I've eaten at Saigon Cafe four times now and I loved it each and every time. The Pho is delicious and comes in several varieties. It isn't too "Americanized" but it isn't too authentic either. I mean that in a good way, of course. I've seen places where the Pho was served with tripe and kidney and other organ meat and while that may be more authentic in some respects, it would NOT be accepted here in Kenosha. They struck the perfect balance of maintaining the authentic flavor of the dish while still using top-notch ingredients that less adventurous diners will accept and love. The restaurant itself is clean, classy and the service is speedy and professional. The only drawback is that they only accept cash as payment but this nuisance is mitigated somewhat by the fact that there is an ATM on premises. The menu is somewhat limited, but they have stuck with what they do best and I respect that. Either myself or my friends have tried everything on the menu and it is all very good, and perhaps equally importantly it is consistent in quality. Do yourself a favor and give this place a try. Keep an open mind and I'm sure you will leave happy and wanting more. read more

provided that there aren't many choices of the sort in Kenosha, I have it the highest ranking. foot is fresh and taste, facility is clean, service is pleasant and preparation time is excellence. read more

Saigon Cafe - Unique music instruments adorn the East wall. - Vietnamese Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

See all

The service is slow as Christmas and I can tell Pho is NOT their specialty. I had the house special Pho and it was flavorless, salt water that I had to add sriracha and other stuff to give a little flavor.. I should have know better from reading other reviews on here. Safe to say, I will not return! read more

Good service. Good food. Good selection. Had pho. Good, but very light on Basil and bean sprouts. Friendly. Peaceful inside.

Tried the raw beef pho and it was over all very good. The only thing I would have liked better would be: the beef to be less cooked and would have liked having more veggies like bean sprouts and cilantro on the side like many Pho places do. They just gave me a slice of lime, 1 slice of pepper and some basils. The pork sandwich was also very good! I will definitely be back for more next time I go outlet shopping. read more

Service was rude, pho was the worst I've ever had, chicken tasted like... idk there aren't words, crab Rangoon had no crab in it, got our order wrong as well, ordered streak and got chicken. I gave the pho back after one taste and server said sorry and just took it away. Didn't offer an alternative or take it off the bill. Most disappointing restaurant experience ever. I asked what flavor the Taro bubble tea was and was told "idk but it's purple".... pretty much tasted like somebody washed their gym socks in a concession stand dishwater and then used it as broth. read more

Not the most authentic place but I suppose this is as good as it gets when you venture out this far from Chicago. Their portions are not as big as what you would get in Uptown and the broth is nowhere near the same quality. But if you're in the area this place is serviceable, especially since it's the only one around from my knowledge. The service was decent until the server spilled water on my parents. I don't know if she tripped over her own feet or what but it was incredibly clumsy. She didn't even replace that glass of water! It was wasn't very busy at all to be that negligent. Maybe she was bored. But anyway, if you are roughly 50 miles or more from Chicago, come here. read more

I thought about going to Dong Gia on Peterson downtown Des Plaines, but came here instead. I sat down and had the sliced meatball(beef) pho with sugarcane shrimp as the appetizer. The food came out in about 5-10 mins and looked delicious. The pho could use some more fresh cilantro, bean sprouts and more lime. Besides that it was delicious! The staff were a very courteous part of the relaxed atmosphere . Second best pho I ever had out of the 4 places I have tried. Why not 5 stars? The staff were worthy as well as the cleanliness and size of the dining area.... but the pho was a bit lacking of flavor. I recommend this place! Just ask for extra cilantro and bean sprouts for your pho read more

Food was great the two times I went, however, didn't like that they "secretly" charged an extra $5 on my debit card on both occasions.

