We wanted Pho and Sea was closed so we tried Saigon Pho. So disappointed by the flavor. The presentation and the to go packaging was wonderful but the Pho was disappointing. My husband said the fresh spring rolls were better than most but the peanut sauce was blah. I hope they up their efforts with Pho. read more

Just to preface this review: the food here is so good that during my 2 days in Rochester, I had two meals here. Okay now the deets. First meal, I got the grilled pork plate. Super delicious. Pork was nicely marinated and tender, accompanied by broken rice, a quiche, two fried eggs, and some pickled veggies. I also got the banh mi - amazingly fresh bread with pate and a combination of meat slices and mayo made for an amazing sandwich. One of the best Vietnamese meals I have had outside of California. Second meal, I got the chicken plate. Same contents as above but replace the meat with chicken. The amount of food you get for the price you pay is astonishing. I could've eaten the plate in two separate meals if I wasn't such a fat butt. If you're in Rochester, GO HERE read more

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Incredible!! Yelpers nailed it. This family owned business is a must stop if your staying in Rochester. Had the egg rolls and traditional Pho dish. Portions are huge! Price was great! Food was DELICIOUS and the family was so nice! Walked in at 8:02 when they were supposed to close at 8 they welcomed me like I was there very first customer. Grandma let me watch her make the food for a minute. Can't wait to get back! Loved it!!! read more

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Always good and always friendly. Thank you for you support of the Military. - your Army guys.

I'm no expert on Vietnamese cuisine, but based on my somewhat limited knowledge, this place is as authentic as it gets. First and foremost, I have never had a more sincere welcome, both from the young man who took my order and by the owner who stopped to chat while I waited for a carry-out order. The place is small, but very clean and was packed when I arrived at 11:30. My spouse is not exactly an adventurous eater, but he loved the dumplings and particularly the spicy hot dipping sauce. We had a banh mi sandwich to share and I opted for the beef pho, heartily recommended by the cashier/waiter. It was DELICIOUS and I have ample left over for dinner. Previous reviews reported that they did not take credit cards, but they do now, so if you're like me and seldom carry cash, no worries. read more

Saigon Pho - Beef Pho take-out - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

absolutely the best pho and vermicelli bowls in rochester . amazing owners and all around great place ! read more

Since moving here, I've been looking for a good pho place, and I'm happy to say I've finally found it! I feel like many of the other places tame down the broth flavor, but not here. The taste, portion, price, packaging, speed...everything is great. I pick up a pho and chicken banh mi every week now! read more

Very blah. The place was dead when I went. Their seating is folding plastic tables. No table covers or anything. There were only 5 long tables in the place. Not much space if it got crowded unless you shared tables. There was a guy doing dishes. He kept yelling. Of course in different language but he sounded mad. It was annoying because you can see the dish washing station from the dining area. He was pretty loud. I didnt like it. I had beef pho. It was boring. The broth didnt have much taste. The few slices of beef looked and tasted of poor quality. They also had sliced up meatballs in it. The bean sprouts were nice and fresh. The dish size was good. Not a place I will return to. It was a very forgetable place. read more

First timer here, definitely won't be my last! A pretty lean menu, offering different dishes and apps, and a relatively small space, but damn do they pack it in! Relatively standard decor, nothing ostentatious, and a decent amount of seats packed in around diner tables and some hi top seating at a bar height area. Standards like spring rolls, dumplings and fresh spring rolls for apps. I tried the dumplings, and the sauce they came with was flavorful and spicy! Dumplings were pressed and fried and delicious, filled with meat and veggies and they took a good soak in the sauce. They also offer banh mi, com chien, bun bo hue, and banh xeo. I came here for pho, though, and boy was I impressed! Their beef pho came out piping hot, with the traditional side plate of add-ons (sprouts, basil, lime, jalapenos) and they definitely add flavor! Their broth, relatively clear and perfectly spiced, was out of this world! I can't always kill a bowl of pho, but I demolished this bad momma! Go here. Buy pho. Be sufficiently stuffed. And smile. read more

