The Monroe Ave. location will reopen August 4, 2020. I love the pho at Sea. It soothes my soul and cures all my ills. The Mt.Hope location is as awesome as the Monroe Ave. location. I haven't been to the one in Brockport yet. read more

I was lucky enough to sample SEA at the festival of food and decided I needed to try it for a full-sized meal. I went to the Mt Hope location today for lunch and got the kapoon with beef brisket. It was delicious and the lunch portion was very impressive! Fast service and a knowledgeable staff to help you make your selection. I will be coming back to try more of their menu!! read more

SEA Restaurant - Kapoon with beef brisket - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

YAAAS!! been looking for some comforting PHO for the past year... moved from So Cal and really really REALLY missed our go-to Vietnamese spot. So glad we found this gem- we've been there like 3 times in the past couple of weeks ;D - we've tried their chicken pho, beef pho with thin strips and the beef pho with brisket and eye round steak, and their chicken vermicelli. So. Good. read more

Both locations have outstanding Pho, broth is great, always clear, never greasy. Vegs are spot on. We typically have it once to twice a month. Do a great packing up for takeout. read more

Yesterday I bought takeout PHO with beef brisket and shaved beef with extra veggies. The veggies were really fresh and great tasting, the meat was OK but the broth was not that great tasting. I ended up adding beef broth to it along with some soy sauce to help with the flavor. Next time I might try just a veggie PHO or possibly one with shrimp and not the beef. It was though very hot and a great takeout item. The hostess was also very friendly. read more

SEA Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

Had the beef pho and fried shrimp. Fried shrimp looked burnt and unappetizing, but ended up being tasty, although the person I went with didn't care for it. Pho broth was bland :( and the brisket was so, so dry. I've also never been served such a teeny tiny wedge of lime with pho. Not the worst pho I've had, but definitely nowhere near the best. Staff was friendly, but food was meh. Not worth the parking. read more

I love this place. No seriously, I love this place. Me and my boy come here once a week and get the exact same dish every, single, time. An XL Bowl of Beef Brisket Pho with an Egg. Then we DROWN it in Siracha and whatever the brown sauce is lol. Seal's foodn is amazing, and I definitely prefer Pho over Ramen on any given day. The servers are nice and it's a small cozy location. Its packs up really quick since they have maybe at most 30 seats. But it is well worth the waiting time. I recommend highly if you are a noodle enthusiast, or just someone who wants to try a really good new dish. I'm always looking for new and exciting ethnic foods to try. read more

SEA Restaurant - Brisket Pho (XL) - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

Best PHO around town ! Chef's special wings are amazing always! The staff is awesome. They never disappoint . Boba drinks yummy! Try All soups one better than next congi, kapoon so yummy read more

Me and my girlfriend love pho and this is our go to restaurant in Rochester. We like to go the one on Monroe ave, but we have also gone to the one in university heights and liked it as well. Can't go wrong with the rare beef pho! read more

The food here is DELICIOUS and I've been a customer for quite sometime now! 10/10 recommend

Nice place to go near UofR. Everything is nice here, but sometimes you'll wait long time to be seated.

I'm 5 months pregnant and all I have been craving is pho. I used to live in the city and ate at SEA often, but have since moved to the suburbs. I have been searching for a comparable pho to SEA's closer to me, but none have come close. SEA Restaurant by far has the best pho I've ever had and today I drove 45 minutes round trip at lunch just to get it. I always get the pho Thai bi vien (eye round beef with meatballs) - the broth is so flavorful, the meat so tender. It just makes your belly happy. Highly recommend! read more

Love love love Sea! Staff is courteous,knowledgeable about menu items. I have the brisket Pho almost every time I go, but yesterday tried the chef special wings and the pad Thai. Wings were amazing. In a sweet sour lightly spicy sauce and still crispy. Pad Thai was very good and not real peanutty. The Pho was fantastic as usual. If you haven't tried it's a must! Pricing is reasonable for the portions you get read more

SEA Restaurant - Brisket Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

I'm blessed to live walking distance from this amazing eatery. Whenever I'm sick or the weather is dreadful, this is my go-to spot for a cozy pick-me-up. I get the same pho every visit. That broth is amazing. So amazing, I often order a container to take home. $3 for small or $5 for large broth. This is a blessing to sip on when you're sick or on that liquid only diet. Restaurant is tiny and always packed. Open seating. The Monroe location used to be closed on Sundays but they lifted that restriction and are now open until 9pm on Sundays. I'm thrilled about that because many of the *good* Rochester dining establishments are closed Sunday/Monday which is a pet peeve of mine. Pho is always a win! read more

