I am a business minded person and public speaker and I am amazed at how great mimi's customer service is and I love how informational she is with the menu also not to mention how great that food was I am definitely coming back!! read more

Our family of four visited Rainier Restaurant during our Seattle trip and enjoyed several of their specialties. The beef ong choy salad had a delicious balance of sweet, sour, and savory flavors, while the sautéed venison with curry and spices was tender and flavorful. The baby clams with crispy rice crackers were savory, spicy, and fun to eat. The crab and fish maw soup was also flavorful, although slightly salty for our preference. The restaurant has an older, cozy atmosphere, and the service was excellent: quick, friendly, and efficient. Overall, we had a wonderful dining experience and would definitely recommend Rainier Restaurant. We look forward to returning! read more

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Potentially my new favorite pho place in Seattle? I am here on a Saturday night, it was pretty busy. I got the Pho Dac Biet and Eggrolls. Pho (5/5): The portion was a pretty big size and broth was very tasty and healing to my soul. I also enjoyed the beef meatball (bo vein) which is pretty rare. Eggrolls (3/5): the filling wasn't that full and wasn't super amazing, passible if you like them. Service was friendly and chill. I would definitely come back to eat their pho again or try another dish! read more

Rainier Restaurant - pho dac biet + cha gio - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This restaurant is easy to miss if you're driving along Martin Luther King Jr. Way because it's located below street level, and you can't really see it from the road. Most places that advertise BBQ usually have roasted pork, ducks, and other meats displayed in the front window, but this restaurant doesn't, making it less noticeable. Don't let that fool you--this place is very popular. I discovered it by stopping in, and later found out that both Anthony Bourdain and Mike Chen have visited. The staff is friendly and attentive, and the food is outstanding. My favorite dish is the giant crispy catfish served with vermicelli and a delicious dipping sauce. The grilled conch is also excellent and definitely worth ordering. If you're looking for authentic Vietnamese food with great service, I highly recommend giving this place a try. read more

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Rainier Restaurant might be one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Seattle. Their portion sizes, flavor, and price all really come together to make a really great meal. Its one of the few Seattle restaurants I would come back to. The restaurant staff are all Vietnamese. Theyre all friendly and accommodating. The restaurant itself is pretty old but well maintained. Theres plenty of parking as its in its own dedicated lot. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Got the fried catfish and various other oyster dishes. I loved this place - dishes were unique and delicious. Catfish was crispy and soft, it's a must try. Definitely come here and family style, I will be back! read more

Been on my bucket list for a while and so glad I had the chance to come here! We had a party of 7 and got seated right away at a big table. Parking is plentiful. Service was friendly and food came out at decent times. We started with the Sapporo beer tower. Definitely got us tipsy and came out fast. Clams were excellent. Fried rice was pretty solid. Fish sauce wings were great - crispy, hot, flavorful. But my favorite was the bo luc lac (shaking beef). The meat was sooo tender, juicy, and delicious. We of course had to order the iconic cat fish. They only had a 6.5 pound one left for the day, the our server let us know ahead of time. It was definitely a show stopper. Loved being able to make our own spring rolls. I'd definitely come again! read more

Rainier Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Pro tip - call ahead to reserve your catfish. When we showed up it was on the table and ready for us to dig in! The catfish was so tender and flavorful. They give you all the fixings to make your own spring rolls. And some yummy sauces to dip into. We also tried the beef bites and it was super flavorful as well. We ended the meal with complimentary mango and regular tofu desserts. Great service here and amazing food! Would definitely visit again. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Crispy catfish - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Overall, this place was really good! I chose it because I was looking for something to eat on my way to the park, and it popped up just as I was starving. From the outside, it doesn't look like much and isn't especially inviting, but the food was actually very good. I ordered the pho with raw steak and added an extra side of meat. My server seemed a little surprised by the extra order, but honestly, most pho places I've been to are heavy on the noodles and light on the meat -- and I like my pho with plenty of meat! She was very sweet about it, though. I'd definitely come back and eat here again. read more

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We entered from the back, and took several minutes to figure out the restaurant was on the first floor down the stairs. The floor is dirty and sticky. Service is decent. We ordered: +Steamed Clam in Lemongrass Sauce $22 - clam is big and fresh, lemongrass seasoning is refreshing and emphasized the freshness of the clam. +Plate of Nations spacialty for $35: pho of choice, pork chop plate and shrimp spring roll. Pork chop is surprisingly the crowd favorite, both my kids loved it. The combo pho broth is decent, lots of noodle and toppings. I especially liked the tendon and tendon balls read more

