The Tastiest Vietnamese in Boston

Banh Mi Huong Que

★★★★☆ 4.2 (93)

"I wanted something quick to eat and this place was it! There is no indoor seating and is just a to-go place. I love bahn mi and I ended up getting #3, fancy pork (idk what that means) & pork belly. The sandwich itself was really good and the meats were perfect. I came in the evening and I like that the bread was still fresh and not stale."

Le's Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (761) • $$

"Been years since I was back at Le's but came for a quick meal before a show with my wife. Our server was super friendly and attentive. The food was delicious, portions fresh and large and price was reasonable. Honestly impressed this spot is still so solid!"

Banh Mi Ok

★★★★★ 4.6 (125)

"This spot has been on my list for awhile and I finally tried it on a rainy lunch day.S4. BBQ Pork Banh Mi - the baguette is so pillowy and crackly. One of the best banh mi baguettes I've had. The pork was tender and seasoned well. The pickled carrots and daikon added a nice crunch and texture. The jalapeño added much needed heat. If you pay with card, there is a service fee which I didn't realize until I looked at the receipt after I left. Bring cash!"

King Do Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (58) • $

"BEST sugarcane juice in the city! All the proof you need is in my picture. Because sugarcane takes so long to ship to Boston, it generally isn't fresh and comes out more green/gray, oftentimes with a bit of sand collected at the bottom if it hasn't been thoroughly washed. But here, it is golden yellow. It's the closest you can get to what it's like in Vietnam while in Boston. Although I generally come here for their nước mía, I also love their smoothies. They also serve a variety of hot foods and bánh mì, and do a great job at catering. Support your local businesses!"

Pho Pasteur

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (1591) • $$

"My friends and I stopped in at Pho Pasteur late on a Friday night. We actually stayed until closing. The staff was very kind about informing us that it was almost time to close. It's a pretty casual spot, so don't expect fine dining! You know it's a good sign when it's always busy.Sadly I lost the pictures of the actual food... but thankfully I still had the reciept, so I know exactly what we ordered! We started out with the Spring Rolls, which were absolutely fresh and delicious. Nothing beats the sauce on the side. Two of us got the Beef Noodle Soup and one got the Vegetable and Tofu Noodle Soup. Both soups were excellent and the potions were huge!"

Saigon Chicken House

★★★★☆ 3.9 (75) • $$

"I have been meaning to try Saigon Chicken House for a hot minute now & today I was finally able to see what the hype was about!I tried one of their signature dishes, bó nè, which is beef, sunny side up egg, jalapeno, and onions on a sizzling hot plate with some pâté + BUTTER (omg!). I paired this meal with a limeade because lately I have been absolutely OBSESSED with limeade (if you like lemonade, you need to try if you haven't !)The limeade here is perfect, not too sweet & not sour. Fries and a baguette come with an order of bó nè to dip. Taste: It was SO GOOD! Very delicious comfort meal, perfect for brunch. This dish comes in small or large size, and also an XL size too I believe. The pâtè with the beef and runny egg was chef's kiss. AND with the baguette too?? YES. So glad I was finally around in the area to try Saigon Chicken House. I will definitely be back soon to get bó nè and try some of their other dishes. Highly recommend if you're in the Dorchester/Fields Corner area!!!"

Pho & Thai Westborough

★★★★☆ 3.9 (47) • $$

"I came here with a friend to try for lunch. Overall very happy with the experience. Since they are relatively new and still covid, doesn't seem hard to get seated. Staff was very friendly and we decided to try the Pho given if it is in your name, it should be a star dish.We started with the spring rolls which were great. Light and with good house dipping sauce. For the main course we both tried different Pho.In short lunch was great. Order was correct, food was delicious. Service was excellent as well. In short everything I would expect and will definitely make me come back."

Pho Bistro

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (316) • $$

"We got pho bistro for pick up for our dinner wnd we got the pho dac biet, grilled pork over vermicelli noodles and fried spring rolls.The spring rolls were very crispy and the sauce it came with had a nice kick to it.The grilled pork was super tender and the vermicelli noodles had a good chew to it.The pho dac biet had very tender meet as well and the broth was very rich.This is a great place to visit for some classic pho!!"

Pho Lemongrass

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (366)

"TLDR: tiki drinks galore and good food. Ok, so I got their version of the Pina Colada and it was awesome. My friend got a strawberry daiquiri and it was perfection. Foods pretty good too. Best part is that all the drinks are priced $9 or less. Boston has ruined me and those prices are incredible. I'd come here for drinks alone but the foods pretty solid too! Got the large pho which hit the right notes."

