My coworker and I were looking for a lunch spot within walking distance of our current work site. I had already bookmarked The Monkey Bridge to try, but just never made it over here until now. It's a cute Vietnamese spot on Market Ave. in Ballard, away from the bars and other nightlife. In fact it's close the hospital site I have been working at for a few weeks periodically. We've been here for lunch 2 days in a row, mostly for convenience and my co-worker really, really liked the Vietnamese dumpling noodle soup (she actually had it both times we visited). I had the lemon grass chicken rice noodle bowl and the shrimp skewer rice noodle bowl. Both were good, but really the skewered shrimp was more tasty than the chicken. So why only 3 stars? If I was only reviewing solely on food, it would be 4 stars. However, the price for these items were pretty high, I know I can get the same amount of food (if not more) for about 2/3 of the price elsewhere. Also, service was not exactly exceptional. On our first day, we sat for a good enough amount of time before our order was taken, also a table that came at least 5 minutes after us was addressed first. Maybe we weren't good looking enough?! I don't know. I concluded that it was just a "busy" lunch hour time. But once again the next day, we felt that we were treated the same way by the same individual who passed us over yesterday. This person was not our server today, but we felt the lack of service was a turn off. I guess next time I can just take it to-go... read more

Beef bánh mì here is the bomb here! It's pricier, almost double, than other places, but it offers more beef stuffing. Braised tofu with steamed vegetables, very tender brown rice, sweet & sour veggie pickles, tasty vegetable soup, and smooth, runny & soft rice porridge were all delicious. I agree with some of the reviewers here, almost every item here tastes more like on the sweet side. I would give it a 5/5 if they make the food tastier, less sweet. read more

Food: tasty and home-made feeling. The broths are flavorful and dumplings seem quite fresh. The vegetables are not over-cooked. The vegetarian food can also be quite good. Service: is generally friendly and helpful, but can vary a little depending on who you get taking your order. Ambiance: is slightly upscale with about 11 tables and a small bar. Things look fairly clean. However, the above-mentioned service issues may not make this a great date or business meal destination. Value: is slightly below average as a bowl of soup alone is over $10. read more

Finally managed to make it in for a meal with friends and was pleased at the overall service + food quality once again. On this night we enjoyed: - Goi Cuon Tôm with shrimp, rice noodle, bean sprouts + mint served with sweet plum sauce + peanuts. These were not made a few days prior to dinner service, they were made that night! Fresh crunchy vegetables and fat shrimp wrapped in beautifully tender rice paper. They went quickly and are a definite on the next visit. - Cha Giò with pork, vermicelli noodle + shredded carrot served with Vietnamese lime dipping sauce. These were good but no lettuce were served. I wonder if this is something that no Vietnamese places do here. Maybe I'm spoiled but every place in Houston will give you a platter of Romaine leaves, fresh cilantro and mint for your wrapping delights. - Com Bò Xào Bac Ha - Vietnamese rhubarb + beef. It was an unusual dish but the flavours were nicely paired. There was a subtle tartness from the rhubarb and the almond slivers provided a nice crunch. - Vegetarian Bánh Xèo - a massive savoury pancakes stuffed with bean sprouts, garlic, fried shredded tofu and onions. The pancake was delicate and airy with the vegetables cooked slightly to keep their crispness. - Goi Xa Lach Bò - warm beef in rice vinegar vinaigrette on a bed of lettuce with sliced egg, tomatoes, sautéed onion and cilantro. This was my dish and the entire dish was perfectly seasoned. It filled my craving for vegetables and protein wonderfully! While we waited for our dishes, the waitress brought us small cups of cháo with green onions and fried shallots. The warmth was perfect to stave off the chill from the door that intermittently opened and closed. Mental note made - do NOT sit near the door again, try to sit more in the centre of the restaurant. After the tables around us filled up, thankfully the door remained closed. By the time our entrées arrived, the temperature around us regulated and we sat in relative toasty comfort eating tasty food. My Pho Club meets here later this month and I look forward to have other people try their food! read more

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I popped into here after the Ballard Farmers market. It was quiet inside, and the decor was appropriate but simple. Seating was plentiful, albeit the tables were a bit close. I got the lunch grilled pork banh mi. The sandwich was good - a typical sandwich of the sort. The soup that came with the sandwich was killer. It was rich and creamy with pieces of chicken and rice. I could have finished 2 bowls of the stuff...or more. This soup made the visit memorable, and I am looking forward to more on a future visit! read more

