Amazing good and service. I always get the Pho Thai- so delicious! The egg rolls are big and very delicious read more

Vina Restaurant - Pho Tai Noodle Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

We order a lot of delivery food and this was hands down the worst quality we've experienced. I ordered Pad Thai with tofu and would never have been able to tell it was Pad Thai. No sauce. No flavor. Strange wide noodles. Tofu tastes like it was fried in old oil. Vegetables were mushy and tasted "off." Everything had an odd odor. I get the sense that none of it was actually cooked today. Ordered through Door Dash so of course there were some extra fees but ultimately spent $50. Had to throw all of it out. Just didn't feel safe to eat. read more

I absolutely love Vina! Delish vegetarian options- personally I love the vegetable lomein and egg rolls. The environment is also wonderful, but if you can't eat in it's just as good to go. read more

So yummy! Never disappointed. Egg rolls and fried wontons great. Beef Lo Mien and organ chicken delicious! read more

This place stinks. It is overpriced and under taste. I do not know what they were trying to pull but my daughter and I came in for a nice lunch and we ended up paying $55 before tip. All we had was a small bowl of Pho imitation crab soup spicy fried fish and a grilled pork and egg roll salad . Not only was the food overpriced but I had to go across the street to the bank to use the bathroom. Vina may have been one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in town but now it is just an overpriced shadow of its former self . read more

Friday dinner and this place was sooooo busy. I had some Pho and it was very delicious. Next time I may have it door dashed to my house!!

I have frequented this establishment for over ten years and continue to do so. I'm eating their stir fry with cashews right now with their spring rolls. I was looking for some new place to try as I was driving there but, but, but... I knew what I was getting at Vina's. Excellent food, prepared with care, smiling hostess, and a dam good meal. It's hard to stray when it's right across the bridge. There may be better Vietnamese restaurants around but I like to keep my money in my local neighborhood, and thank god Vina is in it. read more

This place is not bad. I had the pho. The pho was good, better than average. My only let down is the portion is very small for the price. 14.99 and it didn't fill me. I could of had 2 bowls. read more

Heard so many rave reviews in another app that starts with an "F". It was awful, even after asking another customer what is the best thing to order. The egg rolls we're very garlic-ey (?) and came with what was purported to be a "fish sauce". Asked for hot mustard and sweet sauce and even those were tasteless. The Sliced Beef with Potatoes were... weird? Had to dig for the meat (think Steakums quality) and the potatoes were very hard to chew, which was strange bc they looked overcooked but were tough. One and done. read more

"I really liked it" says one of us. "It was delicious" says another. Myself, we'll see my photos. For starters the cold Vietnamese coffee is terrific! And the food portions are just right. Not super big American sized but just right. The beef salad was tender and flavorful especially with a little Sriracha for kick. I'm a fan of spring rolls and these are wonderful (I had the shrimp) Servers are fast and pretty cute too :-) I'd recommend for sure if in the highland park area and I'd add make the drive if you're in another part of town. A solid 4-Stars with a very fair pricing. read more

Vina Restaurant - Beef Noodle Salad - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Great pho in highland park The broth was amazing and they offer Saigon beer! Two dinners two drinks and an appetizer for low 30s you cant bday that read more

It is amazing the extent to which the one curry dish at many Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants all taste exactly the same. Not like any Indian and Thai style curry, more pasty and "brown." It is crucial that an East Asian restaurant make very good egg roles. It is the kiss of death to have those soggy, doughy, mealy ones that you sometimes find at reasonably priced places. These were crispy and flavorful, without too much vegetable-ness. But like everything, could use garlic and more zing. Rice - standard. Cream Cheese puffs - standard. Potato & Beef entree. I love the sliced, fried potato you find in East Asian places, and while I am leery of ordering beef at them, the beef here was OK (which is better than most affordable East Asian restaurants). I watched The Chef movie last night, about cuisine and food critics, so I'm all food critic-y today. read more

They have vegetarian broth!!!! Okay, I legitimately get excited when I can find a place that does a veggie pho. Don't judge me. We used to trek all the way to Quang to get vegetarian pho which they, more often than not, ran out of during the lunch rush. Enter Vina: a place I've lived less than 5 blocks from for the past several years. Ummm...how did I not try you sooner?!? The broth is good and the service has always been welcoming. Takeout service is prompt as well. PS: if you're a weirdo like me and are into reusing takeout containers, their to-go containers are A+++ [see through, microwaveable, and dishwasher safe!] read more

I do not love Pho , but I had beef pho here two years ago and I liked it. Cozy small restaurant, small restaurant service, on street parking, acceptable prices, standard cleanliness. My unique visit to this place went good. My friend comes here frequently and she has not brings me to places she tried and liked over the years. She was right about this local restaurant. read more

