Lemongrass tofu. It doesn't sound like it would be all that appetizing to many people, but it's delicious. Each cube is full of flavor, and it doesn't taste like grass contrary to what the name might have you think. Each dish I've had here has been good, and the tofu is part of it. The rice noodles are prepared well - good consistency, and they soak up the flavor of whatever sauce or broth they're served with well. I haven't really had much Vietnamese food in Austin (aside from banh mi, but I haven't tried one here yet) so I can't really compare, but every table does have a bottle of hoisin sauce and sriracha, so they know what they're doing. The staff is friendly, and like a true Asian establishment, they don't really bother you much at all once you get your food. I do think it's a little more pricey for Vietnamese food than most other places I've seen, but it's worth it every so often for a hot bowl of pho (and it does stay hot for a while) and some Vietnamese coffee. Miscellaneous tidbits, if it's helpful: there's a small parking lot, there are 3 TVs or so, and you go up to the counter to pay after you're done eating. read more

Yaya Cafe - Vermicelli with fried lemongrass tofu - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Amazing, have been coming here for almost a decade and I am never disappointed. That one lady being a piece of work about "not getting enough meat" must be having a bad day or a case of the lying bug, because I absolutely love everything I get at this place and they always supply ginormous portions for the price!! Lady who wrote a bad review, this is for u :) I'm sorry you have a stick up one of your orifices, but I will defend this place until the day I die read more

One of the most expensive bowls of pho I've ever had, and one of the smallest portions with extremely minimal meat. Not a good combo.

Great food! Has a super cute and cozy feel that's hard to get in Austin. Good place to pop in for a meal or grab takeout, especially with such a convenient location on Guad. Super respectful and cautious of food allergies and goes above and beyond to keep customer safe; easily accommodated a mild seafood allergy and treated it with the utmost caution. The attention to detail reflects well on the restaurant, and I cannot praise their diligence enough. read more

Very very delicious. I got the chicken and shrimp crepe and it did not disappoint! Might be the best egg rolls we've had too! Friendly staff as well. My husband ordered the combo fried rice. And he says that it is one of the best fried rice in town. Can't wait to come eat here again. read more

Yaya Cafe - Chicken & Shrimp Crepe. Fried Egg rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

The rice vermicelli with beef was delicious. Beef was seasoned great and perfectly complemented the rest of the food. Really great service. Try this place out if you haven't! read more

Always great customer service, quick and simple ordering. Food taste amazing and the smoothies are with real fruit. Highly recommend

Came for a friend's birthday for desert. Got the Texan. The key with the Texan is to get it with extra condensed milk. This is because of the way they make it. It looks super impressive at first: lots of fruit, three scoops of ice cream in a tub of shaved ice. But then you realize that its all a thin veneer. Al the fruit and condensed milk is just on top, so once you get past that first layer, you'll need that condensed milk to add flavor. That sudden realization that the fruit is just that thin layer knocks off a star. The green tea ice cream packs a solid punch; very strong tea flavor just in case you've never tried it. Mangos and berries are the way to go. read more

Yaya Cafe - The Texan - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Decent pho. Not too salty, attentive service, lots of Thai basil and TWO limes. I just wish the broth had more depth and a few more pieces of beef. Also parking is a beep here so I don't even bother trying to find a spot in their parking lot but I just go up the side street then cut through the grass. Can't keep me from pho! read more

Nicest staff. Freshest veggies. Reasonable prices. Best peanut sauce. I'm addicted to the tofu spring rolls because I get a couple servings of healthy vegetables in me without noticing. Plus, so much good soup to fill me up or soothe my throat during all the allergy seasons. It's locally owned by SING who is so welcoming. There aren't enough places to park so come early or park across the street and walk over. I'm addicted. See you there! read more

