Cafe Saigon

Finally, a place on The Ave that doesn’t deserve to be served a warrant for crimes against humanity. This is by far the best banh mi in the U-​district — Saigon Deli and Than VI couldn’t shake a sprig of cilantro at the perfection of Café Saigon’s sandwiches. First, they use pâté, which lends an infinitely deeper flavor than the palate-​killer that is mayonnaise. Secondly, their Vietnamese hams are top notch — not sketchy, but flavorful and at least 4 different kinds come in the sandwich, including one made with tendons for a delightful crunch. The adornments — pickled carrots, daikon, cilantro, jalapeño — are all fresh and plentiful. They also use raw onions, which I usually adore, but they were a bit overwhelming for the delicate balance of sweet and savory… will definitely ask them to skip this next time. And the baguette was yeasty and sweet without taking over the whole sandwich experience. Why there isn’t a line out the door of Café Saigon at lunch time continues to puzzle me… but it does mean I can get my banh mi fix a little faster!

I’m so sad to see this place go but I am glad they had the success they did! I wish them luck in the future and am now in search of an all new fantastic tofu bahn mi on the Ave!

The tofu spring rolls and shredded chicken sandwich are the best here. If you’re looking for a pick me up, give the coffee a shot.

Best tofu & mushrooms anywhere! I’m not a vegan or vegetarian but I always get veggie sandwiches, fresh rolls & vermicelli bowls here only. Their straw & shitake mushrooms are so juicy and the tofu isn’t soggy or mushy like other places. Iced coffee is also strong & tasty. Two thumbs up on the service. A definite MUST try.

Rating is based on the «BBQ pork» banh mi. Not good. They use prepackaged Chinese BBQ pork, the likes of which you could pick up at QFC or a host of other places. Go around the corner to the Saigon Deli on Brooklyn and get a far superior sandwich — they’ll even put a fried egg on it if you ask.

DELICIOUS!!! Everything I’ve had here is good. Staff is awesome! Definitely will be back soon.
Great food, great staff, and great prices! Need I say more.

I am such a big food critic! I love to eat and I know some good food! This place makes the best Grilled pork sandwiches! I live deep but will travel to have thier yummy food! I have had the shredded chicken sandwich also and they did a really good job of having it not be dry. The spring rolls are fresh & soooooo good! I have also had their Banh Bao and that was so moist and delicious!
I will be honest this a really good Deli! The egg rolls are always hot & crispy when I get them too! not all old and dry! The service is always great and friendly and they never make you feel rushed and they don’t drag on getting the food done & ready. My fave so far!

Options for eating out while on the South Beach diet are pretty slim. Eliminate all carbs (wheat, rice, potatoe, sugars) and you are left with meat and vegetables. This can be surprisingly hard to find as most places slather their meat in sugared sauces.
Thank heavens for good Vietnamese food! Chicken cabbage salad to be precise. In a word: amazing. Fresh, delicious, perfectly spiced. Tasted almost identical to my favorite thai green papaya salad (sans green papaya) Light sauce of vinegar, fish sauce, pepper.
Hope this place sticks around. It is located in what was the old piroshky place that has since become a revolving door for small restaurants on the Ave.
Go here. The food is great!

Best fresh spring rolls in the U-​District. The tofu sammy far out-​does the one offered at the nearby Than Vi: Saigon’s has lots of veggies and mushrooms in addition to tofu, and is always toasted and warm. The folk working there are real friendly and get you your delicious vietnamese food asap. I only wish they had vegetarian hombow…

I’ve apparently been walking past this place for about a month with no clue that it existed. My theory is that it had some sort of cloaking device. I saw it and stopped by today for a late lunch, and tried the BBQ pork banh mi. Warm, crispy bread; flavorful but slightly dry pork; the usual carrots, radishes, cilantro, and (optional) jalapenos. Decent food, but a bit of a jaw workout. Also, surprisingly filling. Banh mi have been getting pricier over the past few years, but perhaps also more substantial.
They’ve also got some rice bowls. And, oddly enough, bubble tea. But rather strangely for a place called ‘Saigon Café’, I didn’t notice any coffee on the menu.
All in all, a decent but unremarkable sandwich shop. Probably deserves about 3.5 stars.

I’m so excited that there is finally a retaurant up north where I can finally get some of my vietnamese food favorites. I usually have to go to Chinatown or wait until I’m visting my mom in South Seattle.
I highly suggest the vietnamese sandwiches (shredded chicken is my favorite!) because it’s hard to find a really good vietnamese sandwich (with all the REAL fixings!) outside of Chinatown. This isn’t a phở place, so don’t expect soup when you go there… they do have congee though, if you are craving something to warm you up.
This is definately a great addition to the ave. Great food for a fair price will surely make this one of the favorites of the students.