This one will be my easiest review I have ever done. Love this place! Absolutely the best chinese/Vietnamese food you will ever have. I have been here a number of times and will come as often as I can. #1 dish is there signature hot & spicy chicken. Its always fresh and amazing. Everything here is A+ just dont take the owner personal, she can be a bit over the top but she is efficient. Must Go! read more

Saigon Kitchen - Hot & Spicy Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

The food is similar to what one would expect at the airport or a food court in a bad mall. The price is reasonable but the positive things end there. The spicy chicken was sweet, and not flavorful. The restaurant is cheap, cash only & with a decent helping size. They even charged me for ice after I brought a soda. Overall a bad experience and I will not repeat. read more

Saigon Kitchen - Spicy Chicken(was really just sweet and bland). - Chinese Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Tried to eat in at 4:00 PM on a Wednesday. Arrived to find a sign on the door "Be back in 1 hour" with no indication of when the sign was placed there. After standing by my car for 5 minutes trying to decide where else I could eat, the owner unlocked the door and waived me in. She said that she was waiting for a mechanic to pick her up and take her to her car that was being repaired. She told me I could order for take out only. She claimed to not have the first 3 things I tried to order. What Chinese restaurant doesn't have dumplings? She said they didn't sell so they no longer have them and she forgot to remove them from the menu. Also didn't have anything "bourbon" style for some reason. I had boneless spareribs, house fried rice, and shrimp/broccoli. $28. Horrible. Tasted strange. I've never had Chinese food this bad. Never again. read more

Saigon Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

This is one of those fast for lunch places not far from where I work. It seems like a LOT of people like this place, it's almost always crazy busy in there. Personally I guess I'm just not a fan, the fried rice has some weird flavors that I just find unappealing (greasy, flat tasting) and the seseame chicken was ok but still not on my top 10 (or top 20) for Chinese food. I probably won't be going back if I can avoid it. read more

For me, Saigon Kitchen has been a victim of location. Situated on Temple Street, it has been surrounded by some of my favorite quick lunch options. First there was Roscoe's, with their delicious hot dogs. Now there is DD's, with their gyro platters. Finally, though, I decided to try Saigon Kitchen. There are a number of Chinese takeout options, and Saigon is a step above most of them. The General Tso's is good, with just the right amount of sweetness and crunch. The fried rice isn't too greasy or overpowering. The staff is friendly and efficient, even during high traffic lunch hours. I have only been for lunch but I hear the dinner quality is even better. Given that it is on Temple Street, parking can be difficult if not impossible. However, it is worth the effort if you're looking for a good, quick lunch option downtown. read more

Take out American Chinese. I was here for lunch. Had the hot and spicy chicken. Pluses reasonably crispy for buffet, won ton soup despite the too large and somewhat heavy won tons was above average ( nicely flavored and seasoned broth) . Veggies in the chicken dish were cooked properly. Minuses? Chicken pieces of varying quality. Some were tender other gristly and greasy . If you like basic Chinese takeout you will like this. And it is clean and better than average . good for quick inexpensive meal. However I much prefer the creativity of a place like Meadow in simsbury. Even their Kung pao is a cut above. read more

Downtown Hartford's best option for greasy American Chinese food! I do like to be a fatty every now and then though.. so I've indulged and was not blown away, but I wasn't disappointed either. If you find yourself in the mood for some American Chinese food, consider Saigon Kitchen! If nothing else but the lack of other (American style) Chinese restaurants! :) read more

The owner has really bad attitude. Even asking for two pairs of chopsticks would piss her off and make her threaten us to charge us with the fee of them. Come on, we took the noodles to go, so we needed the chopsticks to eat the noodles, OK? How much can two pairs of chopsticks cost you??? BTW, the fried noodles were among the worst noodles I've had. Nothing in it but soy sause, oil, pepper and a few bean sprouts. Only the beef and chicken were OK. read more

Cash only....really in the year 2015?? The place is clean and busy but the lines move fast. The food is just ok. You get quit a bit for what you pay for but the flavors just aren't there in comparison to other fast food chinese places. read more

Super friendly. Very fast. A bit pricey for what it is --- standard, run-of-the-mill Chinese takeout. Nothing special, but good for what it is. read more

