A co-worked turned me onto Little Saigon recently and it was great. I'm not a huge fan of Pho, but I've enjoyed the bulgogi, pad Thai, and of course, the Thai ice tea. Just a small sampling of the many items I've tried. Steve and Anna, the owners, are great people and always very friendly. Check their Facebook page for the daily special, which is usually sold out by the time lunch is over. read more

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Love their pho and summer rolls. The sauce to dip in is a little bland, but it is definitely a comfort food place for me!

In a city where authenticity and taste usually take a back seat to cheap and fast, it's nice to find a place that combines it all. OK, so I drive past this place twice a day, to and from work, and I have said god knows how many times "I need to stop in there". Today, I decided to finally do so...and I am glad I did. I went early, 11:15am or even a few minutes earlier, so it was dead. As such, my food came out within 2 minutes - perfect, since I take short lunches. I ordered the basic Beef Pho, and it was delicious. This was just the regular size...there is a big one, but the regular size was plenty for me. Maybe the big one is for...Penn Jillette? Surely some giant. Let me preface this by saying I have had a LOT of good pho in my time, in various Vietnamese places around the US and around the world. I have had a lot of good authentic pho too, so I like to think I know at least a bit about it, even though I have yet to make it over to Vietnam. The aroma was heavenly. It smelled just like the best of the authentic pho dishes I have in my days. The broth was awesome - not overly salty like some pho can be. I like to watch my sodium (often unsuccessfully), so I appreciated this. The beef was tasty - it's your typical pho beef...not the best cut, but flavorful and thin (so as quick to cook). I added some sriracha to the dish after a few bites, due to my addiction to spice, and this made it even better. However, I did make sure to try it without so I could taste the actual dish as prepared by the cook, and it was really excellent. The place is small, and I am sure it can get really busy, but it is clean and comfortable. Service is extremely friendly, and prices are fair...I had a regular beef pho + soda for about $7 plus tax. Here is my recommendation - don't go on a hot day. Between the temperature of the dish and the sriracha I added, I drove back to work with a slight sweat going on. This place is going to be killer in winter, when you need a nice hot bowl of tastiness to warm you up. I'll definitely be back before that though - I want to try more beyond just the pho! read more

Little Saigon Cafe - Beef pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

I am so in love with this little gem of a restaurant! I love pho, so to see this place pop up was awesome! Don't be deterred by the nail salon or the small dining area! The staff is so super nice and attentive, and they seem very happy. I have gone twice now and ordered the beef pho both times (I should probably branch out one of these days, but it is so good!) I add a little Hoisin sauce and Sriracha, and I'm in heaven! Please go here, support this great business so that it doesn't go away! read more

Little Saigon Cafe - Beef pho after I stirred it up a little. But soooooo goood! - Vietnamese Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

Excellent food. The owners are wonderful. Been here dozens of times and always get pho and summer rolls. Can't speak to the rest of the menu. read more

Been here many times since the review. Brought a friend today and we agreed everything was exceptional. I had the Seafood pho which was a special for the day. A bowl of heavenly seafood goodness. My friend had one of the bun dishes with beef. Opened up the meal with the sweet potato/shrimp appetizer with their great dipping sauce. Love this place. What the pho! read more

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Order at the counter when you go in, pay, and take a seat quickly if a table is open because they do not have many. Not particularly friendly, the folks behind the counter are all business, but they are efficient. Your food arrives at your table shortly thereafter and you may get your appetizer(s) before your entree(s), but don't count on it. Their eggrolls are not bad, but they are small for Vietnamese eggrolls and have been burnt both times we tried them. You have to ask for lettuce, grated carrots, and cilantro to wrap them in and Nuoc Cham dipping sauce, but they do not have mint leaves which round out the appetizer. They do pho well. Fresh veggies, aromatic herbs, flavorful broth and tasty noodles, but the two main entrees I have had, a beef curry with egg (?) and noodles and the most recent bulgogi, left much to be desired. Five ounces of stir fried beef, and onion, on a pile of rice with no seasoning and zero taste ... if you love bulgogi, DO NOT order this 'cause it ain't bulgogi girlfriend! Bottom Line: Good pho, but everything else is not up to par with most other Vietnamese restaurants I have eaten at. CombatCritic Gives Little Saigon Cafe 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better! read more