SEA is one of the rare excellent restaurants in Rochester that is making amazing food but doesn't have a huge following yet. They do an amazing job of having very vivacious food with the right amount of spice. Shown here are the fried squid, which are to die for. And the steaming hot pho, along with the sauces that come with it. Definitely worth a try. read more

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SEA has become my favorite local Vietnamese restaurant. There's nothing more satisfying on a cool Rochester day than a delicious bowl of Pho and a hot cup of tea. Both SEA locations offer a clean, and pleasant atmosphere with beautiful Asian music in the air and a friendly staff. Their pho is out of this world with a most flavorful broth and the freshest ingredients. There are many varieties of Pho to choose from and a broad selection of other traditional Asian dishes. I also love their fresh spring rolls served with peanut sauce. Yum! I need to try more things on the menu, but always end up going with Pho and spring rolls. Their prices are extremely reasonable too. Hope you give them a try if you haven't already. Hoa Binh! read more

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Good vegan options with tofu and vegetable pho. The fresh tofu spring rolls are great too.

Decent Vietnamese Food for decent prices. I've had pho at a few places in Rochester and this location is the only one who meets my taste buds. Service is fast. Don't expect anything fancy though. It's a small whole in the wall with very few tables so it's sometimes possible you have to wait. I haven't tried anything else aside the pho so I can't really give you my opinion on their rice dishes but people around me order them so I assume they're good. Parking is located on the streets. There's two locations, this one is closer to DT read more

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After reading the all of the reviews for SEA, many of which were written by highly respected and credible Yelpers, I came with very high expectations. I was hoping my meal at SEA would be the greatest pho-king Vietnamese experience of my life (apart from my conception) and I couldn't wait to sample the best it had to offer. My girlfriend and I arrived a little after 8pm on a Tuesday night and there were only two people eating there. This made sense, considering they close at 9pm. The dining room was small, sparsely decorated, and kind of cold. I wished I had worn something made of fleece. Based on James M.'s recommendation, I ordered the Pho Dac Biet (which I would have ordered anyway). I absolutely LOVE tendon and I hoped they would chuck a boatload of the stuff in my bowl. My girlfriend kept it simple and ordered the pho with meatballs. We also ordered the famous squid appetizer and two coconut shakes, since it was too late for ca phe sua da, which I make at home all the time anyhow. The shakes came out first and they were more like coconut slushies than coconut milkshakes. I don't think there was any dairy in them, though I secretly hoped there would be, despite my lactose intolerance. The shakes were okay, but I'd probably order coconut juice before I'd order another another coconut shake. The squid came out next and it exceeded my expectations. The perfectly fried, tender squid parts coated in a light batter and tossed in spicy sauce made for a body warming treat before the main event. I agree with others who have declared this dish to be one of the best squid dishes ever. Though the tentacles are my favorite part of the squid, I hardly missed them while eating this dish. The pho came out before we were done with our appetizer. The bowls were big, as they should be, and the standard sriracha, hoisin, basil leaves, bean sprouts, and limes accompanied the bowls. Everything was fresh and the pho was hot and filling, but it was not the best I've ever had. My girlfriend commented that the broth wasn't as complex as it ought to be, and I agreed that it was under spiced and the bones used to make it were not roasted long enough before being added to the pot. It was fine, but not mind-blowing and unctuous. The noodles were slightly underdone and sliced meat was tough. I didn't realize they messed up my order until halfway through my bowl; I thought I would find the remaining meaty bits after I managed to work through the heap noodles sitting in front of me. But I did not. Rather than containing flank, rare steak, brisket, tendon, tripe, and meatballs, my bowl contained well done eye round and meatballs, making it the #12a, which I would guess hardly anyone actually orders. Maybe that's all they had left at the end of the night and they figured I wouldn't notice. I should have sent it back, but I was too full by that point. I thought SEA was fine. Being just two minutes from my apartment, I wanted it to become my new favorite restaurant in Rochester, but sadly, it is not. The squid is great and I will definitely return and order the Pho Dac Biet once again. I only hope that, this time, they will give me what I ordered. read more

