Food is awesome, service is fast. The place smells like cleaning solution when you walk in the door. Not sure, if this is intentional, but it is off-putting. After 5 minutes, the smell was not as noticeable. Food was delicious and healthy. Tons of vegetarian options. read more

You can't ask for fresher food than A Dong. Every dish I've ever tried here has been perfectly prepared. The vegetables are crisp and fresh, the food is hot and well seasoned, the fish is fresh, the shrimp is perfectly cooked, and the hot tea is fantastic. My most recent visit featured shrimp spring rolls, pork egg rolls and the catfish hot pot. The spring rolls and egg rolls were an absolute delight - fresh and perfectly prepared. The hot pot wasn't just delicious, it was an absolute abundance of food. The menu said it would feed two, but it was more than enough for four. The catfish was lightly fried and placed on top of the soup in the hot pot. The presentation was as fun and delightful to look at as the soup and fish were to eat. My wife and I took home enough for a second meal! I can't recommend this place enough. The prices are extremely reasonable, and the food is out of this world. A true Asian treasure in the heart of the Midwest. read more

Their separate all-veggie menu attacted me and their food definitely delivers. I ordered from fresh rolls and the veggie pho, both of which were very satisying. Dishes are around $8-9 and are big portions. Friendly, quick service. Very satisfying Vietnamese place. Recommended. read more

It's okay. Spring rolls are good. Pho is good. It's just okay. For being a Des Moines staple, the food is just okay. I've lived here all my life, even grew up in the neighborhood. Not many can say they grew up downtown. My family has always gone nuts about Adong. I don't know if it's just loyalty or what because this place has nothing to "Wow" about. It's not gross, the place is clean, a lot cleaner now. Service is okay. It's a three star okay restaurant. read more

On a road trip through Des Moines I told my brother I was looking for something Ethnic, healthy, cheap, and delicious. Somehow this managed to be all of the above! If you want authentic Vietnamese food served up quickly with large portions at a low price, A Dong is the place for you. read more

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Man, I really wanted to rate this place higher than this. Like really bad. All of my friends rave about this place and I live so close and the pricing is cheap enough that I could make this place my go to for a quick dinner! That being said, before I took the plunge and visited here for the first time I asked a bunch of my friends whats the best thing to get here and an overwhelming amount responded with Fried Spring Rolls and Pho. I was excited to try Pho for the first time, especially since soup has always been one of my favorite meals. The presentation is really impressive. I love that they give you all of the add ons to the Pho on the side (Jalapenos, Cilantro, Lime, Sprouts, Etc) that way you can add them to your liking. First sip I realized that the taste was rather bland. I added a bit of Sriracha and soy sauce for flavor and it made it a little better but I was unhappy that the original flavor was as bland as it was. After discussing this with my friends they all assured me that Pho is usually bland so that you can add your own flair to it. This....I dont necessarily get. Why cant they just make the soup taste flavorful to begin with? Why should I have to use my own ingredients? On a side note, dont take your leftover Pho home...Just dont. I went to eat my leftovers later that night and it already smelled like it had gone sour. The saving grace? The spring rolls were AMAZING! As well as their Iced coffee. Im going to give this place another shot, only because their menu is so big and I do want to try one of their rice dishes. Ill update when this happens. Who knows maybe Im a A dong lover, but just dont care for Pho? We shall see. read more

A Dong Restaurant - Vegetarian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I had the A Dong Pho and shared an order of spring rolls. Pho was good but the broth was a little bland. Spring rolls were decent. Environment was casual. Service was friendly. read more

Their food has gone downhill since approx fall of 2019. I kept going back 3 or 4 different times, but the food never went back to how good it used to be. read more

A Dong is an absolute institution in this town, and that hasn't happened by accident. You'll always find something you like on the menu, which has over 100 items, catering to the taste of anyone that walks in, regardless of whether or not they normally would eat Vietnamese food. Even the most stubborn of eaters should be able to leave happy. A Dong is also one of the most fairly priced places in Des Moines. It's astounding how reasonable they've been able to keep their prices, and they deserve much praise for providing excellent food at a price that can't be beat. Their service varies from friendly to efficient, and that suits me just fine. I don't need everyone to smile and chat with me, but when they do it's nice. A Dong forever. read more

