Julia Child and Herb Caen loved this place, and so did I. Some of the best and freshest Vietnamese food I've ever had. Everything is flavorful and nothing is greasy or heavy. Service is terrific. read more

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The beef pho was average, ate the bowl but not the best pho I ever had. Went at 7 PM on a Friday with a group of five and we were able to sit right away. Staff were attentive though our waiter didn't really speak English. It felt like we were in someone's living room -- felt cozy. read more

Being an avid fan of pho and having been tried literally most vietnamese places in the bay area, I always wanted to try but I was hesitant as it being located on the 6th street. My friend recently moved in around the area so I decided to give a try together. Egg rolls - 5/5. So huge, completely filled with juicy meats. The price was unbelievable. Pho - 5/5. It was def different from what I normally have, normally made with vermicelli noodle. Their beef pho was made of flat noodle. I think i prefer vermicelli more, but still it tasted so fresh, brisket meats were unbelievable huge and in good quality, super thick and juicy. Really, unbelievable for the price and Ive never had any vietnamese restaurants giving such huge chunks. My friend said it was the best pho she's had in sf. I saw other people's orders and they all looked BOMB. Even green onions in my food looked so healthy and fresh. We could tell they take a lot of pride in their food. I see a lot of people commenting on the health standards, but I haven't seen any cockroaches or rats *yet.* read more

Tú Lan - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have only been to Tu Lan maybe 1-2 times in the past with my godparent and that was eons ago. I thought their food was fantastic! Plus the area is always a bit sketchy so I felt like we were living dangerously. Recently feeling a bit curious, I ordered some delivery. My taste buds must have changed because I thought the food was just okay. Nothing extraordinary but still pretty good kind of okay. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but if I'm in the area, then this is a pretty decent option. No comment on the service as it was a delivery order. 3.5 stars. read more

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Wow, so happy, I went to Tu Lan today and got my favorite dish #20 (shrimp pork chicken beef with crispy noodle and sweet/savory brown sauce), u cant beat it...plus tip i left paying under 20 bucks. The plate was so big I only ate half and now I'm eating the other half at home writing this review. This place has been consistently amazing since waaaaay back in the day and I'm here to tell you that today they still got it. I want to say i just read a review on here from Howie N. His extremely weird and way anxious personal opinion is not anything that i would say reflects this fine establishment, he sounds very mad and drunk. Please do not give any weight to his awful review...lol. read more

Favorite Vietnamese food ever!! It's a mess of a dive, on one of the roughest streets in SF. Go for the fantastic food not the ambience.

Put Tu Lan on your bucket list!!! You will be missing out if you miss the opportunity. They are known for their Curry Shrimp Fried rice!! The best you'll ever have period! Try their chicken and vegetables. Another classic Tu Lan dish! read more

The imperial rolls are to die for. We flew into SF and ended up finding this place on google for a quick lunch. We had the imperial combo with vermicelli & the chicken curry. Both were delicious. I also had a Vietnamese iced tea. Loved it. Service was good & the taste & price of our lunch couldn't be beat! About $31 inclusive of tip! read more

The food was okay, not really the beef noodle stew I was looking for to be honest. My other friends really liked their vermicelli bowls so if I got that I would've probably enjoyed it more. Very small and cute. The staff are friendly and quick to service as well read more

Tú Lan - Bun Bo hue - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is hands down one of my favorite Vietnamese spots in San Francisco! The family that owns and runs the place is super kind and hospitable. This a great example of a little hole and the wall vibes with really great and authentic Vietnamese food at such approachable prices. I find myself coming in Any time I'm in the neighborhood. read more

I was really excited to try this place as I heard a lot of great things about this restaurant. However, this restaurant did not meet my expectations at the slightest. The Bun Bo Hue was not close to being authentic, tasting very americanized and watered down. There were only tough slices of beef and nothing else in the bun bo hue; I was expecting getting some pork blood and pork hocks, but there was none. read more

Food is not as tasty as use to be, service is wonderful but the fried rice is raw and lack of taste. We also ordered pan fried noodles combination, the noodles was no taste, the beef cut so big, maybe the cook is lazy to cut it into smaller size, not much noodles and not crunchy either. Sorry bad reviews. read more