Dp Saigon Subs

★★★★☆ 4.3 (40)

"My friends and I got take out as she said they have good banh mi sandwiches. Since I was not involved in picking up or ordering, I can only comment on their methods of packing. Everything was individually packed and minimally labeled if with or without a certain ingredient. For drinks we got their Thai tea and Vietnamese iced coffee. The tea was served in a larger container and was satisfactory in sweetness and strength, unlike the coffee, which was overly bitter and not very sweet. Including the banh mi sandwiches, we got an order of the BBQ Pork Chop and Shredded Pork which came with white rice. The deli meats were similar to those sandwiches from Dorchester but the pate and scallion oil weren't as flavorful. The pork chop looked and apparently tasted dry since they cook all the protein in the morning and reheat it per meal due to the limited kitchen size. Overall, sandwiches were good but can't say the same for the rice dish. Would order more banh mi sandwiches in the future!"

The Bangkok

★★★★☆ 4.3 (294) • $$

"Khao Soi: Delicious. Ingredients fresh and well-balanced. The chicken leg was really good with a nice, browned exterior and tender on the inside. Both the regular noodles and crispy noodles were tasty. The curry was delicious, with a bit of a kick to it.The Bangkok Ribs: nice glaze on the outside. I really like the marinade. It's so good. The ribs were really tender and fell easily off the bone. I wouldn't say prices are cheap, but they are reasonable. Portion sizes are good."

Pho O Sha

★★★★☆ 4.1 (140) • $$

"After getting takeout a few times from here, we finally ate in as a family. I started off a bit skeptical at first because the restaurant has Thai and Vietnamese dishes. Usually that's a red flag for not being good at either. But turns out, they nailed both. The tom yum soup is our go-to. They have two sizes. The other Thai dishes are also tasty. The pad Thai, chicken satay, and mango sticky rice are all quite good. And their soft shell crab dish is also garlicky good. On the Vietnamese side of the house, all of their pho dishes are yummy and rich. Finally, this was the first time we dined in, and the service was as good as the food. Our server offered our family a stand for the iPhone my son was watching videos on. And the service was attentive and considerate. We will be back, likely for takeout again."

Huong Que

★★★★★ 4.5 (50) • $$

"Highlighting another Vietnamese spot in Dorchester- this place serves a variety of different Vietnamese dishes, particularly lots of soup stuff. We were greeted with big smiles and good energy from the workers and the food came QUICK. My sister and I got the Bun Bo Hue and the Canh Bun. We took some home to go because it was a huge amount (for $14.95 each!!), and my mom said she liked the BBH, and the Canh Bun wasn't her favorite LOL. In my opinion, I thought it was great and it was loaded with lots of different meats, but she was saying how Canh Bun doesn't normally have tomatoes and that Bun Rieu does (a very similar dish). Aside from that, I honestly thought it was really good and I loved the fermented shrimp paste to it for the extra umami flavor.Great portions, nice people, and hearty food!"

Phin Coffee House

★★★★★ 4.6 (222) • $

"5 stars for the most insanely amazing pho burrito you can imagine (I loved it so much I went back the next day for another!).When staying in Boston recently, I was searching on Yelp for an interesting lunch choice and came across Phin and their pho burrito. I'm a huge fan of Vietnamese cuisine and had to try it. Luckily it was a short walk from the hotel.The pho burrito comes with a side of pho broth, but the second time around I opted for no broth since I was on my way to the airport and the broth was honestly the least impressive element of this dish (which is a bummer for a soup themed burrito, but the burrito itself is absolutely worth it.)The burrito is packed with all the flavors you would expect in a bowl of pho. Every bite will leave you shocked about the new vessel for the familiar, comforting dish. Like I mentioned before, the broth wasn't my favorite part as it lacked the depth of flavor (and salt/acid) that I'd expect, but it didn't detract from the main draw of the dish. I ate the first burrito in the shop, while sipping on some good coffee. The next day I took it to-go and ate it in the park. Both times were impressive and made me wish someone was making this dish near me (in Central Florida). Oh well, guess I'll have to go back to Boston for my next fix!"

