Nice fast casual spot with good service in a clean, quiet environment. They were playing a good selection of Anita Baker type music, perfect for a rainy Saturday. Prices and portions were decent, and there is free parking around the corner from the entrance. I had left overs, I would stop here again to try some of the other dishes. If you are looking for a low key, affordable place this is a good spot. Not for large groups, there are just a couple of tables and I imagine they do lots of takeaway, just fyi. read more

Banana Blossom Bistro - Vermicelli caramelized pork bun bowl - Vietnamese Near Me - Riverdale, Maryland

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I came with my partner for lunch around 11:30am. The place was empty and there was only one person working, but we had a good experience. The jazz music gave the place a casual cafe vibe. We ordered the vegetarian pho and the meatball pho. The food came out fairly quickly and came with the usual sides of bean sprouts, chilis, basil, and lime. The sides were not super large portions, but the pho itself was. I enjoyed the vegetarian pho; the broth was packed with umami and there were plenty of hearty mushrooms, veggies, and tofu. My partner enjoyed his meatball pho as well. The prices were above what I've seen at other typical Vietnamese places, but for a local restaurant, I'd come back just for the convenience. read more

Banana Blossom Bistro - Gardener's Pho Chay (Vegan) - Vietnamese Near Me - Riverdale, Maryland

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It is a fast casual spot in a beautiful quiet neighborhood. I think the food overall is good, but the standout is the tofu Banh mi. The vegan pho broth is a little bland--not the best I've had but definitely not the worst. I had to put so much hoisin and sriracha to flavor it. But I do love the fact that there's a lot of bok choy and mushrooms. The shrimp summer rolls were great. The tofu mushroom banh mi is delicious and the sauces with pickled carrots really add a balanced flavor. Closed it with a refreshing fizzy limeade! Small staff, but they were friendly and wait time is about 10 minutes. read more

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We visited Banana Blossom for the first time tonight, due to a suggestion of a long time Riverdale Park resident who was so excited they moved back here! We'll start with the good. The Pork Banh Mi was absolutely amazing, and I would order it again. There was a healthy portion of pork, with some carrots, onions, cucumbers and a sauce. We appreciated the crunch! And the sauce was refreshing. Onto the disappointment- the pho bo vien meatball pho was not good. The broth was drinkable but bland, but the meatballs inedible. They had the consistency of rubber or even canned meat, and they tasted like the meat was starting to spoil. They also had a weird gaminess to it that I've never experienced with beef. I'd return for the pork banh mi to go. read more

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Overpriced, small portions, and inauthentic in every way. Wife and I went one weekend and paid $17 for a small pho and $16 for a Banh mi with no pate and a nasty roast pork filling. It was awful. Plus there was a weird burn smell that made everything taste even worse. There are much better pho places in the DMV. Skip this place. Trust me. read more

Banana Blossom Bistro - Chicken pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Riverdale, Maryland

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Everything was wonderfully, thoughtfully made. The spring roll came a delicious peanut sauce. I added a dab of sriracha and happily ate my spring rolls while listening to the music playing and staring out into the neighborhood. When he brought out my sandwich and took my first bite, it was pure juicy pork bliss. His attentiveness not just to my order that he'd made but also to my needs as a patron was so greatly appreciated. The bread tasted fresh and was warm and crispy. Can't wait to go back. read more

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If I could eat here every day, I would. I love the vermicelli pork bowls. The mint. The crunchy veg. The soft noodles. The tender and flavorful pork. Yum. My husband got the bahn mi and found it a great portion. I wish they let you pick the peanut sauce or the one that comes with the vermecilli bowl-which isn't as flavorful. While you can get the peanut sauce, it's a $2 up charge. Food is prepared pretty quickly, so it's super fresh if you eat it right away. Our order was ready on time and while you can eat here, we took our meals to TCM for a beer. While there's no parking out front, there is some next to the tracks. read more

Banana Blossom Bistro - Bnh M - The OG Cold Cut - Vietnamese Near Me - Riverdale, Maryland

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I'm so glad Banana Blossom has made its way back to Riverdale Park. What's what's even better that they took over the old Gangsta Vegan location on the same block. I've tried most things on the menu and have loved them all. My newest favorite are the side of sautéed wild mushrooms and the Pork Thit Kho Banh Mi. I don't think I've ever had braised pork sandwich like that before and it was unexpectedly delicious. The portion of the pork was also pretty generous. Ordering online and pick up were both seamless. There's a multiple free parking options within a block and my order was ready within 15 mins. read more

