South Bay Restaurant
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I really want to give some appreciation to this mom and pop Vietnamese restaurant. Good food with a pretty extensive menu or the Lawndale area. I've eaten at this establishment three times as my brother lives locally to it and it always does the job for us. There's no other place that sells banh mi's in this area that I know of, and it's good to have that option along with pho, rice plates and noodle dishes. They have a solid Vietnamese coffee. I also tried their yogurt dessert in their fridge and that was a nice treat at the end of a savoury meal. Think of it like eating at a neighborly or community family house as it's not gourmet but prepared with comfort and care. I read other reviews and can't relate to the bad ones thankfully. Their banh mi's do the trick, but don't try comparing them to the ones in the SGV: I'm not certain if they make their own bread. Their egg rolls are delicious but they use romaine lettuce rather than leafy greens to wrap them and they are smaller in size than other restaurants. Parking can be found in their back parking lot and also on the street but make sure to read street signs as I always park in the back. They have plenty of tables for eating and keep the place clean. Their prices are decent in this economy. Test your luck if you're into that and buy a scratcher or lotto cause they sell that here too. Solid flavors in the noodle soups I've tried and they fill me up.
The banh mi are good - for the dac biet they don't skimp on meat. Bun Bo hue and spring rolls also good, and they have good prices.
Yes! Definitely goes all the way to the top of my list of best Vietnamese foods. Go try it now, stop reading, who cares, just go!!! Anyway, if you want to read... When we got there, there are uncles chilling in the back parking lot, enjoying their coffee, cigarettes, and friendship, talking about who knows what.. We walk to the front, and there are two doors open, the owner comes out and tells us to come in the right side, but the right side said Cafe Ngo. We were confused and told him we were here for the left restaurant. He said same, but we didn't know. When we ordered, we got what he was trying to say. They own both sides, so he wanted us to sit in the right one so he could chill with his friends while we ate. Ohhhhhh. Sorry, we didn't know. Anyway, we ordered a bowl of pho, a banh mi, and an egg roll plate. The pho tai chin nam gan which is pho with rare steak, brisket, and tendon. The broth was spectacular! The meat cuts were cooked perfectly. Everything was right! The banh mi dac biet came with all the cold cuts. It was delicious! The pate (liver wurst) and all the meats were great. The cha (pork cake sliced) in which some people posted pictured thinking nasty stuff like mold.. no it's not! It's whole black pepper corns that are sliced! Just take a good look! I noticed it right away. It was a great sandwich, great bread, great meats, great ratio! The eggrolls are awesome too! Good ratio, good dipping sauce. Only thing that could have made this entire meal better, some mint with those eggrolls. The whole meal was great and super delicious, and they open super early compared to all other places. Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Definitely will be back soon, and again and again too!!!
Drive slowly or you'll pass the restaurant. Very good value for the food. The egg rolls were perfectly crisp. The pho soup is perfect. The only thing is the fried rice portion was small, they packed half a box and out lettuce on the side to "fill the box". But other than that, nice service. Friendly staff. Definitely will go for when we need a good value pho place.
Very flavorful and authentic pho broth. It had a unique rich flavor with a subtle sweetness. The egg rolls were served fresh, crispy and hot. They were delicious. Since there were two of us, bonus points that they brought out two bowls of dipping sauces for the egg rolls and two plates of bean sprouts and Thai basil for the pho. This is a small mom and pop shop that's easy to drive by if you're not carefully looking for it. The ambiance is nothing special, but it's quaint. There's a parking lot in the back accessible through a small driveway next to the restaurant. It seems to be a family business run by a cute older Vietnamese couple who barely speak English. They're very sweet and kind. Service was fast and friendly.
Small hole in the wall mom and pop shop. Really easy to miss as the parking is behind the building. There is a Cafe Nho next door so it is a different restaurant but might be the same owner. The food was absolutely delicious. The pho broth was sweet and flavorful and the egg rolls were fresh amd piping hot. They brought a tray of veggie toppings and dipping sauce for each person which is super uncommon, usually they bring one for everyone to share. The service was very fast and everyone was so kind. Highly recommended ans definitely will be back again in the future.
Very lowkey restaurant where I felt like a grandchild getting fed by my grandmother(in the best way). The food was very homey and the service was not over-the-top welcoming but still very polite and kind!
Definitely a hole in the wall Vietnamese resto in the Torrance/Gardena area! The older man is extremely friendly and overall service is great. There is also plenty of seating and parking in the back. As for the food, it was all really good and I liked that they sell premade packs of their food like the spring rolls!
