So, straight to the point: avoid this place. Food is flavourless. This is the kind of place you bring your 80 year old white grandmother to eat Asian food. It would be a challenge to find a worse fresh roll somewhere in the world. Service doesn't really exist. read more

Went on a Tuesday evening and it was very empty. Excellent service, delicious pho, and great decor too! I will definitely be back!

My co-workers were excited to go here so I joined them. I loved the fact that they had a vegetarian broth (vegetarian section at the end of the menu) and the atmosphere in the place is nice and the food was OK+ so why am I giving it only 2 stars ? let's say the soup didn't stay in me a long time, the minute I got back to the office the food left my body super fast. And these are Corona times so my hands were super clean so its not my hygiene. My co-workers seemed to be fine (i haven't asked them) but I will avoid it in the future. Also rather pricey as others mentioned... read more

Agree with many that it is a little overpriced for vietnamese mostly due to the good location and busy-ness. It tends to get full by noon everyday. Reserve in advance if you want to be guaranteed a spot. I have tried many of the dishes and prefer the vermicelli dishes which are fresh and have tasty grilled meats and a decent spring roll. The lemongrass beef on vermicelli is very tasty too. My second favourite at this restaurant are the grilled meat on rice. I recently tried the shrimp deep fried rolls. Quite unique. The pho soup a bit tasteless and the stir frys are ok, not great. It still fits the bill for a quick and healthy lunch in the downtown core. read more

I went during lunch hour with a friend and we got one of the last tables. It is fairly busy but not many people were waiting in line after we were seated. The service was ok, make sure you write the number or the item on the sheet on the table or else the serving staff will never take your order.. on the decor side of things, it was pretty plain other than the extravagant cash area. Nothing to race or complain about & it seemed clean. I tried the ramen (which was more expensive than the online price) because I had heard that the chef from Sansotei switched to this restaurant. The ramen was very delicious! The broth was very yummy but the presentation wasn't as nice as the ramen is at Sansotei. The pork was good but could have melted in my mouth more. Lastly, the egg was good but somehow one of my yolks got lost in the soup :( Overall, I'd go back to have more ramen as it's cheaper than down the street & less busy! read more

Saigon Pho - Tonkotsu black ramen - Vietnamese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Had a delicious lunch here after looking at the reviews I decided to give it a chance. Reviews don't do this place justice. I ordered a #54 bun vermicelli with chicken. Seriously it was just as a Vietnamese bun should be. Fresh, light tasty, lots of flavour and filling but not listing like a brick in your tummy. Adding the nuoc mam and a bit of sriracha zipped it up even more! The day day I visited the restaurant filled up quite quickly with it's location for much of the business and government crowd of Centretown Ottawa. Browsing around many people were enjoying big generous soup bowls of pho and other items. I was going to order a Vietnamese coffee and extra spring rolls but found their pricing a bit expensive. Definitely a place I'd return to as my experience was nothing but two thumbs up. If you haven't eaten Vietnamese you should totally give it a try it's one of my go to meals for lunch or dinner. Never to heavy and fresh and delicious. read more

See all

As the others wrote, the lady is a little arrogant with slow service. Their pho is tasteless. My guess is that they put the water used to boil the noodles into the bowl, which makes the soup taste really bad. The meat tasted weird. Maybe a little old meat? read more

I ordered shrimp summer rolls which were very good and the dipping sauce was excellent. I also ordered a large bowl of seafood Pho soup. Broth was very tasty; came with all the typical sides/condiments, Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime, etc. my only complaint is there should have been more seafood than I got. Mostly noodles and very stingy on the important stuff. I will say a large is pretty big though. Unless you're really hungry, I'd stick with a medium bowl. Service was good and the restaurant was clean and comfortable. The menu also looked pretty good. I definitely will be back to try something different. read more

See all

Great place to have pho. It was super yummy and fresh I got my typical chicken noodle soup with vegetables. Good service. I had a great time eating here. I would go back here again. read more

Saigon Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

See all

First of all the lady was really rude, she didn't seem like she knew how to run the restaurant...When ordering she approached us, asked if we are ready to order and we were, while ordering all we had done is asked a few questions about the menu (which is well over 100 items)... she said she had other people to serve food too, that we are taking too long to order... the food was OK but some items seemed pretty overpriced compared to most other pho places. To top off this experience our server ENTERED HER OWN 15% TIP ON THE CARD MACHINE BEFORE HANDING IT OVER TO US... I couldn't believe she had done that to our entire table. Just moments after leaving, later passing another group of people who were in the same restaurant, we over heard them complaining to each other that the lady had done the same thing, ADDING HER OWN TIP. read more

