My partner grabbed us lunch today from here and the food is delicious. We grabbed a grilled pork banh mi, vietnamese coffee and the combo beef pho. The food was all so good and I am surpirsed we have not tried this place until now! It was certainly a bop with us and steps up the competition with the vietnamese food options in the area. read more

This is my second time visiting RND, a small mom-and-pop spot in the San Lorenzo neighborhood, and I can definitely see why it's become a local staple. It's always occupied, which tells you a lot about how much the neighborhood loves this place. Their shrimp rolls are some of the best I've had, especially because of the sauce. I kept it simple for lunch and also tried the bánh mì. The bánh mì was just okay for me. I've definitely had better ones with more meat and pickled vegetables that had a little more punch. That said, I really like this place and I'm looking forward to coming back to try some of the pho. And the service? Always A1. You can tell this is one of those neighborhood spots where people know and appreciate their regulars. Definitely worth supporting this local gem. read more

R & D Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - San Lorenzo, California

Back again and this time I tried something that I have never had, Bún bò Huế Vietnamese Spicy Beef Noodles Soup. I'm glad I finally tried it and now will be one Vietnamese noodle soup I will order in rotation. It was packed with flavor!!! read more

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In search of a good banh mi near me led me to pick up a delicious lunch today. The folks at R & D Cafe were kind and we enjoyed a great conversation as I waited for my food. The restaurant has room for sit down dining and plenty of parking. I ordered a chicken banh mi. The bread had a perfect crunch giving way to soft bread, chicken, jalapeños, daikon, carrots, fresh cilantro, cucumber....delicious... Highly recommend and I'll return for their other menu items. Great food, nice people and a good price. read more

R & D Cafe - Chicken Banh Mi from R & D Cafe - 15813 Channel St San Lorenzo, CA 94580 - Vietnamese Near Me - San Lorenzo, California

the place is just ok. owner is nice and service is quite fast. for foods: * đặc biệt & bò viên: the broth is rich and flavorful. generous in meat and will satisfy your tummy * nem nướng cuốn: with all fresh ingredients and great sauce, i can not stop eating though * cơm đặc biệt: the pork is so good and love so much when they put lots of green onion on top * mi tới đậu hũ thập cẩm: this garlic noodle is absolutely recommended. you have not been to r & d cafe, if not try this special dish if you love vietnamese foods, this cafe has to be in your list. prices are ok... read more

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Our favorite bahn mi are always made here! The service is friendly and always prompt. It's a small mom and pop shop so big parties are hard to accommodate. I wish with all my heart they were open every day until late I love this place, not a single complaint ever. read more

Food always hits the spot in my vietnamese cravings ! You get your order so quick and staff are good people that love to take care of their customers. read more

R & D Cafe - Garlic noodles are a must ! Pork is always delicious, Taro slushy not too sweet just perfect . Banh mi 10/10 - Vietnamese Near Me - San Lorenzo, California

I've been coming here for years. I'd definitely recommend! My favorite is the #46 grilled beef with steam rice, but we also got the shrimp spring rolls and strawberry slushies. read more

R & D Cafe - Strawberry slush - Vietnamese Near Me - San Lorenzo, California

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$10 minimum on card purchases This is a classic in SLZ & I was craving a banh mi so I got the grilled shrimp. The baguette wasn't that big and they didn't cut it. I feel like it was on the drier side and lacked flavor but if you're craving it, it'll hit. I wouldn't say this is my go-to place for banh mi. They have a lot of options on protein for their sandwiches though. read more

Reasonable prices and good authentic Vietnamese food. Picked up a to go order for a BBQ pork banh mi and green papaya salad with shrimp. This is the perfect amount to share between 2 people. I plan to returm to try their other options. Restaurant is small and casual. Has about 6 tables for 4. It's located in a small neighborhood shopping plaza with enough parking. read more