Phở Eastern

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (61) • $$

"Great Vietnamese option in Malden, better than most of the other options in town. I ordered the goi cuon nem nuong and a small pho tai, bo vien. The goi cuon nem nuong was good, however they gave a large unnecessary amount of sauce. I've never seen that much given for one order with two rolls. The pho itself was good. Good amount of meat given.Service could be a lot better. The table of 4 all ordered pho but we were never given our garnish dish (bean sprouts, lime, basil, etc). It's usually given before or when the pho comes out. We had to ask our waiter for it and it came 10 minutes after the pho dishes came. The restaurant is in a plaza, so there is a parking lot."

Ban Tôi Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (6)

"Don't expect a large menu or what we expect from typical Vietnamese restaurants Chinatown or Quincy. This place reminds me of the many sidewalk food stalls that one would find in Asia, where you share food and conversation in very simple surroundings. We ordered several things: the jackfruit salad (meh - not our favorite), grilled whole squid (prepared to order so this takes about 20 minutes), melo melo stir fry (our favorite - garlicky and delicious), beef rice (good but nothing extraordinary), and the bun bo hue (only available on weekends -- enjoyed this a lot, not as spicy or fatty as other places). Quality of food was amazing, especially the two seafood dishes. We noticed several tables order the sea snails which looked great and on our "to do" for next time.The staff was very nice but service was slow when we were there on a Sunday evening. There were two employees working the front, with some assistance from a woman who may be the manager/owner. No alcohol served and parking can be very tricky as it is street parking only. Worth a visit but make sure to leave your "Pho Pasteur" expectations behind."

Pho Hoa Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.5 (371) • $$

"Came here looking for a hangover cure. We were pleased to find plenty of tables open as they weren't very busy on a Friday morning. As a result, we got seated right away by the friendly hostess. I got their nitro coconut shake which was creamy and sweet. Their pho was only okay as it lacked a depth of flavor and cattiness to it. The rest of the staff were beyond nice and helpful even so. Because of this, I may or may not come again to try other items from their menu or perhaps if this was an off day for them."

Saigon NV

★★★★☆ 3.5 (203) • $$

"Came here for dinner on a Monday night to find them about half way full. We got seated right away in this quaint and simple establishment. Parking wasn't too bad since there is lots of street parking available. We shared their shrimp paste in tofu skin which was crispy on the outside. Their fish sauce was decent especially with their S9 Bnh Hi Cho Tm Tht Nng. I found that it was a good portion and quality but could have used more lettuce and pickled vegetables on the side for wrapping. My brother enjoyed his P2 Ph c Bit finding the broth aromatic with lots of toppings.Overall, I had a pleasant experience and found the food to be reasonably priced. Our waiter was kind and efficient so I wouldn't mind coming to try other items from their menu."

Pho Express

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (15)

"Still a solid place to get pho. It's unfortunate that they continue to use plastic spoons, soup bowls, and utensils, but I get that it's a food court place. The meats are flavorful, the broth is freshly made each day, and now they also offer a combo option pairing a noodle soup with either a spring roll or a bao.Friendly service."

Le's Sushi Bar & Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4 (135) • $$

"Don't let their random/wide-ranging menu deter you! I really do like Le's but you just have to know what to order. Their sushi isn't anything crazy but my go-to is their bun cha (vermicelli bowls), a generous portioned mix of noodles, pork, veggies, and a spring roll all to be tossed with fish sauce and crushed peanuts. The seating is primarily large tables (half of them are booths) and I've never had to wait (which could be a plus or minus depending on your perspective). Lastly, I do appreciate their fast and friendly service!"

Ba Le Dorchester

★★★★☆ 4.2 (577) • $

"My go to spot since i was a kid and my folks always took us weekly. This family continually tries to offer more things, hot foods, traditional dishes, spring rolls, smoothies, sugar can drinks, viet subs (banh mi) literally the bread and butter Let's go! And snack foods you don't find at the supermarket. You can also pickup pate and butter by the quart if you want to make your own banh mi's at home along with all the other ingredients.My go to sub is always the Nem Nuong with extra butter pate and nuoc mam, hanh etc. gimme 2x one for now to eat outside and one for later haha. Not to mention a lot of banh mi joints don't offer this sub. And the baguettes always fresh, baked in house especially if you go earlier in day / lunch! Service may seem like the line is long, but honestly it moves quick, staff always been A1 in my experience and they some the coolest folks I've met. Much love. Always be back. Thank you. We always grab extra pastries, beef jerky, chicken jerky, goi, etc"

Banh Mi Cafe

★★★★★ 4.6 (25)

"A tiny Banh Mi shop located in Watertown. Very happy this place opened. It's convenient for when I want to grab lunch.Their Vietnamese iced coffee is STRONG. Be warned. This is how I had it in Vietnam and it was sooo good. But if you don't like strong coffee, you should opt for another drink. Personally, this is just how I like it.I tried the beef Banh Mi. It was so good. Bread is fresh and the veggies are crisp and refreshing. Had a bit of a spice to it, which was perfect. I think from the peppers on it. The staff is so friendly too. I would highly recommend popping by this gem for take out sandwiches and iced coffee. There is street parking, but main street can get hectic during rush hour. Lunch time is a breeze though."