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Been here many times and recently went to try the whole fried catfish. It was pricey but enjoyable. We were impressed with how crispy the exterior was while still being nice and moist inside. We had an 8.5lb catfish and it was just barely enough for 7 adults. We polished it all off. It didn't seem like it started out as an 8.5lber but maybe it shrank quite a bit when frying. I'm not sure we'd do the whole fish again as the price seems a bit high considering the cooked size. We had several other dishes too, the ong choy salad, stir fried green beans with chicken, salt and pepper squid, mongolian beef and honey walnut prawns. We managed to polish off just about all of it too. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Fried catfish! - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

One of the best authentic Vietnamese restaurants in Seattle with huge portions! It's kinda in the middle of nowhere but everyone knows about this place so it's constantly busy. The food is homey with lots of fresh herbs and bright flavors. The best dish here is the whole fried catfish. The smallest catfish they have usually serves 3, so you need to come with at least that many people for them to let you order it. It also takes 30 minutes to make so if you call in advance, they'll have it ready when you arrive. The skin is super crispy and the meat is extremely tender and juicy. It's served with a garden of herbs and fresh vegetables as well as rice paper so you can make your own wraps. It's a super fun dish to share with the table and it's delicious. Another great dish here is the banh xeo. It's like a savory crepe stuff with a bunch of bean sprouts, pork belly, and shrimp. The banh xeo here is bigger than any other banh xeo I've ever seen, and the first time I came here, they had a happy hour special of banh xeo for $12 which was a crazy steal. read more

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This place had the BEST tasting authentic Vietnamese food I've ever had! We reserved for a party of 14, including kids and a person in a wheelchair and they mentioned that the wheelchair access is in the back of the building which made it easy to find. The service was amazing and our waitress checked out on us frequently - definitely one of the best service of any Asian restaurant! We ordered a lot of their specialties and the food came quickly and was delicious. When placing the reservation, the front desk person told me she will call me back later to let me know what fish they have that day since cat fish is their speciality, I would definitely recommend this place hands down! They also have plenty of free parking in the back lot! read more

Rainier Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Delicious hole in the wall Vietnamese restaurant in the Othello neighborhood. I ordered the Com Tam Suon Heo (pork chop broken rice plate $18) and the Banh Xeo (crepe filled with bean sprouts, pork belly, and paired with herbs $16). Both were delicious and the food was more than plenty for two people. Everything tasted super fresh. They have a big parking lot which is a plus. I'll be coming back. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Com Tam Suon Heo - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Love the on choy beef salad and the baby clams stir fried with lemon grass, onions, mints, and peanuts served with crispy sesame rice paper are my favorites! The menu is very big and can be overwhelming, but at least they will have something for whatever you are craving. I leave feeling full every time. The restaurant is pretty big and although they might be short staffed sometimes, the service is always great, even taking the time to box up your leftovers for you. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Food came out quick (ordered ahead), but the things we ordered at the table took a bit (egg rolls, escargot, congee) everything was super fresh, crispy and flavorful. Service is good and prompt! Congee was super flavorful and so, so good. Chicken salad was moist and the cabbage was seasoned well (before dumping the sauce). read more

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Old haunt that even if I don't remember exist, somebody will always remember and suggest this place to go to. The restaurant has been changed hands multiple times, good thing the food stays consistent. Service ...eughh, please go find a clean table and sit your party down! Yes, need to come back for more dishes but it's an Asian join, stellar service is not a requirement especially when they serve good enough food read more

Always a good time here. The service is always nice. They have great lunch deals until 3 pm. Has its own parking lot so there's never an issue. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Com tam combo - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The food was delicious, the service was both friendly and attentive. We came close to closing time but they kindly accommodated us. We had the clams, escargot, salt and pepper chicken wings, lotus salad with shrimp, fried rice, chow fun with gravy and the rice paper combo, our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. Everything was super tasty, if only I had two stomachs. We will need to come back to try the fried catfish! They have a parking lot which makes it convenient and the main restaurant is located downstairs. If you want authentic Vietnamese flavors and atmosphere, this is the place. read more