I have to say that this hole in the wall is probably one of the best Vietnamese restaurants I have been to. The staff are friendly and the food comes out quick. The food is very authentic and tastes amazing. Normally I put extra condiments but I don't need any for this spot because the soup is so flavorful. So happy I came across this spot. Will definitely recommend to my friends and family :)
I'm adding the same review from Cafe Nho as I'm almost positive the two locations are the same. Yes yes yes. Listen, my order of importance is food, service then ambiance. But the most important, and the one that can forgive rude waiters and an interior that hasn't been updated in 30+ years, will always be the food. I knew this spot was gonna SLAP when I parked in the back lot and saw a gang of Vietnamese grandpas playing cards on a little table. The inside and possibly hygiene is questionable, but the service is so warm and the uncle was so cute and nice. I think this place and the place next door are connected because I got my BBH from one side and the coffee from the other. I ordered the Bun Bo Hue and by first glance I was disappointed but as soon as l had a taste... good lawd!!! The broth looked pretty clear but it tastes deep which tells me they boiled it low and slow for maaaad long. I don't think there was a pork hock in it but I didn't care. I drank all the soup. Came with fresh veggies. Their iced coffee with condensed milk was straight jet fuel crack so naturally I loved it. The total cost of the meal was so cheap. I think my BBH + coffee was under $20 which is unheard of nowadays. My vet is in the area and I will come back every time I have to go.
Love this place. They occupy two spaces and it's never that busy here. The service is good, and food is incredible. Prices are unbeatable ($5 iced coffee, $7 banh mi, $14 bun rieu).
Update on my first review... The first time I ate at South Bay Restaurant, I walked in to the extended side of there business. They have 2 totally separate entrancees right next to each other that I wasn't aware of. I was able to see the main restaurant side and it isn't bad. I did take pictures of both sides as well. Since my first visit, they did spruce up the second side that I originally ate at as well. I was also able to try the pho and it hit the spot on another visit to South Bay Restaurant. On this visit I got 2 grilled pork banh mi, 2 grilled chicken banh mi, and a vietnamese coffee. The grilled pork is definitely the star, so far (did that rhyme).
Ambiance: it's a family style Vietnamese restaurant located in South Bay, and they serve authentic comfort food Service: very friendly and attentively served food and extra bowls, also helped with packing food in the end Food & Drink: classic pho, vermicelli, and rice dishes Pho Dac Biet - **** House Special Noodle Soup, combination of beef shank, fillet mignon, tendon, meatballs, served with fresh basil, recommend Bun Thit Nuong, Cha Gio - **** Grilled Pork Vermicelli With Egg Rolls, tasty pork slice and crispy egg rolls, recommend Complimentary iced tea - *** light taste Price: generous portions and affordable prices, most of their menu item costs below $15 each, expect less than $20 per person for a fulfilling meal
2 months ago
We order a banh mi dac biet cause this is the only place open. Thank you chú server for serving us ice tea even though we order togo. Clean interior and really authentic. Food is good. Please support local business! read more
I came here because of the Yelp rating. I wanted a Banh Mi and this was close enough to my work. I got here right before noon and everyone was working in the kitchen. Took a couple of minutes before I was helped. No biggie. Each table has hoidin, siracha, and fish sauce. If Infelt like pho, this place smells authentic. The sandwich has legitimate bread, crusty roll with good flavor. The vegetables are very good and well proportioned. The meat in the combination sandwich was not the typical lunch meat. I couldn't really identify the meats. But it was clearly put in hot. It was a good sandwich. read more
10 months ago
Very slow service while we are the only customer in the restaurant. Food is decent but filled with MSG. We ordered the sugarcane shrimp as an appetizer, and it didn't come out until we finished our main course. You can tell it was previously frozen and it took them awhile to defrost and reheat to fry again. They had someone that didn't understand English running the front of the shop. It was hard to communicate with them as we wanted to ask more about the menu, and all she knew was what number you want to order. Located on Prarrie Blvd. Lots of parking in the rear . read more
