As a newcomer to Seattle The area is looking a little sketchy (oh, the things I would do just to have a killer meal) but once you get inside the restaurant all your skepticism goes away. This is probably one of the best Vietnamese restaurants I've been to in my entire life. The food is really good and The Vietnamese friend I went with validates its authenticity, not that it matters because good food is good food. I was especially impressed by the beef on choy salad and bun bo hue. We had a blast here because it happens to be the Chinese New Year when we visited, and the waitress kindly notified us to stay after our meal for the dragon dance. At the end of the meal, the owner even treated us with dessert! This restaurant will become my Vienna was fixing in Seattle! read more

Rainier Restaurant - Beef salad. This is SO good! - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I really enjoyed their Bun Bo Hue. My fiance enjoyed his Pho. The only complaint I would have is the wait. We waited 20 minutes to be seated and 30 minutes for our food. read more

Went here after seeing Bourdain. Got their popular ones.. The Ong choy salad and the bo luc. The service was great but the food was seriously not worth the price. The meat had too much of a gamey taste that I just could not handle.. and I promise I'm not pregnant! read more

I regret taking my family here. We saw the high rating and expected much more. I should have done my due diligence and actually read that under the new ownership the quality of the food and service had gone down. What can I say, except that I only wished that our negative experience ended with only poor food quality, but let me just say that 90% of my party ended up getting sick after leaving, for me, I got sick before even leaving. I'll spare you all the details, but I'm sure you can imagine. Unless it's the zombie apocalypse and there aren't any alternatives, I'd still go and hunt for my own food. read more

Came here before flying out of SEA on a Sunday night 30 mins before the restaurant side was closing (they have a bar/karaoke side that apparently stays open later). We got seated right away and got our food about 10 mins or so after that!! Thoroughly enjoyed the seafood congee, their famous choy beef salad, and flan for dessert. Shared the two dishes amongst 3 people and we had left over congee. Good portion sizing for the price! We found this place last minute and were very pleased - staff were very personable (other customers were clearly enjoying themselves as well singing their hearts out in karaoke). Also a big plus was the bathroom was clean and updated! So overall great place and would recommend to all! read more

Gigantical portions. And two of us ordered enough food for four, but that's no surprise. It's how we roll...our fat bottoms out the door of any food establishment. They have their own parking lot woot! Amble your way up their ramp-stairs, and you're in a room that looks like somebody's rental house living room. Sparsely decorated, Vietnamese music on blast--you've landed at Rainier BBQ. Get the point? Good, let's dance: -Stir-fried eel with curry and chili served on a sizzling hot plate. Great flavors, but I think I would have preferred this eel prep deep-fried. -Duck salad. Yum. Shredded cabbage sliced dental floss thin so the sauce can permeate throughout. Great presentation. -Salt and Pepper tofu. My guy's favorite thing to order at Asian places. No salt. No pepper on it (?). Served on cabbage with sautéed peppers, the flavor was not there for me, but was made up by the fact that they use a very soft tofu. Crispy, cracklin' outside, velvety center. Texture, kids. It's important. -Lemongrass chicken, served with a lightly-dressed salad. Very, very salty, but good. They use a pungent fish sauce in all of their cooking (no complaints here!) but some may not dig it. -Tea, don't really drink tea in Asian places when served in a silver pot. Working in a Chinese restaurant as a kid ruined silver-potted tea (don't ask) and fortune cookies (I ate 3,623,953 of them) forever. -Mango pudding - cold and delicious served with half-and-half and boba balls. A nice end to the meal- free if you check in on Yelp! -Oh yes; sit downstairs, not upstairs. You'll thank me. 'Going back for the frog, quail, cobra (Cobraaaa!! lalalalaala!!) and crocodile. Bugs Bunny is offered too, but I'll pass. Reasonable prices, late hours, and über-polite service! read more