Saigon Kitchen has been around for over 20 years. Their newest spot is very nice and very clean. The food is usually very good, but I've been noticing lately that some days are better than others. Although the husband/chef is always very friendly, sometimes putting up with his wife isn't worth coming here. A family of four came in and their young son (maybe age 6) had to use the restroom. Because they weren't eating there, she wouldn't let the kid use the restroom. The father had to buy bottled water so his son could use the restroom. Just ridiculous. I'm sure they have lost some business due to her attitude and lack of professionalism. read more

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Hartford's most dependable - and entertaining - Chinese fast-food joint. There isn't that much to say about the food, really. It's essentially the same sort of buffet-style, pile-it-on Chinese food you see in every mall and airport in the country. It's probably a bit better than average, likely because the constant customer flow keeps the food hot and fresh, but it's just a big ball of strong flavor and salty, saucy goodness at the end of the day. Portions are pretty big, which is always popular. You can actually order some items that aren't kept in the heat-lamp bins, like teriyaki sticks, which can be surprisingly good - of course, this might not endear you to the 50 people behind you... Still, the food is really secondary. Saigon Kitchen's claim to fame is the woman who owns it, and the loud and comical presence she brings to the place. She's almost always manning the register, and switching time between shouting at her staff (either in encouragement, or to create fear) and gabbing with the customers. Regulars who don't rub her the wrong way will be called 'my friend' for eternity, as the gal has a flawless memory. Moving along quickly and buying a drink are excellent ways to curry her favor. (Most restaurants like to obscure the fact that beverages are huge profit generators, but this gal puts her cards right on the table.) You'll hear 'where you been?!?' at least once per visit if you dine in, which is how she browbeats a regular that hasn't been around in a while. My personal favorite memory occurred as I was paying for my meal, and a woman came to ask for more napkins and sauce packets. The poor gal wasn't more than ten feet away when the owner said "God, I hate customers like that!" to nobody in particular. I know this sort of thing offends a lot of people (and I get that, really!) but I love it. If this was a gourmet restaurant, it would be unacceptable, but at a six dollar buffet joint? It's free entertainment, if you ask me. The Saigon Kitchen is likely the best cheap Chinese in the area; worth a trip if you work in the area and want some laughs with your lunch. read more

Five stars for SK EVERY TIME! My family lives in Springfield, but for years my mom worked at Channel 3 and my dad worked for University of Hartford. As a kid, it was such a treat when mom and dad would come home with SK and now that I'm a CT resident who also works in Hartford, I treat myself! All those years ago, my parents were original customers of Nam & Minh back when they were at their original storefront. SK has only gotten better. The restaurant is absolutely spotless no matter when you visit. I'm always greeted like an old friend from Minh and Nam who always pass along a "hello" to my parents and know immediately that there is one order and one order only- the classic hot and spicy chicken. I dream about this chicken and the side of veggie fried rice in between visits. You're always getting heaping portions and the only problem with that is eventual food paralysis and maybe being a little parched. This visit was the introduction to SK for my fiance and he's converted! Go visit Nam, Minh and the SK team now! read more

Food tastes good, however the Vietnamese female owner has the worst attitude in the world! I think if you read some more reviews from other yelpers you will see they all agree with me. I don't know why people keep coming back I guess it's because of the location and the food. She's the type you would only see in cartoon I have never knew this type of lady existed in real life. I suggest coming back with your headphones on so she can't yell at you. read more

When it comes on to customer service Saigon Kitchen has by far the worst I've seen in a while - the cashier has a major attitude. Beyond this I tried their sesame chicken with a side of fried rice. The chicken wasn't even sesame chicken, it didn't even have any sesame seeds, it was just regular chicken sauted in some extremely sweet sauce. read more

Saigon Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

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Clearly people in Hartford have nasty taste. Been trying to find a decent restaurant since visiting. Thought this was the light at the end of a tunnel. No, it was terrible. Seriously just bad. Worse than Panda Express. Wish so much that I could just un-eat it. Tasted greasy, dirty, super sweet, etc.. Luckily it was cheap, unlike the other terrible food I've had in this city. read more

Love the food, especially the Sesame Chicken. The wife owner is a greedy and impatient, like the famous soup Nazi in NYC. I am there for their excellent, hot and fresh food only. read more

I don't know how people compare this to mall food everything is so fresh and good. My man in the back puts love into everything and the wife is usually cool but also a little psycho she thinks everyone who calls won't show up but it's hilarious. Get the spicy chicken or the ribs for sure and vegtable fried rice is crack. read more