SEA Restaurant - Fried Squid Appetizer - $5 - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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I love SEA. I have probably been here a few dozen times over the years. Though I love their pho, I also like to try different dishes and so I have had their fried rice (ask for it with a fried egg on top), their bun (cold rice noodle salad) and almost every appetizer (wings, fried squid, spring rolls, etc). I've also had several smoothies (very sweet) and bubble tea. Everything has always been great. Condiments are fresh and plentiful, everything is seasoned really well, but not too salty. This is home cooking, but you don't really have to wait (at least our experience is that it is usually very fast). My current favorite dish is actually their simply little unassuming rice porridge appetizer. It is very similar to a Filipino dish my mother-in-law used to make called 'arroz caldo'. The rice is perfectly cooked, the flavor is subtle but really satisfying, and you can add meat (I usually add pork, but you can also add chicken or tofu). The portion doesn't look very big, but for me, I can make it a meal with the addition of a smoothie - and I can get out the door for under $10 with a full belly. Not very many places you can do that in Roch! I highly recommend SEA. The place is not that big, but turn over is fairly quick, so there's not usually a very long wait. The wait staff is great - a revolving cadre of young girls who know the food and will always take your special request back to the kitchen so the chef/owner can yay or nay it (we've never yet had a nay). It's always pretty full too, so you have the feeling it is a quality place with consistent food. read more

Summary: SEA Restaurant is a Vietnamese and Thai restaurant that features Pho and some other noodle and rice dishes. Cost: Super reasonable. $6.75 for a large bowl of beef pho that doesn't skimp on meat. Appetizers like the fried squid are in the $5 ball park. Taste: The reason I give SEA 5 stars. Now, I need to make a confession. I ate Ramen every weekend basically when I lived in Japan for a semester, and I've had a myriad of different Japanese and Chinese noodle type dishes in Japan and upstate NY. But I've never had Pho before. I don't know if SEA's Pho is better than other place's Pho. I do know that the Beef Brisket and Rare Steak Pho that I just had about 2 hours ago was one of, if not the best, noodle dish I have ever had. My bowl was filled with onion, scallions, and cilantro, and came with a side of bean sprouts, chili, lime, and thai basil to fix to your liking. And don't forget the sriracha and hoisin sauce. What ended up being created was a totally flavorful dish of noodles that had the right amount of spice, salty but not overwhelming, a bit fatty (you can see it in the broth) but not excessively, and a rich flavor unlike any broth I've ever had. The beef and all of the ingredients were perfect. I had the Eyeround Steak previously, and while it was good, wasn't as good as the Brisket + Rare Steak. I also got the Fried Squid appetizer since every yelper and their mother seems to praise the heck out of it. And... it deserves its praise. It's good. Really good. The spices that make up the batter are something great. I think it's salt and pepper based but there is something ever so slight that gives it a wonderful taste. Atmosphere: It's a corner shop on Monroe, a street I'm not too fond of. Parking is sometimes inconvenient. The decorations as other people have said are a bit cheesy or tacky. The wait staff is nice but not spectacular, but I've had absolutely no problems with them. But that said, do you go to a tasty restaurant to look at the road? Admire the decor? Converse with waitresses? No. You go to eat food. And SEA has darn good food. Overall: If "Possibly one of the best dishes I've ever eaten in my life" doesn't earn a place 5 stars, I don't know what does. I'm going to be moving from Rochester in the next 2 months, and I already miss it here. Thankfully the place I'm moving to (Richmond, VA), has some good rated Pho places, so I'm excited to see where my adventures in Pho may lead. But yeah, definitely check out SEA. I rarely rate things 5 stars, and while my word means little to everyone's individual's taste, I say at least give it a try. read more

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One of the better options when it comes to Asian fare, especially Vietnamese food. I would recommend the chicken or shrimp salad and beef pho (perfect for fall and winter). Make sure you add the complementary sides of beansprouts, Thai basil and lemon to your beef pho. You can also squeeze in some Sriracha or Hoison sauce, but if the broth is perfect then that shouldn't be necessary. I have yet to try their boba drinks, but I'll be back soon enough! read more

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Amazing Pho Tai and Pho Ga. Generous portions, and fresh sprouts, Basil and limes to boot! The ribeye slices coupled with additional meatballs in the Pho Tai are delicious! The broth is outstanding and the quality is very high considering the more than modest pricing. Definitely a place to visit for your Pho cravings! read more

SEA Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

They seriously have the best pho in Rochester. I've tried it a lot of places, and keep coming back. I usually get the chicken and it's freaking amazing. The perfect blend of spices, I could seriously eat it everyday. They also have the option to get an extra large sized bowl for a dollar or two, and the thing is huge, about the size of ones head. Well ok, depending on how big of a head you have. It's really good as leftovers too, as the spices have time to set even more. Prices are pretty on par with other restaurants of this nature in the area. The space itself is kind of small though, and it tends to get pretty crowded around dinner time. If you get there around this time, it can be a little awkward because there's really nowhere to stand while you wait for a table. There's some street parking in the front of the building, but that tends to fill up pretty quick. There's also a lot behind the building that you're able to park in. read more