Came here for lunch during a meeting downtown. It was empty at 11:45 but was completely full by noon. Looks like they are attempting to ride the ramen craze with some new ramen offerings. I decided to go the standard pho route. I went with the large with tripe, fatty brisket, eye of round, and tendon and added meat balls. The soup and accoutrements were plentiful and flavorful and the price wasn't bad. Very nice. read more

I was craving some pho while I was on vacation. The interior is super nice and eye-catching. The food is pretty good also. Not to mention, the servers are really nice. I love pho so this is probably biased. read more

We stopped by "Saigon Pho" for dinner last night, as Yelp gives a 4 star review. It far below what we expected WE WILL NEVER COME BACK AGAIN We ordered: Vietnamese "lau do bien" ( Seafood hotpot) for $21.00 and beef sate dish for $12.00 THE FOOD IS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO WHAT WE EXPECT What we got is "canh chua" (soup on the gas stove) NOT "lau" (hotpot): There is very limitted food ingredients, and may enough for 1 person: 2 cups of broth in a saucepan on a portable gas stove 3 very small prawns 3 very small pieces of cuttlefish No mussells 6 pieces of low quality fish balls No tomatoes 1/4 serving size of beansprout No "bc hà" No okra Pinapple pieces was gone bad and already have fermented smell. No herbs Vermicelli, had to pay $2.50 extra for 2 small bows No "pure" fishsauce for dipping. Servers were very nice and friendly but servers (or at least 1) should be able to speak Vietnamse, and I dont think they know the food cultures of Vietnamese at all. Tea is normally compliment at greeting and during dinner in Vietnamese restaurant, but here we had to pay $4.0 extra We were not even full and NOT satisfy our taste buds with the food far below our expectation, as we used to have in Toronto, San Frans, San jose, Vancouver or Saigon We ended up paying over $50 for way below expectation food WE WILL NEVER COME BACK TO SAIGON PHO AGAIN read more

The reason I've had better is that this place is a bit overpriced for what you get. The soup really doesn't have enough of what they are advertising. If it's Chicken/Beef/ Veggie/Seafood please include that in the bowl. It's like noodle in soup with a smattering of say 2oz of what you ordered. The broth is tasty the bowls are big but that is where it ends. How can your veggie soup with say 5 small slices of tofu and weird concoction of baby corn and cauliflower be the same price of the beef/chicken and seafood soup? No comprendo on this. The order: The large Seafood noodle in soup with rice noodles $9.99 (4shrimp, couple immitation crap, fish balls, two pieces of cuttle fish) Medium Veggie noodle in soup $8.99 (3 pieces of broccoli, lettuce, some cabbage, one small piece of deep fried tofu chopped, 2 pieces of cauliflower, baby corn, can mushrooms) The spicy Seafood noodle in soup $9.99 (2 shrimp, fake crap, cuttle fish) Small Chicken noodle in soup $7.99 2 oz of chicken It was hot, came with bean sprouts the lime and coriander. The table has hot sauce and hoisin sauce for you to add. But really the bill was $42.91 + tip, no drinks just water. I know i'm a city snob but in Toronto you could get the same thing in Chinatown for about $20 and soup would be loaded with the ingrediants that it suggests. One star for the fact that this is probably the cleanest pho i've been to. But so far cheap good eats is alluding me in Ottawa. read more

This place only looks good. The foods are not at all authentic Vietnamese. The foods are expensive and not at restaurant quality. They are mixed and matched from a few items to mimic to mimic authentic dishes. I ordered Bun Bo Hue and recieved 90% ingredients from Pho. They also charged $2.50 for a small bowl of steam rice, $4.00 for tea. These items are normally free or sold at a much lower price elsewhere. These people are just simply greedy. Not reccommded! read more

Went here with a friend tonight, ordered a rice paper roll. It came with the sliced chicken you buy at a deli, are you serious? The sauce it game with however, was really tasty, so I just drowned them in that and they were ok. The pho wasn't anything special, I got a small which was $7.99, a good 1-2 dollars more than something you'd get in Chinatown, only it wasn't as good. I certainly won't be going back. read more

This place was a awesome surprise! The general Tao chicken was absolutely delicious and the Pho was quite tasty as well. The service was great and food came quickly and was hot. read more

Ive been here a couple times, but this time I went on saturday night with my gf. I had a medium Pho with flank, gf had Pho with chicken. Pros: -Clean restaurant and dinning area -Our server was so friendly and welcoming. He had a great smile, and explained some of the menu items very clearly. -Food service was prompt, and hot -Pho was pretty good, but then again it is hard to screw up pho. -Large portions -On par with the other Pho places along bank Cons -Not the best pho Ive had. The broth lacked that "beefy punch" that makes my mouth water. -Price was a but higher than i would have expected for Pho of that caliber, but then again the location and view is probably worth the price. -Tea is not free Would I return? Probably. Ive since tried some other pho places, but the location of this place is really convenient. Plus there is free parking on weekends in the municipal lot right around the corner. read more