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Would never have thought to check this place out based on the name and look outside (totally looks like a knock-off Texas BBQ joint) if not for Yelp-- thanks, Yelp! I came here with my husband recently for lunch, and we had a great meal of authentic, fresh, and varied dishes that we'd never tried before. The Ong Choy salad, however-- dare I say it?-- may be a tad overrated, for the price. We paid $14 for a small portion, and while it was unique and tasty, it was likely the least memorable dish from our meal. I preferred by far the sour Vietnamese soup with seafood, which was chock full of fish and shellfish, plenty of vegetables, and an addictively tangy tamarind flavor. This may already be my go-to dish for this spot! We left feeling full, but pleasantly so-- while the portions are large, it's fairly easy to eat a healthy balanced meal here, which I appreciated. Looking forward to coming back to trying more of both their eat-in and take-out options. read more

this is the Vietnamese restaurant best in Seattle. My family had a lot of dishes here. For me, deep fried catfish is the best read more

Rainier Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The huge fried fish!! It's an amazing treat and place to hang with your friends and enjoy good authentic southeast Asian cuisine!

Food was good. Checked-in via Yelp to get a FREE mango pudding only to know they "ran out." Even more disappointing Bc the waiter lied. Saw many mango pudding at the counter when we left the restaurant. read more

Rainier Restaurant - The many mango pudding we saw after knowing the waiter lied saying they ran out when check-in on Yelp to get a free mango pudding. - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The food is delicious! And our young waitress was great. The place is a hole in the wall, nothing fancy but food will make up for it. The hot pots is a must try! They get very busy so make reservations or go early if you don't want to wait. We will definitely be dining there again. read more

This place is legit. You can find a large range of authentic Vietnamese drinking foods/street foods here. The portions are big and are meant for family style dinning. Their beef salad is very popular and for good reasons. Get it. You'll need at least four people to tackle the catfish which comes at a minimum 6 pounds (around $14 per pound). It's delicious. Get it. Anthony Bourdain was here. He approved. read more

Rainier Restaurant - 6 lbs catfish. It took 4 people to finish this. Fantastic dish. Get it. - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

About time I write a review for one of my favorite vietnamese restaurants in Seattle. I love everything on their menu...well almost everything!! Great rice dishes, noodle soups, and ong choy beef salad!! read more

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I am so glad we finally made it out here. Like everyone else says, the beef ong choy salad is a must order. It is such a unique dish that's savory, sweet, tangy, and spicy all at the same time. I had the bun bo hue and BF had a broken rice plate with grilled pork. We also shared a plate of fried chicken wings. Skip the wings, they're nothing special. Bun bo hue was good; the broth had a great depth of flavor. I loved it. BF's cut of pork was very deliciously grilled. We also got free mango pudding for checking in on Yelp. It was worth the drive from North Seattle, for sure! read more

Mmmmm' my family's fav go-to and pretty much every holiday spot that the people there know us! We usually go for the Bo 7 Mon (7 course beef) for everyone. And if I'm not feeling it that day, I usually go for Com Tam Suon Bi Cha (Steamed broken rice with charcoal broiled pork, shredded pork skin and egg pie). Although it might not be the cleanest place in the prettiest city, it definitely is the most delicious! Def everyone should give it a try! read more

This is an OG spot to grab good traditional vietnamese foods. I've been going to this spot when it was actually on Rainier! There really too much to list as to "what to get here" I've never had a dish that I didn't enjoy. My favorite go to dish though the the Com Tam Dac Biet (broken rice special) - you'll get an ample amount of broken rice, grilled pork chops, egg cake, and shrimp as well all for $8.95. The place may not be the cleanest place to dine - but its cheap, it's open late, it's good, and it's easy to find. Also the portions are really filling! They got a little bit of everything, from pork to beef, chicken to fish, snake, rabbit, frog legs, geoduck, clams, crabs, snails, deer, etc. You just gotta try this place to see how good it really is. read more

