Love their food and how they've handled Covid. I remember during the lockdown they stocked other grocery and paper products so that people didn't go without. Appreciate this business and their family! read more

Amazing shrimp pho. Gorgeous outdoor patio. They also have very friendly staff. I would come here again

We are not very adventurous eaters, but our life group loves to meet here. I love the teriyaki chicken! The service is good and it's always really clean. read more

I went in with an open mind after reading other reviews but I'm glad to say that I was very happy with the food as well as the service! I had a medium bowl combo pho with chicken and shrimp and pork egg rolls that was suggested from the waitress. It was all very good and reasonably priced. I will be back! Thanks Clay Pot! read more

Ok - I don't do this often, but this place deserves all 5 stars - the pho was tremendous; the curry clay pot was simply outstanding - the service was attentive without being intrusive - this place is a find - it will not disappoint either with the food or the service - this is better than anything in Austin or Dallas - sure Waco has some great BBQ - but this is the place I'll come back to read more

Clay Pot Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Waco, Texas

This is a great little restaurant:) Its a Waco staple! I'm a big fan of the fried rice and the welcoming atmosphere + great customer service. read more

We visited this place today for the first time. The wait was kind of long, 45 minutes. They seated as in the patio which was very nice day to be sitting in the patio. The owner came up took our order she was exceptionally friendly. I ordered pho and my husband ordered a spicy meat and vegetable dish. The servers who brought our food out were very confused on who got what and unfortunately we're not able to answer any questions that we had. There were a lot of flies in the patio but what can you do about that. I would come here again because the owner was really nice and the food was good but I would sit inside. read more

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Good food. Would recommend to anyone. I would definitely choose this place for everyone to check out at least once.

Clay pot is my favorite place to eat in Texas!!!! Amazing quality food and the staff is beyond helpful and amazing I would highly recommend this place for anyone looking for AMAZING asian cuisine!!! read more

We've been here many times (old location and new), but this is our first time in about 11 months. It was not as flavorful or satisfying as it used to be. Our party had 5 entrees, most of which we've sampled before. We felt the food was bland, which is not what we're used to from here. The staff seemed overwhelmed. It did not appear as they were getting the support from they needed. We're disappointed today. read more

Two stars for service but the food lacks flavor and the egg rolls were really greasy.

Love the Pho here. Always seasoned well. Be sure to get their iced tea. It's always fresh brewed and it's not your typical Lipton tea. The service is quick which is a huge plus. Never have to ask for a refill. read more

Delicious!! The fish version of the Pho was was awesome! I remember eating at the old Clay Pot and when they moved I was happy to see a clean new environment.. a while later I visited again and was a little disappointed by the cleanliness, but today I went to Clay Pot and the place was clean, the service great and food was incredible!! Thank you!!! read more

If you've had Pho. This IS NOT Pho. Very disappointed since the reviews were mostly positive. Pho allows for customization and creativity for the person eating. What they brought out was what they feel Pho should be which lacks the spirit of the Vietnamese dish. The Clay Pot really has missed an unmet need in the Waco area since there are no restaurants that serve Pho within 100 miles. Sorry Waco, you've been bamboozled. read more

The food here is inedible, gross and disgusting. On our way to Austin, we wanted to stop for dinner at a local place in Waco that had good Yelp ratings. The food at Clay Pot is NOT in the least bit authentic, Vietnamese cuisine!! I know authentic Vietnamese food when I see it because I am Vietnamese!! I'm insulted they call this a Vietnamese restaurant--how embarrassing for the owner of this craptastic dump. This is clearly a college hangout where the kids don't know or appreciate real Vietnamese food (thus the almost 4 star rating). No real Vietnamese restaurant has Japanese style floor seating, lmao!! Weird. The egg rolls were so greasy and the meatballs in the pho tasted so strange. This is just the tip of the iceberg as I could go on and on and on about the foul crap they served us. We barely ate anything we ordered and I'm so angry we wasted a penny here!! Never, never, never ever again would I step foot in this dump. You are way better off going through any of the local fast food chain drive thrus than dining at Clay Pot. I feel so much better after wasting $40+ by leaving this review. I'm absolutely revolted by this place! read more

