This is such a gem on campus the only bad thing I would have to say is hopefully they become more eco friendly and use less plastic I really enjoy the menu Like the shrimp spring rolls , ham sandwiches and honeydew smoothie Very friendly and fast even though they get long lines read more

Saigon Bay Express - Sign - Vietnamese Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

The ambience and environment is pretty good. The interior is well-kept and clean. Service is fast and friendly. As for the food, I haven't tried the Pho, but the Banh Mi sandwiches are simply OK, not bad but not great. I appreciate that it adds more food options on campus. read more

My years at Sac State since 2007, this place has always had my heart! Their pho is sooo comforting to me and I always find an excuse to go back on campus just to eat their pho! I love that they added to self order kiosk which makes much faster especially when there is a line. The staffs are super friendly and while on campus, I do go down memory lane with my husband who I met at State State 10 years ago! read more

Saigon Bay Express - Flank and beef balls pho. Yummmm - Vietnamese Near Me - Sacramento, California

This place runs hot and cold. Sometimes, the food is great; other times it's just OK. Today, I ordered a Bon me sandwich. I could barely taste the vegetables; it tasted more like an onion sandwich than anything else. Other days, though, the sandwiches have been great. I think it just depends on who is working that day. read more

Saigon Bay has changed a bit since I graduated 4 years ago. They now have a self order station, smaller condiment stations, and changed their to go containers. Previously, I have only tried the broth and noodles pho. This time, I tried the tofu pho and it tasted so good to eat something warm on a cold day! There's also more food than you think inside the bowl. Not really much service interaction here except when picking up your food. There's a good amount of tables inside and outside, but it always feels humid when you walk inside. The only con is that I feel like this place is more on the pricier side now compared to before when I felt like it was more affordable and budget friendly. read more

Saigon Bay Express - Tofu pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

We gave the spring rolls a 3/5. Very heavy on cilantro personally so I'll have to try the pho next time. The drinks were great, 5/5 and there's a good selection of toppings. The lychee jelly and boba tasted just right. Items are a little overpriced Yelp says this place doesn't accept apple pay but it does! There's also a self-checkout line. read more

Saigon Bay Express - Thai tea, Coffee tea, an order of shrimp spring roll - Vietnamese Near Me - Sacramento, California

Saigon Bay Express is not bad, not bad at all. When I first started coming to Sac State this was my go to spot for a fresh, convenient, quick, and comforting meal. Did I mention filling? The service is friendly and they get your food/drink to you very fast. Food is more on the pricier side for a college student but you can't beat fresh quality with it. Dining area is a little tight, about 3-4 two seaters and 3-4 four seaters. Usually like to study here and eat since it's pretty quiet when I come. So far I've tried: Vietnamese Coffee: pretty solid, definitely helped me stay up in class. Tasted like most Vietnamese coffees I've had. 4/5 Spring Rolls: Tried both pork and shrimp and just shrimp. All were really big portions, tasty, filling, and fresh. The sauce for the rolls were on point. 4/5 Saigon Banh Mi: Crunchy and warm toasted baguette with 3 different types of meat like cha lua, ham, and head cheese with pickled veggies, paté, cucumbers, and cilantro made fresh to order. The meats are sliced perfectly too! 4/5 I would def order again and ask for more paté. Also can pick your own jalepenos on the side bar. I've seen people with a bowl of pho and it may look like a small bowl but I'm sure I'd get a food coma out of it cause the noodles look really filling. Overall, great experience, very comforting, and food gets to you fast. Place can get busy but I've been here during the non peak hours so I can't say for the busy hours. read more

Saigon Bay Express - Saigon Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Sacramento, California

Sandwiches always dry and slacky on the toppings. Not terrible but only worth if you happen to be stuck at the campus and crave Vietnamese food read more

Their food is good but it's so expensive. I mean $14 for a tiny bowl of pho is insane. And $9 for spring rolls is crazy. I would rather drive 10 min to go somewhere else that's cheaper and has more options like spring rolls, vermicelli, etc. read more

Ok, so the broth was tasty. I'm spoiled by our local Vietnamese restaurant in the Foothills, but I'd say Saigon does a fair job with their base. Four stars for convenience, portion and available additions like fresh lime/jalapeños and the standard hoisin/sriracha etc. The service is quick and employees are friendly. I got the chicken pho and while the portion of meat was plentiful, the chicken was really rubbery and tough. Still, I'd like to try them again. Could've just been a bad day for the chicken. Off days happen! read more

Really comforting food particularly enjoy the spring rolls with the sauce and kind workers.