The food and service here were really good! We did come during a low tide, but everything was great! Their. Pho was really interesting. It was more milky than any other Pho broth I've had. It also didn't. Leave that 2 hour later thirsty feeling, which I typically attribute to msg. I'm inclined to think that they spend a long time boiling the bone to get such a broth. We also ordered the sizzling crepe, which was amazing as well. This place has a substantial number of vegetarian options which makes it good to bring friends over. This place has a nice ambiance and the staff was prompt in water refill as well. Overall for the slightly higher price of food, it's say it's worth it! read more

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Since the weather has cooled down, all I've been craving is some pho, and Yaya has been amazing! They are really nicely located and the food is so good! Singh is also very friendly and remembers his return customers! I highly recommend this place! read more

My husband and I were craving a hot bowl of soup on a rainy day, so we decided to visit Yaya Cafe for lunch. It was a Tuesday afternoon, but we were the only customers at the establishment, so we were promptly served by the friendly and attentive server. We ordered fried egg rolls for appetizers and two combination pho. There isn't much to say about their fried egg rolls; we got exactly what we expected. As for the pho, the broth was more on the clear and light end --which wasn't a problem, but something that stood out from the other pho places we've been to in Austin. Both of us thought that there was a decent amount of rice noodles, but not enough meat for the combination we ordered. However, what surprised us the most was the price we paid for our food. With two bowls of pho and two pieces of fried egg rolls, we ended up paying over $50 including tip. The food was OK, but because of the price, we're not sure if we'll be coming back. read more

$10 bánh mì is outrageously over priced and not worth the wait. The only reason for buying at yaya was because I was on a tight lunch break and craving a sandwich. The sandwich came as a long thin bagguet, which I was not expecting. I'm used to a much more substantial bagguet - chubby in the middle and narrow at the ends. If the bread is made in-house then someone has got to be retrained on baking the bread properly fit for any Bánh mì. The sandwich lacked much of the pickled veggies that I love. Overall, it was just ok. I cannot comment on the other dishes, which were priced similar to the sandwich purchased. I will not be buying sandwiches here, but rather at Van's Bánh mì down the street instead. read more

General Tso- Served with side of lettuce, salty, not overly breaded. Not spicy, not super red. Lightly breaded chicken, with some broccoli. Several dried chilis but still not too spicy. A little pricy at $13 for the amount of food. Banh Mi is kinda lackluster especially considering the price. I do like their spring rolls and fried egg rolls and their vermicelli bowls are probably the best value. Owner is generally very friendly. read more

I ordered pho with bbq beef and dumplings and Vietnamese coffee. The coffee tasted burned and was iced, which I don't love, but the pho was divine! The broth was sweet and savory, the BBQ beef (though sparse) was perfectly seasoned and tender and the wontons were perfect! read more

Yaya Cafe - Pho with BBQ beef and dumplings - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I'm not sure where the shaved ice was, but who cares! My broke self wants to give a 4.5 just because my wallet feels a little thin....but hey that's the price for a happy belly. (seriously it's not actually that pricey...) Earns the hard sought 5 because the staff was friendly, food was delicious, and the overall environment was definitely something I'd come back to. We ordered pho, spring rolls, and sesame chicken. I'm normally not a fan of seafood entering my mouth but these spring rolls found a way. If you're looking for a semi quick bite and friendly service, you can't go wrong with your morning cup o' pho. read more

Yaya Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I'm vegan and a pho connoisseur, it is so so hard to find really good vegan pho. This place does it right!! Delicious noodle soup, perfect noodle and broth. I was hesitant about some of the other reviews but sometimes you just have to find out for yourself. This place deserves a try, especially if you are vegan! read more

Love getting their food for takeout. Always delicious and great portions. The same guy helps me every time- who I assume is the owner- is very nice! read more

Yaya Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Ran in here for a quick bite to eat on a study break and got a Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi. Service was quick and super friendly and the food was delicious. The banh mi came with cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, jalapeño, all the typical toppings and I added the sriracha and hoisin sauce that's available at every table. Super tasty. The sandwich itself is longer and skinnier than most banh mis that I've seen but it was a good size and ratio of bread to filling and I honestly preferred it. Would definitely come back again!! read more