Okay this place is just awesome ! Love the Bubble Tea and sugar cane shrimp! The owner is super friendly and keeps the place looking clean and classy !! I need to make a visit to Ktown for some Pho! read more

Happened to be coaching in a volleyball tournament at the Recplex and went there on a Sunday afternoon with a fellow coach for Pho. Bottom line is t's really not worth the drive. The soup base was bland and the rest of the 'fixins" was nothing special. Definitely better places than this in the northern suburbs of Chicago...and I suspect near Milwaukee. Food was certainly edible but why would you just settle for edible? read more

Went in to try some Pho, and it was awesome (tofu kind)! I actually ordered some to go the next say. The serving size is pretty large for the price as well. I wasn't very fond of the service, it just wasn't great but nothing wrong with it in particular, either. I'll probably return to try other items on their menu soon. read more

Nice clean place but pho was not authentic. Tasted very watered down and plain. Service was awesome and bubble tea and Vietnamese iced coffee was good. Had to add lots of ingredients just to make my bowl of pho taste okay. read more

I should preface this by saying that my only other Vietnamese experience I've had was at Pho Viet in Milwaukee. Really enjoy the Pho (P1) there. I was excited to see that there was a Vietnamese restaurant here in kenosha (no more 45 minute trip!) so I went and tried the Pho there. Like some others have said, the broth was basically just salt water with very little flavor. Almost no veggies either. It's the same price at Pho Viet, but there you get easily double the portions and it's actually good. I will say in their favor that the place was very clean and the lady at the counter was super friendly. read more

Yum! Saigon now offers an expanded menu in collaboration with their Panda Chinese restaurant. The pho is delicious and the staff is super friendly and food is delivered fast, hot and fresh. Definitely worth a try! read more

Our first visit to Saigon Cafe will not be our last. We found it to be comfortable and cozy. Service was courteous and fast. The spring rolls were fresh. We both enjoyed the pho. The tenderloin was melt in your mouth, better than the beef shank. Portions were generous and we look forward to trying the rest of the menu! read more

We love this place! The raw beef pho is just what you need once in a while. The ban mi are all good, and the rice dishes are good as well, if that is what you are in the mood for. The only thing that could use some fixing is the curry. But that does not matter because what you should be eating here is the pho or the ban mi. read more

My lady and I are native Chicagoans, who both lived near the Uptown neighborhood, where Argyle Street is the locus of the most Vietnamese restaurants in the city. We have our favorite place there, and we live in Kensohs now, but Saigon has become our go-to place for a quick, nutritious and flavorful meal when we just don't want to cook, or simply crave a meal of consistent freshness and quality. The dishes we return to are the pork and/or sugar cane shrimp vermicelli. The pho beef soup -- tender slices of raw, lean beef that cooks once it's in the piping hot broth -- is also a favorite of ours, as are the spring rolls. The only real miss for me was their bubble teas, which are fine but just not special. So glad they're here in Kenosha - we loved them from first bite and have had many happy returns. read more

Small menu but very good food. Very accommodating to vegetarian diets. SUPERB customer service. I will be back. You should try it.

The meal was DELICIOUS. Fresh. Crispy veggies. Crispy egg roll. The BUN vermicelli with steak topping was presented in a beautiful bowl with a side of fresh tangy dressing. The Mango Bubble Ball Tea was fresh. The bubble balls are an interesting addition. Almost like a soft gummy. The restaurant is clean and bright. read more

Love this place. It's affordable, the food is delicious and filling and for us at least, the location is in walking distance.

Pretty good food but very pricey . Would rather much go somewhere else and get the same thing but for cheaper

Love this place - terrific food, nice clean atmosphere, even pretty good music too! The vermicelli (bun) noodles are my favorite: you get a healthy meal plus a light fried eggroll on the side -- a perfect mix! The housemade drinks are also great, and the housemade baked goods too. (Go for the pandan cake or the banana bread -- delish) read more

The boyfriend and I had high hopes for this restaurant when we walked in and realized the owner was actually Vietnamese. Unfortunately, the clientele here do not enjoy traditional Vietnamese fare so the menu has been changed to accommodate the masses. Case in point, when we asked the waitress what her favorite beverage was, she answered "soda." Forget the fact that they have an assortment of bubble tea flavors and Vietnamese coffee, she only ever tried soda. Fail. We ordered Vietnamese egg rolls (which only come ONE per order, not two as per usual), chicken pho, and grilled porkchop over rice. The porkchop was juicy and cooked well but the pho was a letdown. The broth was super salty (which I'm sure some people enjoy) but definitely not authentic. The bubble tea was also a letdown because it tasted more watered down than anything else. I was definitely excited knowing a Vietnamese restaurant exists in Kenosha but can't say that I'll return to try more of their menu offerings. read more

Pretty good pho, I've only had a few that were better. But god awful bubble tea...would not recommend, ever. Staff is very nice and fast.

