I must have eaten here on a bad day because I cannot understand the consistent 4-star ratings I see for this restaurant. One big disclaimer though...I did not eat at the restaurant and got takeout instead, but I still don't think the poor quality of the food can be blamed on the fact that it was takeout. Yes, free shrimp chips are great so no complaints there. The spring rolls were crispy and had good texture but the inside felt like filling that had been sitting in there for a long time. It looked like goose poop but flavor was ok. The real problem were the noodle dishes we ordered. We got a shrimp spicy pad thai and the beef house noodles. The shrimp pad thai was a complete ripoff at $17.50. The noodles were extremely dry, bland and NOT spicy at all. The shrimp was ok at best but this dish really had zero redeeming qualities. I suppose it is my fault ordering a thai dish from a vietnamese place but the restaurant also should not have it on the menu either if they're going to put out such a crappy dish. I never don't finish a noodle dish, but I honestly could not get through half of it. It's as if the chef just forgot to mix in any sort of sauce into the dish. The beef house noodles were a complete fail as well. It was just stir-fried udon noodles with maybe 2-3 pieces of bok choy and 5-6 pieces of grade f meat. The beef honestly appeared to be really old and was extremely tough to chew. The flavor of the noodles were nothing special, maybe a mix of soy sauce and oyster sauce? Either way, I've had way better stir-fry noodle dishes from other restaurants and for $14.50, another rip-off. The one redeeming dish might have been the grilled porkchop dish although the menu claims the dish to be grilled porkchopS meaning more than one, but only one came with the dish. I don't know. Perhaps if I had eaten at the restaurant, having the dishes while they were piping hot might have improved the experience but the flavors and quality ingredients just simply weren't there. Considering the premium prices they charge, you have a right to expect more. Not returning here for sure. read more

I've been coming here since they were called Mo pho and they had a different location. My mom and I always had lunch here at least once a month. The pho is amazing and so is just about everything else. My mom passed away and I sill come here for the food and memories. I'll always love this place read more

Only Vietnamese restaurant in the area and we were craving Pho. We walked in and got seated very quickly but noticed one of the employees was higher then a kite. She walked in the same time as us and we all notices that something was wrong with her! Pho had a sweet/cinnamon flavor and all 3 of us didn't really care for it. Overall it's a ok place for Vietnamese food but not for me! read more

Simply Vietnamese - Complimentary appetizer - Vietnamese Near Me - Tenafly, New Jersey

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In Jersey, there aren't quite as many corners that I could turn to and find a cheap bowl of pho.. so this place will have to do. Not authentic, since it isn't run by Asian workers in white aprons running around but .. this rendition of pho will definitely work for me. The ambiance of this place is definitely more upscale than I would normally see at a pho place. I came here on a weekday night and the place was pretty full, so I guess that's a good sign. The host allowed us to choose any table that we wanted so we opt'd for a table closer to a window (need good lighting for photos you know!) The menu had many choices including some which were Thai, but feeling a little under the weather that day, I decided it would be best to go with pho. I waited for this bowl of pho for what felt like forever, but realistically it was probably more like 20 minutes. They give you the usual lime to add to your broth, sriracha and hoi san sauce are on the table for your disposal and you're all set to enjoy your pho !! (Though, I much prefer sambal sauce over sriracha which they did not have!) The broth was fragrant and strong, which was a delightful surprise. The noodles were on the bland side but nothing some sauces on the side could not fix. Overall, I was satisfied with my meal although $12 for a bowl of pho is definitely a premium for me. I would come back given the limited options in Jersey... read more

Simply Vietnamese - Vietnamese Near Me - Tenafly, New Jersey

Placed order for pick up. Was ready on time and complete, hot/warm where needed, and cool likewise. Quick to check out and accommodated extra request for chips. read more

Service was great, my wife and I ended up getting the duck pho and jerk pho (it was very tasty, wish they had their own spicy sauce). We also got the chicken fried rice, my favorite meal so far off the menu. Def worth it to try. read more

