Food - 2, service - 2, ambiance - takeout I tried this place for the first time because they said they had fresh taro for boba drinks and there was a Yelp promo for 50% off a drink. I also ordered the shrimp spring rolls. They denied the coupon, saying it wasn't supposed to be on Yelp. The shrimp rolls had very small shrimp and portion size seemed small for the cost. read more

We got a Pho and a Bun Bo Hue. The pho was alright, definitely not the best I've ever had. The Bun Bo Hue was also decent, but kind of weird since they gave it to me with Pho noodles. The service was unorganized. We were never checked on. They forgot about my order so I had to walk up to the front to remind them. There were only 6 tables in the restaurant so I didn't feel like it was that busy, but it seemed like they were struggling to get things out. I got an avocado smoothie to go. That was pretty good. read more

Excellent customer service and my banh mi pork sandwich was fresh and delicious. Highly recommend the milk Boba tea too! read more

Asian Express - Boba - Vietnamese Near Me - Capitola, California

great food at good prices. i've had many of their drink flavors and have liked them all. this time i tried the almond milk tea with boba and enjoyed it. i also tried the pork and veggie báhn mì with tofu, both were so good!!! their combo entree comes with a main dish and a side and is a huge portion of food for a good price. read more

Asian Express - includes pork (maybe pork belly?), cucumber, carrot, daikon, cilantro, and teriyaki sauce on a soft roll - Vietnamese Near Me - Capitola, California

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Fresh, tasty, value. It doesn't get better than Asian Express whenever someone gets Chinese food from other places I recommend Asian Express because they are so delicious and kind employees read more

Asian Express - Beef and broccoli and chowmein - Vietnamese Near Me - Capitola, California

Counter service always pleasant and fast. My Favorite Pork Fried Rice of ALL TIME!!! My wife loves number #13. The Avocado Smoothie is delicious. A+ read more

I go here about 1-3 times a month. I enjoy it, the prices are reasonable, the food is tasty. The staff is always friendly and welcoming.

We were in the area for the weekend and we had no idea what to eat. We're not from around here but we knew we didn't want fast food since you can get that anywhere. We eat a lot of Asian food (specifically Vietnamese and Thai) so we decided to see if there was any Vietnamese food in the area. After a short Yelp search, we found Asian Express! It was pretty late in the afternoon so we didn't think there would be a lot of people, but we were wrong! When we got to the plaza, we were actually confused about which side of the building it was on since there were a lot of other businesses in the plaza, but it just turned out we were on the wrong side of the building. They're located next to a Yogurtland and a Starbucks. We didn't have an issue finding parking since the plaza has a lot of other businesses and I think there was even a mall in the same plaza. There was a large group of people ahead of us (about 6-7 people) and they were taking a little long to order because they were trying to figure out how to split the bill. But I have to give props to the young man that was working the register! He was SO PATIENT with them. He was also very patient with us when we asked questions about some of the menu items. One thing I want to mention is that the water is SELF-SERVE. Apparently, the large group ahead of us didn't know that and they kept calling the poor guy over to refill their water! I felt so bad for him, they were not very polite to him either! They kept calling him over and whistling at him like he was a dog. Poor guy. I hope they gave him a huge tip especially for the way they were treating him. But he was so nice and he had a very positive attitude even when it got really busy! We were honestly surprised by the pricing of the food. We're from the South Bay so we were surprised with the pricing was the same as other South Bay asian restaurants. But I definitely was not disappointed! I ordered the Basil Salt & Pepper Fish (which comes with rice) and it was delicious! Probably one of the best Salt & Pepper fish I've ever had! It was actually so good, I ordered another one just to bring home for my family to try! If we're ever in the area again, we'll definitely be back! I'm sure the next time we come back, we'll try some of the other menu items. read more

Best pho in Santa Cruz! Always really friendly and quick service, I love going on a chilly day bc it hits the spot

My son loves the Bahn Mi sandwiches here and I think they are pretty good for the area. I will say I used to avoid this place but they really do have a few good, consistent items. We do usually order here to go. The lollipop chicken dish, entire family enjoys. We have ordered both the rice plate and the the wonton soup with the lollipop chicken and both were really good. The other item that we order here consistently is the boba teas. The boba is always soft and chewy without being rubbery which means it is fresh. Favorite family items, the noodle soups, the Bahn Mi and the lollipop chicken. We will have to keep trying things to update. read more

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Great place to get some Vietnamese food! i had chicken pad thai which was so delicious, super peasnuty but had lots of veggies and chicken with the noodles. it came with a bunch of cilantro and bean spouts! Beef pho was also super nice!! A lot veggies and the beef tasted so good. The noodles were also really tasty and didn't break apart. The portion size was also good and I was super filled up after eating. You have a choice to get meatballs too but I didn't just the beef!! The lady working there was very friendly and the atmosphere of the restaurant was very chill. There's also wide range of options to choose from! read more