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Did not expect this place could be good due to several negative reviews, but I just had very nice pho including very friendly service. Soup was so good for very cold weather today!!! Fyi: There is only one phon which comes with Beef, Shrimp, Chicken read more

Wow! This place serves up true authentic Vietnamese cuisine. It's located in a plaza right next door to another Vietnamese restaurant. Rather small and only has about 6 tables but i usually let the food do the talking. It takes a lot to impress me when it comes to Vietnamese cuisine since I am of Vietnamese decent and I grew up with good ole momma's cookin. I ordered the Pho with chicken and the broth was so flavorful. Not bland at all like other places I have been to. My friend had the bun Bo hue which is a spicy noodle dish. Both dishes were amazing! And the price was just right at about $7 a bowl. If you're looking for true authentic cuisine, this is the place to come to. They don't have a 4.5 star rating for no reason :-) read more

Saigon Pho - Bun bo hue. Spicy noodle dish. Amazing! - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Reading some of these other reviews cracks me up. Why? People proclaim they are pho experts. People say that this place serves authentic Vietnamese pho. If you go check all other reviews for other pho places regardless of city, you will always have people claiming this. As for me, I am no pho expert and I will never say any place is authentic because everybody's opinion is subjective. What I can tell you is what I look for in a good pho soup. With that said, I ordered a large ($9) Beef Pho bowl. In my opinion, this pho was not appealing. It was basically swimming in grease that was disguised as broth. Now I know you will get grease from the meat that is given but this seemed like it was deep fried in the bowl then some noodles thrown in. This is where the subjectivity comes in. I have had pho at other places and yes you cannot avoid some oil but this pho I had just eating the meat and noodles. I usually sip some of the broth but this was not happening here. We also ordered a large Pork Vermicelli Bowl ($9), large Shrimp Special Fried Rice, and a Vietnamese Sandwich ($4). The Vermicelli was very good. You can tell that the grilled pork was marinated really well because it was bursting with lots of flavor. The Shrimp Fried Rice was just ok. If anything, it needed a little more salt. As for the Sandwich, it was awesome with the bread toasted and the fresh cut jalapenos gave it that spicy kick. In closing, 2 out of the 4 entrees we ordered were really good. The other 2 not so much. Service was just ok. Would I come back? Yes. But only for the vermicelli and sandwich and not the fried rice and pho. Yelp 2016 Review #41 614 overall read more

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Great service and food. Consistent quality and flavor! Saigon is a causal, family run Vietnamese restaurant. I love their beef soup (bun bo hue), spring rolls, and iced coffee. Highly recommend! read more

Saigon Pho - Bun bo hue, iced coffee, pork vermicelli bowl - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

One of the most legit and authentic Vietnamese restaurants I've been to. The banh mi sandwich is my favorite and probably the best around town. You can get one for $4 or 3 for $10. The bread is toasted and it's not too hard that it will cut the roof of your mouth (as my friend noted). The spring rolls, pho and banh uot are good too. With the new menu and more options, I will def be back for more nomz! read more

