Saigon Bistro

First impression: walked in at lunch time on a Thursday. Service was quick, despite the fact that it was full. We were acknowledged as soon as we walked in and got a table right away. My sister and I shared the grilled steak rice plate and we got it with brown rice. It was delicious and served fairly quickly. We also ordered the potstickers appetizer and they were delicious as well. Overall great customer service, amazing food and superb service. Will definitely return soon!

I drove in HAIL yesterday on the 24 freeway. I’ve been freakin’ cold ever since. Phở to the rescue! I had this place bookmarked in my trusty Unilocal app and wanted to have something warm and comforting.
I got a beef phở. Size small. It was a lovely broth with thin strips of beef, thin rice noodles. I added my sambal and thick oyster sauce for more flavor. I’m a strange bird, in that I don’t use all the veggie accompaniments that phở comes with. Such as mint, bean sprouts, lime wedges. I just like basic phở.
Ambiance: nothing special.
Service: Quick and friendly service.
I’ll be back. Want to try bun bo hue!

My favorite phở place in the area (and I’ve tried them all). Some phở places have really weird meat that tastes like it came from the 99 cent store. Saigon Bistro’s quality seems like a step above. I highly recommend getting the phở with brisket, I found the brisket to be nice and tender, better than the steak.
Their sandwiches are also very good as well. The #1 comes with things like headcheese and pâté, which might be weird to some, but its actually very tasty.

When you offer bun bo hue but the flavor is not on point and the stuff are not all there, you get a solid 3 stars. Haven’t tried other stuff but the bun bo hue disappointed me :(

Hands down, the best Phở and Rice Noodle dishes in the East Bay. My Vietnamese American friends from L.A. agreed this is authentic and tasty.
A regular size Phở is more than enough. And for dessert, go around the corner to Bön Jour. A perfect night out under $ 50 for two

At first glance from the outside the restaurant doesn’t seem to appealing. But once you enter… it’s a place to dine.
…and dine you can do!!! The servers are polite and the food comes out fast. I ordered a Large Phở and that thing is huge. Next visit I will order a small. Hahaha.
The Wing Appetizer was pretty decent and the pot stickers were not too shabby either.
Happy eating.

My fav local spot! Wonton soup is awesome as well as the pot stickers. It’s a small hole in the wall but has the best phở around this area. Definitely my new to go to spot

If you read my previous review, the plate I was referring to is #70 on their menu. The portions have changed slightly to less which is not a problem for me because it is a lot of food anyway. The meat this time was a bit overcooked and I did not eat it all. My husband ordered a banh no and was very happy. If you decide to order #70, just realize it will take longer to get than the other items.

Would give 3 ½ stars, but this is the best phở around the area. Have I had better? Absolutely, but no where around here. So if you’re in the Concord/​Pleasant Hill area, I suggest this place for your phở fix.
Firstly, parking sucks. The parking in front is only 20 min parking. Park in the parking closer to Fry’s just to be safe.
They have small, medium, large bowls! I like that, sometimes when you want spring rolls AND phở but you know you can’t finish it, it’s convenient having a small bowl.
I suggest the phở with beef and tripe and the grilled chicken vermicelli bowl. The spring rolls are pretty good too, always fresh and a decent size. If you’re really craving chicken phở it’s alright, but they’re reaaaaally skimpy on the chicken. I literally had to search for it and only ever find a few shreds. The chicken vermicelli bowl is a good helping though, it looks exactly as good as the photos in person =P
I heard their sandwiches are also good but I don’t like Banh Mi sandwiches so I can’t offer input. The pricing is good so it looks, Viet sandwiches typically give a lot of bang for your buck in general.
They also have TVs in there which is nice.

I just started checking in, but I’ve been here over 20x’s in the last 2 months. Every time I order, I always order the same thing.
#47 Bun Bo Hue with extra chilli oil/​paste, no pork blood
It is the bombbbbb!!!
I’d take the Bun Bo Hue over the combination phở any day. I seriously don’t understand why the Bun Bo Hue isn’t as popular as the combination phở. The Bun Bo Hue is spicy, sweet, sour and packed with flavor.
I order this so many times, the staff doesn’t even bother asking me what I want anymore.
Besides the Bun Bo Hue, their Grilled Beef Bahn MI is super delicious as well.