eww... I thought that since it's right by a major university and seemed somewhat popular, it wouldn't be that bad. WRONG. It's a shame that the pho and the spring rolls were so bad, because I don't know if there are other places in the vicinity that sell pho or vietnamese food... The spring rolls were okay, I guess. I think it might have had chopped apples in them, which was interesting. But what was not interesting and totally not cool was that the peanut sauce for the rolls were more like a peanut dressing--really watery in consistency and very, uh, dressing-y in taste? It was weirdly tangy along with peanut-y... who knows, maybe it really was peanut dressing. And the pho was really not pho. Yes, it had noodles in a pho-ish broth, with slices of meat in it, but it was pretty bland. Also, usually pho places will give you herbs and sprouts and limes and peppers and what not on the side so you can spruce up your own pho... But Clay Pot did not; in fact, they put in sprouts into the bowl (which seemed to hide the fact that there wasn't much noodles in there--tsk tsk deceptive). Bad Clay Pot, you bad bad restaurant. read more

My husband and I were driving from Dallas back home to Austin, and were extremely hungover. We decided that bowls of pho could cure our ailments and make a quick lunch. Clay Pot was the only Vietnamese restaurant in the area, so we decided to give it a go. We made a terrible mistake, as we experienced the worst pho of our lives. Cloudy, tasteless, and sprinkled with some Korean pepper seasoning, the pho dug our hangovers deeper into our souls. We both had the Pho Tai, which is the rare sliced beef option. It was cut too thick and tasted old and livery. The restaurant also did not offer herbs or condiments to customize the soup. The most annoying thing about the pho were its noodles - the wrong kind and cut into small pieces. As a Vietnamese American, I was embarrassed that they called this place a Vietnamese restaurant. The restaurant is dark and dingy, and for some reason they close all the blinds. A strong chemical scent wafts through the space, permeating our clothes and being a nuisance. The decor is confusing as there is no Vietnamese influence, only Chinese and Japanese designs are reflected in the decor. The odd seating arrangement, similar to Japanese floor seats, is weird and not akin to Vietnamese culture. Clay Pot would make a fantastic candidate for the shows Restaurant Impossible and Kitchen Nightmares. I hope that the restaurant evaluates their cuisine offerings for the sake of their business, because their pho is a let down. We enjoy dining at small, family run restaurants, but this place felt like a sham. Thanks for nothing, Clay Pot. read more

As a Vietnamese person I hate this place with a burning passion. The only thing that is vietnamese about this place were the names on the menu. I ordered the Bun Bo Hue and got some random super spicy korean bowl and didn't get the correct vegetables. The sauce for my Bun Thit Nuong was pretty much like water. This place's atmosphere is so cheesy and had misc. decorations which were Chinese. This was bad and they should feel bad for calling this Vietnamese food. Edit: Post was made by a friend in case of confusion after observing last name. read more