I really want to give some appreciation to this mom and pop Vietnamese restaurant. Good food with a pretty extensive menu or the Lawndale area. I've eaten at this establishment three times as my brother lives locally to it and it always does the job for us. There's no other place that sells banh mi's in this area that I know of, and it's good to have that option along with pho, rice plates and noodle dishes. They have a solid Vietnamese coffee. I also tried their yogurt dessert in their fridge and that was a nice treat at the end of a savoury meal. Think of it like eating at a neighborly or community family house as it's not gourmet but prepared with comfort and care. I read other reviews and can't relate to the bad ones thankfully. Their banh mi's do the trick, but don't try comparing them to the ones in the SGV: I'm not certain if they make their own bread. Their egg rolls are delicious but they use romaine lettuce rather than leafy greens to wrap them and they are smaller in size than other restaurants. Parking can be found in their back parking lot and also on the street but make sure to read street signs as I always park in the back. They have plenty of tables for eating and keep the place clean. Their prices are decent in this economy. Test your luck if you're into that and buy a scratcher or lotto cause they sell that here too. Solid flavors in the noodle soups I've tried and they fill me up. read more
Yes! Definitely goes all the way to the top of my list of best Vietnamese foods. Go try it now, stop reading, who cares, just go!!! Anyway, if you want to read... When we got there, there are uncles chilling in the back parking lot, enjoying their coffee, cigarettes, and friendship, talking about who knows what.. We walk to the front, and there are two doors open, the owner comes out and tells us to come in the right side, but the right side said Cafe Ngo. We were confused and told him we were here for the left restaurant. He said same, but we didn't know. When we ordered, we got what he was trying to say. They own both sides, so he wanted us to sit in the right one so he could chill with his friends while we ate. Ohhhhhh. Sorry, we didn't know. Anyway, we ordered a bowl of pho, a banh mi, and an egg roll plate. The pho tai chin nam gan which is pho with rare steak, brisket, and tendon. The broth was spectacular! The meat cuts were cooked perfectly. Everything was right! The banh mi dac biet came with all the cold cuts. It was delicious! The pate (liver wurst) and all the meats were great. The cha (pork cake sliced) in which some people posted pictured thinking nasty stuff like mold.. no it's not! It's whole black pepper corns that are sliced! Just take a good look! I noticed it right away. It was a great sandwich, great bread, great meats, great ratio! The eggrolls are awesome too! Good ratio, good dipping sauce. Only thing that could have made this entire meal better, some mint with those eggrolls. The whole meal was great and super delicious, and they open super early compared to all other places. Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Definitely will be back soon, and again and again too!!! read more
Drive slowly or you'll pass the restaurant. Very good value for the food. The egg rolls were perfectly crisp. The pho soup is perfect. The only thing is the fried rice portion was small, they packed half a box and out lettuce on the side to "fill the box". But other than that, nice service. Friendly staff. Definitely will go for when we need a good value pho place. read more
Very flavorful and authentic pho broth. It had a unique rich flavor with a subtle sweetness. The egg rolls were served fresh, crispy and hot. They were delicious. Since there were two of us, bonus points that they brought out two bowls of dipping sauces for the egg rolls and two plates of bean sprouts and Thai basil for the pho. This is a small mom and pop shop that's easy to drive by if you're not carefully looking for it. The ambiance is nothing special, but it's quaint. There's a parking lot in the back accessible through a small driveway next to the restaurant. It seems to be a family business run by a cute older Vietnamese couple who barely speak English. They're very sweet and kind. Service was fast and friendly. read more
Small hole in the wall mom and pop shop. Really easy to miss as the parking is behind the building. There is a Cafe Nho next door so it is a different restaurant but might be the same owner. The food was absolutely delicious. The pho broth was sweet and flavorful and the egg rolls were fresh amd piping hot. They brought a tray of veggie toppings and dipping sauce for each person which is super uncommon, usually they bring one for everyone to share. The service was very fast and everyone was so kind. Highly recommended ans definitely will be back again in the future. read more
1 year ago
Definitely a hole in the wall Vietnamese resto in the Torrance/Gardena area! The older man is extremely friendly and overall service is great. There is also plenty of seating and parking in the back. As for the food, it was all really good and I liked that they sell premade packs of their food like the spring rolls! read more
1 year ago
I have to say that this hole in the wall is probably one of the best Vietnamese restaurants I have been to. The staff are friendly and the food comes out quick. The food is very authentic and tastes amazing. Normally I put extra condiments but I don't need any for this spot because the soup is so flavorful. So happy I came across this spot. Will definitely recommend to my friends and family :) read more
