(4/5) Our surgery crew decided to invade Dragon Rouge in Alameda for a group dinner, and it turned into one of those meals where the food and the atmosphere both get their moment in the spotlight. We started with two plates of calamari for the table. They were fine--crispy enough, not bad at all--but nothing that made the table fall silent in amazement. Solid appetizer, just not the headliner. The real star of the night? The steak-wrapped mango. We ordered two plates and honestly could've ordered a third. Something about that sweet mango paired with savory steak just works. It's that sweet-meets-umami combo that makes you pause mid-bite and think, "Okay... that's actually really good." For my entrées I went a little wild and ordered both the steak clay pot and the salmon clay pot. I ate the steak there and took the salmon home for later. The steak clay pot was excellent--rich flavors, comforting, and exactly the kind of dish you want when you're sitting down with a big group and taking your time. The salmon clay pot, though, was just okay when I had it later. Maybe it's one of those dishes that really shines fresh out of the kitchen. Also, the portion felt a little small for the $20-ish price range. Where Dragon Rouge really pulls ahead is the setting. The views of the bay are great--you can see the bridge leading into Alameda, and it's apparently one that lifts for boats coming through. I didn't catch it opening while we were there, but even just watching the water and the lights around the bay added a cool vibe to the night. Another big plus: they were super accommodating for groups. We had a work dinner from surgery and they even let us bring in two cakes, which was really nice of them and made the whole night feel relaxed and celebratory. If I'm judging strictly on food, it's probably around a 3 out of 5. But add in the views, the group-friendly vibe, and the overall experience, and it easily climbs to a 4 out of 5. Great spot for big parties, work dinners, or just a relaxed night with a view of the bay. I'd definitely go back. read more

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Came here for a friend's birthday party. They have a nice outdoor patio which overlooks the river but the view isn't that great (yet). I wish they had some heat lamps as it can get cool at night. The staff were friendly and the decor was nice. The food was decidable mid for NorCal. Might be more what if have expected in the Midwest. The spices weren't that complex and recipes somewhat plain. With some better recipes and more attention paid to the food, this place could kick. read more

It's just ok. Food is very so-so at best. Space is decent -- roomy, a bit old but clean. Service is friendly. They call themselves a Vietnamese eatery but the food is more Chinese. We had a large party and requested outdoor seating. The space is nice and roomy, however none of their heaters were working due to being "out of gas". A slight disappointment as the Alameda wind can be cold at times. Anyway - on to the food. We had a part of 14 people and we ordered a variety of dishes... pineapple fried rice, steak clay pot, garlic noodles, dizzy dragon roll sampler (spring roll and summer roll)... and everything tasted just very mediocre. Flavors are off; seasoning is not well balanced - salty and yet not enough spices... Plenty of dishes were fried and / or soaked in oil (chicken steak, summer roll)... noodles were a bit soggy. The food is eatable but definitely did not taste "good". It's just ok. read more

This place is better than 4 stars! However it depends if you are looking for authentic pho/asian restaurant or if you're looking for fusion. I wouldn't come here for awesome pho but I would if I wanted a more American or fusion flavor. Bc I noted the difference, I decided to not order 5 bowls of pho. Remember kids, knowing is half the battle!! So... I ordered two pho. One pho tai and one bun bu hue. I think the pho tai was not bad. However the bun bu hue was not up to par. However the restaurant did call it Dragon Noodle Soup so with a name like that, you'd know not to expect a real authentic bun bu hue. Thus I didn't knock the Dragon Noodle Soup. Plus there are plenty of pho restaurants out that that mess up BBH so it is what it is. It's not bad. Just remember to adjust your expectations. The mango salad was also different than I had anticipated. But they put it on this 'Asian chips' so that's not too bad. It was pretty good. Calamari was good. They didn't mess it up. The garlic noodles were not bad. I did wanted to see what their version of it is and it also wasn't bad. The beef short ribs were not bad. Especially since it came with mango. It's a very good combo of sweet and savory. Like I said, this restaurant is pretty good. With a name like Bistro, you know it's more fusion and Asian. But it does have its niche. And tho it's on the water, it's not that pricey. The flavors and dishes were al enjoyable. And tho it was too cold to sit out on the tables over looking the water, I'd prolly come back in the summer. So yea I'd recommend it and would definitely come back. It does get busy so it is definitely a popular restaurant. Service was good and ambiance is better. Solid smokin' A!! read more

