Saigon is my go-to Ithaca restaurant, and my review reflects consistently good service and meals over the course of a couple years. If you're looking for pho, this is your spot in town. If you need gluten free offerings, there are a few other good options on the menu, but you have to ask the server for assistance to identify them. Each meal I've had by myself, with friends or a group of family has been flavorful and well prepared with a minimal wait time for the food to come out. There is more authentic Vietnamese in the world, to be sure, but this is a great option for a small city. It can be challenging to seat groups of people without an extended wait at peak hours, but off hours are less busy with often no wait at all. read more

Saigon Kitchen - My favorite is the pho tai and my partner loves the chicken fried rice. - Vietnamese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

We came back in Feb 2023 and ordered the beef pho soup P4 and the grilled Pork chop. Five people in our group. So there was an order of the P1 house special , a P5 soup and vermicelli. Then we added a Saigon tofu to share and to try. We did not order the beef fried rice that was excellent last time, and did not order the Thai ice tea and summer roll since they did not impress last time. Both the pho soup and tofu sauce were a little too sweet. The bean sprouts were served a plate a person and was fresh but no green chili. Prices had gone up too. I think the owner changed from the last time we were here. read more

Amazing. Everything so delicious, truly! Can't say enough. Very authentic. My main meal was the basil fried rice with beef. I also tasted the potstickers and they were incredible. My husband had some kind of beef dish on rice noodles. I took a pic but can't remember what it is called but it was so so good. My daughter in law had the pho and it looked really good and my son had the jungle fried rice, yum! My husband thought he was getting regular iced tea but it wasn't-it tasted so good like a graham cracker! We had plenty of leftovers. The place was pretty crowded, we were lucky we didn't have to wait, but it sure is worth a wait! read more

Very tasty Vietnamese cuisine. The pho and cha gio are authentic. Reasonably priced and good service.

Only take out at this time. I believe the food is good, but I didn't know they only do take out and no dining in.

Wonderful Pho, dumplings and more. Some of the tastiest soup we have ever had. Really! Take-out only right now but still dee-lish when you get it home. Came highly recommended and for good reason. Can't wait to go back. read more

We ate at Saigon Kitchen because it was highly rated in the area. This place is busy but they really fall behind on cleanliness and service. I totally understand about working in a busy environment and some of the staff here were just having a bad night, they shouldn't take it out on customers that just got seated and are ordering from your place for the very first time. We had three bowls of pho and one bowl literally tasted like soap - it's very disappointing. Having worked in a restaurant when I was younger - the only reason to have a soapy taste in your soup is either (1) your dishwasher is broken; (2) you are not fully letting the machine run its full cycle; (3) you are hand washing your bowls or (4) you had an accident where some soap spilled into the soup before it was served. The final straw was when we had to ask for soup spoons and they were dirty. They had some like dust or dirt on it. This whole experience was just a flop since we waited for a real long time for our food and unfortunately just dealt with the soapy-soup and all because we were hungry and just wanted to go. There is no lot for parking so it is strictly street parking which was very difficult in the evening, even over a holiday weekend when colleges were out on break. read more

Love their soft dumplings, noodle soups, and other dishes. Staff are friendly and always with a smile on their faces. Best Vietnamese food in town. read more

Love the food there! The people are super friendly too. Their vegetarian rice noodle is the best that I have ever had anywhere

Super friendly staff, incredibly delicious authentic Vietnamese food, wide variety of food choices and immaculately clean. Reminds me of my good days in Vietnam, so I visit it each time I am in Ithaca read more

Very flavorful. Normally veggie pho is overlooked and bad at these types of restaurants but it was great here!. Only thing i would change was their peanut sauce (a bit too thick). 5 stars for great service and great flavors read more

A go-to option for us in Ithaca, this place always serves up tasty and reliable Vietnamese food! Favorites are the Crispy Tofu, Spicy Jungle Fried Rice, and the Crab Rangoons. read more

The meat tasted good. But I paid $14 for some tiny pieces of beef and rice. Really? Is it a thing in Ithica that food portion is so little for an expensive price? read more

Saigon Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Always delicious and authentic! Quick service. Takeout is also good! I recommend the beef stew.

The food here is very delicious and worth every penny I paid for my dinner I have found a new addition to my food list

Great service , friendly wonderful staff! All homemade so be patient! Delish, pho ( not as hot as I like it so I add the chilis provided ) . Egg rolls got good reviews as well as spring rolls with our group. read more

I'll start off my review with some pros: the place was nicely decorated, tasty, and generous with servings. I ordered a beef stew & rainbow drink that came pretty quickly (10-15 mins) & also got extra steamed bean sprouts (but they still weren't fully cooked). However, I also work at a Vietnamese pho restaurant, and I can say this place isn't the most authentic. The carrots in their beef stew were thin not chunky traditionally. Also the soup was just too oily and heavy. Seasoning was alright. Not to mention I found a piece of SHARP PLASTIC in my beef stew. Had I been eating any faster, I would've swallowed it and most likely choked or badly cut my esophagus. This restaurant needs to be more careful when they cook their food. This is a serious hazard to customers. When I first notified the staff, she only said sorry and kind of shrugged me off. I didn't receive a sincere apology, so you can imagine how I felt. At least the manager was more considerate and offered me a discount for my meal. Be careful dining at this restaurant. read more