I'm adding the same review from Cafe Nho as I'm almost positive the two locations are the same. Yes yes yes. Listen, my order of importance is food, service then ambiance. But the most important, and the one that can forgive rude waiters and an interior that hasn't been updated in 30+ years, will always be the food. I knew this spot was gonna SLAP when I parked in the back lot and saw a gang of Vietnamese grandpas playing cards on a little table. The inside and possibly hygiene is questionable, but the service is so warm and the uncle was so cute and nice. I think this place and the place next door are connected because I got my BBH from one side and the coffee from the other. I ordered the Bun Bo Hue and by first glance I was disappointed but as soon as l had a taste... good lawd!!! The broth looked pretty clear but it tastes deep which tells me they boiled it low and slow for maaaad long. I don't think there was a pork hock in it but I didn't care. I drank all the soup. Came with fresh veggies. Their iced coffee with condensed milk was straight jet fuel crack so naturally I loved it. The total cost of the meal was so cheap. I think my BBH + coffee was under $20 which is unheard of nowadays. My vet is in the area and I will come back every time I have to go. read more
8 months ago
Love this place. They occupy two spaces and it's never that busy here. The service is good, and food is incredible. Prices are unbeatable ($5 iced coffee, $7 banh mi, $14 bun rieu). read more
Update on my first review... The first time I ate at South Bay Restaurant, I walked in to the extended side of there business. They have 2 totally separate entrancees right next to each other that I wasn't aware of. I was able to see the main restaurant side and it isn't bad. I did take pictures of both sides as well. Since my first visit, they did spruce up the second side that I originally ate at as well. I was also able to try the pho and it hit the spot on another visit to South Bay Restaurant. On this visit I got 2 grilled pork banh mi, 2 grilled chicken banh mi, and a vietnamese coffee. The grilled pork is definitely the star, so far (did that rhyme). read more
Ambiance: it's a family style Vietnamese restaurant located in South Bay, and they serve authentic comfort food Service: very friendly and attentively served food and extra bowls, also helped with packing food in the end Food & Drink: classic pho, vermicelli, and rice dishes Pho Dac Biet - **** House Special Noodle Soup, combination of beef shank, fillet mignon, tendon, meatballs, served with fresh basil, recommend Bun Thit Nuong, Cha Gio - **** Grilled Pork Vermicelli With Egg Rolls, tasty pork slice and crispy egg rolls, recommend Complimentary iced tea - *** light taste Price: generous portions and affordable prices, most of their menu item costs below $15 each, expect less than $20 per person for a fulfilling meal read more
Ordered the Pho Dac Biet 5/5 You get fresh noodle over here by default which is good. Broth has a slight sweetness but packed with enough flavor. Portions - Enough meat to not complain Service 5/5 - was presented with iced tea upon placing g order which is normally found in Vietnamese eatery's. Affordability - 14 for a solid bowl of beef noodle soup. read more
I ordered a handful of banh mi's for a party and I was surprised by the size of the sandwich. They were huge! The flavor is a tad light, but for the price and not having to drive to OC for a sandwich is worth it. I would return and try other items. Plenty of parking in the back and workers/owners are friendly. read more
Authentic hole in the wall spot. +parking lot available behind the restaurant. +it's so crazy that I never found this spot until recently even with the use of Yelp! My boyfriend and I were craving Vietnamese food and we found Cafe Nho first (they have more reviews on Yelp abut the food so check their Yelp!), which is a coffee shop next door to South Bay Restaurant that serves South Bay Restaurant's dishes. We accidentally entered Cafe Nho not knowing this but this must happen a lot since the workers guided us to the restaurant next door right away. +we ordered pho, bun rieu, and BBH and we ALL loved our food. All of the soups were rather clear but they all had flavorful soup with some depth. The soups tasted less MSG-y and had more bone broth flavor, which we loved. Bun rieu comes with very fine vermicelli and pho noodles are flat/wider than your usual rice noodles but they all tasted amazing! -the only thing I didn't love was the fact that they sprinkle black pepper on all soupy dishes (or at least our pho, BBH, and bun rieu all had black pepper). The dishes all tasted great and this is just a personal preference of mine but I don't think it needs black pepper since the soup is so good and flavorful already. I would love to go back soon and try their banh mi next time as well. Sooooo glad I found this spot, thanks Yelp!! read more
11 months ago
The restaurant is shared owner with the coffee shop next door. The restaurant doesn't have extra bells or whistles but the food is tasty and prices are very affordable in this economy. We stopped by for lunch yesterday. We ordered pho dac biet, bun bo hue, bot chien and banh bot loc la and everything was delicious (didn't take pictures as we were hungry). I am especially excited there's a Vietnamese restaurant in this area finally have banh bot chien and banh bot loc which are amongst my favorites. They even have banh it and banh gio on the menu which is extremely rare! Come support them and I hope they stay in business so I don't have to drive down to OC when I have cravings for the bot chien/bot loc. We will definitely return to try other items on their impressive menu and upload pictures. read more