Pho Real - Boston

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (79)

"This place is what you'd expect for Newbury Street... convenient and overpriced. The service was standard and the ambiance was nice, yet casual. You can also order mochi donuts in the same restaurant!If you're looking for legit Vietnamese food, go to Dorcester. That being said, the Bahn Mi was still decent and had a nice flavor to it. The Spring Rolls were underwhelming and seemed a bit skimpy, but the peanut sauce was the hero! I don't think I'd bother to come back because there are some better options for Asian in the area, like Redwhite Boneless Ramen and Beantown Pho & Grill."

Cicada Coffee Bar

★★★★☆ 4.4 (212)

"We came here for lunch. It is a very charming small space, with outdoor garden seating in the back as well. We got chicken banh mi and a salmon noodle bowl. The food was good, but I think I prefer my salmon raw. The two coffee drinks (I forget what they were but I think one was salted) were stunning. The cookies were so so good (one fudgy and one I think was pumpkin). I would say the coffee and cookies here wowed me a lot more than the food. Would definitely come again."

Soup Shack - Jamaica Plain

★★★★☆ 4.3 (337) • $$

"Soup Shack, located on Centre Street in Jamaica Plains, specializes in made-to-order Vietnamese pho, Korean ramen, and Thai noodle soups, and Japanese-inspired rice bowls. The ambiance is very casual with countertop seating facing the front window and the open kitchen (.. a consideration if you don't want to smell like cooked meats for the rest of your day ..) as well as a few tables and chairs outside. It's a small dining area with 12-15 seats, so you may have to wait for an open seat, but the staff does a good job serving the food quickly and turning over the seats. The service was very good with staff that's very personable and knowledgeable about the menu.Craving a hot soup on a slightly chilly and dreary Saturday, I opted for the special Mala Pho ($16), a generous portion of hot soup comprised of soft rice noodles topped with sliced steak, beef balls, flank steak, bok choy, cherry tomatoes, onion, scallions, and cilantro, served over a spicy mala beef broth. YUM! Loved it. My dining companion tried the Fried Tofu rice bowl ($14), with lightly battered soft Japanese tofu, cucumber, bok choy, and scallions, served over Japanese steamed rice, which she really enjoyed as well.We will definitely be back next time we're in the area!PRO TIP #1: Soup Shack doesn't have its own parking lot, but there's plenty of on-street parking on Centre Street."

Le's Vietnamese Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (10)

"I'm surprised this place doesn't have more reviews! I really enjoyed the pho I had here and the serving was very large for $12. The noodles were plenty and the broth was incredibly flavorful. The meat itself wasn't very flavorful but overall I enjoyed and service was incredibly fast."

Banh Mi Ba Le

★★★★☆ 4.4 (26)

"I'm glad they opened up a closer location to me because I love Banh Mi Ba Le. It's smaller than their Dorchester location, however they still have banh mi, and a good amount of other Vietnamese food. Banh mi is $6-7 and I always get a few whenever I come. My favorite is the thịt nướng (#2). I also got xôi (Vietnamese sticky rice) which was good. The workers are fast at making the banh mi too. A great cheap meal option!Still my favorite banh mi location that I've ever had. It's located inside 99 Asian Market's food court and there's plenty of parking in the plaza."

Chau Bakery

★★★★☆ 4 (31)

"A definite hidden location for banh mi, you could only tell of its existence by the smell of the bread. Going in, you know there's only one thing they sell: banh mi and the bread that quintessentially define the sandwich. There are stacks and trays of rolls. No one speaks English (or at least willing to speak it), so pointing and body language may be your only modes of communication.The bread is generally good, though I've had occasions where the texture was varied. The sandwich is huge is fully loaded with ingredients. The ingredients are fresher than some of the other places I've been around. For $4, it's a decent deal."