This is the real deal intense Vietnamese food. It's even intense for me and I'm Vietnamese! I've heard that Anthony Bourdain has been here. It has that old school Vietnamese feel. It made me feel a little uncomfortable. They serve cobra, snails, rabbit, alligator here as well. For those not as adventurous, you can get the beef cubes, fried rice, pho , and other usual vietnamese items. It's a great place that is run down but it stays true to it's roots. This is for the people who are down to try the hardcore Vietnamese cooking. read more

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Do you have a secret or not-so-secret love for Anthony Bourdain? If so, you must visit Rainer BBQ. This restaurant is made for the adventurous food types. I have an "in" because my girlfriend is Vietnamese. If it wasn't for her, I'd be totally lost.. FOOD I suggest you order a few dishes to share. I've been a few times, and here's what I recommend: Be Thui- This is roasted veal. It's probably one of the most interesting foods I've eaten. Basically, you use basil and a few other herbs and wrap it around a cut of veal (which is already rolled in roasted rice powder), along with plantain and mango slices for each bite of deliciousness. It sounds strange, I know. It's so good. Chim Cut Quay- Roasted quail. Unlike the Be Thui that comes with herbs and other tastes, the quail is simply roasted quail. It's very flavorful and good, but I wouldn't recommend it without ordering other plates containing herbs/veggies/strange fruits. Goi Rau Muong- Salad! Honestly, I don't remember what was in it. I do remember that the vegetables are unique and fresh. This is the polar opposite of a boring side salad. I've had several other dishes here, but these are my top 3. Check into Yelp, and you might get a free mango dessert as well! SERVICE The servers are way too nice here. They see me coming and know they'll have to refill my water more than anyone else. read more

Best asian bbq duck, chicken, pork place. It is where my family gets their bbq items for parties and for their bun mang vit. (duck noodle soup) My family does a twist to the traditional bun mang vit, no STEAMED DUCK! only bbq duck, which makes it so yummy!!! must go if you live in that area read more

This place is awesome, one of the most authentic Vietnamese food you can get in town. We go here all the time, I grew up in this town eating Rapinier BBQ restaurant. It seems like they have raised their prices by $1-2 recently, but it's still good. Just look past the dirty bathrooms with no soap. Whatever you do, don't go to the bathroom downstairs. It'll make you lose your appetite, or probably taste everything differently after you step out. The bathroom upstairs is cleaner but each time I go there they never seem to have soap. Bring hand sanitizer. They have so many delicious dishes, but let's start with some of my favorites here: Ong choy beef salad -- deliciotius and stinky. Their price has risen so significantly on this dish over the years as it has become more popular. I remember it being only $11 a dish, but it's now $18 for a salad. Yet, we still order it because it's mouth licking good. Live shrimp -- They roast the head for you and leave the body raw to eat. Soo good. Live oysters -- They serve it with a delicious mam nem sauce. Chim cut quay -- butter roasted quails -- served with salt and pepper. Simple but a delicious appetizer. Goi ngo sen -- lotus root salad Hen xuc banh trang -- Clams with rice crackers. They stir fry the clams itn curry seasoning and it's eaten with rice crackers. Ga xao xa ot -- simple chicken dish in curry and lemongrass seasoning but it's delicious with rice. Ca kho to -- catfish filets cooked in a claypot. They add coconut cream to make it more creamy. It's a yummy dish that comes with the family dinner meal, but only downside is that they serve only 3 cuts of thin catfish filets. Not worth the money ordering separately if it didn't come with the family dinner meal. Com dac biet Rainier -- broken rice served with short ribs, egg, shrimp paste. It's a large plate and I usually save half for later. About $10 for a Vietnamese rice dish but worth it. WHAT'S NOT WORTH ORDERING? --Most of their noodle soup dishes. That saying, includes pho, bun bo hue, bun mang vit, bun mam. If you want pho or bun bo hue, go to a pho restaurant. --Fried rice. One of the driest fried rice I've ever had. read more