The Monkey Bridge - Soup that comes with the baguette. - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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It's been about a year since I ate at the Monkey Bridge. Due to dietary restrictions, I had to be off soy and other food stuffs commonly utilized at the MB. But today, the hubs and I went back for a nostalgic lunch. I remember the first time I had MB's pho. The broth was a dark, rich, complex beefy wonder with the essence of cinnamon, clove, and star anise. One of the best pho broths I'd ever had. I could understand why they charged more than most pho joints. Sadly, that wonder broth is gone. Today's beef pho broth was light in color, way too sweet, and had no essence of anything. It was just meh. Sad. read more

Been here a few times and it progressively gets worse. Our server had an extremely rude attitude towards us. He served my meal and my partners meal 10 minutes apart while people who arrived later than us were served first. Second, I ordered their pho and I would have to say it might've been the WORST pho I've ever had. I found this weird beef part (?) in my soup. It had veins and a weird texture, looked like scrap meat. Then brisket was a very strange pale color, like it wasn't beef? It was the color of pork and it tasted like overdone rubber. THEN I found a brown vermicelli noodle mixed in the slop. On top of all of that it was like warm msg flavored soup. Very bad dining experience, couldn't even finish it. Never coming here again! read more

The Monkey Bridge - Looked like a random beef scrap fell in my soup along with a brown vermicelli noodle and white rubbery brisket. Made me feel ill. - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This was our break-down when we finished dinner: 5 stars for decor - in dining room and bathroom- at least the mens? 4.5 stars for service- It was good.... but seemed somewhat nutty when we were trying to get in there and find a table (ended up at the bar instead cause we didn't want to wait). There were two big (5-person) parties in front of us and different staff members kept taking one parties chair (that they wanted to put the baby on) for the other table, and then putting it back when they were like "No no no we need that!" This happened like three times before they figured it out.... and they possibly had a high chair for the baby to sit on? 4 stars for lemongrass chicken and the soup that came with it 3 stars for the beef Pho- they only had one variety even though menu gave meat options (menu should be updated soon) and it was almost $7 for a "small" that was good but nothing spectacular. 3 stars for music. I can't recall what it was cause the dining room was loud... maybe he heard it in the bathrooms?.... I just remember him saying "3 for the music." read more

You can't beat the value for the money. This place is nothing fancy although the owners tried to decorate it authentically. The food is great and the prices are fare. Unlike a restaurant or two down the street (ie Matador) where the service is notably poor and indifferent, monkey bridge is all about their customers. If you decent food that is above average and fast and prices that are right on, the monkey bridge is for you. Try the bean curd and shrimp appetizers and variety of spring rolls. Don't order both and you meal as it is too much to finish. read more

This restaurant was a-ok. I wouldn't say that the food was the best or moderately good compared to the other Vietnamese restaurants that I have been to. It is conveniently located in Ballard along the busy Market St. The decor looks pretty clean and nice. It appears that they have a fairly large kitchen in the back. Service was decent: quick and efficient. I ordered the shrimp/pork noodle. The main issue I had with my dish was that the noodles were kind of on the soggy and soft side. Usually the noodles have a nice bouncy/al dente texture. I was rather disappointed with the texture of the rice noodles. The meat was marinated well and although the shrimp was a bright orange color, tasted really yummy. Everything else about this dish was pretty good, just not the noodles. Unfortunately, the noodles was about 60% of the dish so it weighed down the overall taste factor. Another issue that I had was that the price of each dish was on the expensive side. The bun was about $12.50. In Greenwood, the bun is about $8.50-$9. I find it quite surprising that the food can be +/- $3 to $4 more. For Vietnamese food, it is on the expensive side. read more

Growing up in Hawaii with Hawaii being Asian centric in terms of food. The Monkey Bride caught me by surprise. It rivals the best Vietnamese places that I've been too. I ordered the BBQ pork with spring rolls rice noodle bowl. Very light noodle, extra extra vegetables. I really enjoyed the home made sauce that came with it. It was a little bit of sweet and sour and some other goodness. Never ever tasted something that good in Hawaii. Decor is clean, with the servers nice and attentive. I will for sure be going back here to get my Vietnamese rice bowl fix when I'm in Seattle again. read more

