Gigi’s Restaraunt

Absolutely delicious, fresh Vietnamese food in a relaxing (albeit a little dark) atmosphere. Our party tried a variety of appetizers and entrees — phở, vermicelli (bun), stir fried veggie noodles, salmon and seafood crêpe. Everything was yummy and priced reasonably. Gigi’s is a bit overwhelmed by new customers after a review in the Boston Globe, so be patient with the staff and kitchen. For example, we waited several minutes along with other hopeful diners at the front of the restaurant to be greeted by Gigi herself, who had been helping to clear and set tables. A tip: They will take reservations for parties of 5 and over. We’ve now put Gigi’s into our regular restaurant rotation!

We were told there was a 45m wait. We ended up waiting over an hour. That’s fine, it happens… especially a few days after the Boston Globe publishes a raving review. Onto the more important stuff… as an Asian who loves Vietnamese food, this place was disappointing. Although the meats were cooked perfectly, there was very little flavor to the phở and vermicelli. The drinks were watery, too. The presentation is nice, staff was friendly, and the place is cute. But if you want flavorful Vietnamese food, go to Chinatown in Boston.

Delicious food! My husband and I went there for dinner. I had the lemongrass tofu vermicelli bowl, which was refreshingly fresh with a nice shredded salad, vermicelli noodles and beautifully flavored tofu. My husband tried their chicken phở and loved it. We also tried the Vietnamese iced coffee. The combination of strong, freshly brewed coffee (brewed on the table!) with condensed milk was great. Overall, we enjoyed our dining experience at Gigi’s restaurant and will definitely return for more of their fantastic food.

Not a great place of you are gluten-​free or on a low carb diet. When I asked about which items were available without gluten, the waiter told me that there is too much cross-​contamination in the kitchen. The only thing that I should consider, he said, are the Phở soups. Well, I didn’t listen and ordered the salmon. I asked if I could substitute a vegetable for the rice, I was told that they didn’t have any vegetables. He did offer sweet potato fries.
So, I can’t really give a review because the only thing I ate was grilled salmon with mango, which was a little dry, and a pile of lettuce that was supposed to be a salad.

Food is terrific and fresh — you have to expect a small wait time as they don’t pre-​prepare their food. It’s worth the wait. People that complain about the wait don’t understand this and should probably be eating fast food if they are in that much of a hurry.
The owner GiGi is incredibly sweet and seems to really care about her customers experience.
There really aren’t a lot of great restaurants in Maynard, this place is fantastic and stands out as the best option in town.

So glad the bar is open and the food is fresh!
We’ve tried a few things on the menu and it’s great to have an appetizer size of phở! Love the owners and bartender and the waitstaff is eager to please and very accommodating. Great local place with really fresh food!

Finally!!! Vietnamese in Maynard.
For a quick fix… this place is great. Enjoyed fresh rolls, phở, and a beer.
Not everything seemed as intense on the spectrum as it should have been (spice, flavor, heat, sweet, etc.). Perhaps it was toned down a bit for the local crowd… but certainly tasty enough to bring me back for another. Definitely worth a return trip. Welcome to the neighborhood, Gigi’s!

Gigi’s is a terrific addition to downtown Maynard! Fresh, well prepared and finely presented Vietnamese food at reasonable costs. You can’t ask for any better! Gigi’s now has a liquor license and they don’t gouge on their drinks, which is much appreciated.
The grilled beef spring rolls have just that right balance of crispness & savory, plus the mint leaf that makes it! I am hooked on the vermicelli noodle bowls, and the spare ribs were succulent! I’m glad Gigi’s has a kid’s menu with chicken tenders, mac and cheese and grilled cheese. That helps with those parents vs. kids debates for nights out.
Gigi is a warm and inviting hostess, and her husband (Phen?) is a terrific chef. So glad that Gigi’s is open — I plan to visit regularly.

It could have just been an off night, so keep that in mind. Service was very slow, the waitresses seemed poorly trained. The entrees for the table next to us and at our table came out before the appetizers. The waitress for the other table was so rude to her customers. She literally did not care that they were expecting their apps first. It was as though they were being rude and asking for something outrageous. Our waitress was apologetic and nice, but she seemed a bit clueless. It could have just been an off night– who knows.
The phở broth was great, but I didn’t get any accouterments– hot sauce, etc. The chicken was very fatty and still had the skin on it. My seared tuna salad was lacking. It was supposed to be a salad– with shredded carrot and cucumber. It was a bunch of wilted lettuce. One small piece of yellow, red, and green pepper– one small cube of each. You can’t make this up. I should have taken a picture.
We won’t try it again, but this place is new. Maybe with some time they will work out the kinks.

