Quan Ba 9

I went here on June 16, 2014 and found that it was closed because store owner did not want to renew the lease.

Great for authentic Vietnamese food. My cousin brought us here to try their bun mam because my mom and I were both craving for it. oh boy was it good. Usually unless you make it at home, it’s never that good but this place was different. They really do make it the way it’s supposed to be made. I totally recommend it here. The only thing was that the waiter didn’t seem like he knew what he was doing and we kept having to ask him for things but I can’t say enough about their food :)

This place is great for authentic Vietnamese soups. If you’re in the mood to venture beyond phở, the soups here will give you a good variety of flavor profile to discover from all different regions of Vietnam.

The food here has its own reputation so my review isn’t too off the grid. Although their menu selection isn’t too vast like other Vietnamese places, quality is the key item here. Their parking lot is pretty small so be prepared to have a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ chance of finding a space. Their restaurant seating isn’t too different as it is quaint as well.
The bun rieu was pretty good. There’s actually color in this bun rieu as opposed to other places where ingredients and items seemed like it’s lacking. The cha lua in the bun was good, the blood, well, it is just blood, but the other meat in there was somewhat tasteless. Overall, for $ 7.95, this bun rieu was good.
For this most recent visit, I thought it was somewhat rude that the staff had their coats on as if it was a statement to hurry up and eat. Granted my party and I came there around 9:20 PM, and they close at 10 PM. Still, one person in our party was still eating when it was a few minutes past 10 PM. We weren’t sitting there chilling and just trying to kill time when we know that the staff would rather just see us leave so they can clean up.
I just think Asian restaurants need to reevaluate their customer service levels. Having a nice establishment and good food is important, but you also need to add service to that. I’m not saying our particular server was rude, but the fact of putting your coats on in front of customers and then sit around in front of them is just not really professional. For this, they kind of lost ½ a star from me.

It’s hard to justify this place with what is around the local area.
If you’re looking for a vietnamese resturant on buford hwy, this would be an option just to try and compare it with everything else. It’s located in a very strip plaza with an adjoining mechanich shop. Parking is limited, but I can’t imagine it ever getting full unless the auto shop next door is using it up for their own use.
I had the bun hai sang (egg noodle soup with seafood) and the girlfriend had bum mam. I think she liked hers more than I was about my dish. I thought it was medicore. Seafood options in the bowl was mediocre.
Wouldn’t be my first choice of finding vietnamese food if I was on buford hwy.

I was so disappointed with my experience at Quan Ba 9 based on the fact that I trusted the good reviews on this place by the Unilocal reviewers. I’ve been searching (and still searching) for a good bun rieu (and phở) and Quan Ba’s bun rieu looked like they dyed the broth orange. It had no hint of spice and the crab meat did not resemble anything like crab meat. It was so depressing.
The waiter was nice enough, but the water tasted really weird so I opted for coke from a can. Not even the beverages tasted right. Really?!

Quan Ba 9 is growing on me and I think the restaurant is starting to clean up its inconsistencies. This is one of the better all-​around Vietnamese restaurants on Buford Highway, not only for its unique menu, but also for its attentive and friendly service. Unlike nearby competitors Château de Saigon, Nam Phuong, and Com Grill, Quan Ba 9’s atmosphere is more quiet and laid back. The store space is also smaller.
Quan Ba 9 constantly gets overlooked by its more well-​known neighbors, but I think it can be just as good as its peers and oftentimes, it’s the most affordable. Most dishes are under $ 8 or $ 9 each. The restaurant is popular among the Vietnamese community and you’ll see many folks stop in for huge takeout orders.
I tried the bun bo Hue ($ 7.95) on my last visit. This is a spicy rice vermicelli noodle soup that is named after Hue, the Central Vietnam city from which it originates. Bun bo Hue is completely different from phở as the two noodle soups use different types of noodles, ingredients, and broth. If you’re looking for a change from phở, but still want hot soup, give bun bo Hue a try. You’ll have to be a bit more adventurous, though.
The main ingredients of bun bo Hue are lemongrass (in the broth), chili oil, beef shank, congealed blood, and pig’s feet. I liked the dark red broth, which has a bit of tanginess to it. While not as aromatic as phở, bun bo Hue is arguably tastier. The vermicelli noodles are white, round, thicker, and more slippery than phở noodles. The pig’s knuckles come on the bone, so you’ll have to work to get the meat/​skin off. I found the bun bo Hue at Quan Ba 9 to be one of the better bowls of bun bo Hue I’ve had on Buford Highway, the great Phở Dai Loi #2 included.
Check out my original review below for additional thoughts on other dishes and the restaurant as a whole.

