I drive from Bloomington, IL to eat here. Simply great Vietnamese food, fast and friendly service, and large servings. Try any pho and you'll be instantly hooked! If I'm in the area briefly, I'll grab a banh mi to go and it takes everything in me not to break that open on my way home! Dining in is great too. It's never hurried or loud, just comfortable. Favorite banh mi for me is the special combo, but seriously, they're all good! Same with the vermicelli bowls. Honestly, there is nothing I wouldn't order again at Xinh Xinh. read more

It was ok, the mild was too spicy and more towards the hot side of things. My Wife on the other hand loved it

Comfort food on a cold snowy day! Small restaurant making it a nice cozy spot for two but can still accommodate groups of 6! Servers were kind and hardworking! Food came out fast! I don't usually get appetizers, but we got the "Nataing Appetizer" which is ground pork with shrimp and bread chips. The pork went better with the shrimp chips, so fun to hear the crackling of the chip! I got the Pho Tai Chin -- I think in the CU area, Xinh Xinh cafe has the best noodles quality! They are my second favorite place for broth and meat. We also got the Bun Chicken Curry which is a cold vermicelli noodles bowl. I liked the flavors but I just personally think they do Pho better and would prefer the soups noodles! Overall, would love to come back for a nice bowl of pho. I probably wouldn't get the appetizer again, but the entrees were good portions for the price. read more

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Really good Vietnamese food. Highly recommend the avocado shake, shrimp cake roll (delicious), and any of their phos or vermicelli bowls. I especially love how generous they are with the pho sides--bean sprouts, basil, limes, and jalapeños. Plus the portions for the price are very reasonable. Check this place out if you're hankering some delicious Vietnamese dishes. read more

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Best place for Vietnamese in the Champaign Urbana area. It doesn't get more authentic than it does here. Xinh Xinh has the classics including banh mi and pho. Along with a lot of other authentic interesting items. The prices are pretty good for the portions and quality. A lot of good things to choose from. It was lunch and we were looking for something vegan friendly, and got it here. There's the typical Vietnamese items like banh mi and pho. Also there's authentic drinks. We got the Salted Plum Soda. It's about $3, and it was a disappointment. There was too much salt. Food is better. We got the Vegetarian Special Banh Mi. It's about $8 for a whole sandwich, and it's a good amount. This normally has mayonnaise but we got it without. Good tofu full of flavor. The sandwich was filling and made a good lunch. Has a lot of authentic choices. It doesn't have to biggest portions but prices are good. There's a few things for vegans and vegetarians. read more

Xinh Xinh Cafe - Salted Plum Soda And Vegetarian Special Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

They have the best Pho in town. Tasty broth, just the right amount of noodles, and meat. Delicious and filling.

This is SJ tier Pho. Such a relief from the other "pho" places in CU. I was so happy when I saw they actually gave beansprouts, basil, and jalapeno. The other places in this city give you like...one freaking basil leaf and a pinch of bean sprouts! Broth was very solid. Not knock your socks off but WAY ahead of any competition outside of any major city in the Midwest (read:Chicago). Certainly destroys (d e s t r o y s) any other Pho place I've tried in CU. If you miss pho, come here. It will hit the spot. read more

Xinh Xinh Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

I love Xinh Xinh Cafe's huge bowls of pho and classic banh mi, but my favorite from their menu is definitely the fried spring rolls. Their spring rolls appetizer is rolled with rice paper and filled with pork, vermicelli and vegetables. It's so simple and delicious.  The staff is also very friendly and helpful. Overall this is a great place, give them a try! read more