Absolutely outstanding! Everything from the waitstaff to the food. I can’t begin to express my love for this restaurant!

I have been wanting to try Gigi’s but my husband was always reluctant, but he stopped for takeout and was completely converted. The restaurant is cute and cozy, Gigi is lovely and we loved the food which was fresh and delicious. Their spareribs are supposed to be amazing though we haven’t gotten to them yet. Will definitely be going back. They now have a liquor license, so unfortunately no BYOB anymore.

I’ve been wishing for a good Vietnamese restaurant in Maynard and this is it. I’ve been three times in the last month; once with my family, once with some friends, and for lunch with my husband and have had a great experience each time. I’ve had the vermicelli with chicken and pork and the chicken phở which was outstanding. The spring rolls were delicious and healthy unlike other fried rolls I’ve had. The prices can’t be beat. Very affordable, high quality food. The staff and owners are very friendly and a few of them used to work at the previous restaurant Cast Iron Kitchen so it’s nice to see them back. Be forewarned though — if you go on a weekend night try to go early because there will definitely be a wait. The bar is up and running now so you can always grab a drink while you wait. Great addition to the Maynard dining scene!

Let me admit I’m the last American to discover Vietnamese food so I can’t really compare this to anything. Luckily I had a generous and friendly waiter who walked me through the menu. He also took extra care with the chef regarding my shellfish allergy and came back to tell me the spring rolls I ordered had a tiny amount of shellfish. I had a large bowl of Phở and loved it. Gigi’s was spotless with a wonderful staff and had a modern but comfortable décor. Even the background music was good.

After living in California for six years with an abundance of amazing phó places and then moving back out to Mass, finding a place out here for phó was a godsend. That being said, this restaurant is a very clean and beautiful looking restaurant. Every employee there is very personable, courteous, and tentative. As for the phó itself, it was very flavorful and the meat was really good quality. I got rare steak and brisket and some avacado spring rolls. The only reason I gave three out of five stars is because I am used to a lot more vegetables in my phó. I don’t know if I just became spoiled from the area in which I lived in California (UTC in San Diego) but they had a lot more vegetables in there phó. Another thing is it took a very long time to actually get food out from when you order it. Besides that, This is a choice place to go for really great food. Just don’t expect it to be really fast.

We went to GiGi’s this past Saturday night and they were quite crowded, showing that this area is in need of a good ethic restaurant that is reasonably priced. I will start out by saying the Phở was very tasty without being too salty but lacking on meat. The aside they offer of hot peppers and bean sprouts was laughably small and having no Thai basil.
The mango salad was excellent while not being too sweet, which I was concerned about. I would like to see also a more authentic Vietnamese salad, which every Vietnamese restaurant has in generous portions. Also I would like to see a spicy basil dish. Hot sauce should be on every table.
For us they will have to step it up in order for this restaurant to be on our regular run. We normally go to Phở 88, Phở 1, &
Taste of Vietnam, which seems more authentic.

Now that Gigi’s has updated their menu to include dishes with tofu, my husband and I ate dinner there last week. I was happy to see that the townsfolk of Maynard are as enthusiastic as I am to eat something outside of the typical bar food or cheap Chinese. At 8:00 on a Thursday, many of the tables were still full. As someone has said, they are working on getting their liquor license, so I walked over to Russell’s and grabbed a bottle of wine before the appetizer even arrived.
First and foremost, ask the waiter or waitress to clarify to what degree your dish is vegetarian. I ordered a dish under the «Vegetarian» section, however the sauce I was given did have fish sauce in it (albeit very diluted). The waitress we had actually had no idea what I meant when I asked her if that was the case, but at the end of our meal, the chef/​owner was making rounds asking customers how they liked their meals, and he confirmed that yes, it did have fish sauce. I kindly requested that they update the menu to be more transparent about this, and he seemed to agree.
Shrimp spring roll — 2 stars. Certainly used fresh shrimp but was only two small rolls with little flavor in the wrapper (fell off the shrimp when eating) and came with bottled Thai sweet chili sauce.
Vermicelli dish — 3 stars. This dish was mostly fried tofu and rice noodles. The flavor was good and the meal substantial enough if you also order an appetizer. I am used to the very generous portions given at Vietnamese restaurants in Chinatown and Dorchester, which also include more fresh elements like cilantro and green onions.
Husband’s meatball Phở — 4 stars. He loved the flavor of the broth («very clean and subtle»). I expected it to come with more fresh toppings rather than very small plate of bean sprouts and basil. The owner’s wife said that if we’d like more, to just ask.
I will definitely try Gigi’s again — I am interested in their Banh Xeo (crêpe/​pancake) and perhaps another vegetarian dish.

