We had a pretty average visit I'd say, nothing outstanding but nothing bad. We went on a Monday night so it was empty, at least when we first got there. We were immediately greeted and sat down. I ordered a water and my bf originally ordered a sweet tea but that was definitely not a good choice and he ended up changing it to a sprite. I had not been here before but had heard good things. We came here because we specifically wanted pho. The menu was pretty extensive and there were other options if pho isn't your thing which is nice. You can also make a pretty wide range of modifications, which helps as well. We both ordered the pho tai nam (#3) however he got it with ramen noodles and also added on 2 marinated eggs. I had half of one of those eggs and I really enjoyed it, and I'm not a huge egg person. Overall the flavor wasn't bad. We enjoyed it. We had plenty left over and it was even better the next day when the flavor set in more. I would go back to explore more of the menu for sure. read more

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We drove all the way from Clearwater beach to eat at this restaurant. It's 12 noon they opened at 11 am. We walked in all the chairs still up on tables. Two people waiting to pick up to go orders. Two tables occupied. The waitress informed us NO ONE showed up for work except the cook ! She was a waitress from restaurant next door who came over to help! She was nice, handling the stress pretty good but we couldn't wait either . We Will go to next pho restaurant in town. Then as we are leaving the restaurant to our car we see the cook running across the restaurant to the Asian market ! That poor chef. If it was me I'd be telling the owner you are closing for the day because no one showed up . read more

Truly enjoyed the food here. It's really laid back. Service is pleasant. They can answer any question and have a good recommendation if you're not sure what to get. Lighting is a little bright but bearable. This spot is definitely a good to when you don't know what to cook. IYKYK :-) read more

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Overall, our experience was fine. We ordered the pork belly boa buns, which were definitely amazing. The boa buns were soft, the pork was cooked perfectly, and the hoisin sauce at the bottom of the bun was amazing. There were vegetables on top, including cucumbers that tasted sweet and carrots. The vegetables were fresh and tasted great with everything else. We also ordered the crab Rangoon which I personally really liked. I don't like fish, and this crab Rangoon must have had a large amount of cream cheese base. I personally really enjoyed it since the crab wasn't very prominent. The filling was creamy, the Rangoon was crunchy, and the sweet and spicy sauce it came with made a perfect combo. For our meal, we ordered the chicken pad Thai. Unfortunately, it didn't really meet our expectations. The pad Thai was sitting on top of a sauce at the bottom, which tasted like a hoisin sauce base. The taste was very minimal, which was disappointing. The noodles were soft, almost like they were overcooked. The chicken was cooked well and lightly seasoned (which worked perfectly for the pad Thai). The vegetables on top of the pad Thai were also very fresh and you could tell they were freshly cut. The lack of peanut/pad thai taste was the most disappointing part that unfortunately lost it for us. The service was good. When we walked in, we were immediately greeted and were able to select our own table. The inside is decently small, with around 8 tables. read more

Stopped by after the Gator basketball game for a some warm comfort food to go. The waiter who helped take our order was very friendly and nice as we asked questions about different menu items. My mom ordered the veggie pho and I ordered the spicy beef noodle soup (Bun Bo Hue) with a side of chili oil. The interior of Zen noodle is small but very aesthetically pleasing. I love the wall with Zen in big letters and how intimate the setting seemed. When we got home, the broth for our pho was still piping hot. For my broth, it consisted of a rich beef broth that had hints of lemongrass. The broth was very flavorful and slightly sweet and citrusy. I did not detect any spicy when tasting the broth as described. I love spicy food and thankfully I had asked for the chili oil to jazz it up. The beef balls and sliced ribeye were so huge and good from soaking up the flavor of the rich broth. The noodles were these thick tapioca noodles that were very chewy and soft in texture. I really liked the Bun Bo Hue soup however I probably wouldn't order it again unless I added chili oil since I was expecting a spicer broth. However, I would like to try some of their pho soups and noodle bowls. read more

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Pho tasted like dishwater. College town service. Did not feel staff understood requests and capable of providing adequate needs of patrons. Would not recommend. read more

We had a bad service at Zen noodle bar. It took them a while to greet us and after our server took our order it took them 15 minutes to give us our drinks. Our food thankfully was delicious but after they delivered it the server asked if we needed anything else and I asked for a fork and he still forgot that. It seemed like their staff was prioritizing the online orders over the people in the restaurant as it wasn't busy when we went. The food was good but the service wasn't. read more

ZEN Noodle Bar - Korean bulgogi bowl - Vietnamese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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I come here all the time and I get the #3 Pho. They give great service and portion size. It's very chill in atmosphere and the food is great. read more

ZEN Noodle Bar - Pho #3 - Vietnamese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I got the pho and crispy duck soup. The portion was huge. The pho broth was great. The crispy duck soup was not impressive. Duck was very dry. read more