What a delicious experience!! Pre-ordered a fried catfish before our Friday 12:30pm arrival. Parked in the rear, and arrived to a fried catfish, ready for us to devour. Marketprice = $20/lb, which seems steep, but there is simply no way to recreate such a crispy and delicious fish at home. It was a family affair, and I'd say we have pretty large appetites (runs in the family duh), but our group of 4 killed the entire ~7lb fish. It also helped that the fish was SO DELICIOUS - crispy, crispy skin (reminiscent of pork cracklings) and flaky and tender flesh. The veggies were super fresh, and sauce was crack as well (re-upped on this). Just wow. We also ordered a lunch special since it was just before lunch ended. The plate came out so quickly, again, including fresh veggies. Took most of this home, but the lunch deal was too good to pass up. Also got a couple desserts, which were alright. Fish was on the pricey side, but again, I can't eat this anywhere else. It's a hole in the wall with bomb-ass food, what can I say! Would come back in a heartbeat, but would pass on the deserts. read more

I visited this restaurant with a friend last Sunday, and felt right at home despite being here for the first time! I don't really know how to describe it well, but the atmosphere felt very nostalgic. I ordered a broiled pork/broken rice dish, and I appreciated that the server was very friendly and took the time to answer our clarifying questions about some of the dishes. The food took a little longer than expected to arrive, though this is probably because we came during lunch rush. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how large the portions were. My order was enough for two meals, and the food is very delicious! read more

Rainier Restaurant - Com tam suon, bi (G2) - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Feels like home at Rainier Restaurant that I'm bodies homemade and authentic Vietnamese cuisines. I came here for an early lunch and tried a bunch of drinking dishes including snails, clams and shrimps. I definitely enjoyed the wings, nicely fried with a simple dipping sauce. Vietnamese coffee, strong but sweet. Service was good. Our server was accommodating with our large group. Spacious restaurant that reminded me of all my childhood. The restaurant could use some updating but than it won't feel like the hidden gem Vietnamese restaurant in Seattle. read more

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"If you're a foodie like me, you'll love this place! The menu has a fantastic selection of dishes, and loved everything that was ordered. Only good comments about the food. I can't wait to come back again!" "The menu offers a wide variety of options, and everything was delicious. I especially loved the creative twists on classic dishes." read more

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Rainier restaurant's food is as amazing as I've last remembered. I haven't been back to Seattle in a few years and returned to this restaurant because I was feeling homesick and wanted authentic Vietnamese food. This place did not disappoint! Luckily, I came on a Thursday and their banh xeo had a special. It was $10! The banh xeo was approximately 10 - 12 inches and was so crispy and delectable. It's one of my favorite dishes! Mimi was spectacular as our server as usual. I really like her approachable and friendly manner. She made me feel right at home with her easygoing personality. Please ask for her when you come, I couldn't guarantee a better person to make you feel welcomed! The strawberry lemon drop is a must try! I have never had one before and it's pretty good. Sugared rim are a must! read more

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I'm sad that it's taken me this long to find Raineer Restaurant. I saw a video about this restaurant on social media and decided to try it out. It's located on the block before Ventiane Grocery Store. I did some research here on Yelp and went there intending to try their famous ong choi salad, I also read many people liked the shaken beef. I arrived around 830 pm and it was fairly empty. I was quickly seated and given a menu. I decided on the combination plate with rice, ong choi salad, shaken beef, and (by the recommendation of my server) the grilled razor clams. Everything arrived at the table fairly quickly and was served at the appropriate temperature. Each dish had a sauce that went with it, or a dry spice mix to sprinkle over it. My server, Mimi, suggested I squeeze the lime juice into the dry seasoning mix, and dip the clams in that. The taste was incredible; the briny clam meat with peanuts and crispy garlic, complimented by the fresh lime and the seasoning mix. Everything I ordered, I enjoyed and would order again. The service was quick and my server was very friendly and made an excellent suggestion on a dish I absolutely would have never ordered if not recommended. read more

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The fish was fried to perfection and it was so crunchy and meaty, fresh and crispy. The only thing that I didn't like were the sauces. I requested for fish sauce, and peanut sauce because their signature sauce was not it. Overall it is still ok. Service was A1. The server there was very smiley and welcoming read more