We ordered a vermicelli (Bun) dish and a pho. The bun dish was ok, it's kind of a fool proof dish. The pho, was alright, the broth wasn't too greasy but it was a bit on the bland side, nothing a bunch of hot sauce won't fix. Service was good, the server was really attentive, there was a spill at the table next to us and someone came over to clean up right away. Don't think I would come back for the pho. read more

I had the pho with beef, tripe, and beef balls. I thought it was average. The soup was a little watered down and lacking in flavor. The beef was good. I thought the portions were a little small... at least they could have given a bit more noodles to fit in the massive bowl it came with. I also wanted to try the marinated sate chicken on rice and it was definitely not worth the price. It came with white rice, a few pieces of cucumber and fish sauce with few pieces of chicken. Although, the chicken was quite tasty ... just don't expect to be full if you're hungry walking into this place. read more

Read a lot of good reviews of this place. Right on Bank street in a very busy area. I came early around 11:15am during a weekday and was the only diner. Service was quick obviously! Seemed like the medium size was a right size but the price was like $11. Ordered 2 spring rolls and the bill came to $17ish. Wow!!! Expensive. It would have been ok if the food was awesome, but it wasnt. It was just ok. Compared to my Pho in Chinatown a few days ago, this place was decent. Not enough meat and the broth seemed weak. I should have taken the time to walk to Chinatown instead. read more

Fast and friendly service. Really good food for prices listed. Very authentic! read more

Saigon Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

See all

Food here was okay. I found the broth to be a little bland. I also found that the portions appeared to be large, but that turned out to be mostly broth and very little meat. I had the pho with rare and well done beef and the spring rolls. Twenty bucks with taxes and tip. Price seemed okay to me. Service was okay. I would return if someone else suggested the place, but it seems like they are coasting a little. read more

Not one for writing restaurant reviews but hey, there's a first for everything. I stumbled upon this place during a trip to Ottawa and was told it was quite good. We ordered a big pot of "fondu" for two to go and it was $35 with tax. When we got home, there was enough for one, there was a black hair in the vegetables, and the soup had no flavour. $35 is almost half of one weeks worth of groceries. So we called this place 5 min after we picked it up to ask for a refund, and they did not want to assist. So I walked down there WITH all of the food and handed it back to them and they STILL did not want to give us a refund. The owner told me that I had to tell " the truth " . Well if she's reading this right now, here is " the truth". This meal was overpriced and underflavoured. There was also a hair in it which we could not prove because we threw it out. We dont normally keep things like that lying around during dinner, oops our mistake. I have NEVER in my life experienced such a poor level of service in my life. In my opinion, this is the DEFINITION of ripping someone off. We all work hard for our money and $35 is a lot to spend on a bowl of dishwater soup. I don't recommend anyone eat here - not because of the particular meal we got - but because the owners are pricks and don't seem to have any level of common sense or respect. I have to go order something reasonably priced and at least moderately edible to eat now, without hairs in it. read more

How does this place continue to remain open? I am so unimpressed by the quality of their food: their pad thai is nowhere near what a pad thai should be, their fried spring rolls are puny and are not at all like Viet spring rolls Ive had in the past, and their "grilled beef" are thin, barely cooked slices of meat. Also overcharged on the bill. Never coming back here again. read more

We dropped by for a quick lunch on the weekend. I ordered a phone dish and my wife ordered a rice dish. Both dishes were nothing more than average. There is better Vietnamese food to be had in Ottawa. We won't be returning and we wouldn't recommend. Service was however prompt and courteous. read more

I frequent this place. It's centrally located and near the Transitway, you don't have to go all the way to Chinatown for a great bowl of pho. The quality is consistent and the service is good. The portions are generous and there is a variety of apps and other dishes if you aren't looking for pho. read more