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I've had food from here a couple of times, but not for quite a while before today. I went with friends who chose this place. (One of them is very fond of the spicy garlic basil noodles.) I had a seafood clay pot. "Seafood" turned out to be just breaded fish and shrimp, served with a little broccoli and rice, in a very small serving--more than an appetizer but less than a meal. I was still hungry when I finished. I was glad for this restaurant because one of our party usually chooses places too loud to be able to talk, and this would be quiet, but shortly after we ordered a cover band set up and started playing. They were a decent band, actually pretty good and my son was particularly impressed with their CCR covers, but they were very loud and I was there to talk to my companions. It would have been better had the restaurant warned us that it would be far too noisy to talk. (Not the band's fault.) All things considered, I don't think I will return. read more

Dragon Rouge is a fun and yummy Vietnamese restaurant to catch up with friends. They have a wonderful happy hour with good value. You can always catch Alameda locals hanging out here. We recently went for a girlfriend's Christmas dinner and the staff was very sweet and accommodating. We blocked off two tables in the corner and we had a view of the Oakland estuary. We shared the Bouncing Beef Tenderloins, Crab Rangoon, Garlic Noodle with Prawns, Dragon Roll Sampler. I also recommend their Clay pots. They are very delicious. They have plenty of parking and share a parking lot with other businesses near the restaurant. read more

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This is the second year we have our Union dinner here. Kingsley went above and beyond to make this event phenomenal for us. The food was freshly made and served warm every time a tray was almost empty. Beautiful venue, nice patio seating and I had happy guests. Highly recommend this place for event, parties and celebrations. Thank you Kingsley for being awesome! read more

Dragon Rouge Bistro Alameda - This mocktail was exactly what I asked for! Refreshing and no sugar! - Vietnamese Near Me - Alameda, California

Great little mom and pop bistro on the water. Our server was sweet and attentive, and knew when to leave us to chat and when to check in on us. We were seated indoors, but it was a beautiful day and we had a nice waterfront view. Our food came out at decent times with enough stagger between apps and our mains. Here is the breakdown: - Basil Garlic Noodles - simple yet delicious. - Crispy Garlic Wings - bangin! These had a ton of flavor without the garlic being overpowering, and the vinegar sauce was simple, yet perfection. - Curry Dip Sandwich - divine! Like a Bahn Mi French dip into the most delightful velvety curry bisque. - Lemongrass Fries - crispy, salty, and enough lemongrass to give you the warm fuzzies. - Lemongrass Grilled Beef Short Ribs - the ribs had so much flavor, but I would not choose the vermicelli again as a side, though the broccoli was cooked perfectly. - Wonton Prawn Rolls - not what I expected even though they are quite literally prawns wrapped in wonton wrappers, but crunchy and delicious! Would smash again. read more

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We used to dine in here pre-covid all the time, but it's been a while since my family has eaten out. We ordered take out and we got the combination meat platter, garlic noodles with bbq chicken, dancing beef and the roll sampler. The two crispy rolls in the sampler weren't crispy but that is on us for the take out. The dancing beef- while a smaller portion than I remember was JUST AS FLAVORFUL as ever- SO GOOD! Their garlic noodles are different- in a good way! They use spaghetti noodles that have a bit of an al dente bite. I LOVE it (and prefer it over chewy egg noodles) - such a fun spin on a dish I've had many times! Would reorder everything if we were dining in, for take out, prob would skip the crispy rolls. read more

The food was good and the ambiance was ok. However, one of the servers was absolutely horrible. She was not accommodating in anway shape or form. The other sever a male tried his best to be accommodating but apparently the woman kept telling no as well as our parties request. I understand that the restaurant was busy due to a couple of large parties and this particular wait staff kept saying no because we had a couple of folks show that did not confirm. We asked if a couple of chairs could be add to the table. The answer was no, even thought on one side of the table we had 4 chairs and the other had 5 chairs. There was not chair at the end of the table. But the answer was no, want to an occupied table and took the 2 chairs and added them to the table ourselves. I'm a guest from out of town visiting and would definitely speak to the owner of the restaurant if I lived in the area. Food was good enough that I would have went back while still on the visit but after the experience with the wait staff I'll pass. read more