I saw the Anthony Bourdain episode where he ate here, and I've always wanted to come in and try the food. But on the cold, raining Seattle evening that I stopped in I ordered a small bowl of hot Pho. Those vietnamese noodles can cure the coldest blues and remedy any hangover! The soup was delicious! The only reason I am not giving Five stars is that the two servers that night forgot to bring the sauces and bean sprouts and just basically everything that would help with eating a bowl of pho. I'll be back to taste some of the exotic BBQ and more of the food! read more

Thought i had it all and was ready for my own tv show, till i came here. but i'll still take a tv show though Ambiance = hmmm not what the 4 star is for Service = ok Food = great flavor profile, texture combination and freshness you can bite into. lots of exotic ingredients, a bit overwhelming actually Favorite = goat hot pot! yum yum. goi rau muong! Worst = not a fan of the basement style restaurant Final say = will be back! read more

Solid, authentic Vietnamese cuisine. Go with someone who knows what to order, or you'll be overwhelmed. Just like all the other non-Vietnamese diners, I bookmarked this spot because Anthony Bourdain came here on the Seattle version of "The Layover". There are 2 areas: upstairs and downstairs. When we went here, we took the downstairs restaurant. And luckily, we met our friends who had dined here numerous times and took the lead and ordered everything. I can't recall the names of what we ordered, but I'll do my best to describe them. We started with the famous Ong Choy (Kang Kong to us Pinays) Beef salad. It took a bit getting used to, but it was refreshingly crispy! It comprised of shaved (yes, shaved) Ong Choy (Kang Kong, Swamp Grass, etc.) stems and beef with a sauce/ dressing. Then we moved on to a snail dish, it had the same texture as whelck, and some bites were tough, but it was pretty tasty. We also had a "beef curry" dish, which I love, love, love! The beef was soft and the sauce had coconut milk, you can't go wrong with coconut milk. We also had a raw beef dish with raw banana, avocado slices, and some basil; not my favorite. There was some kind of rub on the beef, it really didn't taste like anything. Our friend also ordered something similar to soft shell crab, with a sweet chili dipping sauce, which tasted sooo good biting into the crispy exterior and getting soft, moist crab... Mmm... Aside from the fried crab, I think this was the healthiest meal I've had dining out in a looong time. Would I go back? Hell yeah! But only with my same fellow diners, they seem to know the inside scoop! Plus, there was so much more to try... read more

We had so diep nuong, bot chien, and of course ong choy salad. They are all tasty. Love to come here!

Anthony Bourdain came here had the special Ong Choy salad and of course I had to try it. I tried a couple other things too, sour soup and clay pot catfish. The salad prepared really uniquely, shaved ong choy (never seen this preparation done before) The beef was nice and tender and paired really well with the ong choy, also the funkiest sauce on the side (it was actually delicious deep in flavor. The only warning is that it is market price, so you'll want to go when it is in season. Sour soup was standard, and thhe clay pot catfish was a bit too sweet and salty for me. I'll just come back for the Ong Choy salad. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Ong Choy salad! - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Every time I am back in Seattle this is my go-to Vietnamese spot. The restaurant is split into 2 dining areas but both will be playing the latest Paris By Night for your viewing enjoyment. Pro tip: stick to the downstairs if you are with family, but head upstairs if you want to drink, be loud, and get rowdy. The food is consistently good here try: Rainier plate (comes with fried egg on top!) 5/5 Bo luc lac (good but not special) 4/5 Flan (usually hate flan but this stuff is crack) 5/5 For the more adventurous pallet: Roasted quail in coconut and soy sauce 5/5 Lemon grass cobra (we had python) 4/5 Deep fried frog legs (best I have ever had) 5/5 This is the type of place where you need to ask to have your water refilled so if you are looking for folded napkins, classy decor, and attentive service then GTFO (leave now!). If you want authentic delicious food that is better than your grandma's then do yourself a favor and eat here. read more