Tried this place out due to their banner hanging out their front door saying «the best of phở». Who could resist a sign like that?
Sadly, I found this place to be average among it’s competitors. We ordered phở, spring rolls, and banh cuan (excuse spelling). The phở was tasty, but it had a different flavoring to it and I was not 100% fond of it. The banh cuan was very different from other places I have tried. The noodle was thicker, and the broth in itself was thicker. My boyfriend wasn’t very fond of it, and stated that the only good experience he had there was the service.
We might be back, but for now, I think we’ll stick to our usual phở shops.

Came here with the lady cause she wanted me to experience different styles of bun mam. This place is a hole in the wall and I wouldn’t have found this place without her guidance.
Anyway, we were seated and as usual, we wiped down our utensils before use. My girlfriend was cleaning her chopsticks when a roach started crawling all over her hand. She freaked out for a bit and smashed that B. I informed the waiter and he apologized. And apologized. And apologized. What are you supposed to say when that happens? I am still not sure, it was really awkward.
I figured I’d might as well try the food and maybe even get a free meal. The food might be fan-​friggin-​tastic. Why you ask? When traveling around Vietnam, I found the dirtier places to have better food. Maybe this would be the same…
Nope. The bun mam was literally friggin weak sauce. There was no pungent mam nem in it. The heo quay was fresh as were the veggies. Overall, food was average and I didn’t get comped.

It was cold and rainy and the perfect day for phở. Not wanting to be adventurous, I headed for Château Saigon but they were closed on Tuesdays. Ok. Now what? Look across the street and see Quan Ba 9. Break out Unilocal on my phone. Ok. Here we go.
I got the rare steak phở to go. The flavor of the broth was awesome and the steak was perfect. There was a large portion of broth to go and also a lot of noodles and everything else. It was slightly more pricey than other phở I’ve had in Atlanta, but I would go here over some of the other places.

Was craving some authentic Vietnamese cuisine and was told this was a place to try. Upon entering this quaint small biz was greeted and seated. Menu’s are dual language with pictures and descriptions making it extremely easy for either the epicurean or novice. Server answered all the questions, provided history and great recommendations /​house specials. Was very patient and addressed everything perfectly. Meal was served quickly and food was extremely tasty and fresh. Had a great experience and will be back!

The best Phở and Bun that i have had in Atlanta. I am a regular.

The unsavory thing about Buford Highway 5 star reviews is how ephemeral they tend to be. After a few months of wonderful eating, I took some friends here and found a sudden and very significant decrease in food quality. Sounds familiar, anyone? The signature noodle and seafood broth noodle were not only bad eating, but seemed to be executed differently. I have to suspect that something might be up in the kitchen, like a staff change.
I heard similar opinion from a few people who went there recently as well. Not a good sign. Also, a banner that says «Best of Phở» was erected a couple months ago that looked kind of out of place. I don’t want to make any false claims regarding the restaurant’s operations, so will just focus on making the point that the food seem to have changed for the worse. I hope it’s only temporary or a one time issue.

Been here a few times and I like the diversity of their menu compared to other Vietnamese restaurants. We’ve ordered duck noodle soup, duck congee soup, chicken flat noodle soup, shaking beef, grilled pork vermicelli bowl, fried chicken, mango salad, beef carpaccio and fried egg rolls. The mango salad and pork vermicelli were the best so far. I would not order the egg rolls again since the first ones were served room temp, had raw pork in the middle and too much wrapping. The replacements were hot and cooked through, but nothing special. Great service although overly apologetic.
Looking forward to trying the Phở next time.

This place consistently delivers quality food and the waiters are always so pleasant. They have many unique Vietnamese dishes including bum mam, bun rieu, and goi. I’d highly recommend this place if you’re in the mood for something other than Phở.
Finally, they have updated the menu! It now includes the prices of items. That was the one thing that peeved me about the place. Quan Ba 9 also has combo meals now as well, interesting concept.
Unilocal 365 #29/​365

First, I thought I was the only white guy that ate at this restaurant.
Come on, who doesn’t want to eat their vietnamese food next to an auto transmission garage?
I have been going here for about 3 years or so. Vietnamese food is always better when it is in a non-​descript shopping center. There really isn’t much not to like at this place other than it is a little small for large parties.
I took my entire family here Xmas year before last (2009) when they were in town and they loved it. Hot pot is good, salads good, meat sampler is good. Even the chicken wings are good. It is ALL good.
Best vietnamese I have ever had? no. Some of the best in Atlanta, for sure.
TIP: If it is your first time going here and don’t speak vietnamese, seek out the waiter that looks like he is in a vietnamese boy band. He sticks out like a sore thumb, so you can’t miss him.
He is pretty good at describing some of the dishes and makes some very good recommendations. He is more than eager to describe the food and is generally a very good waiter overall.

