Got into town late at night and this was one of the few choices near the hotel. Coming from DC, where Vietnamese food is an elevated art form, I didn't have very high expectations, and was proven correct. Here's the lowdown. On the plus side, the large pho was HUGE, and there was a very generous amount of meat, especially the fatty brisket. On the negative side, the broth was very salty and there wasn't much taste of beef in the broth. The tendon also was a little funky in texture and taste. But overall, it was okay for a meal in a pinch, and probably better than the McDonald's option for dinner. Service was decent. read more

Food: I usually order the Pho Tom and it's always delicious, my friend usually orders something different each time we go and she's usually been satisfied with her meals with the exception of once. The description on the menu wasn't satisfactory and she ordered a dish thinking it was going to have soft noodles, but it had crispy noodles instead, and very little meat. On a side note, I always see loads of asian people here and I take that as a sign of good asian food. Cost: Appropriately priced, I feel I am getting what I pay for with this establishment. Dining Area: Standard large booths line the walls and there are some standard tables in the center, nothing fancy, but adequate. Parking: Parking is in a shopping center, however it can be hard to find spots at times, but there is usually a spot 'somewhere'. Try to avoid the weekends. Service: Okay, so service here isn't the best. They are very slow and I usually see them texting on their phones and/or sitting at booths doing nothing while customers drinks are empty or almost empty. Usually when I first get there, my friend wants to look over the menu to see what new dish she wants to try, so we tell the server to give us a 'few minutes' to decide, usually it takes 20-30 minutes before they return to take our order and that's too long, again they usually plop down somewhere and start texting, not good. However, once the order is take the food usually comes out at a good speed and all goes well from there. Summary: The service leaves a bit to be desired, but the food is usually spot on and that is the reason I'll continue to give this place my business. I dinged them two stars for bad service. read more

I used to really enjoy this place, and go once or twice a week, but it seems in recent month the things I liked about them have severely gone downhill. The service is usually spotty-- guys in T-shirts who come and stare and you and nod when you tell them what you want. Sometimes they are more attentive, but this is the general position. There is definitely a wide array of options, from Vietnamese to Thai to Chinese. The soup comes in enormous bowls that three people could eat, and then there is the large! I was pretty overwhelmed by the size of the order, I couldn't do much but sit and stare into broth. The General Tso's chicken (usually my favorite dish anywhere) has gone downhill from very crispy about a year ago, to kind of soggy and bland. They do have a wide variety of bubble teas, much of which I've enjoyed, though they are rather expensive (a large with bubbles is almost $5). Hopefully this place will get back to how it used to be, but for a while I would advise going elsewhere. read more

Pretty standard food. It's close to campus, which is the only reason I went. I had some type of shrimp roll appetizer which was pretty good. Basil chicken for dinner was typical fare. It's also a relatively inexpensive place, so I wasn't expecting anything too glossy. Maybe I'll come back to try the pho. read more

Excellent food period. It happens to be pho soup or other Vietnamese dishes. Today I ordered lunch portion of tofu and veggies. My son likes the small pho with rice too. Great eats. Easy service. Reasonable prices. Food is served quickly as well even when they are crowded. My son says the soup tastes like it's real. By this he means that it's natural and not processed. read more

Saigon Cafe - Small pho with chopsticks and appetizer soup. - Vietnamese Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

Came here after shopping at the publix. tried one of the Vietnamese combo and spring rolls which tasted great. My friend ordered the salad bun with shrimp and boba tea which also tasted great. I'll come again. read more

Two thumbs down. I LOVE good curry but didn't get anything delicious at this restaurant. Asked for extra hot, it was extra bland, no heat and very little spice. Not rich either. Also you have to make a special request for basil on the spring rolls. This is the first place I've been to that omitted the herb that makes these taste good (either cilantro or basil are standard ingredients.). Also only a B from the health department. In grad school as in restaurants, "B" is bad. Located so near the Emory campus, one would expect higher aspirations. read more

I use to come to this restaurant all the time but the staff turned me off very unprofessional and I do not trust them with my food. They close early so do not bother even coming close to the times they say they open or close. Very rude unprofessional staff read more

BUBBLE TEA! YAY! Anyway, I truly did enjoy my visit to Saigon Cafe. Before coming to school, my family and I rarely went to ethnic-type restaurants. So, since being here, I have made it a point to go to restaurants from around the world. Saigon Cafe is definitely one of ma favorites by far. I actually got something pretty basic (General Tso's Chicken) but was completely satisfied with it. I also tasted some of my friend's noodle dishes, and was very impressed by theirs as well. Also, the authenticity of the restaurant is worth noting. The waiter we had was too cute (he seemed a little flustered - it could have been because he had to wait on a table full of girls) and our food was delivered very fast for the number of customers in the restaurant. And their bubble tea was really cool. I had never even heard of it before, so the first time I had it I was super excited. Overall, I would definitely recommend. read more