This is my go to in Capitola for Asian food. Before Super Noodle opened, this was the premier Asian food on this side of the hill. It's fast and tasty, could be a little more authentic, but I think they nail what they are trying to go for read more

Service was terrible. Cashier yelled at 2 separate customers while I was there. Food was mediocre

This is our favorite Vietnamese restaurant and has been for nearly 10 years. We visit at least once a month. I have not order the shrimp egg rolls for a while although I crave for it! Today when I got it, I was so excited but, it was no longer full of taro, it was minced vegetables and maybe chopped up taro! I actually can't tell. I have 4 out of the five still in the box. Asian express please go back to your original recipe! read more

This is my go-to place whenever I surf Pleasure Point or Capitola. I give this place 5 stars for the following reasons: 1. Good broth for Pho. I normally get the combination meat and it's a good size, especially when I'm hungry. 2. Spring rolls are bigger than many places and have a lot of fresh vegetables in them (which is a plus). 3. Good customer service with friendly staff. I never thought that I would find a good pho place in an all-white beach town :) read more

Asian Express - spring rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Capitola, California

By far one of the top places for asian food in santa cruz. They have the best spring rolls and the amount and quality you get is very good for the price. Also while i have not yet tried it, my friends RAVE about the pho there and its the only spot they go for it. Ive gotten a few food items at asian express and have never been dissappointed in the slightest. I also recommend the avocado smoothie read more

Overcharged my daughter! Check your receipts. They're taking advantage of minors and over charging them. Adding tips for themselves??? Will be reporting. read more

Asian Express - Receipt - Vietnamese Near Me - Capitola, California

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a good option if you're craving asian food! we ordered the mango smoothie with boba and the #8 pho. my friend said the wrong number off the menu on accident, and the actual dish name wasn't on the receipt or anything so we didn't notice until they brought out the food. the staff kindly replaced it & i am eternally grateful. (o´`o) the noodles were a bit mushy imo but my craving was definitely satisfied. their boba has a good texture but there were a few pearls that were hard. a lot of people ordered boba while we were there, so i'd definitely try one of their teas next time. read more

Asian Express - a couple of figurines on a table - Vietnamese Near Me - Capitola, California

Excellent Pho and pork sandwiches. Fast service. Food very fresh. Spring rolls excellent.

Absolute gem. Big portions for the price (try the bahn mi!) Very friendly, quick, and efficient service. Very tasty and fresh tasting food! Awesome lunch options! Wide and varied menu allows for so many cravings to be satisfied. Tons of vegetarian options! The bahn mi here is a large 7ish inch sammy loaded with the protein of choice along with tons of delicious pickles veggies, fresh cilantro, and pretty mild and crunchy jalapenos. super delicious and filling and only $6. The decor and name of this place may cause one to think it's low quality or cheap food, but don't be fooled. This is an unreplaceable gem of a restaurant that is very much needed in santa cruz. read more

Asian Express - huge bahn mi and pho broth with all the fixings for like $18 - Vietnamese Near Me - Capitola, California

Legit Americanized banh mi. Generous size. Plenty of jalapeños. Spicy! Shrimp spring rolls kind of boring. Popular. Busy. Decent cheap eats. read more

Asian Express - Bland shrimp rolls. Devoid of flavor. - Vietnamese Near Me - Capitola, California

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Staff is always friendly. Wide variety of Asian food. I get the pad Thai, spring rolls and the pho. It's all really good. I highly recommend

my friends and i absolutely love this place they have great and fast service, staff has always been so friendly with us we always get their pho and sesame balls really great restaurant :D read more

Asian Express - Vietnamese Near Me - Capitola, California

The proverb: "Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me" best describes todays lunch here. Based on recent, favorable reviews on their bahn mi sandwich, I decided to order it (again). Bad choice. Clearly those who wrote positive reviews have no concept of what a bahn mi supposed to be. The long crusty baguette is probably worth more than its fillings which included some form of what I guess was supposed to be beef appeared pounded to a wafer thin soft pulp mixed with fat. This "beef" might be better suited to those who have no teeth to chew as it was completely void of any texture. This mystery meat and a few veges typically included in a Vietnamese sandwich were drowned in a heavy sauce designed to mask the shortcomings of this substandard bahn mi "beef" sandwich. Once again, just like my experience four years ago, the order took nearly one half hour. Add the bad sandwich experience to a restaurant environment about as filthy as they come, with mounds of plainly visible hair from both human and dog sources on the floor. And don't place your elbows on the table either cause their sticky! Add to all this their refusal to honor their own Yelp check-in advertisement of 50% off a drink, and you've got a one-star review! read more

Asian Express - They said it's "not available" - Vietnamese Near Me - Capitola, California

We LOVE Asian Express pho offerings. Fresh, delicious, healthy portions. The tofu and veggie is our favorite, but the spicy seafood and chicken are also delightful. We also regularly order the shrimp spring rolls which are the best I have experienced. Everything we've had (potstickers, grilled chicken over rice, sesame chicken, curries (fish or chicken), and milk teas) are consistently delicious and freshly made. Great service and easy online ordering. We highly recommend. read more

I love their food! The service is excellent and the spring rolls and sandwiches are delicious.

