Grandpa Tao Kitchen

AUTHENTIC gem in El Cajon!!! I felt immediately welcomed as you're able to choose your own table; I chose to sit outside in the patio area. All of the plants make ambience so tranquil and it is clear the owner(s) take very good care of them. Excellent service!!! Super sweet people. And GREAT prices - so worth it especially in this economy??? PLEASANTLY surprised.I ordered the potstickers and BBQ pork rice plate. I had been craving cơm tấm in general and this was close enough to hit the spot! The pork was cooked to smoky perfection. I thought that they could have added more onto the dish but perhaps that is just what I am used to. Otherwise, I love that this restaurant has a wide menu; they serve Pho and rice vermicelli noodles as well! Definitely coming back to try more whenever in the area. A hidden gem for sure!

I work in the East County area a lot and have always seen Grandpa Tao's pop up as a recommended, so I finally decided to try it out for my lunch break. Grandpa Tao Kitchen is an Asian fusion restaurant with an emphasis on Vietnamese cuisine. There is a parking lot in the back for customers but also street parking available around the area as well.Ambiance: as you walk in from the lot, you will immediately walk into their patio area which has great shade, air from the ceiling fans, and an abundance of plants. Gave me some slight memories of eating pho in Vietnam. Indoors, there is a lot of seating available, two TVs, and tranquil music playing in the background.Service: I was seated immediately by who I would assume was one of the owners. She was very nice and seemed to really appreciate our presence. Food: I ordered the house special pho which includes rare steak, chicken, and shrimp. First thing to note was the broth was pretty good and served piping hot which not all restaurants do. I personally put on a good amount of Hoisan sauce no matter what because I like having a little more of that flavor into my broth, but without it I could tell the broth was well made. The rare steak and chicken were a little overdone which isn't an end all be all since it sits in boiling hot water. The shrimp was solid and noodles boiled well. For the side plate of veggies, they provide bean sprouts, jalapeños, and cilantro. Usually restaurants will provide basil or other herbs so it's a bit different that it isn't provided here. Basil is pretty important to add an extra dimension and aroma to the soup or as a palate enhancer. They provide the usual condiments of Hoisan sauce, sriracha, pepper, salt; but also provide chili oil saice (satay) which is a huge plus for our spicy eaters. In summary, would give a 4.5 if possible for good food, service, and ambiance. Grandpa Tao's definitely left me satisfied with my experience and was a pleasant surprise nestled in the East County area. Would come back for a future lunch break to try out their other items.

This place is outstanding, the service is fast and top notch. We ordered the spring rolls and they were phenomenal. I ordered the Garlic Wok Seared filet Pho which was packed with flavor, I've never had pho where you didn't need to add any sauces or extras. My boyfriend ordered the sizzling steak and the flavor profile was amazing! We will definitely be coming back to try other menu items!

Grandpa Tao Kitchen is a Vietnamese oasis on Second St North of Broadway in east El Cajon. Immediately upon entering for lunch on a Tuesday, I was greeted by a modern and comfortable cafe setting that could have been in the middle of Vietnam....including a covered patio with hanging plants and ceiling fans that was shielded from the street. Indoors and out, calm music was playing and "bird TV" was on the big screen, creating a soothing ambiance. Within a heartbeat of being seated, the owners took my order and immediately brought my drink. I ordered a BBQ pork Bahn Mi sandwich with extra vegetables and an order of shrimp spring rolls & peanut sauce. I had intended to take the food to-go, but decided to stay and enjoy the refreshing dining room. So to the food:-Banh Mi: Baguette was fresh, crispy on outside and soft on the inside. The vegetables and meat were copious and fresh. It was a very good sandwich. It's hard not to compare any Banh Mi to the ones at K's Sandwiches in Kearny Mesa. K's BBQ pork, bread and vegetables were more flavorful, but that's their specialty and Grandpa Tao's is a full-service Vietnamese restaurant with a pho and dinner menu. So no points off in my book. Shrimp Spring Rolls: I could tell they were fresh and made to order, not pre-prepared. They were so large that they barely fit in my mouth (I've personally never heard those words said to me before, lol). The lettuce, the shrimp, the rice noodles and the peanut sauce were all fresh and tasted excellent. I was impressed by the menu, and the people around me that ordered pho bowls, rice dishes, noodle dishes, and rice vermicelli dishes were verbally raving about the taste. Bravo, Grandpa Tao. See you for dinner in the future.

Not bad but not the best pho in town. I got the filet mignon pho, the meat clumped together and got overcooked. He got the rib bone pho the rib was cut in a half not like pictured and the meat wasn't fall off the bone tender.

Underwhelming. Mi xao bo was okay, nothing special. The BBQ pork sandwich was surprisingly really good for a restaurant. I especially love how they prepared the meat and how fresh the vegetables were. The garlic noodles with grilled shrimp was such a letdown. It lacked flavor and the noodles they use remind me of cup of noodles. If they used different noodles for this dish, it would be so much better. The shrimp was cooked nicely though. I thought by speaking their native language we would receive better customer service. Wrong. I asked a woman for chili peppers and she literally disappeared and I never saw her again lol.I won't be returning, won't be recommending to others, and will stick to authentic Vietnamese food in City Heights/El Cajon Blvd. But I'm glad I finally got to try this restaurant, it had been on my radar for a while.

The food was fantastic!! service was great!The ambiance was wonderful,and clean definitely a place you have to try they are very helpful, and they do not rush you when trying to decide on what you want...check them them out guys you will not be disappointed!!!

Came here by myself for dinner. Order steak pho and Thai tea with boba. I was sitting outside. I was enjoying my food at first. I took a sip of my water. I felt something in my mouth so I spit it out. There was a huge spider in my water!! I was so disgusted I had to stop eating. I am 6 months pregnant and this could have been a danger to me and my baby. I showed them the bug and ask for the bill because I could no longer eat. They brought me the check with no apology from manger or anything. I had to ask the waiter for a discount at least. He asked his manager and she gave me $1.50 off. I am also a server and if this happened to my guest I would give them a full refund. There was no conflict resolution here. If you eat here don't sit outside!

We came here because their instagram posts made their Pho look amazing. After a long commute to El Cajon, we were very disappointed :( the Broth was WEAK. We are PHOnatics. We ordered a Special Combo Pho with a separate bowl of just soup and beef rib. I could not taste aromatics, no rich beefy broth. I don't know if we came at the wrong time but it tasted so watered down. The other thing is the guy from the front desk was walking back and fourth talking to someone in his phone on speaker and was super loud. We had our little one sleeping in the stroller next to us and dude was just loud and laughing on the phone. If you're coming for Pho... sadly this ain't it

Their pho was amazing!! Got the beef rib as well are well done steak pho!! Very flavorful!!