If you're a fat guy with a sagging set of tatas, and you find yourself at YaYa's with some ho you met from LaLa's, and suddenly begin to realize your life has gone to caca, then Buddy, get a grip - you can't go home again to Mama. Lose that gut, get some clothes that fit, and meet a nice wonderful woman and bring her here for the grilled pork Bánh mì. Skip the fries, they're not your friend. And quit thinking so much. read more

Yaya Cafe - Grilled pork Bahn Mi. I forgot the number. Maybe the best bread I've had yet. - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Austin has more than its fair share of Vietnamese restaurants. A few are great, some are good, and many are will do...in a pinch. YaYa falls into the last category. Based on food alone, they would have easily slipped into the 2-star level. What earns them the 3rd star is the service. The staff is always friendly and efficient. ...as for the food... The banh mi is really nothing much to rave about. Meager fillings and a pretty slim variety of sandwiches make the menu a little boring. I'd eat here again if I were in the area, but wouldn't make a trip down specifically to dine. The pho suffers the same boring menu selection. Pretty standard options. The broth is light and fairly bland. Even if I were in the area and wanting some pho...I'd probably just drive an extra 5 minutes in any direction and score a better bowl of pho. The lackluster food combined with the horrendous lack of parking make YaYa one of the last Vietnamese joints I'd go back to. read more

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TRULY a 4.5 Rating. Finally a decent Vietnamese restaurant near UT :) VENUE: Pretty nice place. I thought it was going to be super small from the looks of it outside, but it's pretty big. Albeit, you won't be able to bring in 20 people to sit down at once but it is definitely a contender for when you need some hot yummy pho broth the morning after a crazy night downtown. There are tvs too, so once football/bball season starts (the lockout is a hoax!) you can enjoy the games over yummy brunch/lunch. FOOD: OMG. Okie, Pho first. We ordered the Pho Tai Bo Vien and i MUStT say this: the BROTH is DELICIOUS. It's not like pho saigon/pho tanh where you can taste the MSG. The bo vien/meatballs were super tender and yummy. I was a bit disappointed with the beef - it was a bit chewy for my liking but overall Pho was amazing. We also ordered Cum thit nuong - or the rice entree with pork. SO good. I mean that's hard to mess up but i really liked it anyway. I DID wish for a bit more pork and we thought the eggs we ordered would be a bit runny (that's our fault for not specifying) but overall VERY SATISFYING. Lastly, we ordered the Regular-sized Shaved ice. Basically it was MOUNTAIN of ice. I wish there had been more condensed milk but the fruit and ice cream was a good way to end the meal. SERVICE: Our servers were extremely friendly and polite. I think as veterans of Vietnamese food we have a lot of expectations and demands about how we want our food prepared -- especially when we have such high standards for pho. But the guy who served and took our orders took our requests with courtesy and they didn't seem to mind (too much) that we played with the remainder of ice after we ate (we were on a mission to sculpt a house out of it). I'm so used to getting a bowl of pho within 2 minutes at pho saigon and i was cranky because this place took a bit longer (i was super hungry) BUT i WILL say this: for the time you spend waiting, you'll taste how fresh the ingredients are in your meal. Thumbs up for family-run restaurants. There's definitely more care that goes into preparing your food. All in all. I will definitely come back here instead of trekking up north for some good pho. I want to try the Banh Mi so hopefully that will be good. :) read more