You know when you swipe right on that hottie from Tinder, but you meet in real life and they turn out to be a nottie? Well same goes for the spicy lemon grass soup here, whose beautifully taken photograph is the default profile pic for Simply Vietnamese. Unfortunately, it's absolute garbage in person, and quite an expensive date. After my good friend and roommate Dennis G. burst into my room and awoke me from my slumber. We decided to get some food since I was starving and hadn't eaten much earlier in the day. The time between that instance and me finally tasting this soon to be disappointing soup was about 6 hours, due to having to pickup his boyfriend from work only to have them argue and split up that day. We finally arrived, Dennis with a broken heart and myself with a growling stomach. The food here failed to soothe us. We went with spring rolls as appetizers, which is what Dennis always orders as an appetizer when at a Vietnamese restaurant. They came with a minuscule amount of shrimp and were nothing special. Then came our spicy lemongrass soups, which Dennis instantly hated first taste of the broth. He felt it tasted too watery and had odd consistency. My opinion? The broth was good, I felt it was very flavorful. However, my opinion of the overall taste of the soup plummeted when I began eating it's components. In particular, the chicken was HORRIBLE. It tasted rubbery, as if it was microwaved or something. I tried to just eat the broth but that after a while began to make me nauseous. Despite my hunger, I didn't finish even half of this soup. Some of the other plates LOOK good, and maybe they are. I couldn't fathom this establishment having a 4 star rating if all of their meals are as poor in taste as my soup was. Yet, there's just no excuse for a place charging $13 for a soup to serve such low quality chicken in it. Suffice it to say, there's no reason I'd ever return here given the price point and mediocrity. read more

Simply Vietnamese - Free - Vietnamese Near Me - Tenafly, New Jersey

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Pho is delicious. My go-tos are the spicy beef and/or the seafood (but just shrimp). BURSTING with flavor. Will not disappoint. So so good.

Solid, well prepared Vietnamese fare with attentive table service. My go-to when in the mood for Pho.

It was the first time I came to eat at this place. The chicken pad thai was too sweet. Their pho was A little sweet too compared to the pho that i have tasted. But other than that, place is clean and has an excellent customer service. I will still come back to try their rice dishes. read more

Bao buns were light and fluffy, not much filling- nonetheless were very tasty. Salty and sweet with a bit of spice, you can't go wrong. For my main entree I got the spicy beef but ordered it mild and I'm glad but did. My friend ordered it the regular way and couldn't even palate it. It was a spicy burn that definitely intensified the more you ate it. My plate was delightful made with a bunch of onions, which I loved. I would come back veto try all the dishes. First time eating Vietnamese food and I was satisfied. read more

Love your dishes but why are the chips only for dine in? We always order the Vietnamese French salad with the steak cubes and Bao buns. Both are flavorful. I was willing to purchase chips but was told it was out. read more

I used to love this place but I am really frustrated that when I want to do a simple substitution (example--order stir-fried vegetables instead of nappa cabbage with the basa or tofu), they won't do it. I asked if they could do an extra side of stir-fried vegetables and they said no, too. Pretty strange considering other entrees come with stir fried vegetables. I used to be a loyal customer, but I order less and less now. Not worth 20$ for a piece of fish over a tiny bit of cabbage. I know some restaurants pride themselves on their menus and they don't want you altering it, but personally, when I spend money to eat out, I want to be fully satisfied. read more

I keep coming back here because I love bahn mi's! Found this place around six months ago when looking for pad thai as my place was closed. Wasn't expecting to find a local vietnamese place that serves pad thai, and other noodle dishes. What I keep coming back for is the pork bahn mi. My husband and I ordered the bahn mi sliders as an appetizer along with some bao buns along with our pad thai dishes. We were really impressed how large the "slider" (it was a full sandwich sliced) was and it was very tasty. The bao buns were delicious as well. I've ordered the shrimp summer rolls but they are a little small and missing a little flavor though they are very fresh. Kind of like a salad in a noodle wrap. The only thing I would like is for more variety in the sandwiches including the vietnamese cold cuts and also more meat and vegetables in the sandwiches. Will still come back though, great local spot. read more

Pho and fried rice were sweet, and not in a good way. It was very off-putting and different from the many Vietnamese restaurants I have been to. The actual space and staff were great, but they just need to change what's going on in the kitchen. read more

Great food good prices comfortable atmosphere. One of my favorites is the spicy lemon grass soup with tofu.

Cute ambience and outdoor seating. It's not the viet places I'm used to giving us overflowing plates of bean sprouts, mint leaves, and cilantro with your pho and bun, but it will do. I got their equivalent of chicken bun. The chicken was marinated with some kind of spice that didn't particularly like and unneeded extra fish sauce but the vermicelli noodles were fine and they even used kale. read more

Been coming for 10 years. Never disappointed, consistently good Vietnamese food. Probably the best in the area.