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UPDATE: The owners are Vietnamese but the paranoid "never trust the man" in me wanted to test it out, so I have brought a couple of intl. students from Vietnam here. They all spoke 110% Viet and have given it their badge of approval. I like to refer to Saigon pho as "ghetto pho", plain and simple. In the world of pho, pho connoisseurs, people who search authenticity, the best places are usually found in the back alleys of many a cities where advertisements don't work but word-of-mouth come into play. It's like a rap battle "yo", you don't seek out major corporate sponsors, and the glitz of guys in suits, you let the streets of raw beats build your street cred "yo". That is exactly what Saigon Pho is. Beiberization=glitz and glamour, The RZA the GZA raw beats=Saigon Pho I have sampled pho far and wide (Toronto, New York City, Dirty Jersey, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Dallas, Austin, Seattle, Beijing, Cebu, Manila, and our very own...Rochester). I cannot say that amongst the bigger elite cities does Saigon Pho compete, but "lemme say dis" it gives all those other cities and the shops I've been to a run for its money; in Rochester it is hands down the best broth I have had. There is a saying the suit does not make the man, the man makes the suit; well in pho-0nology the pho don't make the broth, the broth make the pho (if you are Viet or a person who is obsessed with pho, you know what I am talking about). Hands down the best pho I have had in my life is still in OKC right in the center of the dirty dirty area where street cred is made. In Rochester, the best pho is at Saigon Pho. My experience (and possibly yours): I had come here to get a late fixing on a Friday night, after somehow venturing in Norton Street (my suburban ass is hardcore son!) to visit a buddy who was in the process of celebrating his bday party. After arriving and the formalities, I left and decided I wanted something exotic and the taste of broth with noodles, hence pho. The info stated it was still open, but by the time I arrived it was in its way of being closed (10pm on a Friday night, people do want to go home after all). The owner (lady) was kind enough to let me in and get a bowl of pho as well as a Viet iced-coffee. As I have stated numerous times this place is not for those who want to go on a fancy date, this place is a (for lack of a better word) "hole-in-the-wall", but that's why you come here, not for the decor and "ambiance" (say that with me in a french accent), you come here for the pho. I have nothing but the utmost respect for hard-working/kind/friendly people and the owners of this place were just that (most would have said "its 10, it's friday we're closed, get out of here". These people want to live the "American Dream" and all there is about capitalism and serving good pho!) So why 4 out of 5 stars you may ask? 1. a small bowl is 7 dollars and a large bowl is 9 dollars. For the inexperienced and newcomers this may seem like a fair price for the amount you get, but for seasoned veterans of the pho-street battles "yo" that 9 dollar bowl would be considered a Medium-Size in many places I have been to, and at about 6-7 dollar range. 2. The Viet iced-coffee had too much ice (I wonder if this was done on purpose as they were closing shop, and didn't have a lot left as things were put away). Also usually Viet-Coffee is served in a "press" where the ground bean is pressed along with a hot/cold mixture to seep to the bottom of the espresso-like-glass. Mine was served in one of those plastic Bubble Tea glass, and although it tasted strong, it didn't taste strong compared to the memories my taste buds have encountered with other Viet-Coffees. So with a "whole-in-the-wall" environment, not the best viet-coffee, and prices not to what I have seen in other bigger more expensive cities to live, why the 4 stars?~it heavily is reliant on that broth, plain and simple. Refer to photos for visuals. read more

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Great place with decent pho. The menu is a little anemic but has all the Vietnamese staples you'd crave for. I asked for a pho dac biet (special beef pho) which wasn't on the menu and they were very accommodating and knew exactly what I wanted. The only thing is I wished they had air conditioning on hot humid days-- it wasn't very pleasant for my fiance eating a hot and spicy noodle soup while gasping for fresh air between slurps. Great take out options too-- they separate the noodles, meat, veggies and broth. That's the way pho take out should be! read more

Saigon Pho - Beef pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Saigon Pho! What an understated gem! Hidden at the corner of a plaza directly next to another Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon Pho subtly entices you with plain font and minimal advertisement. The interior is similarly plan, classic restaurant tables with simple chairs, a small shrine in the corner, a hint of a peek into the kitchen area. The menu is quite short for the majority of Vietnamese restaurants I've been to, plainly stated and straight to the point. I ordered the Spring Rolls, which were served with a peanut sauce, but honestly somewhat disappointing. The flavors were all there, but the wrapper was not soaked long enough and was still hard and tough to chew in places. It still hit the spot. The real star of the show was the Bun Bo Hue, which was comforting, spicy, and all around yummy! It was just like the Bun Bo Hue I've eaten growing up! Highly recommended. I've had the Pho here before as well, which though warming and soul-soothing, was too sweet for my tastes and seemed to be missing a little something. I will definitely be back for more of that Bun Bo Hue! Also, the manager-lady is super sweet and called me "honey" twice as I was paying the bill, which always makes you feel just a touch more at home! Overall, get the Bun, skip the Rolls, maybe pass on the Pho, but definitely check it out! read more