Wow. I don't think I've ever had a soup more disgusting in my life. The chicken didn't look like chicken? Wtf is that? Processed chicken. I'm not even sure. I hope I don't get sick from the few bites I had. I instantly returned it. Ruined my night. Save yourself and do not come here... read more

Service kills the experience. Like others have said, there's plenty of places to go on Buford hwy or Jimmy Carter, and this place is nothing special as far as the food goes. The thing that really kills it is the awful service. Even though we showed up at 9 we were rushed out of there as fast as possible. If they want to be out of there by 10 they should close at 9:30. They actually told us to "sign this now" (referring to the check) and told a table next to us " I'm tired, you leave." At that point it was only 9:45. F-this place. read more

By now you've read the thorough and reliable opinions of other yelpers. You know the food can be delicious or dull, depending on what you order. You know the hours, service, prices and so forth. Is it the absolute best pho in our fair city? Probably not. Nor is it the worst. For the price this restaurant delights more than it disappoints. Here's what gets me. When you sit down in the restaurant, if you happen to face toward the kitchen in the rear, you'll see a strange ornamental arrangement, an illusion of sorts running along the ceiling. It looks as though it's meant to convey the appearance of a second story nested in the upper reaches of the first floor -- presumably, this tiny, four-feet high level is the secret abode of the secret cabal of pho elves who, like their Keebler cousins, spend an inordinate amount of time obsessing over the perfection of a specific cuisine, dish or dessert. Now that I think of it, this weird pseudo-second floor may wrap around the entire upper portion of the dining room. Of course, this probably isn't likely. Modern science has a lot of research under its belt, and tiny pho elves, were they real, would probably have already been discovered. Still, it's fun to think about. And if you were there with a couple of boring people like I was, stuck listening to some meandering story (similar to this review, I imagine) about things that are more or less irrelevant, you'll at least have some decent food and a mysterious second floor story with which to entertain yourself. If you're unsure, go for that charboiled pork. I stop by there on a semi-regular basis. No sign of pho elves yet. read more

When it first opened, this places would've gotten about 4.5 stars. Their servers gave great service, the food tasted great, they were located at a very convenient place for me, and their food cost very little. But I moved away from the Dekalb county area. I also heard the owner moved to another location to focus on (I think he went to Saigon Basil or something). Man the quality of food went downhill pretty fast. The service went downhill a bit too. But I think that's because they had new staff, they didn't recognize us. Since we used to go there regularly, they treated us pretty well when we used to go often. I guess I just expected to feel at home again. I'm just bummed their food went downhilll bad. It was one of my favorite Pho places. read more

So I'm eating pho at this saigon cafe in Atlanta and this is the second time a Vietnamese restaurant here plays weird dining music. The first one played a soundtrack of Celine dions greatest hits and now this one is playing symphonies of big theme songs like Star Wars intro music and 007s opening song. I dunno how I feel about eating pho while listening to James Bond music. Now they're playing the theme song from Indiana jones. I feel like I'm being chased by bandits while I'm trying to eat my pho! Besides the terrible dining music, the pho is flavorful. The medium sized bowl is large! It comes with a lot of noodles. I thoroughly enjoyed my pho. However, their boba tea was meh. It tasted watered down and the boba was a little undercooked. I also got the summer rolls, but it tasted like it's been wrapped for the morning and sitting in the fridge all day. It was super cold. Usually fresh made summer rolls are a little warm because u have to wet the wrap in warm water before wrapping stuff into it. This was def pre-made. The peanut sauce also lacked effort. It was just hoisin sauce with crushed peanuts on top. C'mon guys! It was ok. I would come back for just the pho though and not bother with anything else. They seem to have gotten their noodle soups on fleek. I'm not sure about everything else. read more

I really like this place. It's one of my regular spots for lunch. The food is good, the prices are very reasonable, and the service is usually good. The only awkward thing about the service is that if you come with a group, they don't bring everyone's dish at the same time. They just bring out each dish as the kitchen finishes it, so if you practice the custom of not eating until everyone gets their food, you might wanna let it go for eating here. My favorite thing to get here is the B1. It's bowl of room-temp rice vermicelli topped with charbroiled pork (with a yummy, sweet glaze) and shrimp, julianned cucumber, carrot, lettuce, sprouts, and green onion, with a cup of very mildly spicy broth to pour over the top, and a spring roll. The flavors are very subtle, yet delicious. You get a nice temperature contrast with the hot meat and the cool noodles and veggies, and the little bits of charred pork provide an extra level of flavor and texture. They also make really good beef rendang, pad thai, and some of the best pho I've had in Atlanta. I'm a fan. read more