I ate so much here when I went to BU that these guys almost feel like family. And for good reason--there are few nicer folks out there in the world than the Les, whether it's Quang or Thanh and Phong running the show. Clay Pot is a Baylor staple because they care about the Baylor community and really get to know their regulars. They've made some changes lately, and I think the food's better than ever. Much of the menu still probably falls into the category of Asian-American fusion, but they're trying to work some more authentic dishes onto the menu, which is awesome. I can't think of a dish here that I really haven't liked, plus it's all wonderfully inexpensive. It'd take forever to list out everything I love to eat here, so here's a short list of my favorites: - Tofu anything. Clay Pot's tofu dishes come with big cubes of it that soak up whatever sauce and seasonings it's cooked with like a tasty bean-curd sponge. - Meatballs. Who knew these weren't just an Italian and/or Swedish thing? The Nancy's Special with meatballs and mango in it is one of the tastiest dishes in Waco, plus it's a gargantuan amount of food. - Every meal comes with a spring roll. They're small, but scrumptious. If one isn't enough, Tuesdays are buy one get one free spring roll day. YES. - The best iced tea in Waco. Not even a contest. It usually comes with meals by default, too. - Delicious steamed dumplings. They soak up the oniony broth and come with the most addictive slightly sweet sauce ever. - Curry! Clay Pot has this fabulous yellow curry that comes in--what else?--a clay pot. They'll make it as hot as you can stomach it upon request, which is perfect if you've got the sniffles. I have to admit, though--I miss the pink and purple exterior. Sure, red is my favorite color, but the pink and purple were just so unique for Waco. (At least the pink interior stayed--yay!) They've added flat-screen TVs in the corners, which are nice and thankfully kept to a quiet level of noise, but part of me misses the quiet music that used to play in the background, too. This was, of course, my favorite place to mooch wifi and work. Open wifi signal FTW. One change I really like, though, is the addition of extra platform space for all the coffee tables. I've always been a fan of the sit-on-the-floor tables here, and raising them up off the actual floor makes them a bit more pleasant to sit at. The fact that they're asking people to take their shoes off beforehand to keep them clean is awesome, too. They've always had quite the list of teas and such to go with your meal, but they now serve beer, wine, and bubble tea, too. Overall, I'm a fan of the updates. Clay Pot lives on! read more

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A waco 3. If there were any other vietnamese restuarants in town, this would drop to a 1 or 2. Anyone who's been to your typical "pho 21" in houston, austin or dallas will definitely notice the difference in quality here. They don't offer your typical fixings of cilantro, lime, bean sprouts with the pho. Unfortunately, its the only option in Waco so if you're dying to have Pho, then this is it. My wife had the vermicelli bowl which was of even lower quality. For some reason it was already really wet (they normally bring a side of fish sauce at most places to let you choose how to flavor it). The grilled pork was real dry. Also, for some reason this place seems to really love the "asian" decor. It seems like someone went to one of those asian stores with all types of random paraphernalia and tried to cram everything inside this one restaurant. Overall, I don't want to hate on this place because the more asian food in town the better, but if you're used to regular vietnamese places then this place will fall short. On the other hand, if you have no expectations at all then Clay Pot will do just fine. read more

This review is only for the bubble tea. My friend and I were driving to Dallas from Austin, and we both enjoy drinking bubble tea during long drives. We were in the middle of the drive so we figured if any city in between would have it, it would be Waco. It's right off the highway which makes it a very convenient location. They claim to have the best bubble tea in Central Texas, but they're probably only the "best" because there's nothing else. They have a drink menu which includes teas and bubble teas. They're $4 each which is pretty pricey but it does come in a larger cup. We ordered thinking we were going to be getting drinks, and I asked mine to have less ice. The next thing we know, she's adding milk, then adding ice, then blending them, and we have in front of us smoothies. Bubble tea is NOT the same thing as a smoothie. A bubble tea is a tea with tapioca. A milk tea is tea with milk. A smoothie is when it's blended with ice. This restaurant needs to learn the differentiation with these terms and fix their menu. You do get a free mini cheesecake with Yelp check-in, but don't be excited. It comes from Sam's Club/Costco (I know this because we used to buy it). read more

This place is fun to eat at (you can sit on the floor cushions!) and really cheap (read: great for impoverished students). You can get one of their specials, which comes with a spring roll, ginger tea, and an entree, for something like $6. I love the chicken bulgogi,and the chicken clay pot. They also have delicious hot pho soup, which I love to get on a cold day. My mom, who loves Vietnamese food, also really likes this place. The worst thing about it is that their hours are kind of funny on the weekend and sometimes they are closed when everywhere else is open. When I lived on Baylor as a freshman I would eat here every Tuesday and get the 2 for 1 spring rolls along with my meal! You can easily walk here from Collins, Brooks, Kokernot, any of the dorms near the southern I-35 side of campus. read more