Not great, but not bad for on-campus food. I often grab a soup there, after class. The broth could be a bit stronger. They go nuts on the noodles and then what little broth there is room for is pretty weak. And it is not cheap, so you'd think they could not skimp so heavily on the broth. They would make a little less per bowl, but they would sell an awful lot more bowls. I imagine they are on the way out, and hopefully somebody will do better, when the new tenant arrives. read more

I look forward to having time to kill on campus because it means I'm about to treat myself to some delicious Vietnamese food! I've had saigon special pho, beef pho, Saigon special banh mi, pork roll banh mi, and the shrimp spring rolls. Everything is great. Their Thai teas are perfect -- not insanely sweet (but still very sweet). The portions are huge and I always have leftovers for later. Sometimes I get a couple sandwiches to take home to my partner or family, and they love them too. For the higher quality and the portion size, it's a better deal than any of the fast food on campus or off. After tax sandwiches are $6 and pho is $7-8. Good deal and I will miss it over break! Staff is also very friendly and so fast. They never seem too stressed out even when the line is out the door (frequently!). Update: I was extra hungry from all the studying and actually ate a whole pork roll sandwich in one-go for the first time while writing this review. I'm so happy. read more

I currently have a lightweight cold and the "numba SIC" (#6) is def hittin the spot. I'm sitting here right now inside Saigon Bay Express, thanking Jebus that it's here. It's pricey, but you pay for convenience. The flavor isn't "South Sac" standards, but guess what? You're on campus...and you have almost no other alternative w/o having to drive and lose your parking spot. Keep in mind that convenience is key when you come in here. I'm full and warm; time for a nap in my car. read more

See all

This is located in SACRAMENTO STATE UNIVERSITY! Things are definitely over priced by a bit! But this is a place you must get the Vietnamese Iced Coffee on campus. The lines are not too bad depending on what time of day you come. read more

So I have decided that it is my Yelp obligation to try every eating establishment here on the CSUS campus, m'kay? This seemed like the right place today as I feel like I'm coming down with something (don't you hate that feeling?), it is getting cold again and I was craving me some chilis. (Not the chain restaurant type; the type that makes your nose break out into little beads of sweat and puts hair on your chest.) I could count on one hand the types of pho served here. Or maybe it was just three fingers? Anyway, they had the old standby pho tai, basically thin strips of beef w/ noodles and broth. You don't get a choice of bowl, they all come in this styrofoam container, which was a bit disappointing. I was hoping for a huge steaming bowl of pho, you know the kind you can clear your pores with? (I think only women could relate to that last comment.) Around the corner there is the ever-present sricha sauce, limes and chilis. So overall, I was not impressed. But then I had a sip of the broth. Wow - I was pleasantly surprised! Actually tasted pretty authentic! I actually preferred this over the pho broth that I had at Lemongrass restaurant a few weeks ago. I was hoping for some bean sprouts which were conspicuously absent, as well as some green leafy things to toss in. They also have a banh mi. (Notice emphasis on the "a".) For a spot on campus, it's not bad. I like the fact you can drag your bowl of pho onto the deck under the redwoods and people watch. So much mellower than the student union. I'll be back to try out the banh mi, I am hoping that the bread is done right, it has to be on a crusty baguette! read more

WHY WE WENT HERE: - met a friend for lunch on campus in between classes THE LOOK (FROM THE OUTSIDE): - nowhere near the other eateries on campus - outside of the library - deck for a good amount of outdoor seating THE LOOK (FROM THE INSIDE): - very cramped WHAT WE ORDERED: - banh mi - boba drinks - tofu spring rolls THE TASTE: - the banh mi was fairly good and had this white sauce I've never seen or tasted (I grew up in San Jose and have eaten Vietnamese food - bought and homemade - throughout the years and know what traditional tastes of Vietnamese food is like) - the boba drinks were ok, I've had better - the boba in the milk tea didn't taste fresh (they were lumpy and hard; not consistent) - the tofu wraps were very tasteless, but the peanut sauce helped greatly in taste CUSTOMER SERVICE: - polite - prompt service AFTERMATH: - after eating their food I had a stomach ache, headache, and a cold sweat - I ended up having to throw up several times until I felt better read more

