurant! Food, service, price, ambiance are all 5 stars! Their shaking beef served with garlic noodle was one of the best I had! Filet mignon was perfectly cooked (medium rare), very tender and easy to chew. Garlic noodle was also very flavorful! For this amount of meat, it's very good price! Pho was also good, broth was flavorful without msg and meat was soft not dry. we got fresh noodle but portion felt a bit small and noodle was a bit soft for my liking. maybe stick with regular noodle next time. Spring roll came more than most Vietnamese restaurants (4 instead of 2?) And vegetable was fresh! Service was super friendly and attentive. The restaurant looks modern and very clean! I usually go East San Jose for Vietnamese food but this place is better than a lot of them (quality food , so much cleaner & friendly service!) cannot wait to come back n try more dish! read more

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Love this place. Came in the other day craving some Bo Ne but unfortunately they only serve it on weekends. So I ordered their beef carpaccio, seafood udon, and shaking beef. I would recommend all 3! We enjoyed everything, especially the beef carpaccio! That was my favorite! I really liked all 3, so I'm sure everything on the menu taste great and prepared with much love/consideration by the Chef. Will have to explore the menu some more when we go back again! On my way out, I was informed by the Server that they're working on adding more items to their menu, so I'm looking forward to that! Definitely not your traditional Vietnamese restaurant. It's a little classier/modern. So expect to pay a little more, but I promise the food is worth the price. Food eats first, so don't forget to snap a photo and show your support! ;) read more

Roots Bistro - Beef Carpaccio served with fried rice paper chips. SO GOOD! - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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Totally came here on a whim. My mom was hungry and I was about to bring her to Costco, but I also had a Facebook Marketplace sale to make at this plaza, and seeing as how everything at this plaza is a chain, Roots Bistro seemed interesting. It was a bright sunny day but it wasn't hot, but I also wasn't in much of a soup mood. Roots Bistro is a really nice place that seemed to focus on Vietnamese food with a small menu that seems to be a bit more expanded. Unfortunately, we were there on a week day. My mom had a bowl of their Wagyu Pho while I had the shaken beef. The presentation was beautiful. I took a nice photo of the Shaken Beef. As for how it was... it was fine. The salad had no dressing and there was a lot of bell peppers so they all added naturals flavor to go with the turmeric rice. I felt like it could use more meat but it is what it is. My mom's pho was solid. The broth was good and beef was absolutely amazing. The noodles though left much to be desired. It had a starchy consistency to it and didn't taste as fresh as everything else we had on the day. The brown sugar lemonade was also solid and my mom's Thai tea was too. The service was fine. It was just the clerk there to help us out who was nice. I won't be in any hurry to come back here. read more

Roots Bistro - Shaken beef - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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Service: Super prompt & easygoing. The server gave us his top recommmendations without prompting which always helps! They have a special plate on the weekends We got the pho and the shaken beef plate super delicious. Wish there were more veggies on the shaken beef but you get a lot of beef Pho was good, would have liked more veg ! Good spot will be back newer spot so has a nice interior read more

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While looking for a good authentic pho place, my bf stumbled upon this restaurant on Yelp so we decided to check it out tonight. Place is easy to find, w/ tons of parking really anywhere. It's in a busy plaza but don't let that stop you from trying this place out. They have outdoor seatings so we'll try that next time. Inside was clean, elegant, and calming. The music wasn't too loud and every one's tone/volume was low. When we came, there was one guy at the front who did everything: took orders, brought out the dishes, took payment, and cleaned up. He did it w/ such a calm demeanor and very respectful to all the customers. We ordered wagyu pho special. I'm not sure if there was NO MSG (which is what they claimed), but it was definitely less MSG than other pho places. Wagyu was really tender and soft. Broth wasn't too salty and they provided enough of tendons, brisket, meatballs, and veggies (on the side). If you eat bean sprouts, it's better when it's steamed and you can ask for that. We saw the table in front of us ordered some rice plants and that also looks pretty appetizing so we will have to try that the next time we're back! read more

Roots Bistro - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

Pro: extremely friendly staff Cons: the sizzling tofu plate did not come with rice which I found to be very strange. Also, the garlic bread was not garlic bread - it was regular toast. At $18, it was also quite pricey. I would not come back. read more