Yaya Cafe - #32 - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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A Vietnamese cafe has opened up right in my 'hood! A friend and I met there for lunch yesterday. She managed to find parking in the small lot. I was not so lucky, and had to maneuver around to the defunct Marimont Cafeteria lot next door. Watch your tires if you opt for this folks, as its parking area has morphed into an obstacle course of pot holes, broken glass, debris and weeds. After crossing no-man's land, I was happy to walk into a clean, air-conditioned restaurant and collapse into the comfortable booth my friend had already chosen. The server approached immediately and asked for our orders. Not quite ready, I requested some more time. The menu had a nice variety. Wonton & bbq pork noodle soup for me. Pho with brisket and bubble milk tea for her. Aside from the skimpy pho vege condiment plate (what, no basil?), everything we ordered looked great. Unfortunately things did not go so well from here on. Both our soup broths were barely lukewarm. Not good. Mine was also strangely sweet (later on I was extremely thirsty for the next few hours). Wontons were tiny. Brisket not ideal. No tapioca pearls in the tea, as "we are making them". Apparently they were still in the process when we left an hour later; none were brought out as promised. Either that, or someone forgot. When it came time to pay out, the server rang up a higher total. I caught the mistake but server appeared confused. I finally got hold of a menu and pointed out the correct price. He then gave me a refund. YaYa Cafe has had almost a month to work out the kinks. Presumably that's still happening. Seriously though, do they not know that soup broth needs to be served hot? Really? And what's with the clueless service? read more

I'm really happy there's a legit shaved ice place in Austin now. Coco's has shaved ice but not with fresh fruit and ice-cream like Yaya's does. They're also really generous with the condensed milk which makes the shaved iced that much better. I also tried the Pho from Yaya's which was ok. It's better than Pho on the Drag but not as good as Pho Danh up north. My girlfriend had the wonton noodle soup with bbq pork. This is a very cantonese soup noodle that I grew up eating. This one from Yaya's didn't really have the traditional taste of a regular wonton noodle soup but it was still good. The noodles were cooked really well but the broth was a bit too sweet. The egg rolls we had were really good and pipping hot. Definitely try out YaYa's shaved ice on a hot summer day, it'll hit the spot. read more

Yaya Cafe - This is the small shaved ice for 1-2 people, it's still pretty big. - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

In my wife's quest for some "white girl Chinese food," I went to Yaya since it was closer to her office. Everything cost about $8-9 - whether it be pho, banh mi, or a rice dish. I got the Chargrilled pork with rice for eating in and I was taking her the General Tso's chicken to go. I figured that I'd try something a little more on the Vietnamese style. I was pretty disappointed. A spring mix salad that looked definitely more American. Add in the swirls of carrot peel and a light balsamic. Regular rice - no broken rice. Meager amount of meat. My wife's to-go. Pretty bad. It looked like the fried chicken bits you'd see in a buffet. Except we're talking shrimp size bits of chicken - about 6-7 - no real sauce on it either. If you told me that they bought it from a frozen bag at HEB and forgot to add the sauce, I'd believe you. I've had a better version of General Tso's from Trader Joe's The Chinatown in Austin isn't that good, but this just confirmed that I need to drive up to Lamar. For a restaurant with asians working the kitchen, I was disappointed that they couldn't even appease the "white girl" taste buds. I'd go to Panda Express over this place where I'd get a lot more food for the same price. read more

Yaya Cafe - Slim pickings on the general tso's chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I have only gotten takeout from here but every time I do they absolutely kill it. I love their chicken pho and just tried their bbq pork sandwich and both are amazing. The spring rolls are the most perfect spring rolls. Also the owner is so kind and personable. 10/10 on everything-absolutely love this place. read more

I have been coming here for at least five years (maybe 6? Either way a long time!) and it is hands down my favorite veggie pho. So delicious and filling, and the owner is so kind. One of my favorite dinners in Austin, cannot recommend enough! read more

Eggrolls are a mushy mess now. Wut. Pho has gotten better. Good! Bun was a loser. Noodles are yuck. Fish sauce was weak sauce...too much vinegar. Beef was suspect...did I just eat 6 day old tough bites or 2 day old tendon being passed off as beef? Tasted terrible...cheap old iceburg lettuce at the bottom...why bother? Wonton soup was delicious still...the only consistently good thing here. read more

Asian food that is inexpensive and convenient is hard to find here in Austin. The staff here are incredibly nice and I appreciate that. They give a lot of vegetables with entrees which is a plus! read more