Dragon Rouge Bistro Alameda -- La-La & Jazz Approved! Dragon Rouge... BAY AREA, LISTEN -- they did it again! This is our second time here, and babyyy... they did not disappoint. We ordered a whole lineup: Potstickers Chili-Glazed Garlic Wings (these right here? LEGENDARY.) Garlic Jalapeño Fries (Dragon Style!) Garlic Vegetable Curry And TWO cocktails -- a classic margarita + a strawberry-raspberry mix that was chef's kiss Everything came out HOT, seasoned, flavorful, and cooked with love. Those chili wings had us looking at each other like, "OKAY, Dragon Rouge! We see you!" And let's talk VALUE because that's rare in the Bay: FOUR dishes TWO cocktails GREAT service Delicious food Chill, cute vibe All for around $75 including tip. Like... where do you find that anymore!? Dragon Rouge Bistro Alameda, La-La & Jazz appreciate you! You have two very happy repeat customers, and trust -- we'll be back again and again. Highly recommended! read more

Dragon Rouge Bistro Alameda - Raspberry and Lime Margaritas - Vietnamese Near Me - Alameda, California

We went during lunch break and it was such a good idea. We sat outside on the patio by the water with a great view and the food was 10 out of 10. read more

Dragon Rouge Bistro Alameda - Vermicelli Noodles - Vietnamese Near Me - Alameda, California

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Food; Magnificent Service; Superb Ambiance: Pleasant, indoors and outdoors We are so happy to have found this awesome, well thought out place. We eat here frequently and strongly recommend them to you. read more

Magnificent view of the bridge leaving Alameda, love that it's dog friendly as well. I wish there was more spice and/or flavor on the dishes. Spring rolls are always good, but it would be nice if there were more Vietnamese taste within the Vietnamese fusion. read more

The food at Dragon Rouge Bistro is excellent. I've sampled a variety of dishes from their menu and everything has been flavorful, fresh and beautifully presented. Their staff is friendly and thoughtful. Any questions we've asked about items on the menu have been explained and their recommendations are spot on! Service has been quick. The ambience is not as elegant as their food, but it is unique and comfortable. Maybe it would help if the lights were dimmer in the evening. Overall it is a fine dining experience and well worth the money. read more

I don't know.. Easter Sunday? This place look promising we had the idea of bringing my mother here for her 78th birthday.. possibly the worst decision for today.. why would you only have two servers on the shift, knowing that it's Easter Sunday, but definitely they probably knew no one's going to be here number one. Number two you're a seafood supposed to be placed, why would you not have any crab? Again lacking people on staff, service sucked! I probably would never come back here! I hope you guys fix this issue, was looking bad for this place! The food and the price does not even make sense! read more

Friendly staff...drink was so-so..tasty food with nice portion size..was pretty empty when I arrived but people started trickling in not too long after... read more

Came here randomly with my partner and it ended up being one of our favorite spots in Alameda. She got the wonton soup with chicken and tea, and I had a Thai tea plus the mango stir fry with steak. We also shared the lemongrass fries. Everything was honestly amazing. The flavors were super balanced, portions were solid, and nothing felt like an afterthought. The service stood out too, very attentive without being overbearing, which made the whole experience feel easy and relaxed. I can already see myself coming back and ordering the exact same thing again. If you're exploring new spots in Alameda, this is definitely worth a stop. read more

Dragon Rouge is a reliable Vietnamese restaurant that seems to be open every time we need a tasty lunch or complete dinner. My favorite dishes include the mango salad , the pineapple salad within a hallowed out pineapple, the vegan pho, and the curried potato rolls. Their peanut sauce is so delicious that I purchase it to take home. All of this culinary excellence is very affordable and the staff is friendly and professional. I like sitting on the deck overlooking the estuary next to the Park Street bridge. There is also lots of free parking read more

I've been a regular customer at DR for years, and it's one of my favorite restaurants. The food is always great. Love the garlic chicken wings, and Mom's phantastic rolls. The staff is friendly and professional. The location on the water is perfect read more

Food here is excellent. Not over priced. we loved the shanghai garlic noodles. these are flat like linguine, but do not order if you are hesitant about garlic, do order if you love garlic! I loved the cold vermicelli noodles with lettuce and pickled carrots-daicon (giant mild radish). I could eat just the veggies and noodles but this huge bowl came with the most delicious boneless bbq chicken And bbq shrimp....i ate it all and was so stuffed i could not eat dinner that night. Get the flan for desert! Staff here are quick, efficient, helpful and just plain nice! This is a comfortable, spacious, roomy, sunlite (ha, in the daytime!) place. Dragon Rouge has indoor and out door seating....,outdoor is right next to the estuary near Park st bridge.....We consider this place to be one of the finest spots in Alameda......! read more

