Sai Gòn Café - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

David H

Tried it for a Sunday Lunch after shopping in Lancaster. I thought it was a good sign that the place was full. However, it was an odd start that we wasn't greeted when the owner/manager saw us. I had to be the one who broke the long awkward silence by lifting my hand, signaling for a party of 2.

The wait staff appeared to be new, based on their seeming inexperience. It was minutes after we seated ourselves that we heard the owner/manager told the young staff that table 1 had no menu. I've always ordered Bun Bo Hue with pho instead of round noodles, and today was no exception. I duly told the waitress and she wrote it down and acknowledged "of course."

Now as we waited, I noticed the owner/manager was very friendly with everyone. He went from table to table and chatted cordially nonstop. It also appeared that he knew a lot of these apparently repeat-customers. Great sign! The only problem was, he never stopped by our table. Not one single eye contact for the next 25 minutes as we waited for our orders and twiddled our thumbs. I began to feel uneasy, sensing bad vibes. I was even thinking of walking out at one point.

At last, our order finally came after nearly 30 minutes per the timestamps of my photos. My mood swung up but almost immediately straight down again -- I didn't get the substitution as I had requested. I tried to flag down our waitress but she didn't see me. And that's when the owner/manager finally noticed us. He couldn't get her either so he came and addressed the miss personally.

Granted, there was a big party ahead of us but it's human nature to feel the injustice when we saw the 2 tables that got seated 5 minutes before we got our orders literally received theirs within the next 5 minutes. The long wait combined with feeling ignored made it hard to turn the bad experience around. The quality of the food became secondary. The owner/manager did make back a little ground by placating us with a short chat and a 10% discount near the very end.

I want to believe we just had a real bad luck in terms of timing, but for now I have to keep my review honest based on my overall experience.

Ashley Cho

We try something different each time we go there because everything has been so delicious. I especially enjoy the avocado shake—it’s a must-try!

Eagle Skyfire

The owners and staff of the restaurant are lovely people. The food is authentic, you get big portions, and it is delicious. If you're not familiar with Vietnamese food, Ken gives the best recommendations and happily shares his traditions and flavors, if you ask. This place is truly a"hidden gem." This restaurant is a must visit if you're a foodie. Don't forget to say "Hi" to Pablo.

Amy Witkowski (Savino)

You go here for the food. It was really good. The atmosphere is nothing special, but the food makes up for it. Highly recommend this place. LOTS of choices. Service was adequate. People were friendly.

Jennifer U

Delicious Chicken Rolls and Thai Iced Tea! Chicken with Rice and Crispy Noodles were excellent! Be sure to share, there's so much food! Ken, the owner, made great suggestions and is adding a new menu item. We can't wait to come back to try it!

Christine Tong

Overall, great service and accommodating, plus the food tastes good! But, there is not enough meat, compared to the amount of pho.

I ordered the pho tai bo vien and liked it, but there were only 5 small slices of meat and 5 cut pieces of bo vien (not whole meatballs). So you'll end up with a bowl full of noodles and no meat.

I ordered more meat for $5, which included 5 slices of meat and 5 cut pieces of bo vien which is expensive.

I also ordered sinh to durian, and the cup wasn't filled. For $6, it's a bit pricey for the amount of meat and smoothie you get.

Molli Twigg

I had the pork Vermicelli, and it was AMAZING!! I love the added peanuts on top of the pork, and the pork texture and flavor were very delicious!!
I will definitely be coming back here again and would recommend this place to anyone who loves pho and the other dishes!! 🙂
The music was great, and I enjoyed the mix of pop and indie!! The staff were also very nice and the young man that waited on us was very nice and kind 🙂

Julia T

We have gotten takeout here so many times since we started going. It has been delicious every single time we get from Sai Gon! I love the lemon grass tofu, which comes with delicious vermicelli noodles and pickled veg. Also, the fresh rolls with tofu is amazing, especially with the sweetened fish sauce. Highly recommend getting food here, if you like great service, flavorful/fresh food, and consistency!