The pork kebab combo plate had plastic shavings in it. This is not acceptable in any way. The shrimp salad rolls were good, but to have plastic in the food is NOT okay! read more

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Portion sizes are perfect, the imperial roll was huge!! I haven't seen rolls be that big but it was so delicious! Wish they gave a bit more pork, now looking back. It's a really small restaurant, smaller parties are a lot easier to accommodate. read more

Tú Lan - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is one of the only restaurants that had remained open after the pandemic's. I really like there pork egg rolls. I usually call before and they are ready upon my arrival. read more

I will never eat there again. The staff is rude, doesn't take responsibility for their errors. Food is sub par. My husband and I used to eat there alot. I feel like in the last few years we were not treated as valued customers. Never again!! read more

This is a special place. It's not fancy. It's not perfect. Yes, it's in a tough neighborhood. In it's favor: the food is excellent, the prices are still reasonable, the portions are huge, the service is efficient. The menu hasn't changed much in decades. Some of the people who work there have been there for 20 plus years. Anytime I'm there, I hear people order the Imperial Rolls first, then anything else they'd like. The imperial rolls are meaty, large, and perfectly flavored. I can't tell you if this is authentic Vietnamese food, but I can tell you it's delicious. This is a busy place, with a lot of take-out orders. A few tips: there is an upstairs room with tables (did you notice I didn't call it a dining room). If the main entryway and ground floor are packed, see if they can make space for you upstairs. The neighborhood outside is a bit crazy. Let's just say if you're picking up a quick take-out order, I wouldn't pop into the restaurant while leaving your car running... read more

Small place, but the food is great! We ordered the crab cake/shrimp tomato vermicelli soup as well as the beef spicy vermicelli soup. Both were very solid. The tomato soup was definitely lighter, but still flavorful. I'd never had this type of crab cake before, and it was fun to try! The texture is very soft, and it's kind of salty. The beef soup was also super flavorful. The portions were decent and I left feeling full, but not overwhelmed. I think the meal was a bit over $20, which is great value for the amount of food and the quality. Overall would definitely recommend, and would love to try some of their other menu items as well--there were a lot of interesting options. read more

Tú Lan - 14. Crab Cake / Shrimp Tomato Vermicelli Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

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These were the best rolls I've ever eaten in my whole life! Everything in this plate tasted great! I'd honestly pay $50 for this plate with no hesitation. Thank you for the great food! read more

Tú Lan - 24. Rice & Imperial Rolls with Pork Kebab Combo Plate - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is hands down the best Vietnamese spot in the city! The imperial rolls are so good! So far my favorite has been the rice plate with pork shish kebab and imperial rolls! I've also tried it with the vermicelli noodle. The beef pho is also very good! The service here has always been great. I wished they had some more tables downstairs, the seating is pretty limited but it's a small place! read more

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I loved the bun cha (pork and imperial rolls over vermicelli). The noodles had the perfect bounce and wasn't overcooked. The pork was still juicy and succulent. I prefer the imperial rolls at Pho 2000 in terms of flavor but all together, Tu Lan has an overall better bun cha. Skip Shrimp Spring Rolls because the skins were thick and dry. read more

Tú Lan - 17. Pork Kebab, Imperial Roll over Vermicelli, 4. Fresh Salad Shrimp Roll - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's been open long before Yelp or social media, and amazingly still here. My parents suggested this place probably 30 years ago after Dad read that the SF Chronicle dining editor took famous chef instructor Julia Child to the grimy tenderloin to have a meal. Looked forward to sitting at the bar counter to watch my meal being prepared, however they now only offer take out from their barricaded door front. Ordered a #17, asked for chopsticks and set on a quest to sit somewhere without phlegm, urine, or needles. Got to Yerba Buena's Art Center sunny grassy knoll and opened up the goods. Imperial Roll, BBQ pork and rice noodles were still warm and welcoming. Lots of chopped salad components and dressing. Nice peppery seasoning on the rolls and pork and light enough to feel mobile. Unlike a burrito, burger or fried chicken. Like the corners of my mind, the memories are still sweet. read more

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I love a good dive, and Tu Lan is that. Good food, very reasonable prices, and large portions. Gotta be careful if going at night - gotta watch out in the neighborhood. read more