The fact this place isn't rated a 5 star is crazy. 10/10 ran into their stand at the alameda antique fair and I had my eye on it since we got there at 5 AM to set up! I don't usually ever EVER get beef pho since I've given up on finding one I like (naturally I'm a chicken pho girly) but nothing sounded better than warm soup after I saw their sign. It was literally the best beef pho I've ever had to be completely honest. The meat was so tender the broth was perfectly rich and they even had you a little side dish to make the sauce an everything. They even told me to sit down so they could bring it to me, so sweet! Thank you so much! I can't wait to try your restaurant location too one day! read more

We enjoyed the food, ambiance and service was very good! Good drinks and food! We willingly definitely be back again. There's a few things I want to try on the menu next time. read more

everyone in my party had an awesome time and the food looked totally amazing, I partook in cocktails which were so on point. The outside patio is intriguing! read more

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Me and my husband went there for valentine's day and it was set up all cute!!! The staff was super attentive and friendly. My only complain would be to have the crab deshelled it was hard not getting it onto my dress or just making a mess in general. Other than that food and service was wonderful!! read more

This place is nice, but it's not as nice as the prices would suggest. This restaurant has Vietnamese cuisine, and the food is really good. I'm vegetarian, and I have choices. There are non-alcoholic drinks in addition to alcoholic drinks. Desserts are good. I've gone for a date night, as well as for lunch as a work break with a friend. The prices are more for a nice restaurant. But this place always seems kind of junky. The outdoor seating has a lovely view of the Park St bridge and is right on the estuary. But the tables and chairs are old and a bit ramshackle. And the inside similarly does not feel like a nice place, but a bar with screens and not set up nicely. The space feels like it was meant to be something else or the owners forgot to finish setting it up or something. Hard to explain. It's also unclear when you walk into the place what you're supposed to do -- there's an entry area that makes it look like there would be a host/hostess station, but there isn't anywhere to ask for a table. We waited a minute or two and then went to ask the bartender. I'm still not sure what you're supposed to do, even though I've been there several times. Service was good. read more

We have dined here several times for the past 5 years. The food is consistently good and the ambiance and service are wonderful. read more

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Late Lunch before the last meeting of the day. We weee headed to one place but we couldn't locate it so I suggested this place because I have had wonderful lunches here pre pre pre pandemic. As soon as I walked in I immediately felt like this is new management. No one greeted us, the dining room rather drab and empty. I'm not sure where everyone is at since the parking lot is full but they're not here. We self sat. A young lady noticed us and waved her hand approving of our seat selection. We ordered the crab Rangoon, some fries, and 2 lunch specials- a prawn skewer and catfish bowl. The service was fair. Slow but the server was pleasant. Again hungry so we dug into our apps, then the entrees come and after a few bites my lunch date found hair in her bowl. Ugh ugh ugh..... we were pretty much done but our server brought out a complimentary dessert to redeem the experience. It helped. Overall, the portions were good and the staff was responsive however it would be a long while before I would try them again. This experience in comparison to what I had experienced in the past was vastly different. read more

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Lots and lots of flies outside in the entrance and also inside. Why are there so many flies? Does not seem sanitary. We sat outside and there were still flies. The bathroom had a fan going, not sure if there was a leak or flood. Ordered the DR combo vermicelli and if you're not Asian you probably think it was solid but since I'm Vietnamese I was more critical. It was okay overall. I wouldn't say this is super super authentic it does the job but not one of the better versions I've had. The meat didn't really have a deep flavor it was only lightly marinated. The fish sauce was also really sweet and they did not put as many fresh herbs as this dish usually has. When I ate it I couldn't get over how many flies this place attracts! read more

The waitress was really nice. The sparkly water view was so beautiful. We ordered the garlic noodles with shrimp, the beef ribs with broccoli and coconut rice. The garlic noodles were so garlicky. The shrimp was fantastic. But most importantly, the beef ribs tasted like magic and was awesome. Tell your friends about this place (it's so great). read more

Awesome spot for quick smell bites!!! No air conditioning, but a lot of outdoor seating in the shade with a cold drink n good food! The staff is always friendly and fun! I've never had an issue with servers or bartenders! I'm not a regular, but a local for sure! The design of entrance is good, and they can book your small-medium group!! We had a holiday dinner here with out co-workers and it was quite nice. Lots of parking!!! Clean restrooms! read more

This is a great little hidden gem. We went there for a going away party on a weekday afternoon. Lots of parking. Accommodated our large group really well (30 or so people). The food was good and the view of the water was really nice. The large windows gave it a spacious feel. We enjoyed watching the bridge go up and down for boats. There is outdoor seating as well. The drinks were strong (at least mine was), and the staff were good about restocking the food (we had a buffet style feast). Hope to come back again and sit outside on a nice day. read more

It's a nice restaurant has good food great atmosphere takes a second but over all has nice food and service.