Rainier Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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After a full day of hiking in the frigid forest, we craved a hot, comforting meal. Finding this Vietnamese restaurant felt like coming across an oasis on our long trip home! If Anthony Bourdain ate here, we figured it must be super good! We parked in the back lot and scurried down into the basement of a building. The interior smelled musty and could've used some sprucing up. But service was quick and friendly. Ca Kho To (Braised Fish): Fall-apart tender fish braised in a savory, caramel sauce. The sauce is incredibly salty and rich, so I recommend ordering a side of rice to pair with this! I just wish that the fillets weren't sliced so thinly. Chicken Wings: Okay, not really seasoned. Just a heads-up for friends on wheels: To enter the restaurant, customers must walk down stairs. This is not quite wheelchair-, walker-, or stroller-friendly. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Ca Kho To (Braised Fish): Fall-apart tender fish braised in a savory, salty and caramel sauce - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I placed an online order for pickup and had a surprisingly negative experience. As I was walking down the stairs toward the pickup counter, I stopped briefly to open my Uber app so I could show my order confirmation. Out of nowhere, a staff member came up behind me and said, "Hurry the fuck up." I turned around in shock, and she then said, "Sorry, I thought you were one of the workers," and laughed uncontrollably. Very rude and belligerent. I wondered how she even mistook me for someone else she works with. I was in my street clothes too. It was my mistake to go into a restaurant situated in the hood, and encountering workers with hood-like behavior. I was caught completely off guard and didn't know how to respond, so I awkwardly laughed and continued to the counter. What made the situation even stranger was that the same employee was working at the pickup area and didn't acknowledge me or ask if I needed help. I ended up grabbing the order I assumed was mine and had to tell another employee that I was there for pickup. Everyone can have a bad day, but this interaction felt extremely unprofessional. It left me wondering how employees are treated behind the scenes and whether other customers have had similar experiences. The food may be good, but the customer service I experienced was disappointing and inappropriate. read more

Such a disappointment that my used-to-be favorite spot is now changed. The menu has changed, the taste has changed, maybe they also changed the chef. We started with Oc Len Xao Dua. The sauce was too salty; too much cilantro mixed together in the sauce completely out-flavored the coconut taste (who would put cilantro in the coconut sauce anyway?!) The snails themselves were plain and didn't soak in the sauce either. I ordered Rau Muong Xao Toi, but got Goi Bo Rau Muong instead! They apologized and fixed it, but it took another 15 minutes. The main entree was Thai Hotpot, but it had some issues! The okra was the wrong type (long & stiff Indian okra instead of the softer Chinese/Vietnamese kind). Plus, they left in non-edible parts of the broth like lemongrass stems. A rule of thumb for a restaurant dish is everything on the dish must be edible. Those lemongrass stems and lemon leaves should be bagged during cooking & removed before serving! This is basic food safety; so disappointing this place didn't care. A child could choke! Last but not least, the waitress served the hotpot without turning on the fire stove, she didn't check if the gas was working! We waited over 15 minutes for the broth to heat up, running out of gas. We finally had to flag someone down for a replacement. My last time visiting here for sure. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Lemonade soda - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Had a great time here! Food was delicious, service was fast and servers attended to our every need. We had a big party with lots of different orders and everything came out in a timely manner. Will be back! read more

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I've read so many great reviews about this restaurant and I was not disappointed. Upon arriving, we were greeted and sat down at a table right away. There are a lot of tables which is great for big groups. The service was friendly and the food was delicious. We ordered the raw beef sliced salad, shrimp chow fun with gravy and the shaking beef. The shaking beef comes with seasoned rice. I would've opted the rice out next time since it was very dry and the flavor didn't complement the dish. Other than that, service was friendly and the food was delicious. read more

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So good. Absolute gem, I feel like this place isn't talked about on Yelp as much as it should (maybe it was in the past?), but so many unique Vietnamese dishes that make me want to come back to try. It's been a very long time since I've seen fried quail on the menu and it was my favorite dish there. The meat is duck-like, with a crisp exterior. Definitely get hands-on with these! Snackable appetizer portion for 2-3 ppl. Their catfish soup is apparently one of the main things they are known for. Variety of vegetables in there that pair well, and 3 pieces of catfish. The beef cubes were tender, and came with an optional salt mixture seasoning that switched it up a bit. We ordered a side of rice with everything and it was a nice rounded bowl for 2 to share. They have standard seating for 2-4 ppl, and a section with a few tables that have the rotating circle meant for large parties. Fresh seafood options with fish tanks around the restaurant. read more

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Shout to MIMI!! She was amazing and so helpful!! Thank you MIMI for an awesome birthday meal!!! read more

Rainier Restaurant - Deep fried catfish and butter garlic snails - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The morning glory salad with beef is their specialty dish and now I know why. It's delicious and well balanced and a huge portion! The snails were just okay, they didn't come out hot enough. I liked the soft shell crab and grilled shrimp. Their green sauce could use a little more spice. Service is pretty good. Would recommend for Vietnamese seafood. read more