The Monkey Bridge - BBQ pork and spring rolls noodle plate. - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I have eaten at The Monkey Bridge about 8-10 times. It is located just a few miles from where I work so we sometimes get take-out for lunch, and they also catered for 30 people during a work anniversary celebration lunch. The restaurant itself is clean and bright with natural light. The menu has a wide selection of food. Prices are a little higher compared to most other Vietnamese restaurants in Seattle. I have tried the beef pho, the pork and beef house special vermicelli bowls, traditional cabbage salad with chicken, ginger chicken and rice, spring rolls, tamarind hot and sour seafood soup. Out of those dishes I enjoyed the vermicelli bowls and the cabbage salad. However the pho, tamarind soup, and ginger chicken dishes to me were okay. I have had better and not worth the higher prices compared to other Vietnamese restaurants in Seattle. For service, the waitress and host are always courteous and prompt. There was one incident when we ordered for take-out during work lunch, and the restaurant switched my regular fish sauce with my coworker's vegetarian "fish" sauce in our vermicelli bowls. My coworker also ordered her bowl with extra lettuce, but instead they gave her no lettuce. She was obviously unhappy about the mishap, and had to eat her lunch with no veggies and no sauce (since I already used her sauce that they put in my order). However when they catered our work lunch for 30 people, they did an impressive job creating the lunch boxes and we were happy with their efforts for that event. Overall, cute little Vietnamese restaurant in the heart of Ballard, nice if you want variety and don't mind spending a little more. I still prefer the vermicelli and pho across the street at Pho Big Bowl because it is cheap and good, the way Vietnamese food should be. read more

The Monkey Bridge - The Monkey Bridge #20 Monkey Bridge house special rice noodle with sautéed pork with onion, egg rolls, & prawn skewer. - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Great comfort food, fast and friendly service. Their pho has been the go-to, but we've enjoyed everything we've tried here. Great value as well, easy to get two meals out of a large pho and an appetizer. Pro tip #1 : don't put the broth in the noodles you intend to save for later, use a separate bowl. Pro tip #2: the chicken pho or the veggie pho keep better than the beef pho. read more

Absolutely incredible. The staff are always so friendly when I've come in and the Pork Banh Mi's are amazing! It's way out of my way but worth it! read more

This place is quite tasty! I know good Vietnamese food when I find it and this is it. Pickled veggies were on point and everything was seasoned and sauced tastefully. Highly recommend their tofu bahn mi and dumpling soup! read more

The Monkey Bridge - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This place is so fricking good. If you're driving by this area, would definitely take some meals to go.

Excellent food, excellent service! I was very impressed how well they attended everyone coming through the door (to stay or for pickup). Will come again! read more

The Monkey Bridge - Pork Banh Mi. Had to stop myself before I gobbled it all up. The lemongrass marinade was delicious - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Had lunch with my sister here at her suggestion. She comes here alot with her family for lunch and dinner. Most of the Vietnamese establishments I go to are usually Pho places. But this place is more than Pho. I had the porkchop with egg, rice and a shrimp skewer. It also with a cabbage salad and your choice of jasmine or brown rice. This dish was delish. Portions here are huge and average price wise. They have bahn mi's that come with a small bowl of congee. I thought that was pretty sweet. I don't usually see that. The place is cute although it it a small inside. Service was also great. I would definitely come back. read more

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I have been getting takeout from The Monkey Bridge since I first moved into Ballard and have enjoyed the food every time. I typically get the shrimp salad rolls and the beef pho. The shrimp salad rolls are generous in size and could be a meal on their own. They are incredibly fresh and a dish that I will continue to order. The pho also hits the spot but is a bit on the sweeter side than what I'm used to. I'll definitely be ordering from here again! read more

In terms of decoration, you can't go wrong at this place. decoration is warm, classy and cozzy. However, you come here to eat, right? Let me tell you. I got the chicken curry with rice, and guess what, its mediocre. The soup is tasteless and nothing is going on in the bowl. Therr were only few pieces of meat with potatoes, yams and carrots. The curry is too liquid as well according to my standard. You have Indian, Thai so Viet has its own version of curry as well, but the one that I got at this place is just so bad. My friend got the vermicelli bowl and its okay. Nothing is special compared to pho Tai or other places, but of course, at Ballard and this kind of decoration you have to pay more, but what I got wasn't worthy. I rated it 3 stars because of its nice view of Ballard, decoration and design. But for the quality of the food, i don't think it's up to my expectation (based on many many positive reviews) and that this place wont hardly make me come back again. read more

The Monkey Bridge - Chicken curry with rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We went to this place as a prelude to a trip to Vietnam next year. The mango salad is a must. I was disappointed at the portion they gave you. The price is a little high but the food is great. The location is pretty good and there is ample street parking. I would really highly recommend this place, a hidden gem in Seattle. read more

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Had the vegan banh mi and soup. Overall, great value and flavors. Wish it had jalapeño in it and the sauce was a little too sweet but overall, it was tasty and I would definitely order it again. I'd also be stoked to try the vegan pho because the broth in the soup was amazing. read more