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I have had a lot of Pho from a lot of different places. These guys serve the best Pho I have ever had and this restaurant is easily one of my favorite in Lawrence! Highly recommend! The service is great and friendly as well! I could eat here everyday! read more

OMG I love this place but BEWARE if you are vegetarian! Their "vegetarian friendly" menu items use meat-based stocks and sauces. Be diligent when you are ordering and you will be very happy! read more

I've been twice. Husband and wife are super friendly. Best pho ever! Delicious pieces of flank steak.....not that usual paper thin overcooked stuff other places serve. I drove 35 minutes to eat here, if this place was in Kansas City I'd eat here everyday. Ultra authentic. You won't be sorry. read more

Little Saigon Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

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Favorite restaurant in Lawrence, the owners are amazing. I always get the chicken pho and summer rolls, and have never been disappointed. Definitely would recommend to anyone looking for a good, hot bowl of Pho. read more

When I am craving Pho, which happens often lol. This is a decent place to fill it. The staff is nice, and prices are decent, however the location and size are somewhat uninviting. It is attached to a nail salon, so at times the smells of it can overpower the restaurant smell, and the inside is very small. If you are alone, or in a small group, I'd say 3-4 then you should have no problem enjoying your food. Any more than that and it may be better to choose another place if you'd like to sit down and visit at all. I have not explored their menu as of yet, but will in the future. So far I have only had their Pho, which is good. The best I've had is in Wichita, however for the area, it's above most. Portions are what you would expect and prices are decent as well. All in all a decent place to go and have a quick lunch or to satisfy a craving you may get. read more

great pho solid soup very flavorful excellent food i recommend anything on this menu great stuff

PHO!! IN Lawrence??? I had been wanting to try this hole in the wall for a while. Yes, it looks like dimly lit, shady restaurant, but honestly I've had a lot of best food experiences at some bizarre places, so I didn't judge. Nope, I didn't even judge the bizarre tv shows that were on while I was eating... the ladies on the show were talking about farting and poop, etc. I ordered a classic flank pho and sat down to wait with my friends. First thing I noticed was that there was no pho stench in the air! Uhoh... not a good sign. I'm used to that aromatic pho stench that penetrates all my layers of clothing and hair. Hmm. Odd. Food arrives and though the portion size was decent, it was much smaller than I'm used to at most pho places (yes, I know, I like to stuff my face). The broth was decently flavored, but the flavor didn't seem to have seeped into the noodles. The noodles also seemed a bit overcooked, like the meat. I have NEVER had such overcooked meat in my pho. I'm used to it still being raw, and then nice and tender when you dunk it into the hot broth before eating it. Sigh. I'll be more generous in this review. If Little Saigon was located in KC or Cali I'd give it a 2, but since this is in Lawrence, and I'm desperate for any decent Asian food, I'll give it an "A-Ok". I'll likely be back for more if I don't have time to grab better pho in KC or if I'm just having an extra crappy day that only some hearty pho can fix. read more

My husband and I were so excited to hear that a Vietnamese place had opened up in town and we were NOT disappointed. The beef pho was excellent as was the #26 (thin rice noodles with chicken, vegetables and a light sauce). The food is traditional, light, and a fabulous value. All dishes less than $10, most around $5 or $6! The spring rolls with peanut sauce were tasty, but the real star of the appetizers would be the eggroll. The Vietnamese coffee is a treat and their bubble teas are a big hit as well (I'm a fan). The cafe is a two-man operation, Steve - the Vietnamese owner - and another fellow. Both are friendly, kind and helpful. You order at the counter then grab a seat at one of the four tables or at the long counter. The food is cooked right there in the open kitchen, everything made fresh to order except for rolls which are made in-house daily. If you love good, clean, no-frills, traditional food, this place is for you! I hope to eat at Little Saigon as often as possible. [FYI - Not open on Sundays.] read more