Xinh Xinh Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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Just outside of campus town, Xinh Xinh Cafe welcomes diners with authentic Southeast Asian cuisine. There are delectable items on the menu that are usually only made at home (ie son-in-law eggs, minced pork toast). There are the tried and true Vietnamese dishes too, like pho, Bahn mi, and Bun. Combination Pho is always a great choice, specially on a cold day. The broth is perfectly savory, hitting all the right notes. The meat was tender. The combo has a little bit of everything. So satisfying. Now, the green papaya salad is not the same as Thai Som Tum, so don't expect it taste the same. Their papaya salad has thicker strands of papaya and carrot in a dressing made with lime, fish sauce, hoisin, chili garlic sambal, sugar, fried shallots, cilantro and basil. Its flavor is sweet, spicy and nutty. The Vietnamese ice coffee was slow brewed over sweetened condensed milk, then poured over a glass of ice at the table. I'll be awake aaaaaallllllll daaaaaay. No regrets. It was a delicious end to the meal. Everything I ordered was excellent. I will definitely come back when I am in town. read more

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My food is always so good here! The owner really knows his frequent customers well. I live the pho #5 and shrimp rolls.

Will not be going again. It's too bad because they really had good fresh food. I don't know what happened with the quality. The restrooms were disgusting, look like they are never cleaned. Can't imagine what the kitchen looks like. read more

I ordered a Pho and two vegetable rolls. Love the refreshing taste! And the prices were pretty reasonable. There were only a few people inside when I arrived there, and it was very quiet. read more

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Closest to authentic Vietnamese in the chambana area. Pho has the right aromatics and they don't add strange things like carrots into the bowl. Fresh spring rolls (goi Cuon) are on point. The banh mi could be a little better with toasted bread. It's slightly pricey hence the 4 vs 5 stars but sometimes you can't put a price on the need to satisfy your Vietnamese food cravings read more

I. Love. Their. Papaya. Salad. I always get the papaya salad (with beef) and it's one of my favorite things! It's enough for a light meal and the sauce is just so good. It's not like a typical Thai papaya salad (no limes or anything), but I wish I knew what the sauces were. I also get it with their summer rolls (the sausage and tofu ones are both good!) and their pho! Very reasonably priced for a big bowl of pho! You can also just buy the pho broth ($2) and add your own meats and noodles (which is what I did below). The only reason it's not 5 stars is because the portion of tofu in the tofu rice platter was very small. It was good (I just wanted more). I will probably keep coming back for the papaya salad. Not sure why, but I really love it. read more

Xinh Xinh Cafe - Papaya salad - Vietnamese Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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This place had a really nice vibe. Our waitress was lovely and our food came out fast. Everything was really yummy!

Xinh Xinh Cafe is a nice local spot for hot pho and delicious food. Their service is pretty fast and food is always nice and fresh. The soup is perfect for a cold winter weather. Sometimes, it can be too hot so be careful! Their drinks are kind of so-so compared to their food. I like all their noodle dishes and soups. Their spring rolls are also one of my favorites. They're perfectly crispy and goes well with the various sauces they offer. My only complaint is that they sometimes go on random breaks and close their restaurant. I understand that this may be a family business, but I've definitely run into situations where I went to Xinh Xinh and was greeted by a sign that said they were closed to go on vacation. read more

My go to place for viet food on campus, but not the best obviously. Speaking from all the times I've been here, sometimes it's a hit or miss. I've had a vermicelli bowl with cold chicken, a banh mi with stale bread, etc. But, I still come back lol. My go to order is the pork spring rolls, chicken vermicelli bowl or pho or 3 layer pork banh mi, depending how I feel. Overall flavorful and big portions, so great for college kids. Their thai iced tea is also good! I've also dined in during covid and they are good with guidelines and social distancing tables. read more

Xinh Xinh Cafe - Chicken Vermicelli Bowl, 2 Pork Sausage Summer Rolls, Thai Iced Tea - Vietnamese Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

Very fresh and "authentic". So far I have loved everything I have tried. Highly recommend it. Nice decor as well. About $10 for lunch. I'm giving it five stars for the qualityand service. I wouldn't consider it a "five-star restaurant" traditionally speaking. read more

Unassuming cafe with the most incredible Vietnamese food in town. The flavors are amazing. Quick service. Lots of veg options. We tried the tofu summer rolls, veg fried dumplings, veg pho and everything was delicious. read more