Their boba is hard and no sweet at all. I thought it was just one time but it's every single time I go to get boba there. It's like they get it from somewhere cheap because it doesn't taste chewy and sweet at all! NOT WORTH THE PRICE should just be $1.00 and not $5.00 cheap tasting read more

This place get's 5 stars for their Ban Mi sandwiches. The Saigon Special Ban Mi is absolutely amazing. Their drinks are pretty good too. And I appreciate their selection of snacks and their wonderful customer service. Why 3 stars then? Because of their Pho'. I've eaten pho since I was a kid and theirs is the worst I have ever had. I've had it twice, several months apart, just to be sure. It tastes like they put the meat into the broth while still frozen. And that the meat was frozen maybe a little too long. It's dry, chewy and gross. The broth is more like basic chicken noodle not a good Pho broth. I feel bad if this place is someones first pho experience. Try almost anywhere else for Pho. But definitely check this place our for their Ban Mi. read more

When this place first open I felt like I should expect for the service to be slow, but even after it's been open for a while the service is still touch-and-go; which disappoints me. I was really excited to see a Vietnamese food place to open on campus, to satisfy those cravings on the days when leaving campus was just out of the question. I was also hoping for some vermicelli dishes to be offered on their menu. Unfortunately this place just doesn't do it for me. It is ridiculously overpriced and the ingredients just plainly aren't good. I have tried various types of pho and various types of sandwiches, and NOTHING was worth it. I don't know what else to say. I've also tried their spring rolls which were just as bad. I'll give the 2 stars: one for being a Vietnamese place on campus, so if I'm DYING for Viet food it is there -_-; and one for their strawberry smoothie. I ONLY go back for the strawberry smoothie now. It's expensive for what it is and how quick I finish it, but it is DELICIOUS. read more

What the pho? Pho at school? Awesome! Now that the weather is getting colder, we thought it was a perfect day to pick up some pho on campus prior to class. For around $6, you get a soup container full of pretty tasty broth and a heaping of noodles. Grab some sriracha, limes, peppers, and hoisin sauce at the counter...have a seat inside or outside...clean up after yourself. Not the best pho, of course...but not bad for some serious campus fast food. They also have banh mi, spring rolls, and boba. Glad there's a quick Asian fix at school besides Panda Express. It's located near the library...you can't really miss it. read more

Definitely one of the better places to eat on campus. They have their own dining area (inside and out) and it's an express so everything is fast! The pho broth is a little more to the sweet side but it's not too bad. They serve you in a togo styrofoam cup, but be careful the broth is really hot. This is the first place where I had chicken meat and beef balls and beef in the same pho. read more

Amazon banh mi and spring rolls. My wife and I ended up getting the Saigon and pork roll banh mi and the shrimp and pork spring roll.

Even though everything seems a bit pricey, this is one of the place on campus I would come to grab some good ol' Vietnamese iced coffee and some comfort food anytime I come on campus. read more

This little Vietnamese mom and pop shop on campus is my go to spot for some quick and simple Banh Mi!!! Banh mi for those of you that don't know are Vietnamese sandwiches served on a warm baguette roll along with your choice of meat, pickled daikon (which I always get extra of) and lettuce. The descriptions of what goes inside of each one is posted on their menu. I usually get the Saigon special Banh mi which is super good and it costs about $6. And I get s Vietnamese coffee, it's on the sweeter side at this location, so just a heads up. I have had the pho a couple of times and i would say that it's good for what it is, I mean obviously there's always better elsewhere but for what it is and where it's located on a uni campus I feel it's a great start for people that want to slowly explore other cultures foods etc. read more

This place is amazing, best food on campus. The line is processed quickly, the people at the front counter always have a smile on their face,and often remember my name. This is my go to spot on campus a great bang for your buck. The tofu banh mi is killer. read more

The tofu bahn mi and the tofu summer rolls keep me coming back. Also, the service is great. I'm a regular and the staff are attentive and friendly to me. :) read more

Finally got around to trying this place. The viet iced coffee is really good. I'll be coming back all the time for that. I had the beef ball and flank pho and it was really good. I honestly think the meat sucks but the soup was really good. I'll definitely get tofu pho next time read more