Thank you, A Dong, for the wonderful food and service and especially the generous red envelope for my daughter! read more

A Dong Restaurant - Thank you, A Dong, for the red envelope! Happy New Year! - Vegetarian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

This has long been one of my favorite Des Moines restaurants dating back to the cottage grove location. The large menu contains not only an incredible number of traditional dishes, but probably the largest and most thorough vegetarian menu as well. This has allowed A Dong to be a staple for me regardless of what dietary habits I am testing at that time. While my goal going forward is to try many new things off the menu, like everyone else I have some of my favorites as well. Boasting probably the best fried rice, veg or otherwise, in the city. The egg rolls and spring rolls are also amazing. One fresh and delicate the other fried and sturdy, both offer amazing tastes with perfectly complimenting sauces. When dining in I also love to enjoy a sweet cream coffee, Sua Da. Brewed on the table and then added to the ice there are very few restaurants who have a drink to rival this if you're into coffee. A perfect blend of sweet and bitter, it's a great way to end the meal. Obviously everyone will have their go to recommendations, but I think my best advice for A Dong is try a little bit of everything. Eventually you will find something you can't get away from. read more

Vegan curry stew and vegan w sweet and sour are very good. This place has excellent vegan selections. read more

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No 119 duck curry soup with rice or vermicelli is the best. I've never had anything like this but it stayed in my mind since I first tried it!! I can't stop myself from going back to A Dong!!! Fried shrimp spring roll with cheese is also the thing I order every single visit!! Great service, great food and affordable price. Highly recommend! read more

Food poisoning... got the spring rolls and chicken pho. Both tasted decent. Woke up at 2 am with fever, aches, intense stomach cramping, and nausea. Ended up having terrible diarrhea and vomited profusely for 30 minutes. I am nursing my stomach at the moment and frustrated at having to write this review, but I hope no one else is going through this and that the restaurant owners can identify what was spoiled. read more

Iv been a regular here for 13 years and have yet to have a bad experience! Food is always amazing, clean and delicious. The staff knows be by name and always takes interest in my experience and this is my daughters absolute favorite restaurant in the city! Aces! read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Des Moines. I frequently come here with friends and love everything from the great service to the wide selection. The pho and rice dishes are my favorite to order but I've never had anything bad from here! Bonus--everything is reasonably priced so I don't feel guilty coming here often. read more

The food is always really good and fresh, and the prices are great! Even when you carry out the food is always fresh, and prepared right away. read more

A Dong deserves 5 stars because you can randomly choose anything from the menu and there will be someone special about it. Last week I just asked the waiter to order his favorite dish for me. He carefully thought about it and minutes later another fresh, delicious A Dong surprise. A few things to keep in mind. 1. The menu is large, take your time. There are pages at the back devoted to wonderful vegetarian options. 2. The service is quick! In a hurry? No problem. 3. Know you table number. You will not be given a tab at the end of you meal! Go up to the host's counter and tell the staff your table number, the tickets are kept there. 4. Be ready for an adventure! read more

Local Vietnamese close to downtown. The average price per dish is great. I heard the Pho was real good. read more

A Dong Restaurant - Copied from DesMoinesAlive.com - Vegetarian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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Awesome place. So fresh and delicious, and I don't know what it is about their Eggrolls, but you can't stop eating them. Even if you're not hungry it's a good place to stop by and get a Bubble Tea. Prompt and nice service that is very reasonably priced. read more

Five stars for consistent delivery of exactly what is promised....fresh, wholesome delicious food, warm inviting atmosphere, reasonable prices, and quick, personal service. This Des Moines gem is a place we visit nearly every time we are close enough to make the stop, even on a trip from Omaha to home. It is worth the detour. Do not be put off by the off-the-beaten path location. There is plenty of parking, and you'll be eating with the locals. read more