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I came here with a big group of people and just had an okay experience. The inside of the restaurant is a lot bigger than it may seem and they have two stories. It's a bit worn down and older, but still clean. Service here was slow but the staff was very very friendly and joked around with us a lot. We ordered a variety of dishes: honey walnut shrimp, Rainier beef, Rainier chicken wings, grilled squid, bo la lot, canh chua, and fried rice. To be honest, I thought all of the food was fairly good, and the Rainier beef was a favorite at the table. The dish that I was most underwhelmed by was the honey walnut shrimp/prawns. The dish had barely any sauce and the presentation was a bit disappointing. Moreover, the dishes came by so spaced out and slowly that by the time the final dish(es) came out, everyone was already full and bored from waiting. Overall, I think the restaurant might be better for small groups and although the food wasn't bad, it wasn't the best Vietnamese bbq place that I've been to. read more

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Yooooooooo ! Holy smokes this place is the freaking bomb. I can hear one time 3 years ago & forget the name of the place. I legit stalked it for years till it somehow came up on a feed & I got my in my car & I was not disappointed. Pho is banging big chunks of meat. The beef dishes amazing, fried rice yes please... highly recommend read more

I used to go here a lot when I was little, and I see not too much has changed in terms of quality and how many times I've come back for their stuff! For this review, I will be reviewing two back-to-back visits, in which I essentially had the same great experience during. I was seated quickly both times even when one day it was packed. There's basement seating that has mostly tables for 4 people and some larger tables, and then there's upper floor seating which can seat larger groups for the most part. It's noisy both up and downstairs. The menu is pretty huge; you have everything from rice plates to noodle soups, fried rice and catfish dishes. I got both the grilled beef rice plate and the Rainier rice plate on separate days, then combined each with a Thai iced tea on one day and a three color dessert on the other. Rice plates are solid; you get tons of variety with each of them and they both come with veggies and broken rice. The Rainier rice plate definitely has more variety, as does the combo rice plate one of my friends got. Grilled beef was appropriately chewy and very well-flavored, as was the grilled pork on my Rainier rice plate. Their Thai tea is standard, but I wouldn't go here for their three color dessert; it wasn't done very well and the cup was pretty small. On one day I got Viet sour soup catfish and catfish stew along with the Rainier rice plate. I didn't eat the catfish in the stew but I love the sour soup a lot and it's been a while since I've had it! Very nice taste and not overly sour. This is one of several Vietnamese restaurants that are within a comfortable driving distance from where I frequent, so I'll definitely come back again for more stuff! read more

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Service is bad and food is okay. I'm not sure if it's because the place was busy or if the restaurant is understaffed, but service was terrible. We had to keep flagging waiters for missing things such as sauces, bowls, and dishes. It was also very hard to find someone to flag at times, so we had to wait around for someone to show up. Food was alright, but not worth it for the price. We ordered 5lbs of catfish, the V4 family meal, and the shaking beef. The fried catfish was great, but be prepared to work for your food as you'll need to carve the meat out of the bones. All the dishes from the family meal were meh. We asked for thit kho, but got ca kho instead. With the bad service we just decided to keep the dish instead of sending it back. The shaking beef came out after the catfish and it was lukewarm like it had been sitting out. It felt very flavorless and was missing the sour aspect to the dish. The fried catfish was good, so I would maybe order that togo, but I wouldn't want to dine in or order anything else. read more

The food was delicious here. Service was friendly but not very attentive. There's parking in the front and the back lot. Ordered the following: Shrimp chow fun with gravy - so delicious, the chow fun had awesome wok hei (smoky, charred aroma and flavor), the shrimp were fresh and big, and the gravy was tasty Bo luc lac - delicious, the beef was flavorful and tender and nicely paired with romaine lettuce and sliced tomatoes Would definitely come back! read more

Rainier Restaurant - Shrimp chow fun with gravy - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Make sure to call in and pre order if you want to get the fried catfish!! We were driving up from Portland to Rainer and they were able to accommodate our big group of 21 people with great service and our food came out fast too which was super impressive! We did call 3 hours ahead to let them our time of arriving and pre ordered the 2 large cat fish and paid over the phone ( it was about $400 roughly with tax for 2 Large catfish order) The food tasted amazing and received a lot of compliments from the elders in our group and that's saying a lot. Try to call them in advance because I think their hours are wrong, we thought they closed late on Saturday but it turned out they closed at 10PM! Theres a parking lot in the back which is nice. Highly recommend dining here the restaurant looks like a low key spot inside is very homey and their food is packed with flavors. I will be back! read more

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