I was very unhappy with this place. Recently moved from CO, and needed to find a good PHO spot. The service was awful... They didn't even acknowledge us. The food was very plain and lacking... They gave us no garnishes and way more sprouts than noodles. I will never come back here, and encourage everyone to find another place. read more

Little Saigon Cafe - Chicken Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

Delightful, friendly family produces quality, tasty food. Pho is satisfying, even though it lacks a bit on spice. Fried rice is significantly delicious and I would trust their entire menu. read more

The pho and the pho broth was lovely. I highly recommend. I also had a rice dish, but found the rice to be really strange tasting. It was either undercooked or left out for a while. The employees were friendly and helpful, though. I'd come back and I recommend! read more

one of few restruants in lawrence that hasn't lowered quality and quantity by 3 steps vs 10 years ago. i think it helps they don't hire millenials. read more

I'm a Vietnam Cafe kinda guy with their location across the street from KU Medical Center. I was pleasantly surprised last winter when I tried Little Saigon Cafe. I've had good and no so good meals at Little Saigon. Usually pretty good though. Lots of good appetizers that taste fresh and light. Not too greasy like some chinese restaurants. Love their crab rangoon, dumplings, and egg rolls. Pho's are very brothy and excellent. The chicken and beef Pho are winners. The veggie Pho is a major hit as well. Not too salty and very fulfilling. You MUST add some hot sauce to your Pho. Just try it. The beef stew, fried rice dishes, and lo meins are all good quality and better than most other Lawrence establishments. I really want to try the Bulgogi so bad. I always end up bypassing the Bulgogi for something else. I have no idea why. I think the prices are a tad high, but you are getting top quality homemade dishes that demand a premium dollar. Drink selections are an utter joke at Little Saigon. Period! I rarely find myself venturing into Little Saigon in the summer. Too damn hot and steamy in the place. Seriously, you will be sweating bullets with the steam and heat coming out of your pores if you add hot sauce to any of the dishes. Not fun. Therefore, Little Saigon is the spot to hit up on those cold blustery days. This stuff will warm you up quickly. Also, if you ever catch a common cold,get over to Little Saigon and order up a brothy dish and thank me later. The owner and his family are always present and a charm to chat with. Nice solid business in Lawrencer Kansas. read more

I was born and raised in Ho Chi Minh city for 18 years and I could confidently said I have delicious authentic Southern Vietnamese pho (and yes, the flavor of North vs. South pho is very different). Little Saigon Cafe is the only place I went for a bowl of hot pho in Lawrence. The flavor is authentic. I will not compare Little Saigon cafe's pho to pho Hoa Pasteur in my city (a restaurant that cook pho since 1970) because it will be unfair to LSC. But trust me, if you want to try and savor Vietnamese pho, I would recommend Little Saigon Cafe. And when I eat pho, I do not squeeze tablespoons after tablespoons of Siracha and hoisin sauce in my pho. It will kill the flavor very quickly and the flavor you taste is not pho anymore. I usually put in fair amount of all of the herbs, little bit of lime juice, mix them up and taste the broth. If it's a good pho, you could taste the roasted spices (star anise, cinnamon stick, ginger, onion, etc) in harmony with the deep flavor beef. Then if you still need a little bit of spicy or saltiness to round it up then add little of sirachi/hoisin sauce to taste. Another dish I order is banh mi. Even though little saigon cafe did not use Vietnamese banh mi bread, banh mi is my quick lunch on the go. read more

If you are searching for crazy delicious, authentic, Vietnamese fare with warm & friendly owners (who also work and make all of the food) then this is the place for you! It is truly a hidden gem in Lawrence, KS! They are closed Sundays & Mondays, so plan ahead! My palette is happy every time I leave because of the depth of flavors and the array of items to try! Lawrence has eclectic and diverse options for dining, but this has to be in the top 5, but #1 for Vietnamese! read more