Love Saigon kitchen! I drive from southington just to each here. My only problem is that I can't decide what to eat. Among my favorites are the sesame chicken and tofu and hot and spicy chicken. You can't beat their crab Rangoon either! My mom is crazy for their spring rolls and is always upset with me if I forget to bring her some home. read more

Saigon Kitchen - I love it all! I can't get enough of Saigon kitchen!! - Chinese Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

had the sesame chicken. perfect crispyness, the shrimp fried rice had some eggs and a little veggies thrown in. perfect. the only downsides: there weren't sesame seeds on the chicken but besides that, the food was bomb. read more

Great place to pick up something after work but the food isn't much better than what you can get at the State House Square Food Court. Cash only as well. read more

The only reason I give it 2 stars is because the food is actually good. I'm actually a Chinese food fanatic. However, the service makes it 2 stars. I go in there with just enough cash to get what I want. The cook proceeds to say they are out of white meat chicken. So I ask "Can you just make it and substitute it with beef?". The cook proceeds to say that it's not on the menu so he can't do that. I've never experienced such horrible customer service! They must get a lot of service to be so un-accommodating to a paying customer when they are out of something! I took my money and spent it else where. They lost a lot of money on me because I love Chinese food. read more

not sure what the good reviews are about - i agree with Miss M. The food is regular chinese food. I asked for sesame chicken all white meat and they said they dont do any special orders - all you can get is what is in the buffet line at the counter. So i agreed to regular sesame chicken - it is not sesame chicken. The meat is coated in the red sauce chinese places ptu on spare ribs! and there were no sesame seeds... it was OK but def not great or even good chinese food. Will not be back read more

Saigon Kitchen - Sesame chicken and vegetable fried rice - Chinese Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

I have been eating at Saigon Kitchen since childhood. Today, was one of the worst experiences I have had and I would like to save others from it. I had just purchase food and my cousin told me she enjoyed the food there so I went to buy her some. When I got there the lady at the counter was absolutely rude. I told her that I would like to place an order for pork fried rice and general Tso chicken. She said that would take too long and told me to get the vegetable fried rice as that would take less time. I told her that the previous meal was a little skimpy on the vegetables so I would prefer to have the pork fried rice. This appeared to upset her and suddenly it became a race issue. She told me if I were a white person you would never say that to me, it's because I am an Asian. I told her that's not true, I would respectfully speak the truth regardless of race. So another customer says to her, you are speaking to us like this because we are black. If we were white people you wouldn't speak like this. She, even with customers in the restaurant, continued to make this a race issue. I am totally displease and disappointed as I have never had an issue with this lady in the past. read more

Stopped in for the lunch special. For like $6.50 you get a choice of fried rice or lo main with two meats with choice of boneless ribs, general Tao , sweet and spicy and or sesame chicken. The portion size is just right to have you leaving satisfied and the food was great. CASH ONLY! I will return read more

Just started working in Hartford and one of my coworkers recommended we get some lunch from Saigon Kitchen. While the menu was kind of limited, there still was more than enough to find several items I'd want. Indeed, the simplest fare -- Pork Lo Mein -- was excellent. It was smokey, a little salty, and very oily, but otherwise had a great flavor and I'll definitely order it again. Now I'm curious how their General Tso's Chicken will stack up. read more

If this is your first time at SK be prepared you will get hooked! For first timers, order the Hot and Spicy chicken (DELICIOUS tangy flavors) or the Sesame Chicken (tangy velvety sweetness) with fried rice, and you'll soon see why SK has hosted official Yelp parties. For more sophisticated foodies who want something new try the Hot and Spicy chicken wings, the boneless spare ribs or the garlic chicken (Nam's self-confessed favorite, ask him if you don't believe me). Our SK story, "How we got hooked": When we moved from L.A. to CT, good Chinese food was only available in NYC so it was a great surprise to discover SK (we literally lived across the street)! Love the delicious food! Love the service (they take pride in their business)! Love how clean it is!!! Most of all we love Minh and Nam!! They truly remember their customers, and take good care of them too. It's surprising how quickly they remember their regulars, they even take pride in memorizing your order. On several occasions Minh would answer our call recognize my voice and immediately say "Hot and Spicy chicken and Sesame with fried rice", just those words bring a smile to our face. We would go there once a week since 2011 and it is the best we have found in CT. Unfortunately we moved away three years ago but when I return every 6 months, both Minh and Nam spend at least 20 minutes just catching up. When possible I purposefully time my flight so I can get to-go orders onto the plane for my family. I call ahead and Minh helps me catch my flight by letting me pick up and pay quickly. Additionally, if I'm lucky, they have their amazing sauce in stock and I take a few bottles with me but even when I follow Nam's instructions only he can create his signature flavors. Compared to our local California restaurants Saigon Kitchen is still the best flavor and BEST FRIED RICE!. Our regular order is Hot and Spicy Chicken with low mein, Sesame Tofu or chicken with fried rice and Boneless spare ribs...Yum!!!! One day maybe we can catch the seasonal Peanut Chicken. read more