Saigon Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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What awesome service! They have some wonderful food for good prices. Their Pho is in my top-3 list for Rochester. This should be a must-stop shop for Pho-lovers (and I only had some of my wife's!). It's a little hole-in-the-wall place, but WOW, it has some delicious food. I had #4 - Bun Thit Nuong (pictured). The house-made sauce that it came with was very good. The dish had lots of vegetables and was very filling! I ordered the medium ($7) and I was full (with 1.5 spring rolls). Sauces: if you want a more sour/vinegar taste - they have you covered! If you want sweet - they have you covered. If you want spicy - they most definitely have you covered (a few different spicy sauces). Oh my. Try a bite with each of the sauces...yum! Oh, and their tea. It's not simple black or green tea - oh, no! It's....Jasmine (I think). It was a very floral tea. I had 5 cups (at least) - oh, so good! I rate this a solid 5-stars! read more

Saigon Pho - Bun Thit Nuong (seasoned sliced pork, onion, lettuce, bean sprouts, & carrots) with peanuts and Nouc Mam (fish sauce). "Medium" - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

As a DC native, I had basically given up on finding acceptable Pho anywhere near Rochester. In the greater DC metro area, good Pho is basically a commodity. Not so much, here in Rochester. Luckily, I found Saigon Pho. The first good Pho that I've located in Rochester. Finally, authentic and wonderful tasting broth. Everything else I've tried is good too! read more

Great Pho, I'll repeat great Pho! The menu is OK, unfortunately three of the items we tried to order we were told were either for breakfast or the guy that makes them wasn't there. The bahn mi was also delicious, there was a hearty slice of jalapeño coursing through the middle of it. I nearly shed a tear when I asked for my remaining Pho to go and she poured half of the delicious broth down the sink so it would fit in a small container. read more

Saigon Pho - Holy jalapeño, one nice thick slice through a bahn mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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A hole in the wall of Rochester, which needs more light shining on it. This is a fantastic authentic divvy restaurant. The service here is as if you were back in the old country and its amazing how fast the food arrives out. I've enjoyed my meal options here and the environment is calm and cozy. The cost here is affordable which makes it great for a large group setting; there's plenty of seating for pairs or larger groups. The fact they have four different hot sauces on the table and other condiments is something I appreciate about a place like this. read more

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Haven't been to Saigon Pho in a minute and glad I kept it that way. As soon as you walk in the air is a bit suffocating, and you have these very long tables that seat 6, with only one 2-person table. The beef pho is mediocre at best; the broth isn't very flavorful, the noodles are overcooked, and the serving sizes are a bit small. The banh mi is good though. If you want great pho, I'd recommend the store to the right of it or SEA Restaurant. read more

I really do enjoy this little place! Tucked into the corner of the plaza on Mt. Read and Lyell - it's perfectly located for me. The owners are nice and kind, and very accommodating. I felt like my own father/grandfather was inviting me in for lunch. I ordered my standard pho ga and hot tea. Both were excellent, and well worth the price. The chicken pho was tastier than some others around town. This is due in part to the use of dark meat, and a little bit greasier broth. The taste was delicious though. And I seem to remember getting specific herbs that are not available other places... which makes it all the more authentic. I definitely recommend this place, and can't wait to get back. read more