One of the better Vietnamese restaurants in the NYC area. While I can't really attest to the authenticity of this place, I know it still pales compared to the amazing Viet places you can find in the NOVA/DC area. However, that being said it still is way better than most of the Chinese-run phony Viet joints in the NYC area. What makes a good pho - it all starts with the broth. The soup here is actually pretty decent, if not a bit saltier than what you often find elsewhere. However, given how critical this portion of the meal is, they do a decent job of getting it right for the most part. The noodles are fine, though my only beef is literally the beef, which I find can be somewhat tough at times. However, the good flavor of the pho can't be denied. They also serve a decent bahn mi here, and these sandwiches are always good for lunch. Again, it's on the salty side, but at least the taste/flavor is quite good. The spring rolls are also decent here. If you're itching for Viet food, it's worth checking this place out. Yeah it's in Tenafly, and not Manhattan, but if you're in the hood it doesn't hurt to stop by and see if the pho works for you. read more

Order beef combo pho for taking out. And there is NO BEEF COMBO! NO BEEF COMBO! Called them and they said they forgot, and asked me to come back again to take it. Excuse me? read more

Simply Vietnamese - Where is the beef combo? - Vietnamese Near Me - Tenafly, New Jersey

I was looking for one good Vietnamese place around my neighborhood. I think I found one today!! It's a small restaurant with two dining areas. 4 tables were occupied when I walked in. I felt the tables were a little bit packed in small space but it was still okay. Hot jasmine tea was great to start, we ordered spring rolls and BBQ pork sliders for appetizer. I loved them both. The pork sliders were awesome. My husband ordered pho and I got spicy beef. Beef pho had great soup base and portion was good also. My spicy beef was good as well, wasn't spicy enough for me. I thought the sauce on the beef was slightly salty for my taste but it was still great~!!! Fried banana with ice cream completed our great Vietnamese dinner. I cannot wait to go back and try the other items in the menu! read more

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I have tried to go to this restaurant twice this past week but have utterly failed. So I figured this place was so awesome I couldn't get in. Today was my third attempt, and because I was eating at 2pm, there was no one there. AWESOME! My expectations were high going in. The food was way too sweet, especially for Vietnamese food. Even if they say it may be a fusion restaurant, there was still too much sugar to be Asian. It was definitely catered towards a more American palate. I can see why Americans may like it, but it is in absolutely no way authentic. First we ordered the summer rolls and the Bo Luc Lac Salad. First, the summer rolls were not that good. It was probably the worst I've ever tasted. They were hard to eat and literally..hard. I think either the rice paper had hardened to a sticky construct or there was some funky rice cake business going on. The salad on the other hand was probably the best dish we had. It's not an appetizer, but you can share it with other people. It was just greens with marinated beef on top, soy sauce vinaigrette, and a small piece of bread with garlic butter and coconut. The vinaigrette was distinct and delicious, the beef was tender, and the bread was sumptuous! For my entree I got the Pho House noodles, which is basically spicy pho (not the siracha kind of spicy). The entree itself was not bad, but again, way to sweet. The other three also commented on how unusually sweet their dishes were. The pad thai was also not very good...probably the worst pad thai I've ever tasted. It was tasteless and way more carrots and bean sprouts than noodles. The House Noodles were okay but again, too sweet. For dessert we had mango ice cream. They give you 3 wonderfully heavy scoops. I found the ice cream a bit creamy, but not bad. It's was a good finish. The service was good. Waiters were friendly. The bathroom was weird. There's a mirror hanging so that you can watch yourself do your business... read more

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After having a horrible experience at the last Vietnamese place I went to, I was super excited to try Simply Vietnamese because I've had my eye on it for a while. My only disappointment was not being able to dine in as I was pressed for time. I ordered the coconut milk soup with tofu and vegetables to go. Even though I only got takeout, the service was great. I was asked if I wanted any water or tea while I waited. I listened as a server picked up the phone and said, "no, this is a Vietnamese restaurant". He joked with me about how the person on the other end of the line was inquiring about custom aligator shoes. Small gestures such as that make me feel so welcomed. The interior of the restaurant is really nice. It has a warm and romantic feeling, the ambiance reminded me of a coffeehouse because it felt so comfortable and homey. To top everything off, the food was freakin awesome. The soup was flavorful and the veggies were super fresh. The noodles and beansprouts were packed separately, you can add them as you eat so they don't get soggy. My tummy was very happy with me that day. I'm so glad I finally got to try Simply Vietnamese, it greatly surpassed my expectations. I can't wait to go back for a sit-down meal :) read more