I have been here a few times over the last year and I use to love this place but for some reason their food doesn't taste the way it use too. I am assuming they changed cooks. If you are looking for decent Vietnamese food and a place with a wide variety this is your spot. It can be a hit or miss but I will say their Che Thai has been the best I have had so far. Also if you feel like drinking at 10am this is your spot as well. They will serve you a large bucket of heineken. LOL If you are an OG like some people I know this is your new place to hang out. Try to go to the downstairs part of the restaurant so you don't feel so out of place. read more

Good customer service. Rainier Rice Plate and Combo Rice Plate is my go to. Shaking Cube Beef is very tender one of my favorite.

I didn't know that I love cobra(?) meat, but I guess I do! I've wanted to try Rainier BBQ because of it's reputation for exotic meats and other Vietnamese rarities, but hadn't until last night. I love to step out of my comfort zone and try foods that I can only guess at the flavor and texture and aromas. My friend and I came here after working on a project all day and we were HUNGRY. We wanted to eat upstairs but were turned away by drunken revelers at a wedding party, so we ate downstairs at the "family style" section. The food here was really tasty, fresh, and spicy. We had a delicious plate of salt and peppered stir fry deer cubes(??), and deep fried duck tongues(???) and finished it off with a plate of sliced Cobra. I can't wait for my next trip to try frog legs and quail and alligator. YUM! The wait staff were flying around the busy restaurant delivering meals and taking orders and don't really have the same customer service approach as say, western style restaurants. Not that they were rude, but they don't check to see how your meal was, or ask if your ready for your bill after you finish your meal. *Warning* the washrooms are Nasty. read more

Everything still stands from my last review, but after coming with a group of guy friends to nhau here, I'm adding a star. The $2-$4 beers makes nhauing here a dope place. Service was overall better this time, and I enjoyed my time. I'm still a little indifferent about the food, but alcohol always helps. read more

Rainier Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

One of the best places to get a pipping hot bowl of delicious noodle soup. Mmmm delicious! I would have probably walked by this place and say 'no thanks' due to the small hole in the wall downstairs seating area but appearance isn't everything. Obviously. Their menu is filled with lots of yummy dishes to choose from but I always seem to stick to what I know is good... the duck herb soup or the crab and shrimp lai-fun soup. OMG it's my go-to food when I'm feeling cold on a crappy day. Once I'm done, I'm happy and satisfied. :) I've also tried their bun rieu which is good but not as good as Hoang Lan and their young lotus root salad is yummy and WAY better than Tamarind Tree. I love coming here and would try to go at least once every two weeks! Oh! And their avocado shake with little balls of colorful tapioca is good too! Made with fresh avocados which I am allergic to but I'll suffer (a bit) just to enjoy this tasty drink. :) read more

Bo luc lac? Bomb. Rau muon? Bomb. Do nhau? Bomb. I've been going here for a decade at least, by far the best Vietnamese food in WA. This place did change ownership I think but all the food still tastes the same or better. The top floor is now also fully remodeled, it's really nice. Wait staff is also super friendly, efficient, and no language barrier there which is a plus. I also highly recommend... everything? Cause everything is bomb. Go, it's Vietnamese families approved read more

This place is always a hit or miss. The food was alright. The service is so slow. It wasn't even busy. I saw customers getting up grabbing their own plates. I don't know what it is but you're better off going to another Vietnamese spot than here. Food is decent. Service is trash. I won't be coming here for awhile. read more

My family came here often to eat. There were several available tables but no one cleaned it. We came to the store, got our names down for twenty minutes and no one came to greet us. From the last several times I was here, the food was always bomb; but customer service was terrible this time. read more