Their food and soup is so good! I love their lychee tea w/ lychee jelly & sesame balls!! The people who work there are so sweet too :)

Food is amazing, drinks are great and hospitality is always on point. Definitely come by and try number 15.

ordered a bunch of things last night 11/30/23 that we always order. the veggie pho was basically hot water with noodles and veggies. absolutely no flavor in the broth whatsoever...and no, i don't have covid. pretty disappointing bowl of soup on a cold evening. read more

first time trying asian express and the food was great but most of all customer service tops it off such sweet ladies made myself and my daughter feel so comfortable 10/10 highly recommend! :) read more

I've been going to Asian Express for 5 years, before COVID and currently. I believe their quality, quantity, and price have changed significantly. Their entire menu prices have gone up 30% if not more and the amount of food on the plates has gone down. I have there last week and ordered Pad Thai and beef pho. The amount of actual noodles on the plate was half of the plate. The other half was bean sprouts and other garnish. The pho noodles were overcooked and the broth was too salty and not at all like pho broth but just beefy broth. I was highly disappointed with the meal and will not be returning any time soon. read more

Moved back to the Santa Cruz area after a solid decade + away. Up in Santa Rosa (where I was living), there are at least 12 Vietnamese spots and a bunch in surrounding towns. In the bay, it's a paradise for those that are pho and banh mi inclined. Unfortunately, Santa Cruz has basically no Vietnamese spots. Reviews for here were pretty promising and most of the bad ones are from people who were upset by the lack of orange chicken and imitation crab meat ragoons. Took my Pops here for lunch and we had a great time. Got a couple kinds of bahn mi and some duck pho. The bahn mi were a blessing and something I hadn't tasted in months. Pork and beef were equally tasty. Bread was crunchy, yet soft on the inside. The pickled veggies and paté were both on point as well. They're not San Jo prices, but only like $7, so very easy on the pockets. The duck pho was alright, but could have been better. The main leg in the soup was so small, it could have been from a pigeon. Broth was tasty though and everything else was up to par. Honestly, my only gripe was the duck quality/quantity, but most places don't do duck proper, so no biggie. This spot gets two thumbs up from this guy and it's dope having a spot in SC that actually has some Vietnamese grinds! Get some! read more

Everything we've had has been AMAZING - what a great lil hole in the wall. The service is great & quick and everyone is super nice! Recommendations: Chicken Curry w/ Rice, Chicken Pad Thai & Pork Banh Mi Their black boba tea is also perfectly sweetened - delicious! A regular spot for my fiancé and I now read more

There was a bug/baby cockroach in my boba underneath the plastic cover. I was wondering what the black mark was so I ripped open the boba lid and saw it was indeed a small bug/cockroach. read more

Asian Express - Bug in boba - Vietnamese Near Me - Capitola, California

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Thai iced tea and #8. You can not go wrong with that meal. It is something I order on average about 2-4 times a month. I usually get it with sesame balls, but it seems that they have been out of stock for almost 2 weeks. The best pho in the area and they give big portions. The #8 is perfect for a cold day or hot day. 10/10 I will be going back again and again. read more

Haven't been here for a couple of years. Was surprised to find authentic Vietnamese food. Loved my spicy beef noodle soup. Wife had grilled chicken with vermicelli and loved it. Nice people running the game lace too. Glad to see the place full. Been coming here for a couple years now and still great. We've updated what we order. My wife gets chicken leg noodle soup which she loves. I get #31 won ton noodle soup made spicy. The won tons are nice and fat and tasty. Can't get enough read more

It's better than I remembered it. Also, I've only ever tried the pho here - maybe the rest of their food is fantastic. ‍ They don't have as many options of types in f pho as the normal pho shops, but still 8 I think. The pho broth is not as rich as some I've had but ingredients in general seem alright and portions are good. Having said that the price is a little high especially since it's not better than average. They do have a couple tables outside for dining, but not many. read more

They actually answer the phone. Food is good, as are prices, and yes, ready quickly. Try the Thai milk boba, can request less sugar.

In the desert of decent Asian food options in Santa Cruz, Asian Express is a welcomed oasis. I would usually steer far away from a strip mall restaurant that serves Vietnamese, Thai, AND American Chinese food, but somehow this little joint manages to hit the mark on everything I've ordered. The pad Thai is surprisingly flavorful and full of tofu, eggs, and shrimp. The pho comes with tons of herbs and meat and delicious soup. The basil chicken wings are crunchy and herby. The food comes out fast, the portions are large, and the prices are reasonable. Can't ask for more! read more

I have only tried the Pho bowls and find them outstanding! Everything is fresh and flavorful! read more

Asian Express - Pho bowl with chicken breast. - Vietnamese Near Me - Capitola, California