Banana Blossom Bistro - Side Sauted Wild Mushrooms vegan - Vietnamese Near Me - Riverdale, Maryland

Love the food. The lemongrass shrimp and the caramelize pork banh mi are delicious. You can tell the ingredients are fresh. Love the jazz, it sets a very calm ambient. I definitely recommend the banh mis read more

A staple in Riverdale Park, Banana Blossom Bistro's menu highlights Vietnamese food like pho, banh mi, and noodle bowls. Service is kind and efficient. The space is no-frills, but the food flavorful. My family of three loved their pork banh mi sandwich and tofu pho. They also make a delicious fizzy limeade worth ordering. read more

3.5 This place moved, but it's still in the same building. Now in a smaller space. I ordered the shrimp fresh rolls, excellent big size and super fresh. I also got the chicken pho, which is a skip with off broth taste The prices were the same as delivery so next time I would deliver because the seating is uncomfortable & mostly wobbly. read more

@bananablossombistro at @unionmarketdc plain pho - Fresh rice noodles in beef broth packed with umami and pho aromatics. Garnished with fresh cilantro, scallions & white onions. Wished they had a tofu option and portion sizes were larger - but overall a classic comfort pho! read more

Banana Blossom Bistro - Plain Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Riverdale, Maryland

This in union market. We went around dinner time. There was no line when we ordered but it took a little long to get our food. Ordered a a grilled pork bahn mi. The sandwich was good. It had the fresh cilantro and pickled veggies. The pork was also tasty. It was a decent sized sandwich but was a little pricey for a bahn mi. read more

Banana Blossom Bistro - Bahn mi grilled pork - Vietnamese Near Me - Riverdale, Maryland

I actually used Banana Blossom Bistro for catering a lunch event for about 40 people, and it was stellar. The service, the food, the presentation. Everyone at my event was talking about the food for hours afterwards. We got an assortment of banh mi and the cabbage salad. The pork banh mi was INCREDIBLE. Annie was kind and communicative throughout the whole process. I can't recommend them enough! read more

Food was good restaurant was clean bathrooms were clean Only one complaint I ate in restaurant and the whole time I was there I wasn't offered water or anything they didn't check in to see if I was ok maybe that's just how this place is I'm just not used to this type of service otherwise everything was good I'd go back read more

This was our 1st time ordering pho or anything. We got the meatball pho and shrimp spring rolls. The spring rolls were delish. Definitely would order again. The pho broth was good, not the most developed flavor like I usually like. Very light flavored broth but good. The thing we didn't like was the meatballs. Blec. We both tossed those out and basically just had a plain pho. We were hoping there would've been an option to have something like a brisket in the pho. We will likely go back and try a few sandwiches as they also seem interesting. read more

This place is amazing. I'm so glad that I stumbled across it. I've eaten here twice so far and preparing to eat there again. The food is delicious. The atmosphere is nice and quiet and the service was excellent. I didn't think I could find food like this out here. I'm from CA and places like this are everywhere out there but Banana Blossom will now be my favorite place to eat in MD. I hope they never change a thing on their menu unless they add some vegan desserts read more

Stopped by a few nights ago after the gym and so happy I did! Despite going to the gym, needed one last cheat meal lol. I got the pork bah mi and spring rolls, but subbed the peanut sauce for the fish sauce. The pork was flavorful and plentiful along with the perfectly pickled vegetables. Banana Blossom continues to make one of the best Bah mi's around! The spring rolls were fresh and delicious! The sweet tangy fish sauce is a much better pairing for them than the peanut sauce in my opinion. To top it off, the young man working there was kind and recommended their crunchy salad for my next visit. Which, I will try so I don't waste my workouts anymore! read more

Unfortunately, my visit to Banana Blossom, which I was really looking forward to, was a fairly big disappointment. I arrived around 6:30pm on a Tuesday, excited to try one of the bun vermicelli bowls that had been recommended to me. There was no line, so I naturally assumed I would have my food in no time. After ordering and getting a 10-15 minute estimated wait time, I proceeded to watch the two kitchen staff prepare orders in a way that did not seem to be systematic or efficient in any way. They each seemed to be working on several orders at once, with no discernible priority given to in-person versus delivery orders. There were only a few tickets on the board to begin with and very few people ordered at the counter after me, so I can only assume that the new tickets coming in were delivery orders. These orders seemed to be the only ones receiving attention for the majority of the time I was standing there. Noticing me getting a little restless, one of the workers told me multiple times, "Yours will be right out." He would then proceed to turn around and work on orders that clearly weren't mine. I finally got my food after a little more than 20 minutes. Restaurants get busy, I get it. However, a 20+ minute wait at a time that wasn't especially busy is not ideal. Nor is giving higher priority to delivery orders when people with in-person orders are standing at the counter waiting for their food. All that aside, my shrimp vermicelli bowl was quite good. The shrimp were seasoned nicely and the pickled veggies tasted fresh. I might try it again if I'm in the area. read more