This restaurant is located a couple blocks from the sculpture park and well worth the stroll, (or parking looked rather easy too). Seriously the best Vietnamese noodle bowl I've ever had - the pork and shrimp were both perfectly cooked, the sauce was delicious, and there were adequate amounts of vegetables. So yummy! And a very inexpensive dinner too. read more

A Dong Restaurant - Vietnamese noodle bowl with shrimp and pork - amazing flavors! - Vegetarian Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I think this place is a little overrating.. Ever since I came back from NYC.. I have been researching online to search for the top restaurant.. So apparently A Dong is one of the top 10 restaurant according to Urbanspoon... I have always been trying lucky dragon and pho ha dao.. So I decided to come here to try their pho!!! So I ordered their A Dong Pho and my roommate ordered the crispy egg noodles.. We also ordered a durian shake with it!!! Perhaps I have too high expectation.. The pho they served is pretty tasteless and what they have in it is just a bunch of beef in it and the noodles are all sticking together as if they did not cook the pho long enough to "separate" them.. The crispy egg noodles that my roommate ordered is way too sweet!!! He had to add some soy sauce to make it saltier to blend the sweetness and saltiness together.. I think he added quite a bit of soy sauce to it and it's still really sweet!!!!! And the cabbage they have in it is really bitter.. OMG.. Do they wash the vegetables before they cook?? I love cabbage and I immediately "puke' it out when I took a bite.. As for the durian shake.. I have to spit out few of the tapioca because it's way too hard and I can't even bite it.. The bubble tea will not be as good as the one I had in NYC but still.. It's way too bad.. and it's a little too sweet for me and my roommate.. How can this be one of the top restaurant???? I guess their dishes are mean to suit the taste of Iowa-ians??? That's what my roommate and I thought... read more

The food is good although it is not my first place to eat because I am not a huge Vietnamese food fan. I will say A Dong was the first place I ate that made me think that Vietnamese food is acctually good. The service is fast and friendly and the staff makes sure guest are satisfied with their dinning experience. This is not a fancy place nor does it try to be. I can defiantly tell you this though it is a Des Moines favorite spot. People who love Vietnamese food go back there on a regular basis. read more

I am not really sure the craze of this place. My wife and I love Vietnamese food so we were excited to come here. Had high expectations and honestly it was bad. The Pho was flavorless and tasted watered down. The rare steak was cut too thick so it was chewy. My wife had a beef stir fry that was not edible that she had 2 or 3 bites of and didn't eat the rest. Spring rolls were flavorless as well. Very surprised this place is rated so highly. Go elsewhere for Vietnamese like Pho 515 or H Pho read more

The bf and I are on a perpetual mission to find good Vietnamese food in Iowa. It's tough work, guys. We came on raving recommendations from friends, so I had high expectations (plus it's actually owned by Vietnamese people! Low bar I know). I got the #1 (which is always the house special pho in most restaurants) and bf got the BBQ pork and shrimp rice plate. The pho broth was a little disappointing to be honest. It was bland and I had to commit the cardinal sin of adding soy sauce to it for taste. It also didn't come with tripe (which okay, I get that it's Iowa, but even the Iowa City restaurants include tripe). The beef was tender and a good portion, but the broth was really what made me push aside my bowl. The bf's rice plate was actually really good. The BBQ pork came in the Chinese char siu style (red edges, grayish white inside--appealing sounding, right?) which was a little unexpected but tasty nonetheless. I am convinced that fish sauce makes everything taste awesome, but I'm probably part of the minority. I really wanted to love this place given the reviews and history of fire and reopening, but it just wasn't my favorite. 3.5 stars rounded up. read more

Vietnamese food done well is not always the easiest to come by. I tend to follow the rule, the seeder the place, the better the food. A Dong is a wonderful anomaly to that rule. Their food is some of the best Vietnamese I have had in the country, the location is good, very clean and the ownership is friendly. The only tough thing about this place is all of the food choices. read more

Best Vietnamese restaurant, great Pho and Bun dishes and fabulous appetisers. Exceptional service and ambiance.

