The Museum District is one of the few areas of Houston that doesn't have a significant Vietnamese presence, which is what makes Miss Saigon Cafe stand out as one of the only pho options. The vibe is homey and small with lovely service to boot, but unfortunately that's where the appeal ends. The food was a big bust for my group and I.
I can't stress it enough: I love the family that runs this place. The grandma is incredibly friendly and extremely kind to us. We loved the complimentary sour yogurt and gesture with the grapes. The rest of the wait staff was fairly attentive, despite being extremely slow with everything from food to getting the check to even filling the our waters. Still, good service is one of the most critical elements of a business and thus, 3 stars.
The vibe can be described as quaint but comfy. The seating arrangements are small enough for a casual date night in the neighborhood, but good enough for mini groups to feast as well. The mural on the wall is an interesting decor choice and I haven't seen a large crowd here apart from lunchgoers in the area.
That's where the buck stops sadly. My pho dac biet was a disappointment with broth as dark as coffee and meat that was tough from being overcooked. I appreciated the fresh herb condiments but they didn't save the bowl. Pho ga was also a disaster with the same dark broth and chunks of chicken breast.
Bun thit nuong was not much better. The pork was very underwhelming and the noodles were sparse. I think the cha gio were marginally better but I'm not even sure they're made in house. Banh xeo was easily the most disappointing since it was semi-soggy and the stuffing was also minimal. We didn't even apply the fish sauce and it was already falling apart.
I realize that there's an audience for everyone, but I'm clearly not the target demo in this scenario. I may come back but not for a very long time. read more