Nice addition to Maynard! It’s really good to have another solid option in town.
Setting is clean and modern
Staff was friendly
Currently BYO on alcohol so we came with a bottle of wine and some beer and they offered chilled pints for the beer. You’ll appreciate this option once it’s gone and you have to pay restaurant prices for drinks so take advantage and come prepared
We tried the avocado and Pork spring rolls and both were delicious as were the dipping sauces which accompanied them
I had the Combo Phở (Pronounced FUH not FOE so do yourself a favor)
the rare beef cooks quickly so eat fast :) meatballs were tasty and it was a nice sized cauldron for less than $ 9
I added optional chili paste to mine as I like it with a kick –Phở comes with lime, jalapeño, and sprouts on the side

So excited to have this place in town. The atmosphere is warm and quiet and the service spectacular. I ordered phở with rare beef. It was the typical huge portion you’d expect from a phở restaurant. My 12 year old ordered grilled shrimp (amazing flavor), beef and fried spring roll vermicelli and ate every last bite.
Can’t wait to go back and try some sushi!

For people who know Maynard, same site that had been Cast Iron Kitchen. Gigi’s offers casual (no tablecloth) dining in a comfortable, quiet (low background music) space. Our entrees made great use of fresh ingredients and subtle sauces. Most of the menu rests on noodle or rice dishes, but there are a few offerings for those with a hankering for more meat. The Asian Style Spareribs had a great charred flavor, with a side of sweet potato fries. The Phở broth had great flavor without being too salty.
Prices were low and portions generous. Entrees were $ 8 – 14. The appetizer version of Phở (Vietnamese noodle soup) was large enough that it and another appetizer such as coconut shrimp or spring rolls would make a very satisfying lunch.
For the moment (our ¹²⁄₂₉ visit), no liquor license, but guests are allowed to bring in wine or beer. Revised menu now has a few vegetarian entrees, and no longer has sushi selections. For our weekday dinner visit we had no wait for a table, but I fully expect Gigi’s to very soon have line-​out-​the door or make-​a-​reservation popularity.

I have been waiting 19 years for a Vietnamese restaurant to open in the Acton-​Concord-​Maynard-​Sudbury-​Wayland pentagon, and it has been worth the wait! Gigi’s food is exquisitely fresh and the flavors memorable.
Although the menu is basically limited to summer and spring rolls, vermicelli dishes, phở, a handful of house specialties, and a small sushi selection, the quality of the food is very high. I can only speak about a few of the dishes, since this was my first time visiting and the restaurant just opened. However, I will say that it is ingenious to have an appetizer version of their phở on the menu! It’s the perfect size for one person and immensely satisfying. It comes with a plate of fresh basil, bean sprouts, and lime wedges, as well as a smear of sriracha sauce, and oddly, hoisin sauce.
The spring rolls (which is what they call the fresh version, not the fried) were exceptionally well-​made and didn’t fall apart like many spring rolls do. The peanut sauce lent a bright note to the crunchy lettuce, mint and vermicelli, as well as the cooked-​to-​perfection shrimp.
Their vermicelli dish with shrimp also features that remarkably cooked shrimp with a delectable dressing.
They also offer three desserts; my husband’s flan was delicious and perfectly constructed!
I make Vietnamese coffee at home; otherwise, we would have tried it.
The owner is very friendly; he previously worked on clinical trials at a biotech firm, but he wants to spend more time with his children. He works very hard and insists on making everything from scratch the same day. I want to support this man, so I will be returning frequently!