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Tried this place out yesterday. Today I just ordered my second sandwich. I can't tell if it's the bread or what, but these sandwiches are amazing. I can't wait have more time and try the pho. read more

I was hungry and in the mood for some Vietnamese food. Lucky for me R&D Cafe is right next door while grocery shopping. I ordered a Vietnamese iced coffee and a grilled pork banh mi. The iced coffee was perfect! It wasn't too bitter it was just right for me. The banh mi was delicious it had so much flavor. It was filled with a good amount of meat. The owners are so sweet! I will be back again to try some different dishes. read more

R & D Cafe - Iced coffee, Taro Slushie with boba - Vietnamese Near Me - San Lorenzo, California

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The owner needs to work on her customer service. We reached out to grab the change from her and she just threw it on the counter. Last time we go to this place! read more

The best BBH I've ever had! So full of flavors and lots of meat. I love coming here for lunch from work. read more

R & D Cafe - BBH - Vietnamese Near Me - San Lorenzo, California

Planned a visit on Monday and found they are closed on Sunday and Mondays. Most of the time, restaurants don't care so much about weekend businesses because foods are good. Dinning alone means I won't be able to get both BBH and Pho. And, this time I didn't ask for a pho broth (alone) for a preliminary taste. Turned out the BBH is quite good. Deep red and flavorful broth. After taste note tips to the sweeter side and can be the owner's personal taste depends on what regions he/she is from in Vietnam. I personally prefer the strong shrimp paste taste (which in this case, IMO not enough) and had a quick convo with the owner lady. "You should ask for more shrimp paste next time" she said. Willing to give me more worths another star. No strong cleaning spray smell is a plus. I came on Feb. 18 and starting this Saturday they will be closed for 2 weeks. I: why? She: we are going to Portugal for 2 weeks I: any must eats on the list? I heard it has a lot of good food. How about the egg tarts? She: I heard it's too sweet so I'm not sure.. I: what? too sweet? Come on, Viet. desserts are quite sweet too, u have to try the egg tarts! I love the fact that ppl who make good food are going to eat a lot of good food. ^^ A must try in the area and there's an interesting Asian supermarket also sells Hispanic spices a few door down. read more

R & D Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - San Lorenzo, California

I love to have noodle soup but there's no bathroom to use after eating that big bowl of soup. That's too bad, restaurant are require to have washroom. Health dept required restaurant to have washrooms read more

Great spot to have in the neighborhood. Delicious, quick, convenient and clean. I wish I would try more or their menu, but their #1 Large keeps pulling me back in. read more

Delicious food. Service amazing. I can taste the lemongrass in the beef. Pork flavors were on point. Can't beat the price. You won't be disappointed! read more

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Amazing food always. My son always loves ordering a perfect sandwich from here! He went to Kipp and Arroyo and this is a perfect lunch or dinner spot!! A+Food and customer service! Thank you! read more

I have been going here for awhile. Good service. Excellent food. Many of my co-workers go here for lunch. Competitive prices. I recommend the Banh-mi pork sandwich. Good price and delicious. Clean dining area. Rachel and David run a good restaurant. read more

This spot feels like nostalgia for me, I was a regular while attending one of the high schools nearby a few years ago. I recently moved back to town and feel like the ambiance and amazing service hasn't changed. The food remains as good as I remember: I used up my lunch money on them back then and I would still do so today! read more

Nestled in an aged strip mall, it is definitely a hidden find with regulars. We got banh mi for the airport but we couldn't wait since our food was hot and the restaurant smelled good. Bread was crunchy on the outside and soft inside. Pickles had just the right amount of sweetness also. Grilled pork was tender, with delicious soy-based sauce. The nem nuong was good but a bit dry after I had the grilled pork. Cha gio egg rolls were piping hot, crispy and a delicious mixture of taro and chicken. The best part was the homemade fish sauce that was fishier than other sauces and packed more umami. This was awesome! The iced coffee was good and not too sweet. Can't wait to go back to try other menu items! read more