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I thought the shrimp pho was good, and the veggie broth was tasty. I also thought it was also weird to see the bean sprouts handed over in a plastic bag. With no guaranteed seating, it can be hard to figure out how to eat the takeout meal as everything is served as such. Also had a lime soda "soda chanh" which was okay - tart and sweet - maybe a bit too syrupy as you'd expect a soda to be. It would be nice to see this place have more offerings on the menu, as well as guaranteed seating. read more

The Garden Roll was fresh and fun to try, but packed with lots of vermicelli noodles. I wish there was more tofu and veggies in the roll and the mushroom didn't blend well with the rolls. The peanut sauce had a mild spicy kick. I would skip the rolls and get the Bowl or Banh Mi. read more

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So good. Big generous servings of everything. The garden spring rolls are so fresh and delicious. The tofu vermicelli bowl was also fresh, fun to eat, and such a mix of flavors. So great. It is a small place, but fine to eat in, and scrupulously clean. Convenient parking too. read more

Great food just plain simple, so glad to see that they returned back to the Riverdale area. This is one of the best bahn mi's I've ever had. Though I do wish the fries would come back to the limited menu at the new place read more

We were a little worried about the prices but ordered for pickup anyway. Once we had started eating, that concern vanished. Our vermicelli dishes were absolutely worth what we paid. So good! read more

Loved this place so much. The ambience and decor is so pretty and rustic modern. The menu is also amazing. We had to order in the front of the store with no contact pay (make orders on a tablet). Orders are only take out right now. We are on the benches outside the store. Wish indoor seating was opened, would've loved it so much more!! Also a bit pricey but it's understandable (i'm just a broke college student:( ) Mama Anh's Pho was so good! Big warm bowl of pho with such a rich flavorful broth. Great array of meat cuts as well. Very large serving which I was super happy about! Also had my first banh mi. Gosh. That was AMAZING. I didn't really expect much but I was blown away. Every bite had the perfect texture, crunch from the sweet pickled veggies, munch of the toasted baguette, and soft grilled pork. Wow. My eyes actually like rolled when eating this lol. read more

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This was a little hard to find as it did not have a big sign out front. It's a quaint little spot. The staff is very friendly. The food was pretty good, bahn mi and my husband got the pho. Limited menu but not a bad experience. read more

We had a Bahn mi, the pork was very tender and flavorful! Was pretty messy. Had pickled carrots and some type of root veggie and cucumbers I think. Was good. Bread was more sandwich soft like a hoagie than a French type. read more

Banana Blossom Bistro - Vietnamese Near Me - Riverdale, Maryland

I first tried their food when they were at Union Market in DC, operating out of a takeout counter. I had seen their banh mi mentioned as something to try, and it absolutely lived up to the buzz--amazing flavor and texture. I'm genuinely sad they moved further away from me. If you're in the area, this spot is definitely worth checking out! read more

The most amazing tofu bahn mi! Love the cabbage salad as well...well seasoned, great choices for vegans. Great light Vietnamese meals for everyone. read more

[Coronavirus review] They offer online ordering, and apparently everyone in the surrounding community already knows this, because this place was flush with takeout business and at least a half-dozen people came and left with food before I got mine after a wait time that the app said would be half an hour but ended up at almost a full hour. I guess it's a good sign for their business; it's hard to be judgmental about things in this day and age. The menu offers a nice array clearly labeled vegan tofu and mushroom options. I got a rice bowl and a couple of appetizers (skipping an intriguing smoothie selection). The tofu bites were drowning some lemongrass-flavored breading with jalapenos; but even though I ate them quickly weren't fresh and hot. The rolls had a bit of taro root for body; the sauce with them I suspect was meant to replicate fish sauce as it was a tad sour for my liking. A rice bowl had a few pieces of tofu, a sweet savory sauce, and the best part was the marinated mushrooms. I liked it all but found it a bit pricey for what I got; my guess is with the right order a dine-in experience would be worth it. I can only hope that future is coming soon. For now, one can sit at benches next to the neighboring MARC train (a train went by while I was there, and I didn't see a single person on it, unsurprisingly). It's a strange world, but I wish this restaurant the best. read more