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I ordered the grilled pork vermicelli and it was just okay. The pieces of pork were small and almost shredded? Not the typical grilled pork you'd find for this dish at other Vietnamese restaurants. In terms of flavor, it was lacking and wasn't as good as other Vietnamese restaurants in the east side or Vietnam Town. Maybe their pho is better since that seems to be what others are raving this place for. I'll come back for the pho next time. read more

Roots Bistro - Grilled Pork Vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

First time eating at a Vietnamese restaurant. I normally don't like noodles or pho until I ate at this restaurant. Amazing! Food is fresh, healthy, and full of flavor. Yummy! I plan on trying every single item on the menu. Service is awesome and it's a laid-back cozy ambience to enjoy a nice meal. Great portions and I like how they prepare takeout food. read more

When husband and I have a little time to go out for dinner, we come to Roots because of how close it is to our house. Inside is very cozy and welcoming. The 2 gentleman who we always see working the front are wonderful, very kind and polite. We believe this place is family owned which makes us want to support them even more. Our go to dishes here are the shrimp ceviche, wagyu pho and wagyu fried rice. Their drinks also taste better than most boba shops. Please try their Thai Green Iced Tea & Strawberry Matcha Latte. I wish these drinks were available to DoorDash! read more

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We had the absolute pleasure of having Roots Bistro cater our tea ceremony, and it was one of the best decisions we made. After dining at the restaurant beforehand, we were blown away by the quality, flavors, and presentation, and we knew immediately that our guests would love the food. We were not mistaken -- everyone was raving about how delicious everything was! Not only was the food outstanding, but they also went above and beyond in helping provide the ceremonial trays, including the whole pig, which was such an integral and meaningful part of the tradition. Their attention to detail and respect for the cultural elements of the ceremony made everything feel seamless and special. The dishes were fresh, beautifully prepared, and full of flavor, and the team was professional, organized, and a joy to work with. Our tea ceremony felt even more memorable because of their care and expertise, and we are so grateful to [Caterer/Restaurant Name]. We cannot recommend them highly enough! read more

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Keep Me in the Soup I don't know about y'all, but after this brutal summer, I'm ready to bust out my hoodies and for some fall weather. For most, fall means pumpkin spice everything, but for me, fall means the official beginning of soup season. While it's a little too early to ring in the soup year, the recent drop in weather to the low '80s had me feeling like maybe we could dip our toe, which lead us to Roots Bistro. After reading all the glowing reviews about their Phở,I knew I would have to try it to myself and see if it's worth the hype. Spoiler alert: it is. The Good: *We enjoyed the modern décor and ambiance but with distinctive Vietnamese flair. *Service was friendly, fast, and efficient. Make sure you go up to the counter to pay, and don't wait for them to bring you a check. *They do accept Venmo™ as payment if that's what you're into. *Dog-friendly outdoor seating--however I'm not sure if they will serve you outside or not? Might be one of those you have to order takeout and eat it there kinda deals--but like I said, I'm not 100%. Hopefully, the owners will respond. *Pricing is pretty dang good, and they give you ample serving sizes. *Pork Fried Wontons were delicious, and we really enjoyed the Sriracha-mayo dipping sauce. The presentation is really unique, too. *Crispy Shrimp Spring Rolls were also another unique app. I don't recall seeing it before, but the crunch from the fried shrimp was a nice textural difference. *The Phở broth was ridiculously good. It's rare that I don't ever add a little extra sauces to gussy it up, but this was perfect on its own. Deep beefy umami flavor with the right mix of spices made this extremely slurp-worthy. *Make sure you get the rare tender Wagyu on the side and cook it in the broth to your liking. *I didn't try the Shaking Beef, but Carissa gave it a big thumbs up. The Meh: *Fresh noodles were good, but I felt like they started to disintegrate rather quickly, which made them hard to wrangle with the chopsticks. The Ugly: *Located at The Plant, this isn't my favorite shopping center as the clientele tends to be on the hoody side, and the parking can be a bit of a shit-show. *I'm not sure why, but despite this place being open six months, it's not getting much love here on Yelp. But it's definitely worth seeking out. TLDR: Delicious food, good service, and fair prices--what more do you need?! read more

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