Great location and they take Bear Bucks! Unfortunately, my raving about this restaurant ends here. The food really wasn't all that great.. nor was it really all that bad. If you're craving Asian food and don't mind saving your Bear Bucks for something else, I'd go to Bangkok Royal instead. read more

I like Clay Pot. Really, really like Clay Pot. I come here for lunch during the week and am always impressed with the quality of food, cleanliness, and fun atmosphere. There are a number of lunch specials that come with a side (spring roll, soup, salad, etc.) and an iced tea. It's a good deal, filling but not sickly so, and arrives in a timely manner. Plus the pho is delish. All things I'm looking for when I want to step away from the office for lunch but not be gone too long! Tuesdays are buy one get one free spring rolls, too. So if you are looking for a light meal and love spring rolls, enjoy! Finally, their tea is awesome. I can drink about 5 huge glasses while I am there and continue to crave it the rest of the day. I even made some at home that makes me feel nostalgic for Clay Pot. Bottom line: EAT HERE. read more

Very good rare beef pho!!! Chicken spring rolls are pretty good as well.... Not the most polite of staff you'll meet though food makes up for it. Reasonably priced for dinner and have great lunch deals. read more

Amazing authentic food! Their pho is so good and consistent. Pretty quick service mostly. Sometimes slow.

Excellent food and service! I recommend the fish cakes and the matcha green tea. We took nearly all their appetizers, and loved them all:)

Great place to eat, there has never a long wait when we come and the food is always fresh and yummy.

I have been going to clay pot for nearly 5 years now. Service is always great and food is delicious! Lunch specials are a great deal for a lunch break as well. Waco is hard to find Asian food that isn't covered in sugar and Clay Pot is the exception. Also great gluten free, vegan, and dairy free options! read more

Worst Vietnamese food that I ever had. The waiter was so unprofessional and the tables were filthy. The waiter dropped a plate while serving a table besides us. We saw him handled the broom and wiped the spill on the floor with paper towels by hand and then handled our food plates without washing his hands. Absolutely gross!!! You are forewarned!! Eat at this establishment at your own risk!! Addendum after owner's response to this review: Thanh L, you were there when this happened and I didn't see any interest in your part to correct the situation. You had your opportunity. read more

The food is ok. We used to get a good service here but now the costumer service is not good anymore. I feel disappointed to come here this time. read more

Given Waco, this is the place to eat if you are traveling between DFW and Austin on 35W. Just take the 18th street exit and loop around. The soups were flavorful and about as authentic as you'll find in any big city. The price range is inexpensive, so if you are in the area, pass on the Dennys and IHOP and check out the Clay Poy! You can even do the floor seating to really get into it! read more

I wish I lived in Waco. Only for this place! My girlfriend and I were driving through on our way back to the Dallas area, and my sister recommended we eat here. We had never had Vietnamese, so we figured we'd give it a shot. Wow. The atmosphere in here was very nice, very college oriented in the words of Brittany. You could choose to sit at a chair/table, or at one of the floor-level tables with cushions. We chose the lower tables and sat cross-legged and such, and it was wonderful. Britt ended up ordering some Pho. She liked it, but in comparison to other Pho i've had recently, it wasn't quite as good as some in Longview or in Dallas. I ordered the Stan's Special Clay Pot. Oh my God. It was a clay pot, with steamed rice crisping on the bottom, slices of chicken, some home-made sauce that was heavenly, and melted cheeses on top. It was to die for. I've since called and asked if they'd share the recipe with me, since I live no where near Waco, but they wouldn't. /sigh :[ I also had a white zinfandel, and it was delicious as well. I'm not big on Spring Rolls but Britt loved them. I would recommend checking this place out! It was very nice and I wish to go back if I'm ever near Waco again! read more