Little Saigon Cafe - It's hiding, yes they're open (unless it's Sunday or Monday), so come try the grey door and turn left! - Vietnamese Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

I had lunch at LSC this afternoon and was very pleased. I had greatly enjoyed the owner's former restaurant Jade Mongolian BBQ, so knew that i was in for a treat, but this exceeded my expectations. As others have mentioned, it is small, with only 4 4-person tables and some bar seats, it was crowded for lunch, but our food did not take long at all and it was delicious. Large and flavorful, the fresh spring rolls were stuffed with fresh mint and shrimp, served with a sweet peanut sauce and #21 (chicken and egg roll Bun) was light and tasty, perfect for this hot spell we are having. The size and flavor of the dishes would have made them a bargain at a much higher price, but for $10, I had a great lunch (and enough leftovers for tomorrow!) The only draw back (not enough to diminish the star count) was that the chicken in my dish was both dark and light meat, I know that this is more traditional, but I prefer only light chicken, so just a note, if you do not care for darker chicken meat, you might mention it when ordering or avoid the chicken. read more

We finally got around to trying Little Saigon Cafe and it made our list of restaurants in regular rotation. It's a very small restaurant. It has bar seating and four or five tables that seat 4 each. The staff is very friendly, especially the guy at the register. He may be the owner. The menu is order by number. I highly recommend #22, Vegetable egg roll and noodles. It's a surprisingly light dish. The full menu is available at http://www.braconet.com/LITTLESAIGONCAFE/menu.htm. The fresh Spring Rolls were very good as was the peanut dipping sauce. Another great dish for meat lovers is the #39 - Beef stir-fried with onion and sesame served over white rice. I didn't have the fried rice, but I saw the dish and will order it next time. I was disappointed to find #40, the Beef Short Ribs unavailable when we arrived. I don't know if it's a temporary or permanent change to the menu. Overall, it is an incredible value. Most entrees are $5.50 - $7.00. read more

Their COVID protocols are better than any other restaurants I've been to- it's 100% contact free and all employees are wearing masks. The food is amazing, too. Lots of vegetarian options. Portion sizes are huge for the price- I expect I'll have leftovers to last through dinner tomorrow :) read more

Little Saigon Cafe is a fine place to get a big brothy bowl of pho for a reasonable price. Mrs. R had been to Little Saigon Cafe before, and I had gone once a long time ago, but I recently started on a pho kick, so I wanted to stop in and give it a shot. And I think we made a good choice. Little Saigon Cafe is a very very small place -- 4 tables, and a half-dozen seats at the bar. If you sit at the bar, you look directly into the kitchen and you see every element of your food preparation. Steve (the owner and main cook) starts up the order and begins building when you order -- stock, noodles, meat, veggies. Mrs. R and I started with some spring rolls, and they came out quickly. They were just about what one would expect -- veggies and rice noodles inside a rice-paper wrapper, with a peanut sauce. They were good and well-done, though I'm not sure what one could do to spring rolls to make them mind-blowing. Still, very good. We also both ordered beef pho. After Steve put all of the pieces together and delivered up big bowls of steaming pho. The Little Saigon Cafe pho comes with everything already in it, so no side of basil, hot peppers, or lime, but it is still very good nonetheless. The broth is very hearty and flavorful, and the beef is quite tasty. I had about half of it and then spiced up the second portion with a little shot of sriracha. One thing that might put some people off of a shop like Little Saigon Cafe is that it's a family operation and the family is working in the shop and sometimes takes care of family business there. While we were eating, the owner and some of his family were also trying to make arrangements for traveling to Vietnam, so a lot of back-and-forth talk and folks on the phone about the trip, and we were awkward bystanders to everything because the whole discussion and planning was going on directly in front of us in the kitchen. Not a bad thing, just not something that I am used to. read more