163 Vietnamese Sandwiches & Bubble Tea

★★★★☆ 3.7 (383)

"So this is a funny little place in Chinatown because it's not Chinese it's Vietnamese. I've been frequenting here and grabbing a sandwich or a spring roll referred to as fresh roll for at least a decade or two. The sandwiches are always fabulous. My favorite on the crunchy extremely messy crummy rolls which are delicious. Is the beef sandwich with a variety of vegetables and they pickle very tasty. I've posted some photos. You definitely have to try one. And don't forget to order extra nothing Vietnamese butter. It's freaking amazing. As for the fresh roll. You always get two whole shrimp plus your veggies and noodle in a nice thin wrap and it comes with some fabulous peanut sauce. I could drink the sauce it's so great. Now the people behind the counter are extremely efficient but a little bit on the rude side. Basically you go in you order your food then they ask you to go outside and wait because there's only about 3 feet where someone can order food so on a rainy snowy day it's not the place you wanna head out to but on a sunny day during good weather definitely, you'll always see a crowd or at least three or four people standing out front on a nice day, waiting for their sandwiches and food. As it's in Chinatown the parking is extremely tough so plan ahead just as if you're gonna go to any other restaurant in Chinatown even if you're just picking up a sandwich or say a prayer and do what everyone else does, double park and hopefully not get a ticket. This place is well-established and has been there for approximately 20 years give or take and the food is always good."

Pho 'n Rice

★★★★☆ 3.6 (355)

"Good local option for some Vietnamese takeout food. I ordered the Com Ga rice plate and the food was very good. The meat was well cooked and flavorful and there was plenty of rice and a side salad as part of the meal. Good deal for a simple weekday dinner."

Bon Me - Test Kitchen

★★★★☆ 3.5 (39) • $$

"If you follow along with my reviews, you have probably seen that ever since my student days as a theatre major at Emerson, I've been a huge fan of everything and anything Bon Me. So imagine my surprise and delight when I stumbled upon the Bon Me Test Kitchen in Kendall Square in Cambridge! I had read about this location - that it was where they pilot new menu items, and even though I was basic and stuck to my usual salad with spicy and flavorful Gojuchang Chicken, it was neat to see what might be in store for the menus of the other locations around Boston and beyond!While of course the quality of the food itself was excellent, Bon Me Test Kitchen does not have the lightening-fast service that I've come to know from the food truck and Public Market locations I usually frequent. It took about ten minutes from order to pickup to get my food, and there was only one other person in the restaurant. I love Bon Me, but if you're in rush, you might be better off going to another location instead. Nonetheless, the employees are friendly and cheerful.Luckily, I had the time, so I was able to enjoy the fun and funky interior that was decked out with handsome light wooden tables, millennial friendly twinkle lights, and a projection screen that scrolls through photos of the restaurant, trucks, and employees doing what they do best - spreading joy throughout Boston through the power of amazing Vietnamese cuisine! I don't think the Test Kitchen will be on my list of must-return Bon Me locales, but it was fun to try something new and chow down on some comfort food as well."

Mae Asian Eatery

★★★★☆ 4.4 (295) • $$

"The general tso's chicken was flavorful and filling. As a bonus, it tasted great as leftovers. Mae Asian Eatery has a pleasant staff. Take note: It is a small restaurant and can get packed quickly on weekends. Still, this collaborative ambiance is what makes the restaurant feel so cozy!"

In Out Mama’s Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4 (25)

"I cannot say enough amazing things about this place! I was craving sugar cane juice and they delivered. They make it in house right in front of you! I got the OG juice but the strawberry and boba was amazing as well. The owners are Vietnamese and they are so sweet and patient. This place is a fun hangout place, they have a cute backdrop for photos! Must try if you are in Dorchester or just make the trip, I promise it is worth it!"

29 Bistro Pho X Thai

★★★★☆ 4 (38)

"*** 3.5 stars ***Not a lot of pho options in the area, and this hit the spot. No, it wasn't the best or most authentic but it the pho ga was good enough to fulfill a craving and there is free parking in the lot next door!"

Soup Shack - Brookline

★★★★★ 4.5 (211) • $$

"I wish I found this place sooner! I enjoyed my visit very much. I ordered the fall special, katsu pumpkin curry, with a Thai iced tea. The chicken was perfectly crispy and the curry was savory and flavorful with a mild spiciness. I'm glad I got to try this while they still have it. Service was excellent and the food arrived quickly. Seating is limited since the restaurant is small, but it's still comfortable. I look forward to returning and trying more of their dishes."