7 months ago
3 months ago
1 year ago
This is a no frills family owned and operated Vietnamese restaurant! We found this place on a whim and have seen it continuously improve the place and menu. The food has always been delicious. Very authentic! Great portion. Fast service. Definitely try their hot chili sauce read more
3 months ago
11 months ago
2 years ago
I love this place! It's simply an authentic Vietnamese restaurant and cafe with no other bells and whistles. I was immediately greeted with a warm and friendly smile. The service was fast, courteous, and very sweet. I immediately felt welcomed like I was family. Also, they gave us complimentary iced tea to start. I got the Bun Rieu (rice noodle soup with fish paste and tomato), which was surprisingly very light in color but still very flavorful. The portion size was perfect and there were a variety of delicious toppings! It was $13. My partner got the Banh Mi Thit Nuong (BBQ sandwich), which they raved about. The meat was tender and flavorful. The veggies were crisp and fresh. The baguette was on the softer side, so you don't have to worry about hurting the roof of your mouth. Be warned that it is spicy because they put a lot of fresh jalapenos in there. It was $7. My partner also got the Ca Phe Sua Da (Vietnamese iced coffee). It was delicious! They prefer their Viet iced coffees on the bolder side, and it tasted just like that. It wasn't super sweet. $5 The interior was nice. It's not too fancy but it is comfortable, pleasant, and spacious. The music was relaxing and not too loud. I highly recommend this place if you are looking for authentic Vietnamese food for a reasonable price, especially if you want to eat something that isn't pho! read more
11 months ago
2 years ago
I came in during a weekday afternoon and it was not busy. I got seated right away and ordered the grilled shrimp vermicelli with egg rolls (Bun Tom Nuong, Cha Gio), $13. The food came out quickly and was fresh and delicious. They served the sauce, peanuts and fried onions on the side, so you can decide on how much you want to mix into your vermicelli. I also ordered the iced coffee with condensed milk (Ca Phe Sua Da), or the Vietnamese Iced Coffee, $5; it was one of the best ones I have had and it was strong as well, an added benefit so I don't get food coma from all of the vermicelli I finished. The restaurant was playing 80s soft rock music when I dined--it's hard to go wrong with the classics. There were plenty of parking in the back of the restaurant. You do have to walk around to get to the front of the restaurant if you park in the rear. I noticed there were street parkings available right outside of the restaurant so that option is available. Highly recommend if you like authentic pho and want a good value for the meal! read more
3 years ago
Found this restaurant by accident. I was hesitant to visit but took a chance because I was craving Vietnamese food. I was too tired and too lazy to drive to Little Saigon. Since then, I visited this restaurant twice already - ordered mì quảng both time and love it each time. Mì quảng, one of my favorite noodle dishes, is well seasoned and taste authentic. This is a nice mom and pop restaurant. Quaint and clean. The owner is nice. He does his best to give good service and I appreciate that. So far, between my daughter, husband, and me, we ordered mì quảng, bún riêu, bò kho, and xôi mặn. Bún riêu has lots of topping which looks delicious. I didn't taste test any of the foods beside my mì quảng and xôi mặn, therefore, I can't comment on the other dishes. My husband and daughter said their foods were good. We definitely will come back but might not order xôi mặn again as it's just decent - not bad but not special either. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
I'm so happy to have found this place! It's a total hole-in-the-wall with crazy affordable prices. The food is more homestyle Vietnamese. The dishes are delicious and authentic (source: I'm Vietnamese), and it felt like eating at someone's mom's house. The aunties working there add an extra layer of authenticity and warmth to the experience. read more
9 months ago
9 months ago
This place is a no-nonsense hole in the wall, but the service is excellent. The man serving us was very nice and enthusiastic, helping us with recommendations. He was even more ecstatic when I ordered in vietnamese lol. The food was a great bonus and the price can't be beat. They have a lot of lunch and breakfast specials on the weekdays so make sure to stop by. Prices average $12-$14 a dish and there's plenty of street parking and parking in the back. Don't let this sleepy street fool you and miss out on some pretty good vietnamese food. Also they give you a lot of meat for your money. Surprised this place isn't busier. Hope it sticks around for a while. read more
1 year ago
This is such a great new and hidden gem! Great flavor on their pho soup. First time there we tried the chicken pho, shrimp pho, shrimp and pork spring rolls and veggie egg rolls. The soup came out perfectly hot and had all toppings. Both the spring rolls and egg rolls came with amazing sauces. Employees were kind and very attentive! Overall great restaurant that I will be going to again. read more
2 years ago
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