Saigon Bay Express - Vietnamese Near Me - Sacramento, California

Located on the grounds of Sac State. The only Vietnamese restaurant on campus specializing in Pho, Banh Mi's and spring rolls. This place is more of a pho fast food type of deal. The pho broth is mediocre, but you can't really expect much since this place is more like a hot/fast food. Flavors aren't really there, but customer service isn't bad, so that makes up for the flavor. It's a great spot for a chilly day. The Banh Mi's are my favorite, and the spring rolls are quite huge in portion. Not bad if you want a quick Asian/Vietnamese fix on campus. read more

Little hole in the wall place at csus. Can be a bit of a wait during peak times. I've only had the pho and it is quality. I love pho. The meat is a but stingy, but the $8 for a good sized serving is definitely worth it. It has a very small seating area inside but plenty of outside seating under beautiful redwoods. Pho king good read more

Omfg.... I was dreaming about this place all summer when they were closed. This place is my fav on campus. Their tofu sandwiches are amazing!!! Love the spring rolls too. Good prices for on campus option. I could go on and on about this place. Just tried the Vietnamese coffee for the first time and it was fab. It gets poppin around lunch so plan to wait in line a bit (they are pretty quick though) 10/10 recommend (even if you don't go to sac state lol) read more

Saigon Bay Express - BOMB - Vietnamese Near Me - Sacramento, California

This is Saigon Bay Express. Yes. It replaced the old, I forgot what was there, I don't know, Coffee House Outpost I believe, back in 2004-2005. For a minute I thought, "YESSS!! I don't have to go far for a Vietnamese meal!" I had a hunch that they served bowls of Pho here. But, as soon as they opened, bad reviews from friends and students arose. As if it wasn't worth the eat. So, I never got the chance to check it out. Sadly to say, my final semester at Sac State had me curious to check out this Vietnamese express restaurant. Not only that, it was getting cold, and my throat was really hard to clear out. I needed something quick, hot, and good. Walking inside, already, I got that burst of Vietnamese Restaurant Air: Lemony-Grass-Lime-Bean-Sprouty air. In addition, the site was uncanny, strikingly similar to the interior of most Vietnamese restaurants: kind of moist, semi-humid, and sort of dirty. But, I didn't care. I was used to this kind of stuff. Sometimes the most dirtiest places were always good. HAHA. I ordered a Number 8 Pho Noodle Soup, a Pho with beef balls-beef strips of meat-noodles, came to about 5.75 from what I remember, or just about 6 dollars. Ok, so you're not getting as much as what you would get with a humongified X-large at some places for 6.75. Yes, I've had an x-large pho at one point, and it was, just, unbearable...too much food. Sorry, side tracked...but the Pho I got was served in a large Styrofoam container. The size can be compared to maybe a small bowl of Pho. But the taste was there, similar to most Vietnamese places, and nothing life changing. Now, all it needed was some some squeezes of hot sriracha, plum sauce, and lime. There's a "condiment" section next to tables where you can eat your pho here in Saigon Bay Express. The condiments are obviously the sriracha, plum sauce, and a large pile of limes. You can't really judge the soup, nor the price. I don't know how they survive on campus by selling these overly expensive Pho. But, they're still there serving many students, faculty, and staff. Oh, I forgot to mention. Pho is the least of their worries. They have a wide variety of things to choose from their menu. Hot Brewed Coffees, Cold Beverages such as Smoothies and Iced Teas, Specialty Vietnamese Sandwiches, Spring Rolls, and of course PHO. CSUS Students of YELP. Don't be scared to try this out. It's a major alternative to anything else served in the Union or at the River Front Center. If you're tired of Burger King, Asian Fats, or Gordito Burito..You got to at least give Saigon Bay Express a try. It's like, no one goes in there because it's so, DIFFERENT. Maybe my friends, and other students were right about this place being "hella sorry, and useless". Who cares. I'm being fed MOTHER SUCKAAA!!! Fed some quick PHO, and I don't need to LEAVE TIP! 3 Stars because, its ok. It would have been 4 stars if they had more quantity LOL. X-LARGE my PHO please?? hehe. read more