From service ,food and ambiance highly recommended . I will definitely come back here.

Food, ambience and most of all the staff were great. I like ther desserts mango panacotta, banana samosa and vietbamese sundae. The staff were kind and warm. The asian waitress that welcomed us with a smil and made our table since we had to add an extra chair. The young white blonde guy who was our waiter was ecxellent, went above and beyond. I will recommend to my friends and will be back. read more

Nestled along a picturesque waterfront, Dragon Rouge promised an exciting blend of Vietnamese flavors with a modern Asian fusion twist. While the restaurant delivers on ambiance and service, the food was only okay. I love the truly pleasant dining atmosphere and the staff is attentive and friendly, but neither the phở nor the Dragon Noodle Soup impressed. The broth, usually the star of any phở dish, was underwhelming and lacked depth. The signature rolls were all right and the clay pots weren't any better than homemade. I also didn't find the fusion concept to deliver in this case, resulting in dishes that were more confused than innovative. For me, this venue came across as style over substance, but still a great place to try out for yourself. read more

Dragon Rouge Bistro Alameda - Dragon Noodle Soup (Bun Bo Hue) - Vietnamese Near Me - Alameda, California

I've lived across the bridge and pass by this location my whole life and not once have I been here until now. It's very easy to miss and not in a spot you can easily see, but once you get off the bridge coming from Oakland, make a right immediately and it's behind O'Reilly's Auto Zone. The little plaza has a surprising amount of parking spaces and not much else to do around except for a dollar store. My friend and I sat outside and it had a nice view with relaxing vibes. There wasn't that many people around and we made it into the happy hour time. The servers were all really nice and always offering us options to see if we were cold or needed anything else since we were away from the main crowd inside. We had a few questions about the menu and our knowledgeable server was able to help us make decisions such as their garlic fries as an appetizer, can't really go wrong. Their bouncing beef was what caught my attention and it was delicious. I do recommend coming here and sitting outside when it's not cold out for a relaxing time with a drink and a friend. It is a little out the way and the price is on the higher end for the amount you get, but the vibes is what made this place pretty worth it. I will have more to say when I come back and try other things on the menu. read more

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I've been there and have no reason to return. They have a local drinking clientele for some reason I don't understand. The place does not look prosperous but the doors are open. Looking at the place I decided not to check their menu. It just didn't look like a place with good food. Maybe I didn't give them a chance to amaze me but, why give them a chance to disappoint me? read more

We had been planning our grandson's Sip and See or Welcome Party since before the holidays since he was born August, 2022 but due to Covid and warmer weather, we decided to wait until May, 2023 to hold an event and we thought that Dragon Rouge Bistro would be ideal since it has a large outdoor dining area with heat lamps and we have been there several times for parties. Finally, after the start of 2023, we went to reserve a date in May with Kingsley, one of the managers here and we estimated about 100 guests to attend the event. Kingsley was open to what we wanted to do on that special day in the outdoor area. The restaurant has a banquet menu and you can choose from one of three options and we decided on the Option C which included 2 appetizers, 3 entrees, steamed rice and iced tea, coke or Sprite. The week of our event, our numbers went down to 82 and finally down to 77 due to cancellations from our family/friends so Kingsley was very accommodating. The outdoor area was perfect for our event and we wanted our guests to enter through the outdoor wooden gates and check in in the buffet area. Because of the unpredictable weather we had that day, the dining area was covered and there were 4 heat lamps which kept our guests feeling cozy. The service was friendly and attentive, the food was delicious and they kept refilling the food trays when they ran out. We ordered Mango salad, garlic chicken wings (my fave), garlic noodle with tofu veggie, grilled pork chop, bouncing beef and white rice. My daughter's bakery provided the desserts. The only thing was when my hubby asked about the soda that we thought was included, Kingsley said it was not but we didn't make an issue of it since we had hot water, cold water and iced tea. And everything else, the restaurant was accommodating. We didn't want to put a damper on what was a beautiful event with family and friends gathered together who haven't seen one another in ages. The banquet menu thus needs to be changed to show that soda OR tea is included as it wasn't clear due to the wording. It should read Iced tea OR soda is included. read more

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Forgot to post this review and these photos from a visit to Dragon Rouge a while ago. Group of four of us came here for dinner and ordered a few different dishes and drinks. The food was good, but opting spectacular to separate it from other Vietnamese restaurants in the area. Indoor seating available with a view of the water. read more

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