Simply Vietnamese - Vegetarian pho with a side of bean sprouts and cilantro. Delicious! On the right side is my sister's chicken pad thai - Vietnamese Near Me - Tenafly, New Jersey

So my family and I stopped by here after seeing the reviews, and I have to say compared to the reviews it was okay. Maybe my expectations were too high, but it was okay, their broth was good but compared to Bistro Du Saigon, which also another authentic Viet-Pho place, it was just average. I also ordered the garlic noodle dish and it was a bit too saucy and salty for my taste, my kids on the other hand completely enjoyed it. The fried spring rolls were definitely different and tasty, and I would definitely recommend that as one of the appetizers at this place. This place is definitely good for kids, not only cuz they have kid friendly cups, but because they have chips and sauce to keep the kids distracted before the food is ordered and served. Overall, I would go if I was in the area, but it would not be something that I would be craving normally. read more

Simply Vietnamese - Shrimp crackers to start you off before you order - Vietnamese Near Me - Tenafly, New Jersey

Rainy weather makes me seek warm soup. I wanted some Mo'pho but since it had closed I needed to find another replacement and lo and behold I found Simply Vietnamese. Visited this place for a late lunch on a Thursday and it was surprisingly semi-busy. I love the shrimp crackers with the dipping sauce! I ordered chef's noodle soup with egg noodles and he ordered beef pho. My noodle soup was filled with grilled chicken, really big shrimp and crisp bok choy in a flavorful broth. The boy enjoyed his pho with extra sriracha sauce per usual. Ill be back on another rainy day! read more

Very good and "simple Vietnamese" food. The steak salad is delicious. The spicy beef, not so much. Chicken and vegetable spring rolls are great and light. Pretty large restaurant but not very noisy. Good service! The soups are delicious. I'll be back for more! But keeping it at lunch since it doesn't feel like a dinner restaurant. read more

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Very tasty Clean cute if I'm ever in the area again I will eat here again and I'll have to bring some friends only thing is I ordered a spicy jerk soup and it wasn't spicy to me at all but it still tastes good....so I had to come back because I wrote the review after taking a few bites and with every bite I took it just got better and better I've been too about 4 other places since I've eaten here trying to get the same flavor and complexity but none lived up I gotta get back here cause that Lemongrass soup is calling my name BETTY COME EAT ME ‍ read more

Simply Vietnamese - Jerk something - Vietnamese Near Me - Tenafly, New Jersey

I liked this restaurant in some of its' previous incarnations (Back when it was originally "Saigon," in Cresskill in the 90's, and in Englewood on Palisades Ave. in the early 2000, before they felt the need to add Thai inspired items, and Banh Mi sandwiches) much better - when the menu was more strictly Vietnamese. Duck Summer Rolls were delicious as always. Was too damned hot to think of Pho (They always had great Pho at their other locations, so I'm sure it was true to form here.) so after years of reading about them, I finally got a Pork Banh Mi, and well it was kind of funky. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to taste, maybe not, and maybe just not to my taste. Service a little slow, my entree came out a good 7 minutes before my dates', awkward. All in all, a smart little restaurant, and a good place for a quick bite with a date before taking in a movie at the Tenafly theater. It is a great place to rub elbows with the suburban upper class, where you can't help but overhear the conversations of the "affected." (Subject matter is almost overwhelmingly slanted towards loud, glowing reports, of how well my son/daughter is doing in their Ivy League college, or how much they're enjoying Europe...) This is Tenafly after all. read more

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This place has hands down the best pho I've ever tasted, and their customer service is impeccable. I never write reviews, but staff are so helpful and responsive. My pickup order was delayed because the system took a while to process it, but they rushed it, offered shrimp chips + water, and handled the situation very well. Please support this business read more

Ordered takeout dinner from here the other night... the order was made exactly as asked. Was told it would be ready in 20 minutes, they were accurate where I had no wait. We ordered one duck spring roll and a chicken roll. These were kind of bland but the sauce makes up for it. We then ordered a shrimp lemon grass soup which was full of flavor & still hot when it srri read more