This is my second time here and once again the quality is just as bad. I got the combination Bahn Mi with extra jalapeños and NOT TOASTED. I’m guessing you could figure out how I got my sandwich. Super tough, obviously toasted. Because it was warm, and almost no jalapeños. I waved at the server and saw him looking at me as he walked in my directions before pivoting and walking away. I had to literally call him over just to get an extra side of jalapeños and cilantro. It really sucks the bread is super tough because I have sensitive gums and it really hurts to eat.
I almost called him back to have them remake it, but if this is the second time that I’ve asked them to not toast my sandwich after telling them over and over again, I don’t think they give a shit enough to actually prepare it properly.
I think I’m going to try my business elsewhere

Consistently good comfort food phở middle soups. Fast service. Delicious sandwiches and boba drinks. We keep coming back.

I have officially had this place for lunch 4 days in a row and can’t get enough. Pretty sure that says it all.

Oh man, this place is really overrated. With over 500 reviews and a 4-​star rating, I really expected more. Then again, this is freaking Concord, so go figure.
Look, the fact that the word «phở» and that no «number» is in their business name makes this place lose any authenticity instantly. Then again, I should have known better when they decided to name their restaurant a freaking bistro.
The wife and I ordered the phở tai (#32), grilled beef with egg roll vermicelli (#62), and the banh xeo (#69).
Sadly, when the phở and the obligatory side dish of Vietnamese veggies/​herbs came out I instantly knew that we were in for suckage. You see, when I do not see the delightfully pungent «tia to» (tastes kind of like the Japanese shiso leaf), I already know that the phở is probably not going to taste legit. Such a shame because the Ranch 99 supermarket around the corner carries a ton of Vietnamese herbs. And, when I sipped the broth it was indeed underwhelming.
The grilled beef was chewy and the egg roll was just a deep-​fried egg roll that tasted pre-​cooked. This dish was really not worth $ 8.50 for three pieces of sinewy beef, a limp egg roll, and a whole bunch of cold noodles.
The banh xeo (Vietamese crêpe) was okay, but really greasy… too much PAM or non-​stick butter in my opinion. I mean, I really wanted to like the dish because it was numbered 69… Still, this dish was the most edible of the three… only because we doused it with hot sauce…
Additionally, the interior of Saigon Bistro was this weird collection of dark-​tone furniture with hanging lamps that looked straight out of an Ikea catalogue. Furthermore, the spray tan orange paint combined with the mustardy yellow paint created an unwelcoming environment that had to have been painted by a colorblind and/​or bipolar painter.
And at the end of the day, we just did not like Saigon Bistro because «meh, we’ve experienced better!» I guess the only place to get a good bowl of phở in NorCal is in the City…
Also, why doesn’t any Vietnamese restaurant in NorCal have the pickled sliced jalapeños in vinegar side condiment? SMH… I miss you Fountain Valley 637 (pager code)… Phở realz.

I work in Concord, and sometimes discover places when I’m not even really trying to discover things, I’ve walked past this place so many times. I’ve taken a look at the menu in the window countless times always in hopes of paying this establishment a visit. Well I finally did decide to go in and here is my review of my experience.
Me and my homie was hungry and wanted to eat somewhere we both hadn’t had. In the Park N Shop strip mall, I’ve probably eaten at about 80 percent of the restaurants here, with some more to be explored one day. Funny part is he was the one that had suggested this place and I was happy about it because it had totally slipped my mind. So naturally I had no reservations and said «let’s do it» upon entering, were greeted with a smile, seated and handed menus. After that it seemed like we were forgotten because two other people are seated and orders were taken and then the lady behind the counter shouted something in I’m assuming Vietnamese to a waitress and then pointed to us. The waitress came over finally after about 20 minutes and took our order.
On this visit I decided to go with their Curry Chicken with white rice. My friend got the same thing. What showed up looked nothing like the picture, but I knew it was indeed chicken curry. The curry used was mild, and had a very good and not overbearing taste. But the broth or soup was kinda watery. Usually this dish is more like a stew, a little thicker in consistency, or at least from my experiences at other establishments. But I wasn’t disappointed, tasted good. I wished the poached the onions and bell peppers a bit more. I think it would of complimented the taste better. You got a leg and thigh cooked in the broth, it was pretty good.
In conclusion, if you like Vietnamese places, check this one out. They also have Phở’s and those vietnamese sandwiches (forgot what they’re called) and different appetizers. The prices are pretty nice as well. As always review your experience. Good or Bad, Unilocal about it!

Came here on a Friday night and had the rice dish.
It’s always hard to come to a restaurant eating food that you can get at home, but I came with an empty stomach nonetheless.
There have been rave reviews for the fried pancake (banh xeo), but I was in a rice mood. When in doubt, rice dishes are your best friend. I ordered the BBQ chicken rice dish that comes with vegetables and broth. The chicken was very well seasoned and tasty, but I wish there was more vegetables (especially when I had someone order the banh xeo, which came with a TON of veggies)!
Food was good, service was fast, and they were accommodating. For the price, I would prefer an OC restaurant however.