Trying to support local business during this time so I ordered Vina today - got the spring rolls, wontons and sesame chicken. Ordered it via DoorDash (I don't drive) and the food made it to my house within 30 mins. Wontons are my favorite and I thoroughly enjoyed those. Sesame chicken with fried rice was delicious. Spring rolls weren't my favorite spring rolls ever but I still liked them. I'd recommend giving Vina a try! After looking at other reviews I'm gonna try the hot and spicy chicken next! Oh, don't forget to order the Vietnamese coffee if you need some caffeine. read more

Best egg rolls in St. Paul. Good flavor, authentic Vietnamese foods. Restaurant space is cozy. Delivery instructions are executed well. Highly recommended read more

This restaurant has a few one of a kind dishes you cannot get anywhere else. Sometimes you get overwhelmed with a menu and aren't sure what to order. Well I am here to guide you. #1 seed is the Beef and Potatoes. This dish is to die for. Marinated beef with crunchy chips stir fried in. You have to eat this in the restaurant to appreciate the crispy potatoes. This dish alone is worth the drive. Seriously. #2 seed is the hot and spicy bean curd or chicken. I am by no means vegetarian but just imagine crispy, caramlized cubes of bean curd with fried onions. My mouth is watering as I write this. #3 seed is the Eggrolls. These aren't your typical fat Chinese Eggrolls stuffed with cabbage. The special thing about these Eggrolls is the rice paper they use to roll. The shell is extra crispy and tasty. I read a lot of negative reviews which was sad to see but if you are looking for some good food try the few I recommended above. It's too bad I live on the East Coast. read more

VINA has been our savory go to during these times of staying in. My husband enjoys his Mi-Wonton soup with fresh dumplings and noodles. I mix up my order every time - but each one has been top-notch and uber satisfying. This is Americanized viet/chinese food for many dishes but this is exactly the cozy and delicious feeling I'm looking for. They prefer doordash delivery. read more

Wow this place really went downhill. Kung Pao chicken with no flavor and large chunks of pineapple in it??? Beef and potatoes was beef with potato chips . Even the fried rice was blah.... very disappointing. read more

Vina Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

I wanted this to be good, but it wasn't. The Chinese food might be OK, but we ordered Vietnamese as an alternative to Quang in Minneapolis and found it not even close to being as good. Fat noodled pad Thai, hardly any lettuce in the noodle salad. The grilled beef was not grilled or caramelized in the salad. The egg rolls leaked out a quarter cup of oil. The spring roll peanut sauce was runny and completely the wrong consistency. read more

Ordered delivery through GrubHub at work today. Ordered beef pho, shrimp spring rolls, and a lychee drink. The pho was disappointing, but hey, beggars can't really be choosers, right? (To my knowledge, Vina is the only place where I can get Vietnamese food delivered to my work place. I might have to explore other delivery service options or con a friend into bringing me food at work.) The broth tastes clean and delicious, at least. I'm a big fan of bean sprouts, and was happy with how many were packed in the takeout container. The beef slices and the meatballs were meh - not very flavorful. Just meh. The spring rolls were good. I don't really have a good point of reference for them, to be honest. They came with some sort of peanut-y dipping sauce that was utterly delicious. The lychee drink I got because I'm feeling under the weather. I wish there was more of it! If you pop the lid of the cup they give you, you can fish out lychee fruit with a straw... which is totally what I did, lol. read more

I just met a man named Frank, who gave me his business card. ( VINA Highland ), He paid for my 2 groceries cause He liked my hat. We talked, and I feel like I became his friend. I will definitely try his restaurant. THANKS FRANK I will stay in touch Mick read more

I love the egg rolls and the combination fried rice. We've had pho on many occasions and it seems fresh and home-made. What a great neighborhood restaurant. read more

This review is pho/Vietnamese based, not Americanized Chinese or their take on Thai cuisine. I have to say I'm surprised this place is categorized as $$/moderate when it's clearly $/cheap. $7.75 for a big filling bowl of pho and the spring rolls appetizer I didn't try were $3.50. I was kind a worried that their pho might be Americanized too, what with the absence of tripe. Thankfully, that wasn't the case: I even saw some savvy, older blue collar guys chowing down on the stuff. The other more suburban clientele were staying in the safe zone, just (Americanized) Chinese food, despite there being a Chinese buffet across the street. First things first, I didn't need to add fish sauce. I saw no fish sauce on any table, I was a bit apprehensive about that too, but once I dug in it was detectable, but not overpowering: just right. They already know how much to put in and that you wouldn't want any more. The veggies on the plate that you add yourself were fresh, a bit stingy on the jalapenos, but there's chili oil with pepper flakes and sriracha if you need some heat. The rice noodles were done right: not limp but not too chewy either. The meatballs were some of the best I've had and the slices of beef were very thin: you won't need to give your jaw a workout. Of course, the broth was beefy as well. This Vietnamese restaurant is far removed from the concentration in Frogtown and the only option for several blocks, but based on the pho alone if you're in the area you don't need to make the extra effort to head northeast. Stick to the Vietnamese offerings on the first couple pages of the menu and I'm rather certain you'll leave happy. Although, there are a couple of exceptions on the house specialties section; I'm impressed to see they do stir fried abalone and also rice pancakes. read more