I saw some reviews and decided to check this place out. Wow, totally unassuming from the outside but what a great place. The pho (we tried the chicken pho and the fried tofu pho) was just ok. If you have had good pho on chicago's north side, this doesn't compare to that - but, the sprouts, fresh basil, lime wedge, and sliced jalapenos they serve on the side make it so fresh tasting that it was worth getting again. We tried the curry chicken as well: absolutely delicious. Amazingly tasty, not heavy and pasty like some other places make curry. It was light and so tender, the carrots and potatoes in it were great. The curry was good enough for me to come back again and again for. They serve it with rice noodles, and the portions of everything is big. The pho is big enough for 2 or 3 meals - for 6.99. The curry could make 2 meals also (for only 6.49) but it was so good we ate it all at the cafe. I was also excited to find they make bubble tea, we have been looking for a place to get our tapioca freeze fix since moving to kenosha. I always get the taro freeze, very delicious and creamy but about standard if you have had other places to compare to. I hear the espresso is great there, that is what I look forward to trying next. And for me, it is only a few blocks from where I live. I couldn't be happier with my find at Saigon Cafe - it is a refreshing twist in the not-so-diverse cuisine of Kenosha. read more

This place has been open just a week, so I'm sure that with a bit of the inevitable post-open tweaking, it'll be a solid 4 stars. My husband and I are huge Vietnamese food fans- between the two of us, we've eaten more than our fair share of pho and bun. We had lunch at Saigon Cafe today. It's a bright, modern and comfortable place, with darn good pho (had the rare beef version) bun (w/grilled pork chop) and spring rolls. The pho broth was really tasty, the noodles were nice and chewy, and the beef was great. The bun was also really good- it had tomatoes on it (?!) which I haven't seen before, but the sauce was the perfect consistency, and the seasoning on the grilled porch chop was really, really good. The spring rolls were great, also. Will definitely be frequenting this place- I can't wait to try the banh mi! So, so glad that Kenosha has it's own Vietnamese restaurant! read more

Even though I have had better Pho elsewhere, this place has the best Pho in the area and the service was fast.

Recently visited the Saigon Cafe for lunch on a weekday. Discovered it through Yelp on my mobile. I loved the food and the service. Not too many options for a vegetarian. However, the Fried Tofu noodles were great. Great serving size for the Chai latte! read more

I had the banh mi sandwich. Yum! Everything was very fresh and tasty. Egg roll was freshly made. My wife had the shrimp bun, a little light on the sauce, but otherwise good. A nice lunch when outlet malling. It is about 10 minutes away. read more

"Any meal is a good meal when eaten with chopsticks." As an Asian American from Hawaii, there are too few restaurants in Kenosha, Wisconsin where you can eat your meal with chopsticks. When I heard that there is a Vietnamese restaurant in Kenosha, then, I nearly screamed. Entering the cafe for the first time, I was struck by the clean lightness of the decor. The woman working the counter was extremely friendly and helpful, without being pushy. The menu has everything I expected: pho, bun, banh mi, various coffees and teas and colorful tapioca drinks. My friend ordered pho with shrimp and I ordered the bun with grilled pork chop. Both were served in large bowls w/ generous portions. The pho was accompanied with a handful of fresh basil, jalapeno slices, etc. The first taste of my bun was not orgasmic -- it lacked a certain zing (I know, it's unfair to compare Kenosha to Hawaii). My bun had a whole uncut spring roll, which made it cumbersome to eat with chopsticks. The pork chop was also cut in too large slices to eat with ease. But the vegetables were fresh and flavorful and the meal was overall pleasant. Each of our bowls were about $7.00. You may order pho or bun w/ grilled beef, pork chop, tofu, shrimp, meat balls or chicken. The pho has additional options, including beef shank and raw slices of beef. You may order for take-out and pick-up at the drive-through. Leaving Saigon Cafe, I noticed a line of cars at the fast-food burger joint next door and wondered why... read more