I can't tell you how many times I've driven down 23rd street without noticing Little Saigon Cafe. It's in an unoccupied lot next to the Blockbusters that just went out of business. It seems - strangely - to be connected to a nail salon, which draws more attention than the actual restaurant. Only after you look past a poster of a creepy looking 80's lady with ferocious nails do you see the little neon sign that advertises: Pho. Once you're inside, you're greeted (loudly) by the menu - it's tacked onto the side of a refrigerator squeezed a little too close to the doorway. You know the moment you walk in that this place is either going to be really good...or really bad. Thankfully, Little Saigon Cafe falls on the good end of that foreboding. The Pho is nice - the broth has a clean. spiced aroma that isn't dampened by tons of msg. My complaints are mainly nitpicky; I would've liked some more crunch in the topping (they were lacking a little on the bean sprouts) and the quality of the beef is not stellar (a bit on the fattier end). But it's $5.99 for a whopping serving...and there is nothing like sweating it out while slurping up some delicious soup noodles from a bowl as big as your face. The owner is really nice too; if you get your meal to go he separately packages the noodles and the broth to prevent sogginess. This place is real, down-to-earth home cooking and I find it all - from the random storefront to the tiny interior - delightful. Will I be back? Pho sho'! read more

I am so happy to find a replacement for my favorite Vietnamese restaurant that I frequented before I moved to Lawrence! I love how the place is so small and charming. Everyone who works there is super friendly. Every menu item I've tried thus far has been absolutely delicious in perfect portion sizes. Food comes out super quick and is very reasonably priced. I am a little put-off by the radio playing - I am the sort who likes my ethnic food served to a soundtrack of ethnic music, not pop queens and commercials - but it definitely won't stop me from eating here as frequently as possible. Vietnamese food is my FAVORITE type of Asian food, and I have absolutely no Asian heritage but it's almost of a comfort to me just like my mom's tomato sauce and pasta. I used to frequent one of the Vietnamese places where I lived every time I was happy, sad, stressed, sick (there is nothing more comforting when you're sick than a big bowl of Vietnamese soup with plenty of sririacha), excited or feeling celebratory... and I am so glad there's one in Lawrence, too! Extra points for their silly shirts - I keep meaning to buy one next time I go in! read more

I love Little Saigon! The have the best restaurant in Lawrence in my opinion! If you're visiting or have never tried it, trust me when I say it's very much worth your time and hard earned money! read more

If your preference is large dining rooms with table service, along with wine or beer, this is not for you. They not only do not have a liquor license, but they don't even have iced tea without sugar added. You go to the counter to order, and then take one of the seats (there aren't many) to wait for your food. I had them substitute steamed vegetables for the rice that comes with almost everything. I was impressed by the steamed vegetables, which were very fresh and steamed just right. The spicy tofu was fine, but nothing special. If you like this kind of restaurant, you'll probably like it for lunch. Personally, I would not choose this little restaurant for dinner. read more

Tasty, fresh, friendly, and fast service. We usually get takeout but sometimes dine in. The dining area can get cramped and we have a 16 month old daughter, but the staff always help us get seated and situated, and chat to the baby. We always get the fresh spring rolls which are DELICIOUS. I love the chicken pho too. Everything's very fresh and the dipping sauces are delicious and not too gloppy or sugary. I particularly love the peanut dipping sauce, mmmmmm! read more