I don't get here often enough either. I'm not in the neighborhood, and there are so many other places. I do remember the egg rolls were great, and also the beef and potatoes. Not something I usually order but a waitress brought them to another table and they looked too damn good. This place has stood the test of time, where many others have not. read more

I can't report on the quality of the food because I couldn't stick around after what I witnessed. The first offense was that I saw a waitress keep some food from falling off a plate by scootching it back on with her hand. So far, not the worst thing in the world. The real doozy is that I saw another waitress blow her nose into her hand while standing over the sink. It is this combination of practices that compelled my gag reflex thereby obligating my husband to escort me out of the restaurant posthaste. read more

Vina is exactly what you would expect from an independently owned Vietnamese restaurant... Neon lighting, unhappy owner stalking tables that appear to be close to finishing, bathroom through the kitchen and down some steep concrete stairs into a dark basement... See where I'm going with this? Not great. My family and I bopped in there for dinner and ordered Pho Tai, Eggrolls, Beef w/ potato, Chicken w/ veggies, and Lo Mein w/ chicken. Pho broth was pretty heavy with the 5 spice, but I could imagine sitting at the table nearest the window with a big bowl of it on a snowy day. Eggrolls tasted like eggrolls, decent. There must've been a communication error between myself and the server because when I asked for only chicken and brocolli in the Lo Mein, I didn't mean 'hold the sauce'. Literally, boiled noodles, canned chicken, and brocolli, no sauce to speak of! Nothing a little hoisin couldn't fix. The chicken dish was slimy and tasted like powdered ginger. Yuck! And, then there was the "potato" dish. They use chips... Like Lays or Kettle brand. Soggy in sauce, undercooked onion, and beef. Chips? It baffles me. Whenever I've had a potato dish at an Asian restaurant, it's always been made with REAL potatoes, sautéed. Never chips. It was so gross, we left most of everything on the plates, flagged her down for our check (as she never checked in on us), and left, never, EVER to return. read more

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There are good points, and bad points. The service was great. It's a Pho place, or at least that's how I'm looking at it, which means I don't really expect much out of service. The service was really good. The cream cheese wontons were great, too. They came out immediately and were still glistening from the fryer. It was cheap. A huge bowl of Pho was only $7.75, and it had a lot of meat in it. But....Pho is a broth based soup, the real zing comes with the broth, right? Sorry, Vina, but your Pho broth has got to be some of the blandest Pho broth I have ever had. Like, ever. I tried it without Hoisen or Siracha. It lacked flavor bigtime. I added the Hoisen and Siracha. That didn't really do much at all. I've never tried to make Pho, I don't know how it's done, but I do know that this stuff was really underwhelming. Not sure what it is, wondering if it's the neighborhood. I like Highland Park, but it doesn't strike me as a place where ethnic food can really get away with being authentic. Sorry, Highland Park, I'm calling you out. There wasn't even an option for tendons or tripe w the Pho. Check.Mate. Despite being a Vietnamese restaurant, had way too many Chinese items on the menu, and had a sign prominently posted on the door saying "We now have Vietnamese sandwich! (Bahn Mi)." Guys, you've been open since 1980, you just get that now? How many taco joints don't have burritos? The place was busy, but most people weren't ordering Pho. Sorry, Vina. I tried. If you really want good Pho, go to Frogtown, or Eat Street. This place does not deliver, at all. read more

Moved into a nearby neighborhood last fall and just this weekend got a craving for Pho. Despite one negative review of Vina's pho - my wife & I wanted to see for ourselves. Thank god we did. I'm not sure if the prior reviewer is familiar w/ the dish, but w/o adding the basil, lime, plum sauce and sriracha it will definitely be a bland affair. While, in my experience, there can be differences in the tastiness of the broth, even w/ the best broth in the world it's still going to be pretty bland soup w/o the additions. That's why they include them. If this writer DID happen to add them... then the disappointment is on him. We got take out and tried one chicken broth version (Hu Tieu Ga) and one beef broth version (Pho Tai) ... both were very satisfying and provided a fantastic base for the other flavors. We both usually like the beef broth better at other Vietnamese places, and this was the case at Vina as well. It was rich and flavorful and pulled all the flavors together nicely and left us both slurping up the last drops from our bowls. We found the chicken itself to be quite tender w/ nary a gristly piece in the whole works. Big, lean delicious pieces of chicken. The beef was good, but a bit tougher than the chicken (as usual, in our experience). We'll definitely be back every time we want pho near home, and will likely branch out to try their other dishes. Restraunt/Decor-wise - the place looked pretty standard. Casual, clean, lots of seating available. I wouldn't hesitate to eat in. read more

