Saigon Restaurant & Bakery

11/03/2007 Posted by kenloe01

This is my favorite restaurant in the twin cities. I have been going there for years while living in St. Paul and now that I live in Mpls. still worth the drive. They have wonderful Vietnamese sandwiches on French Bread with pickled vegetables, fresh cilantro and a variety of toppings such as pate, meatball, read roasted pork, or vegetarian. Their Pho is to die for, not too salty, topped with fresh vegetables and lime. My favorite dish is the dry egg noodle soup which comes with noodles, meat and vegetables in one bowl and the broth in another. Their French Press coffee with sweeted condensed milk is also to die for. You can drink it hot or pour it over ice. The coffee is brought to your table and you can watch it brew, drip from the French Press. AMAZING service, get your food within 5 minutes, and very cheap. Sandwiches start at $1.50. You can also get food to go. Just some advice, they only take credit card with a $10.00 minimum, so bring cash if you are not too hungry.

Pros: Ma and Pa shop.

Cons: Credit card minimun $10.00

10/26/2006 Posted by zenmasterj

I had driven past this non-descript building many many times before finally stopping. And now, I'll be stopping again and again. The service is friendly enough, quick and amazingly adept at handling large crowds without looking rushed. But the real star here is the food. The menu is extensive. I have eaten at many of the great Asian diners that line University but none has had such authentic and abundant choices. For $6 you can get stuffed on a variety of tasty soups, noodle dishes or sandwiches and the fruit shakes are wonderful and light. I can't wait to go back and try everything!

Pros: Price, Service, FOOD!!

Cons: Ambience, crowded

06/18/2006 Posted by ltd28

Love it love it love it. So affordable, even on my broke days. I have tried basically everything on the menu and there is not a single complaint. The only one is there is too much I want to eat when I come there, but my stomach will never allow such a thing. If you have not found this place, then you are truly missing out on what the Twin Cities have to offer. All my out of town friends come in just to eat at this place. I love to show it off to them since they complain of not ever finding a decent Vietnamese restaurant that could match up to California. This place blew them away and without blowing all of our money. The pho and banh mi is worth their busy lunch rush. I could honestly say, its quicker service than McDonalds.

Pros: parking, price, food is great

Cons: lunch crowd could be overwhelming

05/31/2006 Posted by wjmihm

My wife and I have been going to this Gem for eight years, Usually twice a month and have tried a variety of dishes, never any complaints. Favorite dishes include any of the broken rice dishes bbq pork my favorite, any of the rice noodle salads and the pho soups all great. Sandwiches also great, my favorite again bbq pork. Food arrives within 5 minutes of ordering. Also a very economical place to eat.

Pros: food, sevice, price

Cons: ambience

11/04/2005 Posted by othium

I tried this place last week and it blew me away! I was simply astonished at the quality and amount of food that I got for so little $$ I just about cried when I couldn't stuff another chopstickfull in my mouth becuase I was soo stuffed. I plan on going back again soon and trying something new on the menu. I'm sure it will be great.

Pros: Fast service, Huge portions, Worth the wait

Cons: Waited in line

11/19/2004 Posted by yevuta

Saigon has become one of my "go to" spots in the last year or so. Consistently wonderful and extremely fast service, which is great for lunch. Huge portions of delicious Vietnamese food. I wouldn't go anywhere else for Vietnamese.

Pros: fast service, inexpensive, huge portions

01/27/2004 Posted by sbjork

Fantastic soups, noodles, broken rice dishes, and some of the best spring rolls in the Twin Cities (be sure to try all of the varieties!) The service is usually good, and the prices are reasonable -- if not dirt cheap, given the size of the portions. A couple can get appetizers, two huge entrees, and even Vietnamese coffee for under $25.00 -- and you will probably be bringing leftovers home. My favorite dish is the Saigon rice, which at $10.95 is one of the more expensive items on the menu, but the giant platter of grilled chicken, shrimp, and several varieties of pork (and and excellent nuoc cham) will leave no room for appetizers.

Pros: Excellent food, very inexpensive, good service

Cons: Limited seating, plain decor

12/29/2002 Posted by battistini

I was not blown away the first time I went here, but the second time I noticed the care with which each dish is prepared, the good variety (the biggest problem with Vietnamese restaurants in the Twin Cities), the excellent service. I cannot say that there is a huge difference between Saigon and other University Av Viet places. But I can say that its food is best by a small margin, and you should try it if only to have access to all Viet specialties, not just pho. One problem: the place is cold.

Pros: food, parking, service

Cons: closes at 8, cold

08/21/2002 Posted by salugram

Go for the take-out Vietnamese sandwiches called Banh Mi. Very inexpensive and can be made to order. The Pho, soup, was ok, not as good as other places. Fast service at a busy place.

Pros: Cheap, Sandwiches