I've wanted to try this place since it opened, and I definitely wasn't disappointed. I came during the lunch rush and so I ended up waiting for a while for my food. But actually that was a good thing, because that meant that 1) they were getting lots of business because they are good, and 2) they have an open kitchen so I could see that they were making everything fresh and made-to-order. So I was content to wait and play with my chopsticks. I ordered the chow-fun beef (number 11 on the menu) and an order of crab rangoon, and then my mom ordered a veggie-tofu rice bowl. It was all for 20 dollars (the whole menu is really inexpensive!). Anyways, after waiting for a while, we got our order all packaged up to-go style. Both my mom's and mine were steaming hot and smelled delicious, and the portion sizes were HUGE (especially for the price). Mine had these flat, broad noodles, sauteed onions, and thin slices of beef all in a sweet/spicy sauce. It had been under the "pho" section of the menu, so I had hoped that there would be broth packed along with it, but unfortunately I had no such luck. I wonder if I didn't order it to go it would come in a broth? I hope so. Anyways, broth or no broth, it had a completely delicious flavor. The noodles weren't too mushy or too rubbery, the beef was very tender and flavorful (usually the beef in noodle dishes is really fatty and chewy and just kind of not good, so this was a nice surprise) and the onions were really sweet and delicate. The sauce was really nicely flavored, a really nice combination of sweet and spicy. I ended up adding some hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sriracha to it just to amp it up a bit, but still no complaints. My mom's was really good too; they cooked the tofu perfectly so it wasn't dried out but not soggy either, and full of flavor. Good crisp veggies and nice sauce as well. AND THE CRAB RANGOON. Okay, the thing is, I like my crab rangoons to be nice and sweet. I mean, I'll take any crab rangoon. I love those things. But for me to really really love them? They gotta have some sweetness. And these were the best I've ever had. They were nicely fried on the outside, crispy and not too greasy. They had a very smooth creamy texture that was a perfect balance of garlic, onion, crab, and that lovely sweetness that just made it absolutely perfect. I really really liked this place, and I am definitely planning on coming back very soon to try more of their stuff, because what I had was very very promising! Next time I'll come at a weird hour and not get it to-go so I'll get some broth :) Oh, and also they have specials every day. So hit up that Little Saigon Cafe. You won't be sorry! read more

Little Saigon Cafe - #11 - Chow Fun Beef - Vietnamese Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

For Lawrence, this is the only decent place for Pho. The atmosphere is great since it is a little hole in the wall place. Very friendly staff and good customer service. I haven't tried anything on the menu other than Pho. Improvements could be made to the Pho though. I accustomed to Pho being served with fresh cilantro, basil, lime, and jalapeños. Unfortunately, Little Saigon does not top with anything. I think serving it correctly is critical to the flavor. Also, I didn't feel the portions of added ingredients were fair to the price. I ordered the regular size seafood pho and it had 3 small shrimp, two small pieces of calamari, and a fair portion of imitation crab. I will eat here again though with special ordering. read more

Little Saigon Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

In town for a speaking event with my daughter and we decided to try this place out. We had the summer rolls and beef pho. It was great, the couple that ran the place were very friendly. Would recommend. read more

This place is a hidden gem. There's not a lot of seating - about 15 seats, some of those at a counter, but we've always found a seat every time we've been. We usually get pho. It's simpler than we've had it at other places, but the broth is rich and flavorful and the flavors really shine through. My favorite appetizer is the crispy Vietnamese spring rolls. The combo of the roll and the homemade dipping sauce is delicious. It's affordable too! read more

I don't know when this opened but it can't have been too long ago. Seems like there's just 3 people who work there. I really hope they can stick around, because this is a good contribution to add some variety for some quick Vietnamese food. It's behind the Scotch dry cleaner and the pedicure place - makes me feel like I'm back in Los Angeles (except for the lack of people here) I went once to check it out and have been back a few times. Pho's is where it's at. check out their facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Little-Saigon-Cafe/180597741951001 read more

Best place for PHO in Lawrence! It is so flavorful! And you don't have to wait long to get your food! Will be coming back here often for sure. read more

Delicious food, affordable price. As an international student in Lawrence for 5 years, Little Saigon Café is my favorite place to treat myself. I always order spring roll and matching #10 pho combination to pleasure myself. Cons: If you would like to seek a place looks clean and formal, don't go there. Asian food maybe contain MSG, I guess.... read more

Friends recommended that I go here, and I loved it. The Bun was fantastic! I love the fact that it is a small family-run restaurant also. Makes it more welcoming! read more

very good food and people, pad thai is outstanding and the grilled chicken bun is very good.