Xinh Xinh Cafe - Menu August 2022 - Vietnamese Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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Incredible my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Central Illinois. I've tried others in the area but they not as authentic and the food is so much better here. read more

Owners and staff are super nice and helpful. Food are prepared fresh and best pho in the area. Strongly recommend! read more

Xinh Xinh Cafe - Tofu Spring Roll with Extra sauce - Vietnamese Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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There aren't many Vietnamese cuisines in Urbana so I ventured out to Champaign which isn't much further and stumbled upon Xinh Xinh. It's a small place and was quite packed for a Wednesday night at 8pm. I was excited to see the restaurant reach their maximum capacity because clearly that means their food is delicious, right? Meh. The service here could be improved. I didn't see chicken pho on the menu which is a first for me so I kindly asked if that was an option and my waitress rolled her eyes at me and said "no, we don't have that" with a lot of attitude in her tone. I get it. Everyone has bad days and I know not to ask for chicken pho again. The other dish I had was the short rib rice plate that comes with a small side of broth and a veggie egg role. Nothing stood out in this dish and the pho was average and extremely small portion sized. Also, they don't serve chili oil here but they do have chili garlic so I suppose that'll suffice? The food isn't bad but it also doesn't give me a mini orgasm. Will I be back? Sure, if I'm THAT hungover and need a bowl of pho because everyone knows that a bowl of pho cures all hangovers. However, I don't predict any hangovers anytime soon so until next time. Or not. read more

Xinh Xinh Cafe - Short rib rice plate - Vietnamese Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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Probably the best pho that I've ever had in town. The vermicelli bowl was super good. Fresh, light, sweet but well-balanced with the taste of the meat. Definitely should try! Recommend: pho, grilled related vermicelli bowl, summer shrimp roll. read more

Xinh Xinh Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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My wife and I were among the first guests at this amazing store-front restaurant. If I recall correctly, we were there on the first night they were open. Since, we've been back a few times, always loving it. Unfortunately, most (all?) of our favorites depend in great measure on carbs, and my wife prefers to avoid the temptation. (When she reads this, I will be in such trouble!) Tonight, being the last night before my wife comes back from visiting family, etc., I went over and had a few of *my* favorites, kinda pigging out a bit. I had the Fried Spring Rolls appetizer, some of the best Vietnamese fried spring rolls I've ever had. They are served with lettuce leaves, cucumber strips, and cilantro sprigs. The intention is that you wrap a Spring Roll, some cilantro, and a cucumber strip in a leaf of lettuce, then dip that package into the lime fish sauce and enjoy. You get a lovely combination of fried, crispy, oily, hot, cool, and fresh. I also had the Nataing appetizer. This is a small bowl (I want a big bowl!) of meaty, spicy, oily, sweet yumminess, served with prawn chips for dipping, and a few pieces of good French bread. (When they first opened, they used a different prawn chip. I enjoyed them because they were different than I'd had anywhere else. The current chips probably are a bit better, though.) The French bread works really well for soaking up the sauce and becoming bites of pleasure. I finished with a Charbroiled Beef Skewer sandwich. Very flavorful beef with a spicy papaya and carrot salad and cilantro sprigs. I wound up removing the top of the (good French bread) loaf (which I took home to have for breakfast tomorrow) because I was running low on capacity. I had a couple cilantro sprigs left from the Spring rolls, which I added to the sandwich. This made a great sandwich. I think with the top bread in place, the bread to filling ratio is higher than I prefer (partly because the meat is so very good). As I was paying, I noticed a white board with a variety of vermicelli noodle bowl dishes. At other Vietnamese restaurants, these are among my favorites, and I will have to come back here soon to try their version. Almost forgot to talk about service. Very friendly and attentive, but between the kitchen and servers, they do not understand the concept of pacing. I got both appetizers and sandwich quickly, but within a span of about 3 minutes. I suggest that if you care about such things, you order the appetizer(s). Then, when you are nearly finished with them, order the main course(s). read more

Xinh Xinh Cafe - Exterior - Vietnamese Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

No wait (1 minute) and fast service once seated. The Bun Chiken Curry and Thai Yellow Curry with Chiken Rice Platter with extra rice were so good. The Pho Tai Chin Soup with extra noodles was tasty and portion was large. read more

Love coming here for pho! The owners are super sweet and food online orders are ready quick. Love this place!