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I just didn't get it. Where's the mind blowing pho?! I was excited to come here based on all the ecstatic reviews. Walking in, I thought the place had a nice unassuming interior and around 3 or 4pm it seemed like nearly all the tables were full, only one or two left so this is a pretty hot spot among locals. We were seated and eventually had our order taken. The service was OK, although my water was not refilled enough. The waitress seemed nice and had a sense of humor with us, which some may have found a bit cross but we enjoyed it (e.g. can I have some more water please? Nope, you can't!). I ended up ordering a cup of the Saigon Soup, which had pineapple, celery, red peppers, choice of protein (I chose fish) and other flavors. It was pretty good and had a lot of heat that hit right up to the back of my throat. My sister had pho for the first time (I was excited for her to try it) and I ended up trying a good bit of it and we both agreed that it wasn't very good, which considering all the expectations set by the previous reviews was a huge disappointment. The broth was served warm (not hot) and the beef as a previous reviewer mentioned was cut into pieces too large and was overcooked. There was simply not enough flavor in the broth, all the flavor would come from the sauces you would add yourself, but there needs to be more! My fiance had the Kan Pao, which consisted of grilled veggies and she choice tofu for her protein. I tried it and thought it was delicious and she was very satisfied with her meal. I don't think this is a bad place, just that my experience with the pho was "Meh." I would have also appreciated my water being constantly refilled, but I understand they had a pretty full house at the time so it may not have been easy. read more

Saigon Kitchen - Cup of Saigon Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

This is our "go to" place every other week for excellent food and friendly service. Glad to see that they are open again for dining in.

I've been here a couple of times. Their dishes are very tasty. On my most recent outing I tried their Wanton soup and I would totally recommend it. Pros -Probably one of the best places in town to eat pho Cons - The restaurant is very small and as a consequence is always full - They like to follow academic calendars, so don't be surprised if you go in December and is closed. For more info visit their facebook page. - Street parking in the area can be a challenge. read more

Saigon Kitchen - Wonton dumping soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Atmosphere - The ac is very high! I was freezing!! Very spacious, music is low. Staff- Very friendly but slow. Starter: Tofu Summer roll - Just like your average summer roll but their peanut sauce is not vegan so I didn't get to dip it with the peanut sauce which kills the summer rolll Entree: Vegan tofu and vegetable vermicelli with spring roll - the spring roll cost an extra dollar and you only get one piece cut into 4 which is not worth it! It taste good but that is pretty costly for one small spring roll. The dish was nicely presented and organized but I wish they gave more tofu. The sauce wasn't that amazing viet sauce I look forward to for vermicelli dishes. Overall - not bad for viet food, I would come again. read more

Saigon Kitchen - Vegan tofu and Vegetable with veg spring roll vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I graduated a few years ago, but this was my friends' and I go to spot for good ethnic eats. They have amazing pho - that's my opinion after being visiting Vietnam and having "real pho". I prob don't have any right to say, but this was even tastier - I think it's because the broth is beef based. But it's amazing. We try to figure out ways to visit Ithaca to have it once again :( read more

Finally got to try this restaurant tonight. We got there at 6 and were surprised there wasn't a wait. Quickly seated. The food came out fast and delicious. By the time we left there were at least a dozen people waiting at the door. I now understand why this place is always so crowded. read more

Heard this is the best Vietnamese place in the area. I walked all the way from the Cornell campus and it totally worth the visit! I ordered a house beef stew pho. I never saw this one on the menu of other Vietnamese places I've been too and it tastes so good! The stew reminds me of the ones I had in China when I was a kid :-) The beef cubes inside are tender and juicy, also the meat portion is huge! I also got a chicken wing to go, and those taste great too. The service is very prompt. I was in a hurry but everything was covered in 30 minutes. read more

Saigon Kitchen - Beef stew pho! - Vietnamese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Really delicious food! Pork vermicelli was flavorful and fresh and beef pho had a nice broth. As I was dumping out the rest of my soup, I noticed a piece of plastic at the bottom of my soup. Not deducting extra stars because I understand that is an honest mistake. But I would like the restaurant to be aware in case this occurs next time for other customers. read more

Saigon Kitchen - Plastic in pho broth - Vietnamese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Fantastic freshly made Vietnamese food. I love their vegetarian Pho! They have a wide variety of dishes for vegans and meat eaters and the service is reliably fast. read more

One of the best Vietnamese restaurants on the east coast. Who would have thought that Ithaca NY could have great pho!