A solid downtown lunch place, but it's a buffet and you can definitely tell. For some items it doesn't matter (as long as it's popular and replenished quickly), but others (like the lo mein) tend to be a little cold. The lo mein is probably the most disappointing thing, it's usually bland and there aren't any other veggies in it. The spicy chicken and general tso's are ok, but they could go a little easier on the sauce. They could definitely use some competition downtown... read more

This is hands down the best chinese take out anywhere. I cannot stop laughing at the posts about the owner's attitude. That's what makes it fun! She definitely remembers all of her customers and her affect is just...her! She and her employees make great food at a fair price. And the restaurant is sparkling clean. So, if you care about the important things (the food and the cleanliness), give this place a shot! read more

I've gone for lunch and the food is meh....the portions are good but it is nothing special. From the other reviews I'll consider trying it for dinner when you can order something other than what's on the buffet line. read more

Went for lunch while working in Hartford. I ordered the Hot and Spicy Beef, with the veggie lo mein, and an egg roll. I have had better chinese food, but the staff were quick and friendly. The beef was kind of fatty, quite spicy, but could have had better flavor. The lo mein was tasty, but very greasy; the noodles were swimming in it. I may go back, but I would probably try something else, and order the fried rice instead of the lo mein. read more

I really like this place. The prices are very reasonable and the hot and spicy chicken is delicious. Yes, the woman who runs the register is very loud and abrupt, but she has been friendly to me..... In her own way read more

The place is a ghost town. There is also what seems like no care really in maintaining the business. Lastly, they don't even take credit card! Who doesn't take credit cards! They are killing their own business and loosing potential customers because they don't at least give the option to use credit. It's a digital world! Will never return, unfortunately for them. Why cash only? To avoid paying income tax? read more

Overall very good. The hot and spicy chicken was great. Very clean and very fast service. I will definitely be back.

Been coming here for over 20 years. Same owners, consistent quality, best fast Chinese food I have ever had. Super fast, clean and great food. read more

The food is delicious with great flavor and the environment is clean and tidy,but they only accept cash.

I've been eating at Saigon Kitchen since the early eighties & still love their spicey chicken, yum-yum!! Wish I has some now! Hmmm-Hmmmm.

I tried to give this place a second chance, but I can not take the lady ringing up the food rudeness. She is downright nasty for no reason. It's too bad that I plan on never returning because their food is really good but I will not put my hard earned money into the pocket of someone who do not have respect for her customers read more

Don't be fooled by the name, this is not a Vietnamese place. It's a simple Chinese buffet-ish lunch restaurant within walking distance of most of the insurance companies in downtown Hartford. It's typical takeout made to order quickly. The food is consistent, but you really only have a choice of about 5 dishes with variations based on your choice of rice. Go here if you have 5 minutes for lunch and you don't want to eat in the corporate cafeteria. read more

I have been going here since 1986 and have always had the Hot & Spicy Chicken. It is wonderful. However, the woman who owns the place, Ming, seems pretty miserable. She mans the cash register like a Hawk and barks orders to the help, customers (and her poor husband) in Vietnamese in a voice that sounds like it is coming from a professional interrogator - think the Russian Roulette captivity scene from "The Deer Hunter". I have put up with Ming's sour attitude because i could not find the Hot & Spicy Chicken anywhere else. However, last week when I dropped in to grab lunch and go, my steamed rice tasted like an order of Mildew. I tossed most of it away. Come on, Ming. Move away from that cash register and keep an eye on the steamed rice. I'll give you one more chance to get it right. read more