My favorite Pho place in SF proper. Fast service. Yummy and gigantic bowl of pho for a very reasonable price! The Pho Bo is the same thing as the Pho Tai in other places. The beef is sliced thicker and the noodles are the thicker noodles too. Plus the broth is perfect seasoned and hearty - it feels like a warm hug. Also I recommend getting their Vietnamese coffee because it literally comes in a tiny pour over drip cup! read more

Tú Lan - Number 7 - Pho Bo. So hearty and delicious. - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

We've been coming here for years for takeout and have always loved their imperial rolls. Unfortunately, during our last two visits, the flavors of the noodle dishes and Pho we've ordered seemed bland send they forgot to give us the dipping sauce for our imperial roll. read more

A culinary landmark. Divey place since 1977, famous deep fried imperial rolls are THE must order item here. #16 Imperial rolls over vermicelli Good spot to eat at before a show at The Warfield. The place is tiny so expect a short wait unless you're lucky! read more

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My go to for vermicelli dishes if I'm craving Vietnamese food. Actually have never eaten in before (started going during COVID) - just get take out. Their imperial rolls are really good and have lots of meat. Their bbq pork is fire and I LOVE their fried fish with garlic fish sauce. The lemon beef salad is really good too. Not a huge fan of their noodle soup dishes but their rice and vermicelli dishes and the fish is a must. We get takeout from here probably once a month and I don't see that changing anytime soon. read more

Definition of a "Hole In The Wall" place is Tú Lan Cramped in off market & 6th. Navigating through drug addicts and homeless people, it was nice to step inside such a clean well kept restaurant. We had the #7 Hanoi Beef pho, simple and easy. I really don't know where to begin on describing what you get for $12.. The pho came piping hot with a beef rib hanging outside(rare beef as well underneath it). Accoutrements such as basil, soybean sprouts & jalapeños came out plentiful and fresh. Broth was packed full of flavor and clear, showing a good sign of a perfected & crafted broth. Pretty unexpected with such a high quality bowl of pho, best part is that you will want seconds! read more

I really dig this place. It serves no-frills Vietnamese food (with some Mediterranean influences) at more than reasonable prices. I used to trek over here for lunch when I used to work near the embarcadero, but now I love I can walk around the corner from my new office. Everything is good here, but I strongly suggest starting with the imperial rolls. They fry two large ones, cut them in fourths, and serve with a nuoc cham and some cucumber slices. My personal favorite is the imperial roll & pork shish kebab combination plate. read more

Tú Lan - Imperial Rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Delicious! The thick imperial rolls are the best egg rolls in the SF Bay Area. Just the right crunch when you bite into its thick crust. The filling is juicy mixed with a glass noodles! The best dishes are the ginger beef with rice and the #24 pork kebab & imperial roll combo plate. Heavenly delight! If it seems like it's crowded, not to worry. There's like a secret second floor dining area. read more

Solid place to grab a nice, warm meal before hitting up Orpheum Theatre! Generous portions to get your Vietnamese fix on, lots of noodles that don't skimp out on the meat. Will certainly be back next time around & would surely recommend to a friend! read more

I just recently started ordering from Tu Lan. When I say, they have some delicious food, it's a fact. Their fried Imperial rolls and fresh spring rolls are so delicious. The food is always warm/hot when it's delivered. The sauces aren't overbearing. I didn't have time to take a picture of the food. Everyone dug in as soon as it came. LOL! read more

I ordered through Yelp and the food took about 20 minutes before it said my food was ready for pick up. When I got there, I had to wait a long time before I got to the front only to be told to wait for 2 more minutes for my food to be done. At this point, it's been 40 minutes since my food order was out in. A few minutes passed and I was called for my order. Of all the SF takeouts I ordered, this line management was the least effective. Now why I gave it a 4 was because the food, specifically the imperial eggrolls, were soooo good! We were craving it so we ordered one side of imperial eggrolls and bun thit nuong cha goi. It was the highlight of the meal and did not disappoint. I also thought the nuoc cham was so delicious as well read more

Tú Lan - Bun cha gio thit nuong ($10.95) and imperial rolls ($6.95) - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

open kitchen, cooked to order, quick service, reasonable prices. for the location, neighborhood