I've been wanting to try this place for awhile now and finally got around it! I ordered the Bang Bang Bahn Mi, which left me impressed. Full of flavor and packed with protein, it stands out as the best Bahn Mi I've had in Gainesville. I'd reorder this dish and highly recommend it. We also ordered the Spicy Korean Stir Fry and the Wok Noodle Bowl with Lemongrass Chicken, both of which were delightful. However, I might opt for a different protein next time as the Lemongrass Chicken didn't quite hit the mark for me. The staff at here were friendly, and we enjoyed the ambiance of the outside patio. Overall, I'd love to return as a fun quick spot to grab lunch! read more

ZEN Noodle Bar - korean stir fry - Vietnamese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Our first time in Gainesville we went to a Zen and we'd go back to that one but this one off 34th will be a no return for us. Service wasn't good as the server wasn't welcoming. I'll give it a 2 for cleanliness as the restroom wasn't clean and smelt bad. The food was NOT as good as the other one nor was the portion. Highly disappointed and wasted money read more

ZEN Noodle Bar - Vietnamese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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This place is mid at best. It wasn't terrible but it def won't be a return spot for me. Service was so slow, bathroom was kind of dirty. The bao wasn't a very good flavor. Wontons over cooked. The spring roll was decent. Dumplings were def frozen and dumped in a fryer. Only thing I really liked was the Thai tea. read more

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The pho here was amazing! Our server was super nice and we loved being able to sit outside. We will be back! read more

ZEN Noodle Bar - Pho. - Vietnamese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Disappointed that they took the pan fried noodles off of the menu. It was my favorite and go to eat.

Just tried this place again for the second time and really enjoyed the bulgogi beef bowl. read more

ZEN Noodle Bar - Vietnamese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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A fun little noodle bar in Gainesville! Visiting from out of town on a cold night, we stopped into Zen hoping for a warm bowl of soup- and Zen delivered! We loved the bulgogi ramen, a creative blend of Korean and Japanese cuisine, with a generous portion size for leftovers to take home. We had excellent and kind service, and we'll be sure to return our next trip to Gainesville read more

I ordered for take out, the Pho was delicious(hearty and full of flavor) and cant wait until the Jonesville location opens up which is closer to me. read more

This had got to be the cutest little place with the BIGGEST flavor in town! I finally FINALLY got to try a Korean/Vietnamese restaurant out for the first time in my life and I was NOT disappointed. This great little restaurant aims to please every palate. They have Korean dishes, Vietnamese dishes, Japanese flavors and some Thai. I was impressed that they had kimchi fried rice on their menu so I definitely HAD to get some. But then, I was torn because of all the variations of Phō. My husband wanted something simple that wouldn't overwhelm him, so he got the classic combo noodle stir fry. Myself, I ended up trying an appetizer that I'd heard about before that my husband made a bad face and shook his head NO. That's alright....more Takoyaki for me!! I chose Kimchi pork fried rice and a small bowl of Phō and noodles on the side. Wow! Excellent choice on my part. My nose may have been running afterwards, but oh my! The delights that ran across my tongue...onions, spicy cabbage, garlic, ginger, peas and carrots (no egg because I'm allergic)...thinly sliced pork--so tender. I know my husband was like, meh. But he's not an Asian food lover like I am anyways. The possibilities are endless here. They are so nice and so quick with service...everything hot and fresh. If you yelp like I do, it even activates a 10% off coupon when you check in (much to my surprise and delight). So what have you got to lose? If you enjoy Asian cuisine and like a lil spice in the bowl, at least give them a try. I know I'll be back (probably by myself next time lol). While the front of restaurant parking is handicapped only, there's an enormous parking lot just in back of the building, so don't panic if there's nothing open right in front or next door. Just pop inside for a big piping hot bowl of noodle soup...perfect in this weather or really, any kinda weather! read more

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I ordered with uber eats and the food carries very well, the bun bo hue tastes really good and is packaged considerately.

Very quick and amazing service! My server, Ty, was very friendly and helpful. I ordered the original milk tea and zen ramen with pork belly and would absolutely recommend both. The ramen ingredients had a mild flavor, but the broth was enough to make up for where the toppings may have fell short. The atmosphere is wonderful, and even dining alone I felt very comfortable and welcomed. 11/10 service 9/10 tea 8/10 ramen Definitely will be coming back! read more

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Key note: Service was great, server was kind and absolutely on point. I was excited to try their pho. I'm not surprised, just disappointed per usual by the lack of quality in the food industry. Food safety is not their number one priority. Basil, cilantro, and my god, last but not least, the bean sprouts were beyond past expired. I'm now back home, not even 45 minutes later, sitting on my toilet enjoying a night of a burning asshole. The liquified, raw bean sprouts (bean sprouts alone carry a high risk of susceptibility for: salmonella , listeria and E. coli) were a disappointment. The photos speak for themselves. Edit 1: 3 sessions and 15 minutes in total later and I finally caved and took an Imodium. Edit 2: Woke up this morning still with an upset stomach. Just so fucking sick and tired of issues like this. This is why I don't go out anymore, and eat at home. So tired of this crap happening! Get your shit together! YOU KNOW THIS IS ROTTEN, STOP TRYING TO SLIDE PAST ONE ON YOUR CUSTOMERS. CYCLE YOUR FOOD PROPERLY! YOU CANNOT TELL ME YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT ROTTEN OR EXPIRED PRODUCE LOOKS LIKE. read more

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We wished it was more authentic similar to the one in Tampa. The BBH was merely a fixed up of a mistake order they made for us.