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Food: Taste great and love the Vietnams' SW. Service: I dissent and family ran place. Ambiance: nice little Vietnams place with tables, etc. Only sad thing is there no bathroom for customers. So i take my food to go, as i don't want to find my self need one.... -edK read more

I have been coming here with my Oma ever since they opened several years ago (usually to go). Their pho, rice plates and garlic noodle plates are so yummy. They never disappoint. I have not tried their banh mi's yet though but I should soon. Service is also really great. The lady in the front is always smiling, welcoming and accommodating. read more

Finally got to order from here. Ended up getting beef combo soup, grilled pork over rice and some banh mi. The pho was very nice and broth not overly salted. The banh mi were pretty good. I would prefer more filling. Affordable and tasty, very easy parking. read more

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I was on the hunt for a banh mi spot that was nearby. I found R & D on Yelp and decided to try it out. I ordered the Grilled Chicken Banh Mi. Honestly, it wasn't bad. The bread was really soft, and the chicken was flavorful. The bread and filling ratio was a bit off though (not enough chicken). I felt like I was eating mostly bread. However, my bar for banh mi sandwiches is Saigon Sandwich in San Francisco. For $6.85, the sandwich wasn't bad. The owner was so sweet and nice when I went into pick up my sandwich. I would stop in to try their pho or maybe something else on their menu though. Casual dining environment. read more

This place is my go-to for when I'm craving some Vietnamese food! My family loves this place and have been here multiple times because of the amazing food they serve. I usually get the bun bo hue and it's always a hit! The broth is flavorful and they really load it up with the different meats and toppings. My family really enjoys their garlic noodles here because it's super buttery and garlicky! Another plus about this place is that the portions are huge for a pretty decent price. They do have some limited hours so make sure to double check before. It's a pretty small restaurant so I would recommend ordering take out and the quality is still the same! read more

R & D Cafe - Bun Bo hue @eatingwruby - Vietnamese Near Me - San Lorenzo, California

I've been looking for a decent pho spot in the East Bay and I think I've found the one. The broth is flavorful and their portion size is great. I was just barely able to finish their regular Pho Dac Biet Bo Vien. It comes with an assortment of meat, but I loved the big piece of tendon. I also had their nem nuong guon which had a balanced combination of ingredients. read more

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I really enjoyed R&D. I ordered vermicelli with beef, shrimp, and egg roll. I will go back to try the sandwiches which seemed to be very popular. Clean and a nice cozy environment inside. read more

R & D Cafe - Vermicelli noodles with Beef, Shrimp and egg roll (eaten lol). - Vietnamese Near Me - San Lorenzo, California

R&D Cafe finally opened up for dine-in! One of my family's favorites in the East Bay! R&D Cafe is a small Vietnamese Owned Business. When we found out they were open for dine-in we drove there right away for dinner! Goi Du Du Tom 4.5/ 5 Hu Tieu Nam Vang 5/5 Bun Bo Hue 5/5 Com Suon Bi Hot Ga 4.5/5 Hu Tieu Nam Vang, the broth was marinated perfectly. I love the clear noodles with all the seafood. Way better than Pho in my opinion. Bun Bo Hue was spicy, and the broth was for sure marinated perfectly and spicy. Com Suon Bi Hot Ga, the pork chop was marinated amazingly and tender. Goi Du DU Tom shrimp papaya salad is delicious and always refreshing to eat before your main dish comes out. I wanted a Banh Mi but they sold out. I even offered to go buy the baguette if they had all the toppings but, they didn't have any more toppings for banh mi HAHA. All of these dishes are my go-to dishes! Check it out if you haven't yet! read more

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Number 55 (Prawn + beef) + pork chop + fried egg + fried rice. Yeeee boi gotta get that secret plate combo just rite I have been eating at this restaurant since I was a high schooler across the street and I'm still eating there today. It is a great food spot from the Bay Area. If you have not had a rice plate or a banh mi from here you are in for a wonderful meal everything on the menu will make your tastebuds scream for happiness The family that owns the restaurant are so sweet, the coolest kindest people, thank you for every meal!‍ - Dany read more