I had the sandwiches from here before, they are good, not great. Cheap though, still $ 4.95 for the sandwiches, which is a plus.
I just never had a chance to come in and dine, it looks a little sad from the outside. The inside is not that much better in my opinion. It’s a cross between trying to be a nice bistro and a old timey viet restaurant. The décor of the dining area screams bistro, but still has the self-​serve chopstick stand at each table. Behind the counter, it’s still like a old timey viet/​Chinese restaurant. Trashcan with old noodles spilling out, supplies like drink cups and napkins up to the walls, blenders going like crazy in the background, you know, your typical viet place.
Service here is super friendly, no complaints from this guy.
The food however, was great.
Wonton noodle soup: Hot tasty broth, order the large one and you could share it with a small family. Filled to the top with soup, noodles, wontons, slices of chicken and Chinese BBQ pork, shrimps, and ground pork things. mmmmmmm… fantastic. Only $ 8.95 !!!
Beef phở, rare steak: Nothing super special about this one, taste pretty much the same as any phở place. $ 6.95 for a small size.
Curry chicken soup with noodles: This is probably what will keep me coming back for more. Big pieces of curry chicken, bone in, but just falling off the bone chicken. Potato, taro root so soft with just enough texture. The soup is a mixture of their regular broth with curry sauce mixed into it. SOOOOOO GOOOOOOD. Good with four extra O’s. Better, $ 8.95 !!!
Can’t wait to be back to try other things on the menu.

After a long day at Water World California, friends and I ended up at Saigon Bistro for some hearty phở and BBQ rice plates on a late afternoon. SB is located in a strip mall that shares a parking lot with Fry’s Electronics and a 99 cent store. I wouldn’t have pegged SB for a place for outstanding Viet cuisine due to its geographic location and I think I was right for the most part.
When we arrived, there were very few patrons since it was too late for lunch but a bit early for dinner. The place was a little hole in the wall-​ish and tables and chairs weren’t whiped down where they sat us. The usual serve yourself utensils and condiments were on each table. The menu had pretty standard Viet dishes but nothing super authentic.
Food was sub-​par and it might have been bc we came at an in between meal times. I got the BBQ beef rice dish. No broken rice options. Beef was tough and dried out like some jerky. Wasn’t cooked fresh and probably leftovers from lunch service, heated up in the microwave. A few pieces of cucumbers, pickled daikon and iceberg lettuce made up a sad side salad. Price range was similar to most phở houses but food quality was low. Service average. Overall, limited choices for Viet Cuisine in Concord. Might be OK if you’re hankering for some phở but don’t get your expectations too high.

Ordered their Bun Bo Hue… and it’s the worst I’ve tasted :(It was bland and their sate wasn’t even mixed in so the broth was clear and looked tasteless. I had to ask for extra broth and sate and put more fish sauce for it to be edible! I ordered a size large ($ 9.95, which is way overpriced in my opinion) and my husband also ordered a large phở bowl and mine was about half the size of his bowl. I understand that BBH is a specialty soup, but that’s pretty significant difference in size.
The phở was also bland and didn’t have much of the beef flavoring. So disappointing!
Been wanting to check this place out for years since it’s close to where I live, but sad to say I won’t be coming back here.
On a positive note, the restaurant is very clean and their service was excellent!

Judging from the reviews, I thought I’d have a little «better than mediocre» experience here. The place itself is nice and cozy. But it tasted just like any other Vietnamese restaurant I’ve been to in the area.
I ordered the Shrimp & Egg Roll Vermicelli (as is my regular dish) and it was decent. I enjoyed it. The shrimp were tasty and egg rolls crispy. I seemed to have a lot of vermicelli left over, which filled me up. Other than that, it didn’t seem to really stand out among other local Vietnamese places.
I suppose the only real distinction this place has against other local Vietnamese restaurants is that they sell Banh-​Mi sandwiches. I decided to order one to-​go just so I was able to try it and I’m glad I did, because they were pretty good! I’m not a big meat-​eater so I decided on the Fish Patty, which was good in the sandwich. The baguette they use on the sandwich is SO crispy and fluffy – everything I love about a damn good baguette! And the fresh vegetables and sauce on the inside were typical and tasty. I figure that if you go here, the only thing worth getting here (as compared to other local Vietnamese spots) is the banh-​mi sandwich. For $ 5 I was pleasantly satisfied.
As for the service, I was a little thrown off because I’m used to having the workers come by the table to refill waters and ask if we were okay, but this place didn’t. You have to refill your own water and go to the cashier to pay. Minor, but a little unexpected.