The best Vietnamese restaurant in Iowa! I love their food! It's great vermicelli dishes that are served with fresh veggies and very well clean grilled meats. I crave this place all the time. My husband loves their bubble tea!!! They have a ton of different flavors that you can mix and match. My favorite is mango. Staff is friendly and the prices are AUH-MAH-ZING! read more

Outstanding. Every bite was out of this world. Cannot wait to go back. Beautiful inside, nice atmosphere Great, friendly service Eggrolls and spring rolls amazing Pho amazing Spicy shrimp curry dish I had I can't stop thinking about a week later Well done, ADong! Glad you're here! read more

My friend took me here first after landing in Des Moines. We split an order of vegetarian spring rolls filled with shredded cabbage and tofu. They were ok - a little too greasy for me and could have used a punch more flavor. For my main course, I tried the Bun Bi Chay. The shredded tofu was decent, and I thought the noodles were prepared well. For a quick fix in Des Moines, it got the job done. Would I advocate strongly to go back? No. read more

Best Vietnamese place in town. Great pho and rolls. Their hot pot is surprisingly delicious. Every time we come to Des Moines, we eat here. HOWEVER Their boba tea is just not as good. Too sweet and just doesn't taste good. read more

My friend and I stopped by A Dong for dinner after roaming Des Moines and the downtown area. The pho was alright. It wasn't the greatest but it wasn't bad neither. I also ordered a taro-coconut smoothie and that was delicious. The Banh Cuon Cha Lua was super good as well. We weren't greeted right away and waited around for quite some time before we were seated but that was fine. I would give it a try again and maybe order something different on the menu. read more

After an exhausting day of travel where I could think of nothing but food, any food really, I was very optimistic about Yelp's 2nd highest recommended restaurant in Des Moines but it was one of the worst meals I've ever encountered anywhere. I had the lemongrass beef (had being used very loosely because I couldn't eat more than 3 bites). The dish was watery and unseasoned with beef that was gray in color and smelled so strangely that not even lemongrass (my favorite aromatic herb) could salvage it. The rice was soggy and overcooked and the "fresh" limeaid was also equally terrible because they used spoiled limes. Even if I had zeo expectations I would still have been disappointed because any place that serves food should have food that was at least edible. read more

Had lunch here for the first time. Had pork spring rolls and rare beef pho. The food was good, but not the best I've had. Prices were very resonable, and portions were generous for the price. I will definitely try it again when in the downtown area. They may have to largest menu of any place I have ever been. You could eat there everyday for 2 months and still not have tried everything on the menu! The service was very friendly and efficient and food was served quickly. Definitely a good option for lunch when in the area. read more

The pho here is so good! I've been ordering carry out for the majority of this year and each time the food has been perfect. Staff is very friendly and wears masks/takes extra precautions due to COVID. read more

I felt this was a randomly placed restaurant that looked more like an office building. But once you went in it looked alright inside. The menu was a little overwhelming and I felt if I did not go on with an idea of what I wanted I would have been lost. What won me over was the food it came out in great time looked and was presented in a good manner, and was fantastic. read more

This is the place I go for my comfort food: 119, yellow curry with chicken and rice. I started frequenting A Dong when I was trying vegetarianism, and it was a great boon for a vegetarian in a midwest pork producing state. Now that I'm back on the meat, I still love it. The food is ALWAYS fresh. Try the spring rolls with shrimp and mint, or if you prefer a hot appetizer, the egg rolls are great, too. Really, the most frustrating thing about A Dong is trying to make up my mind about what to try. The extensive menu is quite impressive. read more

Hard to find a better Vietnamese restaurant. Terrific food, reasonable process, and a lovely and caring staff. You can't go wrong here.

Fast, friendly, welcoming place with fresh food - just not my taste. For asian cuisine I usually prefer Japanese or Thai over Vietnamese, but it's good for what it is. Worth checking out for sure. I love very flavorful dishes full of strong spices and Vietnamese is just a little bland. When it's spicy, it seems to be spicy for the sake of spiciness and looses the flavor behind 'hot'. read more