I looked up this place on yelp when I was in the area it looked like a good place to try so I ended up ordering some of the fried rice I would say it was very good I added yum yum sauce to my fried rice which to me makes any rice better lol but I would definitely recommend this place if your in that area. read more

ZEN Noodle Bar - Zen noodle - Vietnamese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Went on a rainy Sunday afternoon and had a great experience. I had the char siu pork bahn mi and my parents and bf had ordered ramen bowls . It was all so flavorful and honestly better than most places in Gainesville that have ramen bowls on their menu. The meat and shrimp in the bowls was nice and tender. Bowls came out hot and great portion which my bf and I split one together . Service was quick and the servers were friendly. It wasn't too packed inside and it was a great place to catch up due to how quiet it is inside. Which the bahn mi had a little more meat but it was all very tasty. read more

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Nice vibe and food. Tried both ramen and pho. Parking was easy，not many customers on a Monday evening.

After a day after church and a rainy day, this place was great. My husband, son in law and I ordered ramen bowls soup, and my daughter ordered chair siu pork bahn. The food arrived fast and hot. The waitress was very friendly. The place is not very big, but it feels very good and the atmosphere is relaxing and quiet. I had never eaten ramen bowls soup before, and I liked it a lot, a lot of flavor, the ginger flavor makes it very refreshing. read more

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I usually don't write negative reviews but sometimes honesty must prevail. Food took 45 minutes and they weren't busy. Egg rolls were burned. Drunken noodles arrived with a negligible amount of noodles. When I asked the server I was told that was all they had. He did offer other types of noodles, but only after my food was served. Tofu tasted like kitchen sponge. Should have just gone to Hana in Celebration Point. I don't know why I keep wasting money on other restaurants. read more

Thank you Matt for a great experience! Loved my soup and the service. Really cute place I'll be back. read more

A very light meal that's still very fulfilling. My favorite is the shrimp Pho add ribeye. As I'm ordering for the 4th time this week I realize how important reviews are so I decided to add one myself. My only complaint is that servers would wear gloves when handling food. Other than that 10/10 on the food! read more

ZEN Noodle Bar - Shrimp Pho add Ribeye - Vietnamese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Love coming here, food taste very fresh and I love the intimate atmosphere of the place. read more

ZEN Noodle Bar - Vietnamese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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The pho was okay, but I'm giving a 2 due to inconsistent answers to my inquiries. Earlier today I was told Filipino Adobo would be ready for dinner, but when I called at 5pm--an hour after they opened--I was told they haven't made any in days. On Friday, the staff said they had "just run out." So which is it? Some consistency in communication would go a long way toward building trust. read more

Service was amazing! The waiter was very nice and the food is absolutely amazing! First time there and we will be back read more

ZEN Noodle Bar - Food - Vietnamese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Outstanding everything, food, service! Matt was awesome! Love this place and will be back!

Have been eating here regularly for a year or so. Today I was told by the manger I could not order/have an extra sauce even though it's clearly on the menu. I asked why not and they said they were too busy (8 people in restaurant and our table was 3). Never been told I couldn't order something that was on the menu. Felt like I was on an episode of Seinfeld. Def won't go back. read more

Sadly Zen was very disappointing on our most recent visit. First time about a year ago, the food was worth the wait. Today was a big drop off in service and quality. After placing our order they waited 30 minutes to let us know they were out of pork belly. Then a 20 minute longer wait to get our order. Ramen was subpar, very salty broth without much other flavor. Bulgolgi bowl had mostly cilantro and rice but not much bulgolgi. Very disappointing. read more

Meh. Decent food, but nothing special. I really wanted to live this place, but service was slow and the prices were high for what you got. I prefer Bangkok Square (I know this is a totally different experience). It was bad bad, just to be clear, I enjoyed the food, but won't be back anytime soon. read more

Great food! It was my first time eating here and truly amazing, everything is made from scratch so they do any substitutions! read more

ZEN Noodle Bar - Zen ramen - Vietnamese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Excellent pho! While visiting Gainesville for a few days, I was really in the mood for pho one rainy night. Had to circle the parking lot to find small cozy restaurant tucked in the center, (my GPS kept saying I had arrived out on the main road). Their pho is delicious! The broth is so flavorful, and the eye round was sliced super thin, making it tender and easy to eat. Service was wonderful. I was dining alone and several employees stopped to check on me, to ask if I needed anything. read more

The food was incredible, both soups were very savory and generous with the meat. The staff was attentive and the food was out in a timely manner. read more

ZEN Noodle Bar - Zen ramen with pork belly - Vietnamese Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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It was very hot inside for some reason, the chicken was unmarinated for my dish and they forgot to put the right sauce on my brother's pad thai. My noodles tasted great! But it really wasn't good value. They could definitely stand to knock a few bucks off on all menu items, especially considering portion sizes. read more