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Meal Quality: They offer a most excellent Vietnamese pork sandwich and a Beef Pho dish! Everything is made fresh and with fine care. Aesthestic Appeal & Atmosphere: Its located in the up & coming Riverdale area surrounded by old Victorian style home with wrap around porches. The interior of the restaurant is chic and has a fresh vibe. Service:  Its a casual restaurant and you'll be served with a friendly smile Meal Quality: 5 Aesthetic Appeal & Atmosphere: 5 Service: 5 read more

Banana Blossom Bistro - This is Pho real - Vietnamese Near Me - Riverdale, Maryland

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LET ME TELL YOU! the grilled pork banh mi changed my life. it was incredible. i wish there was a little more pork, but i'm not even complaining- i'm just being greedy. it was so good! and the beef pho was great too. great food, big portions, average prices. can't wait to come back! read more

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Very tasty and fresh. They're a little hard to find, located in the farthest rear corner from the main entrance. read more

Banana Blossom Bistro - Shrimp with Lemongrass. - Vietnamese Near Me - Riverdale, Maryland

Popped over to this family-owned Vietnamese bistro to grab lunch and wow! This spot is relatively new and has outdoor seating so a great place to take advantage of the warmer weather. Outdoor ordering at least now during COVID is via the QR codes on the table. As for the food, it was well packaged for takeout and DELICIOUS. We had a hard time deciding what to get but it all was so good we really just need to go back and try more dishes. Also, love the atmosphere, it's in a cute old home, the staff was very friendly, and they have some really cute merch available. read more

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I've been searching for the perfect banh mi in the DMV. @bananablossombistro is my number one go to spot right now! I've been at there doorstep since they opened and a couple years later I'm so glad they are pushing through this pandemic. They offer take out, order online and outdoor seating and parking available! What I got: *Grilled Pork Banh Mi- grilled marinated pork, pickled, cilantro *Grilled Pork Rice Bowl- housemate vinaigrette salad, crispy shallots, rice The pork is always marinated and grilled to perfection. The banh mi has freshly made pickles and the cilantro and jalepeno give it a wonderful touch. The bread roll is always soft and crunchy on the outside. The pho is always so flavorful also! Everything here is delish so come check it out! read more

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Loved the bahn mi sandwich at the location in Riverdale. They've now relocated to Union Market but I'm sure they still have great food!

I AM IMPRESSED. I ordered beef pho, and it was so so great! the broth was flavorful. There are lack of beef in the pho and small bowl which disappointed me for $17. But it was worth it ! GO ON TRY their beef pho! Yummy! read more

Banana Blossom Bistro - Beef Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Riverdale, Maryland

I really liked their banh mi OGD cold cut which came with alot of meat and toppings. The lemongrass vermicelli was a letdown though so I wouldn't order that again. It came with a few pieces of shrimp and didn't taste the lemongrass on it and the bowl was mostly vermicelli noodles. read more

The pho here is amazing. You can tell the brisket is fresh and so clean clean. We also got the vegan banh mi which was banging. The sauce and the tofu mushrooms all came together. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is bc we also got the lemongrass steak rice dish and the steak was overcooked and chewy. We also got delicious spring rolls. They didn't have water in their filter and I was thirsty read more

Banana Blossom Bistro - Vietnamese Near Me - Riverdale, Maryland

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Food - 4 Stars Price & Service - 3 Stars 3.5 Stars (But Yelp doesn't have that option) I had been wanting to try Banana Blossom Bistro for some time. i decided to come in recently because I was in the area, and a couple friends had recommended Banana Blossom. They have a pretty good menu selection - pho, bahn mi, bun bowls and tacos! I ordered the shrimp vermicelli bowl, but asked for extra lettuce instead of noodles which was $17. I also added a side portion of cabbage salad for an additional $3 (which I never got.) The grilled shrimp was good. But I didn't get extra lettuce, I just got no noodles. So the portion was TINY and in a very small to-go box. I also had a tofu summer roll - very good. But in the end my total was over $30 for a tiny side salad portion of food, no cabbage salad and my summer rolls. It was overpriced. The ingredients were fresh and food was good. But just not sure the bun bowl is worth it. My friend had the Pho which looked reasonable in size, but again overpriced. The service was good. But the staff weren't really that friendly to us. read more