R & D Cafe - Number 55 (Prawn + beef) + pork chop + fried egg + fried rice. Yeeee boi gotta get that secret plate combo just rite - Vietnamese Near Me - San Lorenzo, California

Love Vietnamese Soup, came across this gem close to my parents home, Soup was Good, service was Great! Will return read more

I am a lover of banh mi so always happy to find different places to try out. This is no exception! Firstly the prices - still blows my mind that there are places that charge $10 + for a banh mi! NOT THIS PLACE! They have cheaper prices. The food - great quality food - Pork Banh Mi - tons of flavor - Spring roll - very good and fresh read more

While waiting for our dog to get tests and be treated by an oncologist, my husband treated me to a wonderful Vietnamese food lunch at R&D Cafe in San Lorenzo. R&D Cafe has many tasty, sizable dishes at great prices. The proprietors were warm, gracious and attentive as they took our order and served us. The place was bustling with nearby high school students in line buying carry out lunch; the tables were full of diners. And folks just kept on coming, filling up the small cafe. The vibe inside was friendly and comfy with people chatting and delighting in their meal, as did we. We started off with fried calamari. My husband had lemongrass grilled chicken, salad & rice and a Vietnamese Coffee; I had grilled prawns w/garlic noodles. Being there felt good--a little slice of diverse Bay Area community joy. My husband and I happily thanked the proprietors. We were glad the oncology assistant referred us to R&D cafe. read more

Great food and great people. The menu prices are very reasonable compared to all the vietnamese restaurants/cafes I have been to.

I've been coming here ever since it opened over about 10 years ago. It's nice to know that the quality has gotten even better over the years. Their sandwiches are so good and are priced at a good price. I know most people don't order the meatball sandwich but I highly recommend you give it a try. Service has always been amazing. This restaurant is a family owned business and everyone is really nice. I always feel very welcomed when j come in. Recently I've been loving their vermicelli. My boyfriend tried the garlic noodles recently and he loved that too! read more

Always courteous, friendly, and quick. The food is delicious, fresh and bright. This time we ordered Chicken Garlic Noodles, Pork Chop with steamed rice. Egg rolls. Yum! read more

I've been twice trying to order something from R&D. I arrived after their posted business hours for opening. Both times I waited over 30 minutes and still nobody there. In the past the food was amazing. Not sure I'll try again. Not trusting their so called hours anymore. read more

I've been going here for ten plus years and they are just consistently the best pho and garlic noodles you can get anywhere! They'll remember your face and order and are always so kind. There's a homey feel to this place that you just can't beat. I hope they never leave the Bay Area because they can't be beat! read more

COVID REVIEW I'm so excited that R&D finally opened up again during COVID for my pho and garlic noodle fix. Honestly, nothing else in the area measures up to be the same; so I've just been going without pho for a while. Again, they've been equipped to do to go orders and are even better at it at it. They give you hot enough broth so that the pho noodles can cook once you pour it in. If you want, you can asked for the noodles to be booked/blanched so that if your soup gets cold, you can still eat it. They give plenty soup!! Some other places gives you like half a to go container and it's honestly not enough. Everything is on the side so you get to build your own pho. The container that the noodles come it is round and a bowl, so makes it way easier to eat compared to eating it out of a tall soup container. The quality stayed the same and they are serving their full menu. I've picked up to go orders plenty times since they've reopened during COVID. #12 is my go to and garlic noodles with beef never disappoints! My suggestion is that you call ahead so by the time you get there, you order is ready. They take both card and cash - but don't forget to tip! They have extended their COVID hours and Yelp is pretty reflective of that. You can also go there to order in order - but see Yelp photos for updated menu and you can save yourself the wait time. read more

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