Families beware. So I'm sad to say that I will no longer be going to this restaurant or recommending it to any of my friends. It is one of the few Vietnamese restaurants in the area and since I'm Vietnamese, I often miss Vietnamese food and don't want to go through the hassle of making it at home. But for some odd reason, infants/toddlers aren't allowed after 7PM (which quite frankly I'm not sure if that ban is even legal). I drove here from a neighboring town, had trouble finding parking but still arrived at ~6:55PM and was still turned away. It is disheartening that a local and casual restaurant doesn't allow families to have dinner there. Before everyone starts cheering, just remember we were all babies at some point and this isn't your upscale, "I'm here for the ambiance" meal. That said, Talde, while not Vietnamese, is cute and good and does allow children. read more

Pho Review- mehhhhh Nha trang pho is soooo much better. Pho here is over priced and has a "non traditional" flavor. I have had many phos in my day and this was just blahhhhh. Iced Coffee is good... My advice good starter pho, but walk across the street and have awesome pho. read more

One of my favorite local eateries, by far. A sophisticated bistro-style local restaurant serving Vietnamese / Asian Fusion. The food is succulent and the service is great. While it's not the cheapest, you can definitely eat there even if you only want to spend $12-$15. I personally like to order Vietnamese coffee or lemonade as well as their amazing dessert; so I generally spend more. Also, a full bar is available. Beers and wines are well priced. The atmosphere is laid back and comfortable. A good choice for a date or a quick night out. read more

One of my favorite spot in jersey city! Family owned place. Love Love this place from food to drinks(wine, cocktails, hard liquor). If you want Vietnamese food this is the place. Check this place if you are in the neighborhood! read more

I came here for dinner on a Friday. This is just an over-priced American Vietnamese restaurant. I've never paid so much for plain pho noodles in my life. On top of that, the pho was not even that great. The soup was not what I was used to. The usual price I pay for pho is $8 and it is the best pho I ever had. Not a big fan of this place. You can find a more authentic vietnamese restaurant somewhere else. read more

We found this place randomly when we were in the area in the late morning on a weekday looking for a place to rat. Since it was not a lunch time yet, most of the places were closed but this one. Thai food is one of my favorites, and I've been searching for a good Thai restaurant since I had moved to the area a year ago. The raved beef rendang is pretty good. Other dishes I've tried were all okay. Nothing great but nothing bad either. Their dishes are rather pricey for a Jersey City standard and the portions are very small. You will not get full by having a single dish. Two adults need at least 3 main dishes to feel "full" at all. Because of their price point and small portions, I only eat here when I really crave for Thai food when I'm home at night. Otherwise, I'll opt for other Thai food options in the city. Overall, you're not going to be extremely disappointed if you have the right expectations with the knowledge of caveats explained above. read more

Although my boyfriend and I were used to excellent Indian restaurants in Jersey City, we did not expect to come across such an awesome Vietnamese restaurant! We always eat the short ribs and pho. The pho hits the spot especially when it's cold outside. The ribs remind you of Korean galbi dish. The only downside to this place is that when you love to eat like we do, the food gets a tad bit pricey. read more

I'm a regular and visit at least once every 1 or 2 weeks for their Bun Thit Nuong. This is probably my favorite restaurant in Jersey City and made me love Vietnamese food! read more

The food was fresh, service was excellent, and the atmosphere was very pleasant. We'll definitely be back for the banh hoi tofu.