I ordered takeout online. The Banh Mi wasn't bad but I've had better. The pickled vegetables were uninspiring. The vegetable egg roll wasn't bad. A "tip" of around $2 and some change is added when you order and then you see another request for a tip when you swipe your card at the restaurant. I am always happy to tip and I presume that the first tip amounts to a service charge but I wish things were a little more clear. read more

Definitely not the best pho I've ever had, but for the Chambana area it is one of the better options. I ordered a watermelon frozen bubble tea, combination meat pho, and some tofu summer rolls. The summer rolls were fresh and large, which was so nice to pair with the warm soup. Service was very fast, although I did need to call the waiter's attention a couple times as they didn't check in on me throughout my meal. I'll definitely return here if I am craving Vietnamese food during the school year. read more

Xinh Xinh Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

Not fast and when your food is prepared fresh for you it does take time. While the Pho is great I've really taken to the spicy Todu Bahn mi is excellent! read more

Very good local Vietnam's restaurant in town! Definitely have a try!!! It's a small family business with awesome taste!!! read more

Picked up during COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurant also provide dine-in option with about 50% capacity. Their curry is quite authentic, and what really remarkable is their Special Combo Sandwich. The flavor is well balanced with great freshness, which is great for summer time. I can have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. With the price it would be a great option for casual dining. After we get through the pandemic I'll try their Pho in the restaurant. read more

With the limited pho options in Champaign, this one isn't too terrible. I wish they had more meat in their pho personally. But their vermicelli is good. I have trouble finding vermicelli in the Champaign Urbana area in general. My husband really doesn't like eating here because the portions are a bit small. If you have a bigger appetite this may not be a great choice. But if you're looking for simple Vietnamese food to satisfy your palette it's not a bad one to try. read more

It's a great restaurant with good food. The people are friendly as well. I did enjoyed the Banh Mi and the drink.

Banh Mi is good and summer rolls good. Service not bad. Fried shrimp or sausage summer rolls with peanut sauce and chili garlic sauce or Sriracha always. How dat sound!? read more

Great restaurant with great food. I really enjoyed the Pho Tai and the the grilled pork banh mi

I'm guessing Champaign-Urbana doesn't have a very large Vietnamese population, since this is somehow considered a 4-star Vietnamese restaurant. First, it took forever for our orders to be taken, and a table that got seated 10 minutes after us had their orders taken & brought out first. Secondly, I thought the banh mi (dac biet), quite frankly, sucked. The pickled vegetables overpowered the flavor of the meats, they were too tart, and there was too much of them. Something tells me most of the people raving about them haven't had legitimate banh mi. On the plus side, the guy who was working the counter was very smiley & friendly to a table with a mom & two young kids. I thought that was very sweet. read more