Great vietnamese food! This is the place to bring your ‘American’ friends to try viet food. Service is always great! Look out for the guy with the bluetooth LOL. A bit pricier than other viet places, but still under $ 10! plus their portions are, I think, a bit bigger. Everything always taste fresh and tasty. I usually get a rice plate, with the grilled pork-​better than my mom’s (sorry mom). Noodle bowls are also awesome and they always try to offer me a Heineken. Bluetooth guy will also give me complimentary broth soup and cold tea. This is my go-​to Viet place if I can’t get my mom’s.
PS they keep their Xmas decorations up year-​round LOL.

Not only is phở a wonderful remedy for a Saturday/​Sunday morning hangover, but it s fulfilling and satiable on a cold winter’s day!
I ordered phở with beef and meatballs. It came with plenty of vermicelli, noodles and meat bathing in a large bowl of steaming savory broth. I definitely had my share of MSG and it was delectable! Other people ordered the bun bac biet which looked great and probably tasted great as well because they all finished their order. It consists of a large bowl of vermicelli noodles with plenty of pork, vegetables, shrimp, and egg rolls. You get a side of fish sauce that you can pour over, and voila! Amazing-​ness in a bowl. FYI, if you’re there with phở newbies, and they ask what the fish sauce is, I would recommend telling them to taste it first before blurting out, «oh it’s fish sauce». It tastes better than it sounds/​smells haha.
Prices are good –ranging from $ 7-​$ 12. Ooh, and a big plus was their complimentary jasmine tea… SO GOOD I LOVE COMPLIMENTARY TEA

I wanted to like this place. I really did. I’ve heard such good reviews and a couple friends swear by it, so we decided to go tonight for dinner.
It looked like a clean place and the server was friendly, but the hallway by the bathroom smelled like cats and cat litter. Not a very promising smell in any restaurant. I didn’t see any cats, and I probably wouldn’t even mind if there was a cat hanging out somewhere in the open and it was just a known fact that hey guess what, this place has a cat… but I didn’t see one. So either there is a cat and it’s running around putting it’s poo paws everywhere it shouldn’t be, or the place has some sort of cleanliness issues. Neither of these sound good to me.
Anyway, we ignored it and ordered some spring rolls while we were waiting for the other half of our party to show up. They came out pretty quickly and looked delicious, when at that moment whoever was in the kitchen had a coughing fit. A bad coughing fit. Like the mother of all pneumonia loogies had a baby with bronchitis and a chainsaw. This went on for a few minutes and we heard what sounded like spitting. IN THE KITCHEN.
We paid and left. I won’t be back.

Okay I give this place 3.5 stars, but .5 more because I support mom-​and-​pops and holes-​in-​the-​walls.
The name Quan Ba 9 is reminiscent of those noodle soup parlors in Vietnam. In case you’re wondering about the weird name, it literally translates to as «the shop of Mrs. 9». Weird right? I know! Viet people like to attribute numbers to members in a family because frankly, there’s too many kids in a household to remember! I’m 8, by the way. Gosh, I’m digressing. back to the food.
Quan Ba 9 strives to be authentic and they’re very good at that. Here, you wont find much that suit most American palates. This is as real as Vietnamese that can get – pungent fish sauce, shrimp paste, et al. That’s why I love it so much. I dislike it when when restaurant sell out and go all «American» tasting. I’m not hating, I used to work for one (a-​la Nam Restaurant)!
The soups are my favorites. They have many varieties of soups, but I go here for the duck noodle soup (very rare in Viet restos) which comes with a salad that you can put into it. The owner now recognize me as the «Duck Soup» girl. It’s like he can read my mind on what I’ll order every time. Can’t blame the guy. :)
The service here is minimal. They usually leave you to your own devices. Vietnamese service is very low-​key, if you haven’t noticed already. It’s part of the culture not to bother you. I think some western customers might view that as negligence or nonchalance. It’s just how they are so don’t take offense.
If you’re looking for low-​fuss, good, hearty, homemade-​style Viet food, this is your place.
P.S.
Honestly, I think they should change their name. It’s not exactly good for marketing. It seems the only people who go here actually know what it is and no one else knows that it’s a Vietnamese restaurant. 6 reviews so far is pretty depressing considering they’ve been around for years!
Pros: Inexpensive, tasty, variety, authentic
Cons: Ask for water refills, TV on the wall with no sound, expensive reprints on the wall (who buys that ish?), repetitive 80’s-90’s music, the restaurant’s name.