I used to live in this area and went to this restaurant in the 2000s maybe once. Wasn't all that impressive...then. But it's an old memory. Went 8-15-2015 and was quite happy with the food. We had the summer rolls for starters. Very nicely presented but lacked a bit of seasoning. Sort of "sodium-challenged" which is odd as I'm keeping an eye on my intake. These were just bland. "MOSTLY" good but just missed the mark. I've had (and made myself) better, but still ok. I think the peanut sauce, which tasted like it was out of a bottle, was the secondary cause of my discontent. It lacked character although it did taste like peanuts. I think a light, clear sweet-and-sour sauce with some chilis in it would have been far better. That's just me though. I had the Shrimp Curry Acorn Squash entre and my partner had the Sautéed Ginger Chicken & Onions. I very much enjoyed the Curry Acorn Squash. It was pleasant spicy and redolent of the few thai curries I've had rather than indian curry with nice (and not overcooked) shrimp. I was quite pleased with it. The only downside, if you can call it that, was the veg served with it. A bit over-steamed with no snap left in them. That was a shame but not a death-knell. All-in-all, a good dish and well presented. The pictures of this dish are well representative of what I was served. On the Sautéd Ginger Chicken, my partner said this: He thought it was, on a scale of one to ten, a solid 8 (we dont' grade on a curve). That alone is high praise from him as he's usually reserved about things like that. He did think that the ginger flavor in the brown sauce was well flavored and remarked that the onions were *particularly* good and crisp. I tasted them too, at his behest, and found them to be delicious. Overall it was a very good flavor match; a bit sweet and decently spiced. I had a secondary thought. Like my dish, the sauce was a touch thin. More like a soup. My dish had the advantage of the squash to help starch up the sauce and it was a *touch* more "together" than his was. I did enjoy that a bit more in consistency/binding. This was more a personal preference that doesn't impact the flavor much. The rice was not gluttonous enough to capture it all, but very useful and quite delicious. read more

Saigon Cafe has consistently good food, and I don't just mean they do one dish really well and I order it all the time. The only catch is that they fall into the same trap as other Asian restaurants in describing their foods. Most dishes are "Vegetables and [meat]" on the menu, or "with rice" or "with noodles," with a minimal description of the sauce or flavors. This is both good and bad, as I've been pleasantly surprised but also just got exactly what I ordered. Which was still good, but not as adventurous as I would have liked. The shrimp and squash is well-presented and the curry sauce is tasty with a good spice level (and, as the server promised, it was actually spicy). The salmon in a clay pot is savory and delicious with a good complement of vegetables. The summer rolls are fresh (as evidenced by the fact that you can ask for substitutions) and their peanut sauces are much more than just peanut butter + water. Even their plain dishes, like "noodles with [meat] and vegetable" are well-done, but the flavors are much milder. It does often seem like the place is pretty empty, but I think it's just that people go out to eat later around Grove St. Head there around 9:00 and it's pretty busy, but if you're in a rush don't be afraid to ask for your check. read more

There was a mixup on the delivery so my food took much longer than it should of. Either way, the food was okay and I would order from there again. read more

I would walk by this place everyday for 2 years, and for the longest time time I thought it was an Italian Restaurant. From the outside it doesn't really scream "Asian restaurant". Every time I passed it, I saw red draped tables in the window and bar in the back, always two or three people dining inside, so I figured must be Italian, some front business perhaps. I went there this weekend and stuffed my face with fried calamari, soft shell crab, and shrimp to the point I thought I was going to burst. The food was really good, fresh, fast service, not to mention authentic dessert (somehow I fit that inside me that night). I don't know how I waddled home one block down, but I think I still feel full from that meal. Highly recommend for JC Vietnamese. read more

Wonderful service, great food choices, and great prices. Love the ambience and cocktail menu as well.

Got take out this time. Lots of options. Food is really good. Ordered when I walked in and was out within 10 minutes. They deliver, but not by me. Will definitely come here again! read more

Amazing! Order the egg an pork. It will be the best thing you eat all week.

Great food and atmosphere. I have been coming here for years always great. Try the spring rolls

I really enjoyed the boneless chicken rice dish and the chicken and the chicken pho and if you see Steve at the bar he's the best.