I rarely give a one star rating but this place deserves it for both food and service. There used to be a Saigon Cafe near Piedmont Hospital where I used to be a regular and LOVED it. Unfortunately they closed so I was happy to find this location. I ordered my regular Singapore Noodle beef but it was tasteless. When the server made her rounds she asked how things were and I suggested that the dish lacked flavor. Upon this she suggested "Well most of our patrons are Americans" I was very close to telling her that Americans eat food with taste and flavor. I just asked for my check. Not going back. read more

Sadly, this location does not stand up to its brother on Piedmont. Not by a long shot! Service is fast and friendly but cannot make up for the extremely bland food. We ordered egg rolls and they came with packets of sweet and sour sauce. Really? PACKETS at a sit-down restaurant? There's a first time for everything I guess. I got the spicy basil eggplant with tofu, expecting it to be somewhat similar to its dish at the Piedmont location, but not by a long shot. It was bland, bland, bland and the brown rice that I got with it was very dry. Husband's chicken massuman was so runny and watery, it was akin to soup, not curry. My taro milk tea with tapioca also just didn't taste fresh and I was disappointed. Too bad, we won't be back! The fast food version on Piedmont is by far better food for the same value. read more

It's always an adventure going out to eat with one of my friends. We were contemplating somewhere on Buford Highway last night, but with his dietary restrictions (no pigs) and my "if I can't identify it, I don't eat it" rule, that nixed that pretty much immediately. Pho seemed like a safe choice for both of us because, let's face it, you can't go wrong with noodles, broth, & easily identifiable meat. So Saigon Cafe it was. We were seated immediately, but it took a little while for someone to come over and take our order. It's not like it was slammed on a Sunday night. I got the chicken pho and he got the beef. Fortunately it was white meat chicken and, thus, didn't violate my rule. I haven't had enough pho to judge, but it was a huge portion, cheap, and tasty. What more can I ask for? read more

Yuck. How you screw the pooch on grilling meat, I just don't know. Especially if you call yourself a restaurant. Its like the most universal thing. Did a carry-out, and I got back to my office, only 5 minutes away, then discovered cold, flavorless chicken, flavorless sauce, watery noodles, and a lifeless fried spring roll. The thing is, I ordered one of the simplest, staple Vietnamese dishes, the Bun with grilled meat, with spring roll (they did not even bother to chop the rolls in with the vermicelli - another bummer). My third time at one of the Saigon Cafes. Only 2-stars both previous times, but today sealed the deal. Need to stick to the script: Buford Hwy or Jimmy Carter for Vietnamese. The thing is, I work in Decatur, and I REALLY wanted some Bun today. (Next time, I'll go that hole-in-the-wall in Clarkston, can't remember the name, but they're not bad). Note to Thyself (Yet Again): Do not eat at places that try to specialize in multiple Asian foods. (Here its Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese). They usually suck at one or more or all of them! read more

I was craving pho recently... really craving it. And Saigon Cafe happens to be the closest restaurant that has pho. So I made my hubs go with me to get some dinner there. We ordered: large pho with flank, tendon, and tripe and rice plate (C1- com bi cha thit nuong) which came with charboiled pork, shredded pork, baked egg over rice. We also shared an avocado shake. My pho broth flavor was blah, and laced with MSG. It was one of the least flavorful pho broths I've had. You can tell there wasn't much beef used in the actual making of the broth, but just flavor enhancers (like MSG) tossed to make it semi-drinkable. When you don't have a good broth, that kills the pho for me. The rice plate was mediocre too. The charboiled pork was pretty flavorful, but there wasn't much of it. Most of the plate was just rice, a cheap stomach filler. The baked egg, according to the hubs, tasted like rubber. NOT a good sign. I feel like I come to Saigon Cafe about once a year, again since it's the closest Vietnamese restaurant to where I live. But after several sub-par experiences, I think I'm finished with Saigon Cafe. Next time I'll make the farther drive up to Buford Hwy to get real pho and Viet food. read more

I've only had the pho so far here, but it was pretty good. My expectations weren't high for a place like this, but it sure hit the spot. The portion is big and it's an all-around pretty solid bowl of pho. I got meatballs on the side which were pretty good... until I found a dead fly floating in the broth. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that doesn't happen often. Kind of reminds me of a Vietnamese "Islands" per the décor, but all in all, not bad for a fairly cheap and good meal (pho). read more