I've been a fan of pho and bahn mi for some time now, but have been on the prowl for better options. This place is now my favorite in the city for pho, bahn mi and fresh spring rolls. The pho, as told by the owner's sister, is made from scratch and has no MSG, but has excellent flavor . Of course it comes with all the usual accoutrements on the side, but this has the deepest flavor broth of any place that I've been to in Rochester. I also tried the bun bo hue (hue style boodle soup) which was also excellent. The spring rolls are tight, perfectly wrapped gems. My order came with four (4) but the menu says 3 to an order. The bowl of peanut sauce was very good, but unremarkable. Still- worth the trip if you're a fan of fresh spring rolls. Bahn Mi- FINALLY! I've been searching for a GREAT bahn mi since "Whatta Bahn Mi" closed and I've finally found it. Crunchy/chewy bread with pate and whatever the meat is, with some cilantro and fresh jalepenos. Fantastic. $4 each or 4 for $10. The place is very clean and small with a total of 4 basic-nothing-fancy tables. Two tables that seat 4, two deuces, and a "bar" with three seats, although one is next to a buddah shrine and is basically unusable. Each table has a a caddy of sorts with silverware, chopsticks, napkins, pho soup spoons and sauces (sriracha, hoisin, etc). The owners are friendly and like to chitchat a little, so it makes the experience a little less intimidating of you dont like small restaurants. I'm looking forward to trying some of their other menu items. read more

Saigon Pho - Menu (JAN2016). Bottom says 4 bahn mi for $10. - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

The pho here is great. The broth is tasty and the added sprouts and basil bring out the flavor. The other stuff on the menu tastes good too, but may be slightly more than some may want to pay for. Whether you sit down or take out, the food is good no matter where you eat it. read more

Good food. Fast service. Very crowded during lunch. They sat us next to another couple so they can save the larger tables for other potential larger group which made for an awkward lunch (those tables stay open the whole time we were there, I understand the reasoning but it was very awkward. I probably have a larger than typical personal bubble). Anyway, I got bun bo hue and my husband got grilled pork over noodles. Both came out very fast. My husband loves his meal. My food was good but a little light on the protein. I ordered summer rolls and bánh mì to take home for dinner. Both were good. The summer rolls didn't have any fresh herbs in them but had one large tasty shrimp (split in half) per roll. Small in size but there was 4 per order so. read more

There's no shortage of cheap eats places in Rochester, but Saigon Pho stands out as one of my favorites. Sure, I've had the Americanized $16 banh mi sandwich at Cure dozens of times and it's delicious, but the $4 banh mi at Saigon Pho is just such a delight. It's a bargain at twice the price. Ask for it spicy, and be sure to order a Vietnamese iced coffee for your mouth afterward. read more

Not only was the Pho delicious, apps were great as well. Aside from the food though, what made this an amazing experience was the wonderful staff, welcoming each customer as they came in and really gave it that "customers are family" vibe. Note: seating is fairly tight so if you're planning a soup day with a big group, take out may be the better route! read more

Saigon Pho is a little Vietnamese restaurant in a shopping plaza at the corner of Lyell Ave and Mt. Read Blvd., across from the Theodore Roosevelt school. In the plaza there's another Vietnamese restaurant next door as we'll, but I haven't tried it. The Saigon is not fancy but appears to be very clean and the owners are very friendly. The pho is delicious. I had a dish with beef, beef broth and rice noodles with scallions. In the traditional style, they place a plate of fresh bean sprouts, basil, sliced jalapeños and other delicious accoutrements that everyone can share. It was delicious, satisfying and only cost $7 WOW! What a great price for a superb meal! Cash only, but it's only 7 bucks. Be sure to try the Saigon Pho. I would recommend it to anyone. read more

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Best Pho in Rochester hands down. I also highly recommend the grilled pork chop with broken rice, Bon Mei, fresh spring rolls and fried rice

Some awesome pho here!! Also got the spring rolls which were delicious. Definitely one of the top spots I've had for some authentic pho. Ordered pick up so didn't eat inside but there is a dine in area also. read more