I like this place ..the owner was really nice let me try out diffrent food ...before i placed my order the ambience there does feel like a place for a date ..there is a bar in the back ...food is great to me ..one thing i am a fan of bahn mi not sure if they serve that there read more

Love this place! The food never disappoints, the price is right, the portions are enough to share and the service is good. The Blackened Mahi Mahi is always crisp, fresh and one of my personal favorites. The Claypot Shrimp curry is another hit - great flavors and can never get enough of it! read more

This place has been around for 15+ years and has consistently provided very high quality and fresh products with the chef's own enhancements to the Vietnamese (and some other) dishes. All the mints, papayas, seafood, pork, etc ingredients taste remarkably fresh and well prepared to enhance the flavoring. The price is great when you look at the nice preparation techniques used on the dishes with no gimmick ingredient or fancy names. Very moist or well flavored using the secrets like anchovies, light hoisin, or soy. Save room for desserts and a pair with a nice glass of wine and get ready for a nice treat by a very polite team! read more

The place is a little cramped but the food is good. I'd go if I didn't have the extra energy to walk the extra 3 blocks to the other place. Just about 3 long blocks from Grove PATH station and worth visiting if you don't have a car since parking sucks in this area of town. read more

The claypot shrimp and potato curry served with jasmine rice is awesome here. More typical of an Indian curry than I would have expected from a Vietnamese spot. The restaurant itself is casual and comfy, with friendly service, but I think I almost prefer just ordering take out and being comfy and casual at home. It's a little pricer than you'd pay for vietnamese in the city but the flavours are really great, and I guess that's the price you pay when you just want to stay local. I'd actually give 3.5 stars, which to me says it's really good and definitely worth trying, but not quite what I'd consider a 4 star restaurant. read more

A great meal every time! Good spice to their dishes, I love the Tom Yum and mock duck.

-Summary- Note: 2.5 Overall Bonus Note: Go to Nha Trang Place instead. Pros: Nice ambiance, friendly Service Cons: Mediocre food, not worth the price, awful pho. After loving Nha Trang Place since moving to JC, I went with Casey here after reading the good reviews. Upon arriving, the nice interior pops out at you immediately, I found it funny at the reviewer who said they thought it was an Italian restaurant from outside, I can see how that might happen! The service is super friendly and attentive, which was great, and I was getting really excited for the food itself. The spring rolls came first, and were very good, but from then on out, the food went downhill. My Vietnamese coffee was alright, not as flavorful as others I've had, and since they used crushed ice, bits kept coming up the straw, which was annoying. My beef on vermicelli noodles was bland, and I ended up leaving half of it. Casey's pho especially wasn't very good. The broth was super bland, and there was next to no meat. To compound matters everything was almost exactly twice as much as you'd pay at Nha Trang. While some might say that its unfair to compare everything here to Nha Trang Place, the fact that they are about a block and a half apart makes it almost impossible to consider one apart from the other. In a bubble, this place would maybe get 3 stars, but the fact that there is a superior option in almost every way (the ambiance at Saigon maybe means its a better date place, if you don't care about the quality of the food.) so close, means that is gets bumped down a notch. I wouldn't tell people to NOT come here, but I wouldn't recommend it over Nha Trang. I'll most certainly come back and give it another chance, since I really wanted to love this place, since everyone there seemed so nice and friendly. read more

Asian food done right. Even though I basically order the same thing almost every time, curry egg noodles shrimp, anything else that I have tried on the menu was amazing. It's been a favorite of ours for years as well as the chicken Thai curry soup. The family that runs it is friendly and welcoming. They make you feel like you're eating in their home. Absolutely love this place! read more

I'm a big fan of the sesame beef rolls that have a jicama/garlic surprise in the middle. The chicken curry soup is also great. Both come over noodles, but I prefer their shiny, sticky jasmine rice on the side. Their vegetable spring rolls are also a favorite being wrapped and fried in the clear paper that basil rolls are found with, instead of the thick breading they are usually made of. The service is fast and pleasant. The atmosphere is comfortable, though reminding me of a cross between a New Jersey bar and a restaurant out of Chinatown. read more