Yaya Cafe - Orange chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

I would give this place a 3 1/2 stars if I could. Notice this place is a cafe, not a pho restaurant specifically. Pros: - Extremely nice service, spent about 30 minutes talking to the owner - Has wifi. Finished my paper there (reason for me being able to thoroughly examine the place. - Comfortable. Nice aesthetics. Clean. - Has shaved ice dessert, uncommon to many places, especially if you are from Dallas. Cons (Notice it is not a pho specific restaurant): The only con I have is about the food quality but notice my earlier comment. Yaya's sits comfortably at average on the pho. It was way better than anything you find near UT; however, the broth is lacking and the cuts of meat is not as good compared to Tan My or Pho Saigon about 5-10 minutes more down the road. I would definitely come back to this place with friends or if I need to do some homework. read more

Yaya Cafe - Combination dat biet. #19 Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

The pho here is perfection. Do yourself a favor and go get some. Right. Now. It's very fresh and not greasy, so if you're into greasy pho then I guess I don't suggest you come here for pho. But this is definitely one of my favorite pho places! The shaved ice is delicious too! I always share the small with one or two other people. If you want to top it with strawberries and also like blueberries, ask for 'berries' because then you'll get both instead of just strawberries! read more

Yaya Cafe - Combination pho. Delicious - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Came in with a friend a few days ago enjoyed my meal as usual! I had the chicken pho since it was rainy and cold out and it definitely hit the spot. My friend and I split the fried eggrolls and I will say they seemed a little small. They were around $5 and we only got two tiny eggrolls. The one other thing I'll say about Yaya is that it's a little confusing in terms of ordering and paying. I never know if I should go up to the counter to order or sit down first. But other than that, the food definitely hits the spot! read more

Second visit here. In area, craving pho and willing to give this place another try. I walked out without trying it last time because beef portion was sooo skimpy. Second verse same as the first. This time I counted 6 smaller slices of beef which were already well done by the time it came to my table. Echoing that of other reviews the broth is salty. A large order always fills me up. Not here. Overpriced and underserved. For a filling meal look elsewhere folks. read more

Yaya Cafe - Tiny slivers of beef accompany the salty broth. Still hungry. - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Waking into this restaurant it was a pretty empty so I was a little hesitant about eating here but I'm glad I did. The menu had plenty of options to choose from. The food was prepared very well and very quick. The plating of the food was very pleasant. I ordered the orange chicken over white rice and my friend ordered a pork fried rice plate. My only complaint was that the price for the fried rice was a little high. Overall this was a great experience and I would definitely come back again. read more

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Good food and great people. The atmosphere when you walk in is inviting. The owner is at the register answering questions appropriately and being super friendly. The food is outstanding. Very traditional Vietnamese food. I'm from Arlington, TX with a huge Vietnamese community and the food taste just like home. Can't wait to come back! read more

I loved it here. Sing, the owner, is so personable and the food is both healthy and so tasty. I am a vegan and they had a ton of options as well as they took great care to serve it completely vegan. Super great place!! read more

Surprisingly good! I actually parked here to go to the Starbucks, then decided to go in here for a boba tea, then decided to eat lunch! I had a bun (noodles) with pork. It was really, really good. Fresh carrots, cucumbers, bean sprouts and lettuce. I liked the pork, although not great in quantity, was of good quality. Reasonably priced. I usually like to go to Chinatown area (North Lamar) for Vietnamese food, but this was just a good and more convenient. Boba tea was good, but I'm not really an expert in this and can't compare. read more

Like everything! My favorite broth in town. Just an overall good friendly vibe in this place, super nice staff, good food, and food prices The broth has been consistently the same delicious flavor for the 7 years I have eaten here. Wonderful wonton soup and spring rolls and pho. read more

I normally don't write reviews, but I feel inclined to for this place. I ordered Banh Mi sandwiches and a noodle dish for me and a friend. Not only were the sandwiches horrible, but the meat (pork) tasted disgusting. Neither of us enjoyed our food, matter of fact, majority of it was thrown in the trash. The next day, we both had severe stomach aches as well. I called to talk to the manager to ask him about it and he immediately got very defensive and unwilling to offer any kind of help or refund for the food. I'd stay away from this place if I were you... read more