If I'm really craving Pho nearby I'll stop by here. For some reason, this Saigon doesn't have the same pizzazz as the other locations. There is nothing really wowing about the pho. The staff is incredibly friendly and the place is clean and very well kept. I feel the menu is a little overwhelming, too many things to choose from. read more

One night while we were unpacking we noticed this place right around the corner from our house and decided to try it out. It's not bad! The decor is cute, and laid out so you can kind of see the kitchen. We ordered the Mussaman Curry with tofu and the fried tofu appetizer. We ended up dumping the fried tofu pieces into our curry for extra yum. The service was great, the food was quick, and the price was right. we will definitely be back again next time we need a quick bite to eat. read more

Food always comes out fast even when they're busy. I've never been disappointed with any of their food options. I'm a huge fan or their pho and shaking beef. I've tried many other dishes and haven't found one that I didn't like. Their taro smoothie with bubble is my favorite! I miss some of their old servers, but the new ones are great! The 15 min drive once a week is super worth it. Great food for cheap! read more

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I stopped in to try a bowl of pho. It wasn't too bad, I don't think I'm a pho person though after eating some. It was a bit bland to me overall. I think I would have liked it better if the ingredients were actually cooked together and not just mixed after the fact. I have eaten here on other occasions and enjoyed my meals. I'm defiantly a fan of the Thai fried rice with pineapple. It has a little kick to it so be careful. I usually like to enjoy some with a cup of bubble tea, the flavor varies with my mood. :) read more

Saigon Cafe - Cheese Puffs and pinnapple dipping sauce - Vietnamese Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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They have some bomb pad Thai and really good smoothies with boba. However the rest of the food is sub par but still pretty good and cheap.

Vietnamese inspired fast food. It does come to your table fast. Basically as fast as it takes the server to walk from the table to the kitchen and back. They must have the pho bowls sitting under heat lamps there. Passable if in a great hurry and on a super tight budget but avoid otherwise. read more

Even when the service isn't great... hey sometimes a girl has got to have her "B4". What can I say? I usually order the rice vermicelli with tofu, shrimp and egg role. Vermicelli noodles are what you would except, just in a HUGE serving size. Though vermicelli itself is kinda bland, and not for everyone, I think the veggies and fish sauce it comes with really hit the spot. The tofu itself is awesome. People who don't like tofu, and think that the idea of tofu is nasty, well you have to try it here. It's not watery and gooey inside like a uncooked egg, instead it's well seasoned, thin, and very lightly fried. You really should try it you will be surprised. The shrimp that it comes with can really be a hit or miss. Sometimes I've had the shrimp and it's been great, and other times it has been far from fresh. The egg role that comes with I never eat because it's got pork in it...oh well. Lately I've been having some serious cravings for the Vietnamese filtered coffee. I love it when they bring me the coffee mug with the filter sitting on top, but lately our new waitress has just been bringing me a plastic cup with the coffee already sweetened, iced, and filtered. It really breaks my heart when they do this, and I wish they'd just go back to bringing me the condensed milk and ice on the side. They have another name for it, but their crab rangoon is pretty good. It comes with a sweet pineapple sauce on the side. It's yummy. Saigon Cafe is not at all traditional Vietnamese, and it's very Americanized, but though it's not the best, it's not bad either. My biggest complaint has to be the service. Sometimes the waiters can be very friendly, and other times the waitresses can be very rude and nagging. The other day the waitress told me I was ordering wrong, so I pulled out the menu and pointed to the item and said "no really i want B4, and I know what I'm ordering". She didn't even say sorry... read more

First of all, Saigon Cafe is the reason I first fell in love with bubble tea back when I was a teen. Consistently delicious and chewy, although now I prefer Snow Mountain's bubble tea (and it's closer to me). However, I wouldn't order bubble teas in their last hour.. the tapioca balls lose their chewiness. Their phos are also great. Anyway, between the Emory Saigon and the one in Gwinnett, this one is better because they also serve Thai cuisine. They have this eggplant dish that is Off The Chain. I used to work in Gwinnett and it really drove me insane that the Saigon there didn't carry that eggplant dish. Anyway, I rarely go towards Emory.. I just go whenever my tenants need me, so it's always a treat to eat there when I can. read more

Food is ok. Very inexpensive to eat here and food comes to you quickly. The service here is ok and at times their inexperience shows. The Pad Thai here reeks of fish sauce. The Basil Eggplant with chicken and tofu here is really good. read more