Tried combo no 24 you must order imperial rolls very Recomended White rice enough for 2 persons but pork kebab you must get xtra portions read more

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To be fair I haven't lived in the neighborhood where Tu Lan is in about 5 years, but I did live in that hood for 13+ years and while I lived there I was a customer at least once a week. In fact I lived through the latest and dare I say only remodel?. Having said that This place rules. It's definitely different Vietnamese than you are used to but it's great and affordable and they don't run out of stuff. The fried pork imperial rolls are to die for. They might have been a little msg heavy but the flavor was intoxicating as the umami to salt ratio was as balanced as the crunch to cocked pork filling inside the rolls. All of this was enhanced by the vinegary dipping sauce. Vietnamese Style Chow Mein was my other go too. Crunchy noodles, veg, protein and broth, very home made feeling, tasty, restorative. So good. The VN Rice noodle is also a solid pick. Everything is good heartwarming and nourishing, plus it's classic and tastes great. read more

Got delivery from here but was very average. It took longer than expected for the restaurant to prepare the food. The bun bo hue didn't have any of the usual ingredients (like pork knuckle and blood cubes). The imperial roll portion was generous but flavor was lacking. read more

Very convenient location close to both the Civic Center and Powell BART stations. Came here looking for an affordable and tasty noodle soup and walked away more than satisfied! Beef Spicy Vermicelli Soup: The broth was very meaty and flavorful, and was not too spicy. I was happy with the amount of beef, and everything tasted fresh. Crab Cake / Shrimp Tomato Vermicelli Soup: This isn't your typical crab cake - the texture was similar to uni, except the taste was much crabbier. Definitely worth a try. The broth had a fainter taste compared to the beef soup. Overall, this was a great and AFFORDABLE experience and I'd love to come back and try out more menu items! The fish that a nearby table ordered looked delicious. read more

Tú Lan - Front: 13. Beef Spicy Vermicelli Soup Back: 14. Crab Cake / Shrimp Tomato Vermicelli Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Passing be the exterior of this place would never give you the correct impression of how good the food is in this establishment!!! The ingredients appear to be fresh and quality. The family run atmosphere is charming, the service is excellent, and the food is delicious. We loved the flavors, appearance, and speed. Ignore the exterior and come inside to experience this little slice of heaven. read more

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"San Francisco, a city where you can get a good hamburger and a bad girl at 4 A.M." - Herb Caen Herb Caen, legendary San Francisco writer, was a regular at Tú Lan. I'm not sure what his go-to dish was, but you don't become a legend by accident! Tú Lan is a legendary Vietnamese restaurant that didn't become legendary overnight. It's been around since 1977 and survived all the shady dealers in the seedy part of town. Located on 6th and Market St. ain't exactly pretty, yet even foodie legend, Julia Child, would always find her way here for her favorite Lemon Beef Salad! OG that! I've been to Tú Lan several times, a local favorite amongst OG foodies and the like. If it wasn't in such a creepy part of town I'd probably be down even more lol. Yet as noisy and scary it is outside... once you step in... it's all about the Viet food served here! Nothing fancy inside with eclectic decor and chairs everywhere. I enjoy sitting at the noisy bar where you can see the cooks preparing your meal. My go-to is always the Bún Cha Giò Thįt Nuong (#17) - Imperial Rolls with Pork Kabab over Vermicelli noodles. The fish sauce takes it up a notch. I always add the house tea to wash it down. It's a dish that runs about $10 and not only does it taste incredible, but it certainly fills you up too! In the end, I highly recommend Tú Lan, that's if you can survive the drug dealers on the corner and hopping over the sleeping chronics! Kidding aside, once you're inside you'll forget the streets outside. Imagine a spot foodie icon Julia Child would order her go-to Lemon Beef Salad. I may not be a legend yet, but anytime I want a good Bún Cha Giò Thįt Nuong I slip and slide to Tú Lan! 4... heck 5 Stars! read more

Tú Lan - Imperial Rolls, Pork Kabob over Vermicelli.. Hugh proportion! Of course in the worst part of town lol! But well worth the risk! - Vietnamese Near Me - San Francisco, California