My absolute favorite restaurant in the twin cities! A family owned and local secret... I bring all my out of town friends here and everyone raves about it. My personal favorites are the vegetarian egg rolls, egg roll salad and sesame seed chicken. But everything is prepared with such love and care that I've never had a bad meal here. The staff is amazing. They always remember me even after being out of state for a few years and are more than willing to accommodate menu changes and the occasional catering event. They almost seem like family now! If you are looking for a secret gem with amazing food and even better service look no further than Vina in St. Paul... It keeps me coming back even when I'm states away! read more

Surprised I haven't reviewed this place! This is a standby spot-we always come here when meeting for a movie with my family at the Highland-and my husband and I come here often on date night. Haven't been thrilled with the curry-tried that once. To be honest-I'm not usually thrilled with their main dishes-their pad thai doesn't taste like any pad thai I've ever had...that being said-my parents both ordered the specials-a chicken asparagus stir-fry, and a fried calamari dish that were great. What makes me super happy is to share an order of spring rolls and egg rolls. This is why I come. They are soso good. Great neighborhood place. One of our favorites. read more

I've said it before and I will say it again: Best. Egg Rolls. Ever. I always get the spicy chicken and my wife alternates between the Egg Foo Young, Chicken and Vegetables amongst many of their other winning dishes ... but after you eat those egg rolls from the very, very friendly lady who always greets me by name with a winning attitude ... you will be a convert. I have been eating at Vina for well over 15 years and the quality has never gone down. Like the best of the best it is not about gimmicks or show here, it is about taste and food. The egg rolls are simply the best. I am upset when I try new Vietnamese food around St. Paul (there are a TON of other options) because none of them even come close. read more

I have been going to Vina for years. I guess it's time to write a review. Today I had the pork and egg roll salad. My companion had pho. My salad was wonderful. The veggies were crunchie, the noodles were perfectly done, the egg roll was hot and the pork was tender and flavorful. My companion appeared thrilled with the pho. I know she liked it because she did not say a word during lunch. She just gazed lovingly at the big bowl of noodles, broth, meat and vegetables. Vina has the best customer service you will find. They are attentive, but not invasive. They know exactly when you need more water or your check. And the prices are reasonable. read more

First bite tasted very bland second bite tasted like sweaty room temperature slop. Feared eating any more would make me sick. Would avoid especially since there are so many good Chinese food options near by. read more

In spite of many other Vietnamese & Thai options in the Twin Cities area, we eat at Vina all the time. What more can I say? The wait staff is super friendly and the food is great. Their menu is Vietnamese with Thai leanings. The best tip is to avoid the pitfalls of ordering the "Chinese-American" dishes on the menu and stick to the authentic, especially the soups. The appetizers are good with the pot-stickers, fresh spring rolls and egg rolls are best bets. The chicken soup is anything but run-of-the-mill with clear noodles and an aromatic broth. The Hu Tieu is amazing. They serve it with fresh bean sprouts and Thai basil on the side. I suggest adding a touch of the lime a few drops of chili sauce to bring out the flavors. The only real down side is that I haven't had a "good" cup of tea in the place yet. read more

The staff made this place for me. It's your typical, hole-in-the-wall restaurant, with a great location, unremarkable food, and bathrooms stashed in a corner of the basement. But the waitstaff were incredibly kind and polite, and anticipated our needs (to-go box, check, check payment, etc) without our having to ask or even look up from our conversation. Totally floored to report that it's the best service I've had in a long time. read more

I'm in love! Good food and plenty of it. Fast turnaound, very pleasant delivery people

This is where I was introduced to my go-to dish, hot and spicy chicken. That was probably 20 years ago. Now that's what I order at all Vietnamese restaurants. I do feel bad that I never change it up but I love it so much. I rarely eat at Vina but I went there last night and got my usual...they have dinner combos for $8. It's such a good deal. You get a huge portion, then you also get an egg roll and 2 cream cheese puffs. The hot and spicy chicken was perfectly spicy. The egg rolls were ok. I'm not a regular so the servers didn't know me. But they seemed to know everyone else who walked in. read more

Amazing food! I asked for extra hot and what I got was legit extra hot thank you so much! Can't get enough of this place. Yum!

Maybe I ordered the wrong thing because the food was pretty bad. Pad Thai that used broad egg noodles like mullers brand, wrong size and density. Other components did not provide any taste. Bad Bad Bad. Wonton soup tasteless, wontons so over cooked they were mush. What a disappointment. read more