This place did not disappoint. The ambience was cute and intimate despite the fugly fish staring at us through the glass fish tank walls. Our server was prompt and helped us choose some scrumptious dishes. I had the stir fried noodles with chicken. The sauce was light and sweet; the noodles were fluffy and soft (but not too soft). My compatriots had the slow cooked beef (yummy and coconut-y) and shrimp curry dish. They were both pleased by their selections and two of us had more than enough to warrant a full stomach and a doggy bag for tomorrow's lunch/dinner. We paid about 65 including the entrees, two sodas, tax, and tip. Our waiter ultimately had to kick us out (with a quote from the song closing time nonetheless!) around 10:15. I'll definitely be coming here again soon. read more

another new standby for us in JC. i've been on a spicy curry kick recently an their Seafood Curry Hot Pot hit the SPOT. It was loaded with different kinds of fish and that spicy coconut broth was really great on a rainy cold night. i also shared the spring rolls and they were delicious vegetarian fried nuggets of sin. the place was relatively empty and the people who were dining were deeply involved in their company- in short: this is the kind of place you can go on a date, with friends, whatever, and not be rushed, feel cozy and not break the bank, all while getting big portions of good food. only negative: the rice was a little 'meh.' read more

I had my doubts, I usually do, about those trendy asian fusion spots in downtown Jersey City. But this place made a great impression on me. The service was excellent and speedy, the vietnamese spring rolls, though a tad small, were delicious and not too hot on the inside. The spring rolls even came with a few extra veggies to garnish the spring roll wrap with besides lettuce (cucumbers, carrots, etc...) The pork over rice was amazing, definitely one of the best dishes i've had in awhile. It was thin pieces of pork that tastes similar to the vietnamese pork chop over rice, only without the bone. This dish also came with a nice salad to complemented the meal very well. The one dish that I thought they could do better was the seafood/ chicken stir fry over fried egg noodle. I felt they were a little light on the noodles and I didn't like the texture of the noodles being completely fried as opposed to them being pan-fried. However, that being said, the dish was still pretty good, just would rather try something else on the menu the next time, but the pork and rice, I'll be back again for! read more

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I gave three stars primarily due the curry clay pot was on the salty side. But loved the fired pork spring rolls appetizer!

This place is delicious. Everything that we have tried here has surpassed our high expectations. Take the advice of the servers on their specials or what they like the best. The cha gio, curry chicken with rice, clay pot salmon, bun thit nuong cha gio bun is incredible. Everything is so good!!!!!!! We also love their pho, both chicken and beef. Both taste really fresh and deep. read more

I came here for appetizers since we weren't that hungry. We ordered the chicken satay which was delicious. The chicken was well seasoned and cooked to perfection. The accompanying peanut sauce was also very good. My friend ordered some pork meatball which was also very good. I would return to try other things. Tito's vodka was $10. I would drink elsewhere before/after coming here to eat. read more

Really good food. A little more expensive than other nearby Vietnamese places, but worth it every now and then.

Average. I'm not a huge fan of pho after my visit and first try of it at this spot. I forgot what the second entree we ordered was, so obviously it did not make a huge impression. read more

I am a fan of their vermicelli noodle dishes and rendang. The vermicelli come with ample amount of veggies and meat. The rendang was flavorful and satisfying. The staff is attentive. read more

Food was great.. Went at a time when no one was there the food was amazing. The service was good and on point. A nice decent place... Would recommend read more

I had lunch here a few days ago, and I really enjoyed it. I had vermicelli, tofu summer rolls and mango salad. The summer rolls are my favorite in Jersey City, and the mango salad was delicious. The lunch menu had great prices and the service was very nice and we got our food super quick. I'll definitely be back for dinner sometime! read more

If you know about Saigon, then you know......the best underrated place downtown. Family ran and super nice people. It may not have craft beer, but they know their craft, and it's good authentic food. read more

Very good pho. I really liked the wings appetizer (though they really should serve an even number). Also, enjoyed my rice pudding dessert. I would go again. read more