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    South By Saigon

    4.5 (145 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 week ago

    Order South By Saigon Takeout or Delivery

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    SOUTH BY SAIGON ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    Kacy M.

    We came here after seeing it on social media. The crawfish was fresh (live, not frozen), the shaking beef was in large juicy chunks, and the appetizer rice paper pancake was flavorful (lots going on here toppings-wise). The service wasn't the best (place was packed) and we were left on our own after receiving the food. Will come back!

    Red Crawfish Platter
    Linda S.

    I'm not a very good frame of reference because I have not been to many crawfish boils. However, I thought that this place was pretty good for the pricing and also the flavor. We chose the crawfish smothered in the garlic butter. The crawfish themselves were boiled, and you had to order them by the pound so come prepared and come hungry. They came out very fast too. I have to warn you though you really have to get your full face into there to experience it. It's messy, greasy and part of the culture. If this isn't your thing, I wouldn't recommend. You have to really get in there to peel it and break the shells as well as devein them unless you're okay with eating it whole. Overall, great flavors but also by the end I'm not sure if it was the butter, but I also felt very heavy after. The restaurant provided with gloves, napkins, and water. Service was fast and easy. We ordered, ate and were out. Parking is not a problem. The interior of the story is kinda small though with only 20 people worth of seating.

    Jennifer V.

    Finally tried the crawfish here and it was so good!! Wait: About 10 minute wait during Thursday dinner in March. The crawfish took about 30-45 minutes to come out after ordering. Food: They were having a 3lb crawfish for $25 special (I think M-Th only). We got spicy with mixed flavor (garlic with traditional). It was VERY spicy, so I'd recommend going medium. The crawfish may be salty for some but I found it very flavorful! They provide gloves, but I wish they also had bibs. Free parking. Attentive and friendly service.

    Crawfish
    Benjamin L.

    Guess what time of the year it is!!!!! Crawfish season. I went here for their crawfish and it was amazing. They had an option of garlic butter, original and mix. I got one of each a level of spicy and medium. The spicy one definitely has a good kick so be wary of it. I also order their BTN I wish I got a photo of it but it is so delicious. It it like a Vietnamese pizza and would go back for it. The service here is very attentive and amazing. As I was dying and chugging water cause how spicy the crawfish was. The staff kept making sure we had enough water. In addition, they kept checking to make sure our crawfish trash been was empty and not overflowing. In addition, the staff was very kind, friendly, and welcoming. I felt like I was eating at a family friend house. Seating is quite limited. If you go during busy hours. Definitely would recommend coming here for their crawfish and definitely want to come back and try other items on their menu.

    Jay F.

    Update 2026. Crawfish South by Saigon is a favorite. Currently about $10 a pound. Garlic butter, medium heat. Perfect lunch. First crawdads of the season for me. Let's see how big they are. They also have a lunch menu. Tender. Soft shell and super easy to peel. Thumbs up. Photo in comments. Previous Post Two places recommended by the Facebook Groups Chowdown in Chinatown Houston and Houston Chowhounds: South by Saigon and Mo City crawfish turned out to be SO enjoyable. I loved both places a lot. Get the Mo City sauce and at Saigon, go for their mix sauce. Medium spice both places was my choice. Photos below from Saigon today.

    Allison K.

    I would rate this spot a 3.3/5 stars. My friends and I went for the crawfish deal that was mentioned throughout the reviews we read (the 5 lbs for $40) but unfortunately it's no longer a thing so just a heads up! I believe it ended up being $9.99/pound. We all got 2 lbs of crawfish with the house special sauce w/corn, potatoes, and sausage. For appetizers, we got the wings (garlic parmesan and lemon pepper) and the BTN. The wings were hot, crispy, and juicy! The flavors were on the faint side but it was still enjoyable. The BTN was delicious- crispy/chewy rice paper with savory toppings (a must try)! As for the crawfish... it was unfortunately waaaay too salty. I'm usually the type to easily destroy 2 lbs of crawfish but I struggled hard to finish this one. Every bite required you to chug water and it just wasn't pleasant. The potato was undercooked, the corn was fine, and the sausage's texture was great but it was also way too salty. Huge shout out to the waiters here! I know it was incredibly busy and my friends and I were a big group of 10 so they did a great job at making sure all the orders were taken care of and filling our waters. I really wanted to love this spot but unfortunately, I would be hesitant about coming back.

    Otesia E.