Something happened to this place... we used to love their food until today. We ordered our usual favorite dishes and they were all absolutely disgusting. Pho, vermicelli, spring rolls, all of it was BAD... we won't be ordering from here again read more

Love coming to this spot when I'm in Rochester. Their go to dishes include their Pho and Calamari. Their servers are extremely friendly too. Kate always provides us the best customer experience and makes us wanting to come back just for the hospitality. Can't wait to be back again! read more

After recently acquiring a hankering for Pho and my boyfriend never having any, we asked around for the best Pho in Rochester and almost everybody replied with "SEA on Monroe!", so we decided to give it a try today. The restaurant is a little itty bitty place tucked away next to Ricks Recycled Books. There is street parking and some parking in the back I believe, but we usually park in the church parking lot across the street when walking down Monroe (heehee don't tell!!). When I say the restaurant is itty bitty, I mean it in every sense of the word. I don't think there was more than 10 tables in the place. It's cozy and clean, which I appreciate. Our Pho was great! Doug got chicken with meatball and I got veggies in chicken broth with extra noodles - we both immensely enjoyed ourselves! The broth was great...really enjoyed it. Pho is really the perfect comfort food! The prices are very fair - our total bill was under $20. We went around 12:30 for lunch...we were able to get a table with ease but within a half an hour it filled up quick, and the service became pretty slow. Took about 10 minutes to get our Sprites, but with only two waitresses and all those people I can understand. We'll be back for the Pho! read more

SEA Restaurant - Vegetable Pho in chicken broth with extra noodles. - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

I won't be back here for pho. So sad to give a 2 here, but unfortunately the waitress unapologetically forgot about our table of two and suddenly all of the little annoyances like the: drafty, cold dining area, 35-minute delay for a couple of simple dishes, and tacky green decor became unforgivable. We ordered the beef special pho and fried rice. Both were super affordable dishes, as is tradition for Vietnamese pho places. Both were tasty. The pho broth was quasi-complex, although a TAD salty; however, the meat and vermicelli was plentiful. The meat cuts were a bit thick and there were very grisly pieces that politely made their way into my napkin. The rice was tasty, although we were left guessing how fresh the veggies were. We also had a pair of Thai iced teas, which were standard. Dark black tea and milky cream bottom. The atmosphere is a small, 5-7 tables, dining room with green walls. Most diners sat with their coats on as the restaurant seems to save dough on heat OR has the worst window insulation ever. read more

As a Vietnamese pho lover (no one can beat my grandma's recipe) this place absolutely gets the seal of approval. The pho is authentic and I can't believe it can be found in Rochester. As for the rest of the food, it's good but it's not amazing. I still eat everything as long as I have the pho. Plus they have 33 beer! read more

I was super excited to try this restaurant since all of my yelp friends had really good things to say. One thing that I miss about restaurants at home is the unique flavor that each type of cuisine offers. Vietnamese is one of my absolute favorite Asia pacific cuisines! Today, I ordered Pho with flank steak or eye round (I think) w/ rice noodles and the Pepper Squid appetizer. The Pho was really good. The broth was nice, light and flavored well. I may have been eating really fast or something, but I felt like I didn't have enough noodles. The basil and limes tasted as if they were picked and sliced, then sat in a fridge for 2-3 days then served. I didn't really like that, so much, but the cilantro was nice and fresh. Just ask for everything to be cut and picked fresh. The Squid was awesome, and fried to perfection. It wasn't rubbery or chewy, it was nice and delicate and spiced very well! I will definitely be back for other things on the menu! read more

SEA Restaurant - What the Pho?! LOL - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Mmm. Good food and fast service. We came on a Sunday evening around 6pm and the place was packed full, every table taken. Still, we were somehow seated within 10 minutes. (Note- the Mt.Hope location is closed on Sunday's) Spring rolls as our appetizer were fresh and the peanut dipping sauce is delicious. It was my first time here and I got the Beef Special Pho. Broth was great as it came but added Hoisin and sriracha sauces to make it even tastier. Also tossed in the crunchy side plate of sprouts/herbs/lime. Thai iced tea was delicious. Everything came out to the table very quickly even when the restaurant was busy. read more