What a great restaurant! Not just the food, but the people who run it...my wife and I go weekly, and every time we are greeted with a smile. They remember our conversations and are always inquiring about how we are doing. The spring rolls and peanut sauce are great!!! Especially on 2 for 1 Tuesday. We eat what has come to be known as the usual...Broccoli Spicy Beef. It has amazing flavor...top it off with there black/peach tea mix with 2 Sweet and Lows and you are set! read more

My family and I have been going to the Clay Port for I don't know how long. We went there for lunch today, which prompted me to post my opinion. By now I have tried 95% of the items on their menu and have yet to be disappointed. My personal favorites are the Curry Clay Pot and the Pho Ga. Let me tell you, there is something magical going on with the Pho. Any time I feel under the weather, I get a bowl of Pho and somehow I'm back to normal in a couple of hours. We always like to start with the steamed dumplings that come with an amazing dipping sauce. I recommend them. The spring rolls are great too, and come with a peanut based dipping sauce. They have a selection of adult beverages, including Sake. Or if you just want a beer, they've got you covered. They have two TVs always on so if you are into sports it's a good place to unwind at the end of the day, have a meal, a drink and catch part of a game. My wife and I have gone there for lunch because a) we wanted Vietnamese food and b) a day game was on. Win win. They have decorated the place well and offer seating at regular tables or shorter tables with seat cushions on the floor. We notice a lot of Baylor kids like to sit on the floor around these tables and kick off their shoes. Thankfully, so far, people that sit there seem to have clean feet and socks. read more

Went there today and their menu has changed. Our regular favorites were gone. The chicken clay pot was not the same. Something was missing and the flavor was not as good as it used to be. Very disappointed. read more

Another place we are regular at. Great food and much respect for the owners. Update: I will say I am a little upset by the changes made to attract the Baylor students. I feel it has changed the home style, family feel it used to have. Now, with the addition of alcohol, TVs, and a huge menu reduction, it just seems like another place to drink and watch sports. I am sad to see this happen to such a strong place. read more

Very elegant as soon as you walk in! Decor is spot on and the ambiance is very inviting. We had a table in the middle of the room, which I normally don't like, but it was so busy that I was fine with it. Went to lunch with a friend. I had an awesome rice noodle bowl with chicken! Friend had chicken fried rice (OOF SO GOOD) and the Fried dumplings. Menu did not label for gluten-free but (almost) all ingredients are listed. Was not except cucumbers or kimchi-type substance in my noodle bowl. Many GF options available, but make sure you double check with the server if it's a severe allergy. They close at 3 after lunch and we ended up being there until 3:30 because we didn't realize. So grateful that the waitress nor staff made us feel bad about it. An awesome experience overall + I'll definitely be back. read more

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Best clay pot food I've ever taste in my life. My order was stan's special clay pot. read more

Clay Pot Restaurant - Stans special clay pot... best f%*#& food I ever have for clay pot. Lol - Vietnamese Near Me - Waco, Texas

We popped in here on our way back to Austin from Dallas. Positive things first: Cheap Liked sitting on the floor. It made the relaxed atmosphere more cozy. The waiter, whom I assume was the owner, was very friendly and attentive. It is BYOB so we brought some beer in. Negative: I'll have to agree with the other reviews that the Clay Pot dish seemed to be frozen chicken and veggies cooked up and thrown in a pot. Not as appetizing as the menu projects it to be and clearly doesn't look anything like the picture. We also ordered the Cha Ca with Tuna. You cook the meat yourself. Presentation was good and the tuna looked better than expected but again the dish wasn't great. Although, it was better than the Clay Pot. All in all, we enjoyed the place and service and for the price the good outweighs the bad. I would for sure pay a bit more for food that was more fresh and didn't appear to be frozen pre-cooked food. It lacked authenticity. If you are looking for a cheap, decent meal this is your place. If you are looking for authentic, quality Vietnamese food....go elsewhere. read more