    This was my second visit to South by Saigon, and it was much better than my first visit. I ordered 3 lbs of crawfish in the Traditional and Garlic Butter flavors, with sausage, plus an order of boudin balls. Since it's very early in the season, the crawfish were mostly on the small side, which I expected. That being said, the flavor was poppin this time around--way better than before. I only ordered the boudin balls because a lot of reviews mentioned they had cheese in them. I was really looking forward to that because Bonfire Wings used to have boudin balls with cheese, and I absolutely loved those. Unfortunately, these did not have cheese. They were okay, just not what I was expecting. Overall, this visit was a solid improvement, and I'm looking forward to going back soon, especially as the crawfish get bigger later in the season.

    Crawfish and fries
    Pauline N.

    I live in Austin. I am from the Bay Area in California and travel to Houston a lot for good eats. This is my far my favorite place to get crawfish! If you like sweet and savory Viet flavors, this is for you. The sauce is garlicky, sweet, salty, and the crawfish was super fresh. The spice levels actually have a kick. I've tried many popular crawfish places and this place takes the cake. I went on a Saturday and it wasn't too busy. The inside is pretty small for a crawfish boil restaurant so I can see that it can fill up quickly on a busy day. The service was wonderful and attentive.

    Carmen S.

    Service was meh but food made up for it. Definitely worth trying. It's BYOB, wish I would have known that before...

    Zaran E.

    I came here for lunch to pick up . I got grilled shrimp with Cajun pasta for their lunch special . The shrimp was excellent 10/10 but man the pasta is extremely lacking . The pasta is very over cooked and the sauce is the main issue. It was very very just basically flavored water sauce. They need to find a way to thicken their sauce. Or it was just pasta with soup . I called and told them my feedback they denied me a half off refund which is fine. This place is still normally really good other things I order just the pasta I hope they can fix.

    Kay D.

    It was very good but if you are sensitive to MSG do be careful we had two people in our group get super dizzy after eating. The service was nice and the portion size and price were great.

    Carol C.

    We came to south x Saigon on a Friday night and they were very busy. Expect to wait if coming on a weekend night. Once we got seated, the service was quick and food came out accordingly. The crawfish were good and big size BUT I was disappointed in the other food items. The wings were dry and kinda bland. It wasn't super bad but I didn't care for it. The chicken skins had zero flavor and only tasted like eating crunchy oil. Boudin balls were also disappointing and the cheese didn't add any extra flavors.

    C8. Live Crawfish (11.99/lb)
    Christina M.

    I came to eat here with some of my family and it did not disappoint. Service is friendly and fast and staff is accommodating. We had several items off the menu and all of them were good. We had some amazing crawfish that gave all the spice and flavor you could ask for. The size was what you look for also. I'll definitely be back again whether it's crawfish season or not. They have so many good items on the menu!

    C2. Boiled Snow Crab Per Lb

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    4.4(135 reviews)
    3.0 miAlief

    This spot is low key with a nice, clean interior and friendly service. I visited here to check out…read moresome noodles and crawfish. When I arrived there was nobody dining in the restaurant, that was a bit worrying, but I figured it was a bit early for the dinner crowd and late for the lunch crowd. Food & Drink - 4.5* First up was the noodles, I enjoyed them, but I wouldn't say the hype I'd heard about from some others was there. They had nice flavor, but there just wasn't anything "special." 3.5* Then it was on to the crawfish, and my oh my. Superb, the flavor is delicious and unique. This more than made up for the noodles dish. The potato and corn was good too. Service - 5* Solid. When I first arrived the owner was quietly reading a newspaper and eating his own lunch. He paused to greet me and advised that I could sit anywhere. He provided water and adequate time to determine what I wanted to order. The food came out quickly and he checked in a few times to make sure everything was ok. As time went by, the crowd of folks showing up increased quite a bit and he still managed to check in on tables consistently. Pricing - 4* This is where it was odd. Always subjective but I found the noodles to be overpriced for not only the size but what I felt was a pretty simple dish. The crawfish on the other hand was priced very competitively and made up for the overpriced noodles. I provided pics of the menu for someone to make their own assessment but in general I thought many of the dishes were pricier than they probably should be. I know inflation is certainly killing many businesses and consumers but even these felt a bit off. Overall - 4.5* This is definitely going to be one of my go tos for crawfish when in the area. The flavor is fantastic, the pricing is good, the size of them were solid. There are a couple of other dishes I may try on the next visit. The restaurant is clean, the owner is very nice, and it's a nice low key space to just enjoy a good meal with friends or family.

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