My favorite pho place in town. The broth is very clear but alive with umani. I always get the beef combo that is a medley of raw sliced beef, beef balls, and tripes. The sliced beef is still pink when served and gets cooked still in the hot broth. You can decide when it is the right doneness for you taste. Tripe is 'crispy' and easy to bite in. Meatball is bouncy and invites a nice bite. Everything to its perfection. I like my brother to be more sour, it also better brings out the natural sweetness of the beef broth so I always ask for extra limes and they happily provide them. Oh and if you know what durians are, they have durian smoothies. And yes you can actually taste the fruit. read more

Delicious, fresh, and so satisfying with nicely priced dishes and friendly staff. My favorite!! Thank you for your great service and amazing food. Rochester loves you! read more

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SEA is totally winning me over. Each time I have been here I've left with a happy stomach. Plus it's pretty damn cheap and the waitresses are sooo friendly. I always start with the shrimp & pork spring rolls (2 for $3). I don't know what it is about these....they are just so good. They're fresh and rolled tightly. Not to mention they come with a delicious peanut sauce for dipping. During my second visit, I took the other Yelper's advice and got the fried squid appetizer ($6). It seemed a little overdone but I liked that they came as small pieces and they weren't greasy at all like a lot of fried calamari. The dish is deliciously seasoned and has the perfect amount of heat to it. They also add chopped bell peppers to it for even more flavor. SEA is known for its pho and I have enjoyed both the beef ($6.50) and chicken pho ($6.25). Definitely spend the extra $2 for the steamed vegetables! If I'm not in the mood for pho I go for the bun, which is vermicelli noodles with your choice of meat (go for the chicken with peanut sauce). I have yet to experience anything negative here after a couple of visits so I feel comfortable leaving them 5 stars! read more

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Just got takeout from here and it was absolutely disgusting. The seafood pho (which I had in person a few years ago and it was great) was so gross I couldn't eat it. One shrimp, the rest was fake crab. No squid or fish at all. Broth was watery and had an unpleasant smell--like old seafood that had gone bad. Pad thai was covered in soy sauce. Both curry dishes we ordered were watery and oily with vegetables that looked rotten. I'm not sure if they have had a change in chef or owner, but the quality is really poor. read more

Love it here. This review is really for the pho, as that's all we ever get when we come here, as well as some apps. Apps: we love the fried squid! Just the right amount of heat and always cooked right. Chicken wings are also good - the crispness you always want from an Asian wing! Pho: we typically get the beef special. I'm far from an expert, but SEA serves the closest thing to authentic pho in comparison to some other Rochester places serving the dish. Definitely worth a visit! read more

SEA Restaurant - Iced coffee w/ condensed milk & fried squid appetizer - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Their kapoon is my go to soup tbh. The perfect amount of spice and rlly good flavor (a great soup to order takeout from when ur feeling a little under the weather) read more

I have been going to this place since a week after they opened. I love their fried calamari (I have actually ordered the calamari over rice as my meal). I like their pho. I used to love it but then I tried the pho special at the South Wedge Diner (no, I did not mistype :). As blasphemous as it sounds, the pho broth at SWD was far superior to the one at SEA's. SWD's pho broth is darker, deeper and has a roasted onion flavour that I prefer. But the noodles and beef are better at SEA. I love this place in general. The service is snappy and the food comes out at a reasonable pace. In addition, I am glad we have a place to get pho where we won't have to worry about getting shot (you know the place I am talking about!). My only (faux) complaint is they have gotten so busy that I now often have to wait for a table! read more

SEA Restaurant - I am pretty sure crack is one of the ingredients in this because I can't stop eating it. Calamari appetizer - $5 - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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I come from San Jose in California in where a lot of Vietnamese immigrants reside, hence the great Vietnamese cuisine as well. Let me tell you that this is one of the very best Vietnamese pho (beef noodle soup) places I've been to, even compare to what I've had back home. All the pros: +Friendly staff +Great price and portion (both the meat and noodles!) +Awesome and authentic taste Honestly, can't think of any con yet. What else is there not to love? Come try this place people! read more

The food here was delicious and very reasonably priced. I got pad thai with tofu and my cousin got chicken pho with added steamed veggies. Our appetizer, spring rolls, came with the BEST peanut sauce we've ever had. The Thai tea was so0o0o0o good as well! Our total was less than $30 and you get a lot of food despite the entree. Service was very nice and speedy. The only thing I disliked was the setting/atmosphere. read more

SEA Restaurant - veggie spring rolls with tofu and DELICIOUS peanut sauce - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, New York

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