When writing these reviews, I know that people can't help but compare our local Vietnamese restaurant to other Vietnamese restaurants in L.A., San Francisco, or another urban area with a greater concentration of ethnic cuisine. Maybe Xinh Xinh doesn't live up to a well-traveled foodie's expectations in terms of "authenticity" or flavor or the size of their pho bowls, but the same criticism could be made about any restaurant in this town (i.e., our best restaurant can't compete with New York's best)...and quite frankly, I doubt many people could shell out $300+ and fly to L.A. just to try your favorite Vietnamese restaurant out there. Ok, rant over. So in terms of restaurants in the Champaign-Urbana area, how does Xinh Xinh stack up? The menu might appear limited, given that most of the items are just variations of banh mi (sandwiches), pho (noodle soup), bun (cold noodle "salad"), and rice plates (usually accompanied by some kind of grilled meat). However, there are usually 7 or more combinations of each dish, served with different meats, sauces, etc., so the menu is pretty extensive if you plan to sample it all. While the restaurant didn't start with many vegetarian options, they've been consistently adding more over time, and the servers are usually helpful in pointing out vegetarian dishes on the menu. You should also speak to the owner (Shai), who can tell you about upcoming dates when he plans to have vegetarian daily specials. For appetizers, I really recommend the glazed chicken wings or nantaing (spicy ground pork dipping sauce served with baguette slices and shrimp chips). The chicken wings smell a little funky, but you'll overlook that once you get a taste of them. I love the flavor of the nantaing, and I especially love the sound of crackling shrimp chips when they touch the sauce. I usually order the pate ban mih, though many people complain about the strange "metallic" flavor that is often attributed to pate. If you're feeling a little less adventurous, I'd recommend the grilled pork ban mih. I am also really impressed with the bun (noodle "salad") that they serve. Xinh Xinh's bun has generous portions of meat, bean sprouts, carrots, and lettuce (yum!), along with the usual rice noodles and spring roll. My only complaint is that the restaurant is pretty small, so it usually can't accommodate large parties unless you're one of the only patrons there. With limited seating, Xinh Xinh also fills up rapidly on busy nights, especially for their Wednesday night pho happy hour. I would suggest avoiding peak hours or getting your food to-go if you are impatient about waiting for a table. If you add Xinh Xinh as a friend on Facebook, you can get updates on their daily/weekly specials. This is really helpful for vegetarians as some of the veg-friendly options (e.g., pho chay) are only offered on certain days. read more

Xinh Xinh Cafe - Green papaya salad with grilled chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

I went here with my boyfriend and we loved it! We both had vermicelli bowls and it was DELICIOUS. I'm a huge noodle fan too, and this was probably one of my favorite noodle dishes I've ever had. It came with this delicious crispy eggroll and it all made for a perfect lunch. The only reason it hasn't received five stars from me is simply because that's all I've gotten at this place. I need to go back and try more, but the vermicelli is just so good! UPDATE: Just went back with the bf and sister this past week and officially added another star. The vermicelli bowls are just too good, especially for Champaign. read more

Xinh Xinh Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

It's a bit past 9pm on a Saturday night and I call Xinh Xinh to see if they're still open. I've never been, but I'd heard good things, and I had a hungry crew of people from out of state to take care of. Closing at 9:30? We can make it... Good thing I did call, because they were about to close up shop early for the night. It's a small place owned and run daily by one guy (Shai), so it's a forgivable practice. Just make sure you call ahead if it's near closing time. We felt a bit embarrassed coming in, but Shai made us feel completely welcome and we never felt rushed at any point in the night. Since we were also the last patrons of the night, he took the time to make sure we were satisfied and chatted with some of my friends who from his home state of California. I've had a lot of pho in my time, but the broth here was much more flavorful than any other place I had been. The meat balls weren't as dense as I'd have liked (that's what she said), but overall everyone was happy with their soup. My one sick friend said she felt considerably better once she finished, so yay pho! Protip: they take credit cards and are open Sundays now. Shai mentioned a Sunday special on Pho, though I don't know if it was just that Sunday or every Sunday. read more

This is one of my favorite spots in Champaign. It is off campus so not an overwhelming amount of loud students, and the staff is just so nice. It is kind of pricey compared to most on-campus places, but I think it's worth it. Their Pho is probably top two I've had around here. The noodles are my favorite part, they're really chewy and not overcooked. Their broth is also quite good and the portion is decent. Wish it had a little more meat, but I deal. Their appetizer spring rolls are really crispy and yummy as well, and the sauces are great. I would REALLY recommend their thai iced tea and coffee. SO good. I crave it. Their thai iced coffee comes separate, so you can pour it over your ice yourself. Love that. read more

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