You cannot find a better bowl of pho in Rochester. Today was my first time to the restaurant and it certainly won't be my last. The seafood pho had the most savory and complex broth. You can taste how fresh all of their ingredients are. read more

Saigon Pho - Fresh spring rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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I have now made repeated visits to Saigon Pho. I have tried the banh mi thit (sandwich), bun thit nong (pork with vermiselli noodles) and beef and chicken pho. All are excellent, fresh, large quantity, and cheap! And I gotta believe good for you (no preservatives, low fat). I now stop here and pick up both lunch and dinner for later! I cannot wait to try much more of the menu! read more

Highly recommended, best pho & banh mi in town. They also cater and their prices are great

This isn't a place you go for fancy eats or to impress someone with a romantic setting. Bright lights, basic furnishings. But the people who served us were really nice, the food came out quickly, and the price was incredible. we loved our spring rolls. 10 for $10 which is a great sharing plate. The pho and pork bun were both excellent with fresh herbs, jalapeños, and bean sprouts. A great meal for a winter night on a budget Came back a second time and wanted to add that there's hardly a better deal in town. And this time, I tried an iced coffee. Amazing, and just how I like it. read more

Foods are good but had to wait for abt 25 mins for foods to be done so recommended. Good service too

Stopped by here for a late lunch on a cold rainy visit to Rochester. This place is a small family-owned restaurant. There is a big parking lot in the plaza that it is located in. I ordered a large beef pho and Vietnamese sandwich. I was really glad I stopped by here because their pho was delicious. The broth had the right amount of savoriness and the meat to noodle ratio was perfect. I'm usually disappointed at pho restaurants when they do not give enough meat but Saigon Pho gave a generous amount. At the table, they also provide a selection of sauces you can use. I usually stick to siracha and hoisin sauce. The only thing is I wish they had a sauce dish so I could dip (that's just how I like to eat my pho). Overall, I was really impressed and I hope to visit again. The sandwich was also very good. Only thing is that some pieces of jalapeno were too big. read more

Saigon Pho - Large beef pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

Overall summary: solid enough food, friendly atmosphere, better than SEA, would be about average in a larger city. As others have said, it's a small place: I think 3 big (6-person) tables and a few small tables. The waitress (owner?) was very friendly. I had the Hue soup because she said it had wider noodles and was spicy. It came out fast and had nice tender meat in it, and the noodles were just right. Broth wasn't very spicy, but was nice and flavorful (moreso than other Pho I've had in the area). Overall it wasn't mind-blowing, though---it would be at or slightly below average in, say, Portland. But for Rochester, definitely a good option. read more

Awesome service. Great food. Fair priced and portions were generous. Would recommend the egg rolls (half orders are available if one full order is too much!) read more

Since the options for Pho keep getting smaller, I decided to taste Saigon Pho. After reading about how divey the place was, I was surprised to find a small, but clean and open space and friendly service. It is located in a strip mall in the infamous Lyell Avenue area, but the strip mall has been recently renovated and it's pretty easy to access from Mount Read Ave. The menu is pretty straightforward with Vietnamese options. So far I had my three favorite Vietnamese items and I liked all three. Pho, The broth is flavorful, but not as deeply flavored as Pho Viet was. Still a decent bowl of pho and something I will definitely order again Bahn Mi Their bahn mi are small, but cheap (4 each, 3 for $10). I would say 1 and half would make a good meal. $10 for two meals is a good deal. It's tasty and has all the expected textures and flavors you expect on a bahn mi. I wouldn't say it's the best bahn mi I ever had, but it's a decent one. Vermicelli Salad. My only complaint is that it only comes with pork. I love this during summer and I wish I had more options for toppings. I found the pork to be just OK, but everything else was on point and delicious. Very filling and definitely on my summer rotation. All in all, this is a good place to visit, especially at lunch time. Decent food, good service, and tasty Vietnamese coffee! read more