Surprisingly, their Pho here is alright. But then again, how hard is it to mess up Pho? On the other hand, everything is pretty blah. I wish they offered a bigger menu and lower prices here. Especially since the quality of food here really isn't worth the price you end up paying. Although their spring rolls can be good. I always wonder how fresh they really are? I don't get pearl tea here, even if I'm really craving it because the pearl tea here is waaay expensive and doesn't even taste good. Uhh, the pearls here are disgusting. All mushy and overcooked. I only went here twice in the last semester. If you're craving pho on a cold sacramento afternoon, and are too lazy to leave campus for good quality food, then I guess go here. But if I would much rather go somewhere else. If you can wait, go to a different Pho. I think the closest would be the one off of Bradshaw, right by RPM. read more

Defintely stepped up their game since the last time I came here! Still didn't order boba... Yet. But the aesthetics are muuch nicer. The Saigon Specials are good, I'd say worth the price! Recommend you to come eat here during the cold seasons and eat your pho soup on the outside patio! read more

Saigon Bay Express - Menus are looking good! - Vietnamese Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

Got my weekly pho' fix here. The service was so surprisingly nice that it kinda scared me. Usually Viet places have crappy service, not this place. I think I even heard the old Viet guy call me "sweetie." What? Oh well. Pho was pretty good, comes in one size, and they leave the optional "additives" on the side, such as the very necessary Sriracha and lime, also some Hoisin sauce for that sweet flavor. I also spied some fresh spring rolls, but was taken aback by the price. $4 for 2 spring rolls? No, no sir. That would be a rip. I could find a lot cheaper somewhere else. I'll be coming back whenever my pho' cravings hit me at school. read more

Saigon Bay was my first experience with pho. I would usually order the well done flank noodle soup. The pho comes with meat, noodles, broth, vegetables and some garnishes. The meal was always tasty and offered a good alternative to the franchises on campus. The bowl of soup is smaller than what you would get at off-campus pho restaurants and the price is a little higher compared to those same places, although the price is not out of line with everything else on campus. I think that's to be expected. Saigon Bay offers things besides Vietnamese dishes. You can buy cookies, chips, tea and coffee. If you are in need of a quick coffee, Saigon Bay might be the best place. The line is usually shorter than at any of the Java Citys. Be aware, you won't be able to use your frequent coffee drinker card. It also might be one the better places to eat and use the free campus wifi. The bandwidth is usually good inside or outside the restaurant. read more

Mango smoothie taste like water mixed with fake mango powder. Pho ga (chicken) taste old and chewy. read more

Saigon Bay Express - Nasty fake mango - Vietnamese Near Me - Sacramento, California

wow.... What a horrible place to get pho. If you find yourself here you are either: 1) A desperate phonkie (Pho Junkie) 2) You have no taste buds It's over priced due to the premium location on campus. to me the pho tastes rather bland. The sandwiches are rather... lacking. On a positive note they do have Vietnamese Iced coffee here so that's a plus. it's hard to write this because the owners are pretty nice, but you can tell that they don't have a passion for creating outstanding food. If this place put some more effort into their food rather than producing cheap crap it would be a hot spot on campus. read more

Yesterday, I was starving but I was in a rush to get from class to class so I stopped by Saigon Bay Express for the first time to grab a quick bite. It's a small little shop that isn't very appealing from the inside or out but they have food, so that's good. They had a large variety of items and lucky for me, lots of vegan/vegetarian options. A tofu sandwich for around $5 didn't really sound appetizing at the moment so I bought a spring roll for around $4.50 that they made fresh for me since they ran out of the ones up on the front counter. It only took about 2 minutes for them to make my food and the owner was really nice even when I paid for a third of it in dimes, quarters, and nickels (hey, gotta get rid of my change somehow.) The veggie spring rolls were very refreshing and contained: rice noodles, cilantro, mint (maybe), and lettuce. It also came with a peanut sauce which was a-okay. 2 Stars for their food because it wasn't the best but wasn't the worst...but 3 stars because the staff/owner was so incredibly nice. All-in-all, I wasn't over impressed with the food but it was quick, fresh, and stopped my hunger. read more

Easily the best tasting and most affordable lunch on campus. If you're in a hurry their spring rolls are yummy and they keep them out for grab and go. Their Pho is tasty and cheap (and they have vegetarian options!). I'm a big fan of their Bahn Mi as well! Loaded up with hoisin and sriracha and it will keep you going all day. read more