Driving home from Rochester we popped into Ithica for a quick bite. Went to Yelp to narrow down our search and found Saigon Kitchen. First impression was good. The place has a nice feel and the staff was very welcoming. The menu had a nice selection. We ordered gyoza, eggplant, fried rice and the chicken wings. Everything was good but the fried rice and wings were absolutely amazing. We also got a couple of bubble teas which were very good as well. It is definitely a good place to eat if you are in the area. read more

Pre- feastgiving eve meal, oh where it all begins...... the squid appetizer was tender, thick and lightly fried pho tai was tasty, the plate of bean sprouts and basil was slight lightly fried general chicken had a nice accompaniment of broccoli with lightly flavored sauce tofu lo mein was pretty standard, more veg and more veg variety would have been appreciated spicy eggplant was not all edible, but I would ratchet up the heat index on the items or orders something different read more

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Excellent. Best Asian food in Ithaca Love the eggplant dish! Vietnamese Steak. House Special Phon. Crispy Tofu read more

Hot n sour soup was tangy with pineapple chunks, thin broth, and it was a different and refreshing style but overall was just a lot of broth. The volcano stir fry was an absolute disappointment. Carrots are modestly cooked at best, peppers overcooked, meager chicken and mushroom pieces, with a thin brown flavorless sauce (it's supposed to be a spicy garlic). SO FLAVORLESS. I went back in and asked for hot sauce to fix it and even added salt and it still was the worst take-out I've had in a long time. Maybe they messed up the order and maybe I ordered their worst item but Im sorry I cant recommended this place. read more

Awesome place for Vietnamese food. I'm a huge lover of Pho, and I couldn't wait to try it here. The broth was amazing, and the soup had a ton of meat inside. The noodles were also very delicious. We got the imperial rolls and the crispy squid as starters before our Pho. The crispy squid was really great - the seasoning that came with it made the dish very satisfying. I also liked that this was a BYOB place. It was nice to enjoy a few beers with my Pho! Wish I could come back here for the food, but it's a bit far from Boston - Ithaca was on the last leg of our road trip back from California. read more

Pretty impressed with Saigon Kitchen in the heart of Ithaca. I am always skeptical about having my homeland's pride and joy food in an area that isn't that populated by many Vietnamese people. To my surprise, the pho here is spot on. I ordered the Tai Gau Pho ($10 - rare beef and brisket pho). The broth was flavorful, the noodles were thin but delicious, and the beef was tender and BEEFY! Couldn't ask for better comfort food. My husband and I also split the 2 beef rolls ($5). They were big deep fried egg rolls with beef filling, that compliments great in a lettuce wrap dipped in fish sauce. It was sooooo good. Our service was great too. The owner I assumed was sweet and the other servers were attentive and kind. One star off for the price. $10 for a bowl of pho is more than what I'm used to paying. Will return when in the area, especially because they seem to have a great lunch menu. read more

Saigon Kitchen - Pho Tai Gau - Vietnamese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Switched it up and got myself a beef stew instead of pho and I wasn't disappointed! The flavor of the broth was phenomenal and the brisket was soft and tender. The pho was amazing according to my vietnamese girlfriend who says this is how pho is made at here house. The smoothies was decent as well but I wouldn't suggest bubbles. read more

Saigon Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Excellent veggie pho, with a complex, very flavorful broth and a nice mix of veggies & tofu. Warm and pleasant staff. 'Have loved this place since it opened. read more

There's a reason that Saigon Kitchen keeps topping restaurant lists. I've eaten here a few times and have yet to have a bad dish. When Ithaca streets are freezing, Saigon Kitchen offers a reprieve from the winter weather with its steaming bowls of soup and hot mounds of noodles. The Vietnamese coffee is reason enough to visit- its rich, nutty flavor isn't like anything else around. read more

Great Vietnamese food near Ithaca!! Def would come here whoever I was crazy pho or anything with noodles and soup :) the portions are super large and worth the small drive over read more

In the beautiful town of Ithaca is this restaurant always crowded with the students. This place was introduced by my husband and his favorite hangout. I have been to Ithaca twice and have always made a point to visit this place without fail. I loved the food here especially their fried rice. I would definitely recommend this place a must visit! Also do not forget to try their boba tea. read more

I (embarrassingly) came here twice in a row during a recent business trip to Ithaca. It was that good. Rather than eating in as a solo diner, I chose take out for dinner and lunch the next day. My meals never took more than 15 minutes to prepare, and the staff at the counter were super friendly and helpful. I tried the beef stew, summer rolls with shrimp, and the subgum vermicelli. The beef stew was phenomenal, packed with melt-in-your-mouth tender chunks of beef shank and carrots in a rich broth. It was perfect on a chilly fall day and a huge portion for one person. The summer rolls were a little chewy and thick, but came with a delicious peanut sauce. I came back the next day for lunch and had the subgum vermicelli, which was your typical bun noodle bowl with lemongrass chicken and a crispy spring roll. They do offer lunch specials, but were more stir fry options than typical Vietnamese. Be prepared to wait for dinner (the place was packed during my midweek visit), but this was one of my favorite meals in Ithaca! read more

We came here on a whim and boy were we pleased with this choice. I can't say enough that we intend to come back here again on our own, but also when family visits. The food was quickly served and it was delicious. We had a noodle dish and pho, both were delicious and decently flavored, and we also dined on appetizers that were wonderful and freshly cooked. I had some thai iced tea and it was delicious, the best I've had. Everyone was pleasant, there was decent seating and we were able to fit our carseat-bound baby into a chair. The place had air conditioning as well which was a bonus! read more