Awful. I have been to several Vietnamese restaurants around Atlanta, St. louis, OC, and in Vietnam, and tonight's dinner must be one of the worst Vietnamese I have ever had. I had tried their sister chain Saigon Baisil previously , and thought it tasted pretty fast-foody, but Saigon Cafe's food is identical. I ordered a Vietnamese rice dish with shredded pork and charbroiled chicken. The quality of the meat was poor and the flavor was completely lacking. I am still trying to find something to cleanse my palate. Although you can save some money eating here, much better choices include Chateau de Saigon and C'om. read more

As an Emory alumni, I have spent many a meal in Saigon Cafe. I now live right next to Buford Hwy, the true mecca of Vietnamese food, so I find it easier to satisfy my cravings there. However, if I'm ever in the Emory area, I know I can count on Saigon for a comforting and filling meal at a great price. Given that my palate has been ever so spoiled by Buford highway adventures, I can only give Saigon three stars. However, they are pretty consistent and I just can't stray away from a place that takes me back to my freshmen year of college. Their bubble tea is also pretty good (better than.. that other place further down in the shopping center) and the staff is always super nice! If you're in the area, then swing by for some pho! read more

The two things I've heard about this place are "value" and "service", of which I received neither. They charge about the same for pho than comparable Vietnamese restaurants, and the food is actually worse. I had the pad thai (normal priced) but the noodles were both very tough and bland, not to mention mushy. The food came out within 2 minutes of ordering which makes me feel that the mushiness was because it had been left out for a while. Service was okay at best, we were a bit in a hurry and sat around for about 5 minutes before anyone took the credit card away, and another 5 minutes before they came back with the receipt. I personally won't be going back, it wasn't horrible overall, but that's not much of a compliment. read more

I ordered the Com Bo Luc Lac which is their filet mignon with rice and their Com Bi Cha Thit Nuong, their caramelized pork on top of steamed rice. For either choice you can get the fried egg option for $2 extra. Both entrees tasted good, but nothing spectacular. I do like that the meats were cooked well and did not contain any extra fat or tendons. Service was fast, and their server was nice enough to let me check in and get a free medium Boba drink with purchase. They have a very typical layout similar to other Saigon Cafes (they are a chain). Asian-themed furnishings with pictures of pho scattered across their walls. One unique part of this particular restaurant is that you have to walk through their drink station/open kitchen to get to their restrooms. I guess they didn't have the space so that these areas would be separate. I would recommend if you are in the area. Order came quickly and their service was fast. read more

We've been coming here for a while and I can say with confidence that the Thai and Vietnamese dishes are great! Especially the coconut soup. However the Chinese food leaves much to be desired. Last night we got the Orange Chicken and General Tao's Chicken and looking at them we could not tell the difference. Even tasting them is was hard to distinguish which one you were eating except for the peppers in the Tao's. read more

I just wanted to say, the little extras always make the difference. I was going to order for the first time from this Restaurant through Uber eats and I had questions about the soup. I called the Restaurant and talked to a very nice lady who spend close to 10 mins with me about soup. Which is a long time. I ordered and got my food and got a hand written message on my container. "Get well soon" I never write reviews but this was so sweet wanted to say thanks. And the soup was great. read more

Saigon Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

I ordered a rice dish with grilled chicken on the side, it was a little fatty but very tasty. I was overall pleased except for the service. A friend of mine tipped $4 on a $30 tab and the waitress decided to yell to the kitchen staff about how little he had tipped. We wont be going back. read more

Thai for the 1st time! Pad Thai (w chicken)? Sweet plate of noodely HEAVEN! Oh dear god... And the portions! I saved half for a large lunch! And it was $8 I think! RUN, don't walk here! Oh and get any drink with lychee or almond :D read more

It's places like these that made me not want to look for a pho place in Atlanta. I miss you, Viet House... In terms of location and decor, its fine. Right by Emory campus and decent decor that pays homage to the Asian without being stereotypical in a way most Asian food places go. My fresh spring roll was good. I had expectations for the pho. Clearly that's where I went awry. I ordered pho ga, hoping they make a chicken-based broth. They do, but what was served to me makes me hope its not their specialty. It was super pale and mostly flavorless. There's something about the chicken and the way its cooked that makes it even less tasty. I HAD TO ADD SOY SAUCE. After sriracha, culantro, basil, jalepeño, hosin and lime, it STILL didn't have enough flavor. My bean sprouts were a little old, but that was the least of my concerns. The search continues.... read more

Not impressed. Attractive inside, good menu selections. Food was so so. Service rather poor. Wait staff checked once after food arrived then dropped off the bill and after that basically wrote us off. No more water refills. No to go container offered. No inquiry if there was anything more we may want. Staff were not rude just not all that attentive. read more