Simply Vietnamese - Chicken pad Thai - Vietnamese Near Me - Tenafly, New Jersey

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This is a nice simple, small and clean restaurant with almost hole-in-the-wall feel. I'm not sure how it is on the weekends, or even during dinner hours - however, during lunch the service is quick!. Definitely could do a 1 hour power lunch here - which is evident with the lunch crowd professionals. I really should branch out with what I pick here - but I usually get the Spicy Jerk Beef with Specialty Rice menu option which is delicious. Its shredded beef, with a slight spicy asian/soy bbq type sauce with garlic rice. Simply the best! read more

Pho is pho. I don't want spicy jerk beef ruining the broth. i don't want chicken in my pho. I just want my beef and tendons and stuff in my broth cooked in the heat of the broth. This place is ambiguously Asian but it's NOT vietnamese. I don't understand how they can ruin something ubiquitous and widely loved as pho. I had blood pulled from my arm at doctor's and was in need of a fix. The pho really should be better. I ordered the iced coffee which was good although I wish they gave you the metal coffee dripper thing instead of the already made coffee. I don't know why a basic vietnamese restaurant is so hard to find in north NJ. read more

Simply Vietnamese is a decent restaurant in the Tenafly area where I've eaten twice while having my Honda serviced nearby at the dealership. The food itself is okay, the price is a tad bit high but they're okay in a pinch. However, if you're really hankering for authentic Vietnamese food then take a pass and drive another 10 minutes down to Fort Lee where you'll have much, much better options. I've had the Pho, and spicy lemongrass soup here and they were fine, portions were good but their recipes you would not find in a legit Vietnamese restaurant. read more

My local go to takeout spot for phó! The staff varies in service but the quality of the food makes up for it.

Simply one of the worst vietnamese restaurants we ever visited. They simply forgot our order making us wait over 30 minutes for our entrees. They did not even have the decency to apologize. However, when we requested the check it came in less than 5 seconds. To make matters worse, the food is below mediocre and very plain. Last time ever. read more

We ate here three times in 2013 and have been very satisfied each time we ate here. Service was good, food was good. The one bad point is street parking. If you come on a busy night, there is no parking available on the street. read more

Bai Bun was delicious. My spicy beef with eggplant (on the specials board) was very tasty but not nearly spicy enough. The eggplant was perfectly cooked (not under done and not over cooked which happens way too often with eggplant). Wifey ordered the lemongrass chicken. Eh, it was okay, mine was better (and we both agreed). While it tasted good the lemongrass and coconut flavors the dish touted just weren't there. We, also, both agreed that for the price the entrees (not the appetizer; the Bao Buns were four for an order and ample) were fairly small. Our waitress was pretty bad. Five minutes after we sat she came over and opened our bottle of wine. She didn't say anything mind you she just sat two glasses down, opened the bottle, set the bottle down and walked away. Five minutes later she comes back over, "Do you know what you want?" At no point after that did she come back over to ask if we needed anything...if our food was okay...nothing. After we had finished and someone cleared our plates she came back over, "would you like coffee or dessert?" Well, at least she knows the basics right? We settled for the check. All and all the food was good so we'll probably be back but maybe for lunch first. The Pho looked yummy but that's more a lunch thing (for me...I'm not much of a "soup" guy) and not dinner. read more

Everything is TOO SWEET! This is not your authentic Vietnamese food so please proceed with caution. It's American Vietnamese in my opinion. I personally like their summer roll (clean, fresh, decently sized) and meatball pho; DUCK PHO is not recommended; Bahn Mi is decent but not great. I personally like the soup to be flavored by the ingredient and not with additives that make it taste certain ways; everything taste the same whether you are getting the meatball, duck or seafood; the soup is perfect for meat and that's probably it. Can this place do better? YES YES YES! Should I try other things on the menu? YES YES YES! What do you recommend? read more

Simply Vietnamese - duck pho! - Vietnamese Near Me - Tenafly, New Jersey

Food good but I was very displeased with the overall dining experience.. they watered down the sriracha sauce

I went in with high expectations bc of the high reviews. I got the spicy lemongrass soup and beef combo pho but they were both really sweet. The lemongrass wasn't spicy at all and honestly felt like i was eating milk soup. There wasn't a lot of noodles and the carrots in my lemongrass soup didn't go well with the dish. Service was quick and staff were friendly but the food was a disappointment imo read more