If you are looking for authentic Vietnamese food, DO NOT GO HERE. it is run by a Chinese man whom also owns a nearby Chinese restaurant. And it's obvious he uses the same ingredients (per-frozen stuff) instead of fresh ingredients. Fresh ingredients is exactly what Vietnamese food is known for. The Ca Ri Ga is so watered down, you might as well drink chicken broth. And Vietnam's famous pho? Well, the tiny pre-frozen chicken pieces floating around the soup, instead of freshly shredded chicken breast, is an obvious sign that it's not authentic. Then the plate of garnishes they give you consists of one tiny sprig of basil, one small thin slice of lime, and 2 small slices of jalapeño. And the bean sprouts, they don't put then on the side like you're supposed to, they add them to the soup for you assuming everyone loves bean sprouts. Wrong! I took photos. If you are desperate and aren't too picky and don't wanna drive to Milwaukee or Chicago, have at it. read more

Have had much better Pho, just really plain and boring food, compared to what ive had elsewhere. Not bad, not good.

Of probably over a thousand bowls of pho I've had from coast to coast, the pho here was by far the worst. The vermicelli was extremely soggy and it's obvious that it was pre-cooked hours before and re-heated with the broth. The broth itself was way off: MSG base under-seasoned with Chinese seasoning. I asked for the usual side of bean sprouts and the cashier told me they were already in the pho. I looked carefully and yes, there were a few sad pieces of browning bean sprouts in there. Me and my two friends visiting from Chicago joked that it was no wonder they took our money first. None of us could eat more than half the bowl and we were hung over: If the pho was even close to passable, we would have gulped that thing down. Terrible noodle, terrible broth, stingy portion of wilting veggies... Complete opposite to what a bowl of pho should be. read more

Love the place. Food is healthy and they have bubble teas made with fresh tapioca. I personally think the sandwiches are the best. The only thing that was mediocre on the menu was the curry, but everything else I liked. Nice and clean inside, and I've never seen it that crowded inside. read more

I have been coming here for a few years, on a consistent basis to get the bubble tea because i am addicted to it. All the flavors are good, coconut is my favorite. The sugarcane shrimp has a perfect texture and wonderful flavor, the egg rolls are crunchy but not hard, and the chicken platter with the noodles and egg is absolutely delicious (fave food here) and served on a hot plate. The pho has a pretty basic broth, but it is so so good. It doesnt need to be complicated to be delicious! Also if the owners are the ones cooking you will not have any complaints, but once in a while its seems to not be them, and the boba in my bubble tea isn't the perfect level of chewy. But that's just me being fussy. The place (incuding bathrooms) is always immaculate, they play the classical music radio station, and its ambience is calming. Overall, delicious, mostly healthy food at a great price, what more can you ask for? read more

Wonderful soups & tasty sandwiches. Go for it when you want something other that some franchise -food place.

I went to this cafe just yesterday,I love the atmosphere..it was quite lovely. It had a great vibe however I feel the service did lack. The staff seemed a bit distracted & unorganized. Aside from this, the food I feel was average. I had a vietnamese steak sandwich which was delicious however quite small & cheap on the filling.Barley any steak in at least 1/2 the sandwich. It did however have a great flavor,had some nice fresh veggies and a deliciously light bread. The sweetness of the sandwich was very complimenting & I did enjoy it however felt it could've been better. I also shared the pho with my brothers whom seemed to like it,but It just did not quite do it for me. I felt it lacked flavor but maybe it just was not my type of dish. It was my first time having vietnamese food so I do not have much to compare it to. Overall though I give Saigon Cafe 3 stars. Not a place I will come back to often although the occasional treat every now & then is considered! read more