This was my first time coming to Rainier Restaurant & BBQ but I was encouraged by the ratings they had. I called in a to go order for the sweet and sour chicken, potstickers, and kung pao chicken. I had to repeat myself several times on the phone, they didn't take my name down or give me a total price. Weird, but OK. When I went to pick it up, the server had my order ready to go. She read off the order and got replaced the kung pao with cashew chicken. I corrected her, she left and came back and I assumed she got the kung pao. She sure didn't! I didn't realize until I got home that I still had the cashew chicken! I have no tolerance for getting an order wrong when I had to correct her multiple times. The food itself was fine, nothing special. If you want to try this place, it may be better to eat there and not get a to go order. read more

I absolutely love the food here but that's about it. I feel like I have to look the other way when I eat here because the place itself is dirty and filthy. It's split level when you walk in, I've never been in the upstairs level however it think that is only open for late night and weekends. The lower level is where they will take you to dine. As you step in there is a terrible smell that hits you in face right away and it lingers and doesn't go away. It smells like an old, sweaty, moldy basement. The servers are ok -not the most professional. The tables and chairs really need an upgrade and the utensils need to be washed and cleaned better. I really think the owner should invest some time into cleaning up this place and give the wall a new fresh coat of paint and better ventilation because after all it is a converted home turned restaurant. read more

Came in on a Wednesday :( sadly no snake or venison But we did have frog legs, the beef salad and rabbit curry! Frog legs- were firm and flavorful. Loved the veggies they used and the slight fish suace flavor Beef salad was def the palate cleanser in all the dishes. Admirer the hand shaved veggies and tangy sauce Finally the rabbit curry was my favorite of all three and heated up perfectly. Like glass noodles in it and love the amount of coconut milk in it. Rabbit was cooked well but the bones were hard to eat around. But still loved it. As someone that grew up in a Viet household this definitely brings it home Loved how all the flavors mixed well with eAchother and how everyone was so kind. Def a great place to go after a few drinks. Will be back to this gem more often. read more

It may not look like much from the street, but this place is EXCEPTIONAL. The menu is a masterpiece of Vietnamese standards like grilled shrimp on rice noodles, and wonderfully exotic fare like whole roasted quail and deep fried python. From the large steamed bass to the searingly spicy frogs legs, EVERYTHING is delicious. This may be the best Vietnamese restaurant in Seattle. Be warned that the place is chronically understaffed, so getting a table and drinking your first beer may take 15-20 minutes. But believe me, IT IS WORTH IT. read more

Though I'm not an expert on Vietnamese cuisine, even I could tell that Rainier was better than the average pho shop in Seattle. I guess you don't end up on Anthony Bourdain for being mediocre. The menu is overwhelming - pages and pages of food, each dish with descriptions that are only slightly different from the one before it. Luckily, they have all the recommended specials in the front of the menu, so most of our food was picked from there. We had: - beef ong choy salad: this was the signature dish that we saw on Anthony Bourdain. It was green, fresh, sweet, savory, and spicy all at once. Definitely my favorite dish. - fried frog legs: this was good, seasoned with a curry-like flavoring, and served with lots of onions and red bell peppers - grilled beef and shrimp: beef was grilled very well. The prawns were a little small though - fried quail: skin was crispy, meat was juicy - hard not to love this - duck noodle soup: this had a strong medicinal flavor, but it wasn't bad. It was served with a whole duck leg. Noodles had a great consistency Most of the dishes come with a scoop of rice. The three of us were stuffed at the end of the meal. We were unfortunate enough to come the same night as what appeared to be a Vietnamese fraternity reunion. There were 20+ men in the corner table, all drinking and shouting to each other. At one point, it looked like they set up a beer pong table. It was really hard to hear anyone else in the restaurant above all the shouting. This made for a really disgusting vomit-splashed men's room (according to my husband). read more

Probably the best Vietnamese restaurant in south Seattle. It opens late and has a wide variety of food. Must try pho D6, bun rieu, com rainier, spring roll, duck noodle soup, century egg and pork congee and many more. Only reason it's a 4 star is that the service is really slow here and takes very long for food during dinner time to late night. I recommend not siting upstairs (slow service and many times I got ignored) and coming at Lunch hour is fine! read more

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