The Monkey Bridge has a more upscale look to it then the usual mom and pop. The service here is also better then typical mom and pops. Wine is served by the glass or bottle. And beer with some local flare. The interior and exterior is decorated nicely, they put some nice detail. Like the Pho here is tasty. Soup is tasty and you get a decent amount of noodles and meats. The lemon grass here is totally what you should try on the menu. My only complaint is like the Banh Mi sandwiches is $8...... I guess with costs of doing business going up and it's a fancier Vietnamese restaurant prices go up but there are other Vietnamese restaurants that are in Ballard but doesn't look at as nice that are about have that price for sandwiches. read more

We got the garlic tofu noodle creation, the tofu was very good but the rest of the bowl lacked flavor. It could have used more mint and peanut toppings, but it was a large portion. We also got the fresh salad rolls with tofu which were not the best roll I've ever eaten but the sauce was very yummy. I wish the roll had more flavor and a bigger variety of vegetables. read more

I customize errythang when eating pho and the staff is always confused, especially when they are of the older generations. They can't wrap their mind around the fact I don't want meat, but want beef broth. No, I don't want veggie pho, I want beef broth. It just boggles their minds. So there's dat. Rewind a little more -- my first exposure to pho was in California where the pho restaurants are a little different than anything I've found in Seattle. Essentially lots of other options aside from pho. I discovered egg noodles and a whole new world was exposed. Fast forward, move to Seattle, discover egg noodles are not a common offering for pho, queue depression. SURPRISE! Monkey Bridge has egg noodles. Wham. Bam. Ecstasy. Monkey Bridge has many more offerings than sayyyyy Than Bros (who haven't impressed me much as of late). I don't care if some people believe this isn't "authentic" or their expected interpretation of what Vietnamese should be -- everything has always been fresh and delicious. I would caution you from dining here if you're in a rush; service is kind, but definitely not speedy. read more

I was craving Bun Bo Hue. I don't have high expectations for Vietnamese food outside of Little Saigon/Othello. This restaurant is close to my place so I wanted to give it a chance since it has positive reviews. The interior is charming and clean. However, the food is inauthentic. What I ate was definitely not Bun Bo Hue. The flavors were off. It was overly salty, tasted of hoisin, and the beef was gristly. I feel the only way this place gets good reviews is because the clientele can't tell the difference. Service was ok. I would have appreciated more water refills because the broth was overly salty. Personally, I think it's better to just go to Pho Than Brothers for pho or drive to Little Saigon/Othello. read more

I've been here a few times...not bad, probably a good place to take novice Viet food diners. They have authentic'ish dishes that are a little more tame than the real deal. I do like the fact that they give you soup before your meal, the egg rolls are ok, and I'm happy to see thit kho on the menu...all though a little light on flavor. The place is clean, service is fine, not the same crowd that you see at than bros or some place in the ID. I'd prob eat here more often if it wasn't so far away. read more

Great Vietnamese restaurant. A coworker and I went for lunch and the restaurant was full but we did not have to wait! Started with the shrimp fresh rolls, and had the beef noodle tray (with the rice papers that you wrap everything in) and the chicken curry. Both the entrees were delicious! The deep fried banana with coconut cream dessert was bland, I would like it if they had a larger dessert selection. We were not greeted when we walked in and service was a little slow (keeping in mind every table was full), and food-service was fast. I have already recommended this place to the rest of the office and I plan to come here again! For all the reviews that complain it's too expensive compared to the ID - please keep in mind that the restaurant is cleaner than most of the ones in the ID, it has a better ambiance (not obnoxiously lit with high wattage lights), and rent in Ballard has to cost so much more than in the ID! Street parking available (metered) and they accept credit cards. read more

Loved everything about this place! Rare combination of delicious Asian food, very reasonable prices, tasteful decor, great service, and (for the city) dedicated parking in the back! Beef pho hit the spot. Broth here is extra flavorful, with more spices (cloves and anise) than at other pho places. The pork in the banh mi / baguette sandwich was lean and smothered in a very tasty marinade. The spring rolls are huge. Fried egg rolls were crisp and more enjoyable than most restaurant egg rolls. read more

Cool little place, great location in Ballard! Didn't know what to expect, but was very curious about the Vietnamese Rhubarb and Beef. Service was quick and the food was absolutely delicious. If you like beef dishes, this was excellent! Nothing bad at all to say about the place. Nice atmosphere, good service and tasty food. What else could you want? read more