Disgusting, pricey food, shocking management, bizarre "NO RETURN" policy for diners. Let me start by saying I LOVE Pho and Vietnamese food in general. Even Vietnamese food that's not so good - I still love it. It's gotta be BAD to be bad. Sorry - no I am not a local (but I grew up near here) and - I am completely at a loss to understand all the "great pho / great food" reviews for Pho Saigon on Bank Street. Tonight I and my family visited and were served among other expensive dishes (ie. 2 or 3 tiny, rubbery, frozen cocktail shrimp in an iceberg lettuce roll) a Tai Chin Pho with only a few shards of twice-frozen, green (beginning to rot) luncheon meat. I sent it back immediately with a somewhat soured appetite, but "whatever," there are bad days. We took it in stride UNTIL.... I was informed only when we got our check (I politely reminded them to take off the returned item - yes, extremely softly and politely - I have worked as a waiter, manager, cook, etc.) that they have a "NO RETURN POLICY!" (They'll take their food back immediately but it stays on your check!) The manager said I was "wrong." She said: "You don't know what you're talking about." I was speechless. Again, I have worked in restaurant and foodservice for years. I am also a hunter who dresses and butchers, a cook and amateur chef... I know meat. (I no longer work in the restaurant business and have NO restaurant friends or contacts in Ottawa.) AND - I have never seen anything like this combination of insanities. EVER. She was adamant, angry, red-faced about taking the item off the check which her waiter removed from my table an hour before. (I can almost assure you it was poured right back into the pot.) In any case I paid the full check (with the Pho,) I and my wife both shocked by the bizarre and disgusting policy, the cheap cost-cutty food, and the insanely capricious management. This place is worse than awful - it's sort of evil. read more

Ordered a large bowl for 10.95 there's a huge ass bowl with barely any noodles 3 pieces öf meat and barely any sprouts the soup is lukewarm and extra salty and it the wait was longer than average read more

I use to frequent this place on a weekly basis years ago, it's easy when you lived steps away, but I went back to get a big serving of nostalgia and my go-to pho meal was disappointing! Lacked in size, quality and flavour. Even my bubble tea disappointed with the lack of tapioca. Better off trying your luck somewhere else. read more

I went back to this restaurant just last week, and the service has definitely improved. This restaurant is now one of my favourite places to get Pho in Ottawa read more

This restaurant used to be great to go to. We used to go often on the weekends to grab a quick lunch before running errands. However, we went back today and it was busier than we had seen ever before. Which is great except the quality of the food has gone down. When I order a vermicelli dish I expect the noodles to be longer than an inch! They were short noodles and I could tell the meat was cooked in a rush -- lack of flavour! We always order the same dish, beef lemon grass, which has always been great except for today. I suspect with the up rising popularity of this restaurant they have lost the greatness it had, and cannot keep with the demand of its dining room. It's great to see good restaurants doing so well, but if they suddenly produce food which is rushed and slapped together I surely won't be returning -- I am not sure who would. read more

Simply don't go to this place period. It takes a lot for me to say "worst" but it was one of the worst phos in the city. so salty that I couldnt sip any broth. The owner lady charged me $4 extra for tendons that I asked for instead of tripes. I paid $17+tax for a mediocre salty regular-sized pho. I feel ripped off and I won't be back. If you are a pho lover, you will have a better luck in other places. read more

Decent Pho. Nothing wrong but the beef balls weren't that great, a little spongy.. also for almost $20 after tax and tip it's kind of questionable to be not trying other joints instead read more

Best General Tao chicken, also the guy who is always working there has amazing customer service.

I don't eat a lot of Vietnamese food so I can't really compare them to other places but in terms of service this place is excellent. I often get take out on my lunch break and they are very fast and organized. Also very friendly. I'm definitely impressed by this place. The only negative thing I'd have to say is that the food is quite pricey - I would expect the food to be a bit more quality for the prices. read more

AWFUL! We paid $60 for three servings of chicken pad thai for take-out. We were given a small serving of noodles in a styrofoam container with very few pieces of chicken. NO bean sprouts, cilantro, green onion, egg, peanuts- nothing that would distinguish our meal as pad thai. The sauce was sweet and indistinguishable. So disappointing to have spent so much and to get hardly anything in return. We will never order from here again. We live in the neighbourhood-- so disappointing considering the range of really good and inexpensive options in this area. read more

AVOID THIS PLACE IF YOU ARE VEGETARIAN/VEGAN. I called ahead to ask if their broth used for vegetarian pho was made using animal products and they assured me it wasn't - that only vegetables were used to make the base. At the restaurant however, after eating most of my dish, I discovered pieces of chicken at the bottom of my soup bowl. I will not be returning here. read more

This place is horrible!!!!!!!!!!! The lady behind the cash is so rude and not customer service oriented. I tried ordering a noodle dish but wanted to change for vermicelli noodles and she refused. Her reasoning was because it wouldn't taste good?!?!?! Who cares what she thinks. I'm the one paying and going to be eating the dish. If I like it with vermicelli noodles then it shouldn't have been a problem. On their menu it clearly states that you can substitute for $2.00. I didn't care if she charged me double I just wanted the noodles I like. I will never be going back here and will never recommend this restaurant to anyone else I know. read more

Was there for lunch and was not very impressed. Was seated immediately but it took forever for someone to take the order. Found the portions small and the prices high for a Vietnamese place. read more