I am a huge fan of banh mi, and over the years, had heard that Monkey Bridge was a good place to get them. So while in Ballard one day, I stopped by to get some sandwiches to go. The first thing that hit me was the high price tag. $7.95 is double the price of a banh mi from any of my favorite haunts in the International District. But it's Ballard, and the sandwich came with a cup of soup, so, ok. First, the soup. It had nice fresh vegetables in it, but the broth was oddly sweet. It was not really to my taste. The sandwich was huge. This made me feel better about the price. I has ordered 2 sandwiches for 2 of us, but we could have split one. The baguette was perfect, and was my favorite part of the sandwich. The marinated vegetables were fresh and crisp and delicious. But there was no daikon, and I missed it. Also, the tofu was quite a bit blander than at my favorite banh mi places. On the whole, I just thought the banh mi was too "gentrified" for lack of a better way to put it. Unless I am wandering around Ballard and get a hankering for a banh mi, I will stick with Seattle Deli and Le Bakery! read more

Great restaurant for groups, we went as a group of 5 for lunch with co-workers. They had a good mx of authentic vietnamese dishes, and chicken dishes/curry as well. Everyone in our group was satisfied. The small pho was a great dish, and I enjoyed the flavors and spices. We also shared the spring rolls, they were really good too. read more

The Monkey Bridge - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Haven't eaten at the restaurant. Just ordered takeout. Ordered a vermicelli bowl and a ban minh and egg rolls. The portions are great for the price! The egg rolls were delicious! I don't know how but they weren't oily whatsoever. I'd definitely go back. We took our orders to go and went up to green lake for a picnic. read more

This place is fantastic. I have been coming here for years and it has never disappointed. The staff are all very friendly and the food is amazing. read more

Second day in Seattle and found this gem. This place was amazing from friendliness to food. Small space which is my preference. Clean, tasty and honestly quite fast. 10/10 especially if you've already become a pho and banh mi lover. Will return. read more

I am a sick girl. Pho isn't necessarily my favorite food, but when you're sick - it sounds wonderful. Since pho isn't the type of food you can get 'to-go', I convinced CeCe to meet me for dinner tonight. We weighed our options - Monkey Bridge vs. Than Brothers - both on NW Market Street....we went to the cleaner-looking of the two. I, of course, had the pho. CeCe order the Beef and Rhubarb Stirfry. Both were good. The pho I had here was probably the best I've ever eaten. I don't usually care for oily broths, so I ordered mines with vegetable (as opposed to beef) broth. The pho was delicious! CeCe's dish had rhubarb, something we were both unsure about. When it came out, it looked like green eggplants (aren't rhubarbs supposed to be red?!) Either way, her dish was quite tasty as well. The restaurant itself was really cute. It's small, but nicely decorated (they even had Halloween decorations up!). Cozy place. I'd definitely come back here again! read more

My reliable lunch spot in Ballard. Ballard has become quite the foodie stop the past six or seven years. I often come to Ballard for work. I try to stop in a new place as often as I can. But, for some reason, many Ballard restaurants seem to have inconsistent lunch hours or no lunch at all. Several times I have planned to hit a new restaurant and have found it closed. The Monkey Bridge is always open and waiting for me. It is a tiny triangle corner location with fast service and great food. I, almost always, get the tofu Banh Mi. An Excellent Vietnamese baguette is filled with wonderful cubes of seasoned tofu, pickled vegetables and checks off the salty, sweet, sour, and savory tastes. Now, if they would just use some fresh peppers for the spicy flavor, I would give five stars! They also have coconut juice with fresh strips of coconut meat in the glass. Good stuff! read more

This is just your average Vietnamese restaurant. There absolutely nothing special about my meal. The shrimp salad rolls were bland and mostly rice noodles. The tofu pho broth was insipid and contained only the stems of bok choy (!?) with giant chunks of semi-cooked carrot. The service was lackluster; empty appetizer dishes were just left on the table when my meal arrived and he mostly just texted on his phone. To sum it up, Monkey Bridge is 'Meh'. Edible but forgettable. read more

We ordered monkey bridge boodle soup and dumpling noodle soup. The broth is definitely flavorful, however it's too sweet for me and I had to keep drinking water to prevent my tongue from getting too dry. Medium size noodle feels like a small pho, but the waitress was nice. Price: Medium monkey bridge boodle soup - $11 Medium dumpling noodle soup - $9.35 read more

My first impression was that the restaurant is very nicely decorated in a very Vietnamese style that many restaurants in my hometown city (Sai Gon) have. The place is small but cozy. The decorating items must have been chosen very carefully, and they absolutely make the restaurant beautiful. Food was great. I had #20A, and it was very good. The cook definitely did a great job making the La Lot beef rolls. They were very close to what my mom makes at home, which I love :). Keep up the good work! Definitely will be back when I have a chance. read more

The Monkey Bridge - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington