Gao Viet Kitchen

This isn’t your regular Vietnamese pho shop, everything we ordered was delicious. The chicken wings were a little on the dry side and lacked much fish sauce flavor, but the rest made up for it. The spring roll platter was good, and the bánh khọt was my favorite. The bone marrow bites were also tasty, though the flavor wasn’t exactly what I expected. Overall, it’s a solid spot with some standout dishes that are worth trying.

Finally we make it here and got in after 3 yrs of trying and missing it due either closing for the holidays or too crowded. We’re the 1st or 2nd in line today and we got front door parking (for free due to holiday). Very cute decor and great vibe plus the ambiance seems very relaxing and chill. Menu is through scan app on table. Service is nice and friend. We ordered 3 dishes: BÁNH BÈO, BIG GAO PHO, and THE PIG OUT plus VẢI TINI. All looks delish but once we tasted, it just okey and something is missing. For the pho, it was just too fatty taste, the broth is depth of bones favor but tasteless just okey…I know it pan Asian this and that but without the veggies, it just not right. After tasting the broth, my mouth just dried and dehydrated plus I feel heavy & blowed. The pig out, or sticky rice, the fish sauce is not to my taste so it was off. The grilled meat is very tasty and good. Same with bì or shredded meats plus the sausage was tasty but cold. As for bánh bèo, it just way too thick and too much off coconut tasting, it tastes more of bánh đúc. The Tini was great. As for pricing, way too expensive for the twisted basic dishes that just make it more of jumbo size. This is just my opinion, but was disappointed overall. Our bill was about $140 with tip. Great presentation, great concept, great vibe & decor, nice service - not so good on foods and prices. Would love to give more but was disappointed on foods and all of us were not feeling well for most of the day afterward and didn’t eat til around 8pm. Sorry, hopefully next time will be better.

Gao Viet definitely has the Southeast Asian street vibe. The interior is simple elegant and clean. The food is spot on and portion sizes are very generous. Everything tastes fresh and well-balanced. Service was timely, courteous and efficient. Excellent spot for any occasion! Will definitely go back soon.

Came here on a Saturday evening so it was super crowded. Added us to the Yelp waitlist and we still had to wait for 45 minutes. Not a big deal as we knew it was going to be long. Since we had a lot of time to wait, we carefully selected our meal. We were seated and ready to order, but had to wait for the server for a while. Finally ordered and it didn’t take too long for the food and drinks to come out. The chicken cartilage was chewy like I had expected. I couldn’t stop eating it. It was addictive. The holy prawns were a total surprise. It was probably the best dish of the night as it was divine! That was my wife’s pick so good job, wifey~ The Big Gao fried rice with the steak and bone marrow was very good. I think the Old School BBH was underwhelming. It wasn’t bad, just average. My drink, the Bun Bae Way, was pretty cool as it had some Asian elements like lemongrass, shrimp paste. And it was topped with a beef jerky as it was inspired by bun bo hue. Overall, we liked most of the dishes and we would come back… but probably not on a weekend.

Been here a couple times now and it's consistently good. On the pricier side for viet food but the quality and portions justifies the price. I've tried the chefs choice platter $30, bo ne $43, rib bbh $39, garlic 3 way $32, chubby pho $23, bun rieu $29. Everything is good here and the portions are huge. I think a main entree and an appetizer should be enough for 2 people. Service is pretty decent and food comes out pretty quick. Fancy looking restaurant. Only 1 bathroom upstairs and 1 downstairs so expect to wait. Full bar upstairs. They get busy so make a reservation or use the iPad wait list outside

For $28 a rice plate, I expected something far better than what I got. The rice was mushy, sticky, and honestly tasted like it had been sitting out too long. I politely told the server, hoping they’d fix it, but they just brought back another plate with the exact same soggy rice. At that point, it felt like they didn’t care. The meat was okay — nothing special, just passable — but at these prices, “okay” isn’t good enough. I left feeling completely let down and disappointed. Gao Viet was supposed to be a treat, but it turned out to be a waste of money. Definitely won’t be returning.

This restaurant is definitely over hyped, food is not that good for the hassle of waitting in line. Youll have to get in line to go to the restroom too, they have 2 one upstair and one down stair but its a single person restroom so there is line. I ordered their Pho tenderloin and a simple request to have my meat on the side dont dip in the soup and they wont do it. Honestly if this restaurant is locate around other vietnamese restaurant they wont last.

We visited here because we read a review that it's "the ceiling of Vietnamese Pho in the Bay area". But obviously it's only the "ceiling of the price". For more than $40 a bowl, the taste didn't live up to its price. It's OK taste, but not worth $40. The Pho Kim Long in San Jose has better taste and less than half of the price.

I always enjoy taking friends here or when we're craving rice plates. We love getting the pig out, and the clay pot cat fish! The portions are huge and it's a really great choice for the peninsula. Drinks are also really good like the cocktails and the vietnamese coffee. I wish there were more pho spots in the peninsula, but when the craving hits, this place does also hit the spot for pho!

Very high-end Vietnamese spot tucked on the outskirts of downtown San Mateo. I got the bo ne and the banh beo for dinner. Banh beo was just okay, I would personally skip on it next time. I agree with other reviews that it was more dense and less airy/fluffy. The texture makes a big difference in this dish since there's only a handful of items in it. The bo ne was loaded to the brim, the steak was amazing and juicy. The baguette was also great when paired with the pate and overall combination of steak juice/runny egg/acidic crushed tomato flavor. I'd get this again and would highly recommend to anyone looking to branch out from mainstream Vietnamese dishes. My pro tip is to get on the Yelp waitlist ahead of time! The cocktails and drinks here look genuinely amazing, I wish that I was able to give them a try. I'll definitely be revisiting this spot and look forward to other dishes they have to offer.

I was doubtful about trying gao viet for the longest time because the extravagant ingredients just seemed like a gimmick for social media. Like who needs fancy ingredients in a comforting bowl of pho or bun bo hue? However, after seeing the place around for a few years, I finally gave in to the hype and tried out, and I think it actually lives up to the hype! Now I def don't think all their dishes are worth the hefty price point. So far, we've been twice and have gotten to try the beef boiz pho, the big rib bun bo hue, the roll platter, and the banh cuon. I'd say the standouts are def the pho and the banh coun, and I'm normally a bun bo hue gal. I haven't had northern style pho anywhere else and rlly like how soft and smooth the slightly thicker noodles are here. The broth is also surprisingly flavorful. The beef boiz pho comes with beef rib cubes and filet mignon, which are both so tender. I think I especially like the pho here because it comes with all the meat that I like and not any tendon etc which I'm not as much a fan of. The quality of the meat is def there, so I think it's worth the price! I got the bun bo hue on our first visit and remember it also being good, but not a huge standout. The broth was good but could have been more flavorful. My fave is still hue restaurant in SJ. We got the banh cuon this time and it was surprisingly good. I love me some banh cuon, and the texture of the rice noodle roll here was super soft and silky. The meat filling was flavored well and it was well balanced with the veggies. Fish sauce also wasn't too pungent, which is a plus for me, but maybe a minus for others lol We got the roll sampler the first time, which was honestly pretty disappointing. The pho roll was an interesting concept with the rice noodle wrapper, but flavor wasn't a huge standout. The spring roll and nem nuong roll were also pretty standard and nothing to write home about. I think the egg roll didn't have enough flavor in the filling but I honestly can't remember. Overall I'd skip. Also, I'd skip on the drinks. I feel like they're too frothy and just overall not great. However, all that being said, I'd def go back for the beef boiz pho! I also like how you can get on the Yelp waitlist before getting there to cut down on the wait time.

Came here on a Saturday evening so it was super crowded. Added us to the Yelp waitlist and we still had to wait for 45 minutes. Not a big deal as we knew it was going to be long. Since we had a lot of time to wait, we carefully selected our meal. We were seated and ready to order, but had to wait for the server for a while. Finally ordered and it didn't take too long for the food and drinks to come out. The chicken cartilage was chewy like I had expected. I couldn't stop eating it. It was addictive. The holy prawns were a total surprise. It was probably the best dish of the night as it was divine! That was my wife's pick so good job, wifey~ The Big Gao fried rice with the steak and bone marrow was very good. I think the Old School BBH was underwhelming. It wasn't bad, just average. My drink, the Bun Bae Way, was pretty cool as it had some Asian elements like lemongrass, shrimp paste. And it was topped with a beef jerky as it was inspired by bun bo hue. Overall, we liked most of the dishes and we would come back... but probably not on a weekend.

We came here on a Saturday afternoon and were seated right away at the bar. The restaurant has a cozy atmosphere and is nicely decorated. For starters, we ordered the banh beo and spring rolls, both served in generous portions. The spring rolls were solid, and the banh beo had a delicious balance of sweet and savory flavors. For our main dishes, we tried the bun rieu with soft-shell crab and bo ne. Both were flavorful and well-prepared. I especially liked the bun rieu, as the broth was rich with a strong tomato base and a subtle hint of crab. The wait staff were attentive, and the service was quick. While the prices are a bit higher than your typical Vietnamese spot, the quality and portion sizes make it super worth it. I highly recommend giving this place a try!

My aunt took my cousin & I here for lunch before a day of activities, we had to make a reservation for sure since this place is really busy. Even takeout orders were as busy as dine in, that was a good sign. We got seated really fast upstairs, the seating is a bit tight and very close to one another but the atmosphere was fun and new. We ordered 2 appetizers & our own soups I got the chubby pho... delicious! A bit on the pricey side thats why I gave it the 4 stars but definitely try this place out if you love Vietnamese food. I also believe this is northern Vietnamese cuisine which is different than your local pho shop. Food had the homemade feel and wants to go back to try the other delicious main dishes on the menu. The drinks & server were just as amazing and attentive. We had fun

We came here for a Saturday date night and was pleasantly surprised with Gao! It is located in downtown San Mateo so I recommend planning ahead to find parking (utilize their waitlist option!). It is a 2 story restaurant with larger tables on the first floor, and the bar, high top tables and smaller tables upstairs on the 2nd floor. Ambiance is lovely for a date night, celebration meal, or just a catchup with fam & friends. Our server was really nice and attentive. We ordered: - Nem Noung spring roles - I love a good spring roll, especially with grilled pork sausages. Peanut sauce was great, and the spring rolls tasted very fresh. I do think it would've tasted better if the pork was grilled longer, but that's just my personal taste. Chicken with garlic noodles - my partner enjoyed this dish. Large portion size, and tasted great as leftovers the next day. - Chicken Cartilage Sụn gà - omg. Literally my FAVORITE item we ordered. If you love eating cartilage, this dish is for you. It is paired with their green special sauce and it is a delicious pairing. Delicious. - Chubby Pho - the broth was rich and packed with toppings (Filet Mignon, Tendon, Marrow, Onion, Green Onion, Cilantro, Rice Noodle). I rated it 4 stars as I do think the dishes were on the pricier end, but portion sizes do help with making up for it and I get that it is in a very prime location in downtown San Mateo. I'd still come back and try some of their crafted drinks!

GAO did not meet my expectations after seeing it on social media and having personal friends recommendations. I'm glad I gave it a try because the presentations were beautiful but the food itself was extremely disappointing. The broths lacked flavor, and the textures of noodles/meat were either too hard or soft. It felt like a huge mess with no balance. Our server was kind and patient with us as we navigated the menu but we won't be back!

* foodie DEETS here * - 4.5 stars | 01.04 & 03.22.25's visits, review #210 Finally took fam & friend here respectively. OG Ben Tre fam soft opened next gen, IG-famous Gao here on 07.24.18 & then SF locay 12.12.22. More expansions in the works. T L ; D R . . . Recs: start w/ fresh Bánh Cuốn, pick a tasty phở like Beef Boy for their signature 24hr beef broth (don't skip the add-on sides), Holy Prawns if u have a few ppl, & garlic noodles. For drinks, I loved the unique Coconut Hibiscus. V I B E S . . . Alwaz swamped. Modern, Fusion décor. Smart use of a narrow, tall space w/ add'l dining on the mezzanine level & bar on the top fl. Sit down to QR code ordering of an elevated Viet menu. N O M S . . . We went thru the following: * Bánh Cuốn (house made rice noodles filled w/ pork, shrooms, grilled pork sausage & pork ham), 21. (was 19.) | fresh noodles -GET - 4 Item Bánh Hỏi w/ woven vermicelli, 46. | sampler, but we rather have the above as app. FYI, sugarcane is not just a garnish! Smh, chew them for the juice & discard pulp. - Big Gao Phở, 39. | 24hr beef bone marrow broth w/ fall-off-bone short rib & filet, +brisket 7. (good value of Chubby Pho, 23. w/ filet & tendon. +giant rib, 18.) * Beef Boy Phở, 33. | the above, but cut cubes instead of on the bone. REC - Bún Riêu, 29. (Lobster, 85.) | I alwaz like to get this crab noodle soup everywhere when avail. Broth is lighter than others, but soft shell crab incl here. - forgot pho side order tho, smh! +hock, 5. | etc - Giant River Prawns, now 27. x2 min = 54. (was 23. ea) | butter garlic chilly sauce w/ woven noodle | umami intrigued our palettes * Holy (Tiger) Prawns, 8. x5 min = 40. | like smaller version of the above, but u get more for less $ while still good size - What Da Duck, 33. | w/ garlic noodle noms - Pork Rib w/ Coconut Sticky Rice, 29. | the ribs weren't our fav & crispy rice cube w/ soft interior was diff, but I didn't notice a coconut flavor Try nxt time? So much more to work thru, but these r my highlights... - 5 Spice Belly (3 slabs), 17. - 5 Spice Chix Garlic Noodles, 27. (Phở, 23.) | bone-in lemongrass chix qtr - Grilled Scallops (4), 40. (was 35.) - Soft Shell Crab Bánh Canh, 29. (Lobster, 85.) | round tapioca noodles w/ pork, belly & quail egg LUNCH W & Th, 11:30a-3p: - Special, 19.95 | dry or soup noodle options - A-la-carte, 14-30. | Veg, 12-19. Specials: - Phozilla (Lobster+Big Gao+Chubby), SM 110. - Seazilla (1.5 Canadian lobster + 4 Giant River prawns + banh hoi noodles), 160! (was 120.) | SM: Sea Lover w/ Maine & garlic noodles D R I N K S . . . - Sugarcane Calamansi, 8. | fresh pressed locally, but too sweet solo...worked w/ a shot tho: - Plantation XO, 13. | dark rum, nice to try - Coconut Hibiscus, 14. | LOVED the yummy, fragrant blend - Devil's Lychee Mai Tai, 17. | unique, savory Viet shrimp salt & sugar rim w/ lil spicy kick - tried both Peachy Whiskey, 17. & Peachee Way, 16. | don't remember exactly except the latter was lighter - Bourbon Brûlée, 17. | fam thought it was way too dinky - Almanac Love Hazy IPA (6.1% can), 10. | "tropical" - we didn't notice Try nxt: - Milky Pandan, 8. (+Crystal Boba, 1.) | creamy milk & sweet coconut - HH 5-6p | drink specials S E R V I C E . . . The team hustles & bustles a full dining room while being attentive. A bit of a struggle w/ tight space, small tables, big plates, & us foodies ordering a lot tho. When a $17++ cocktail got knocked over (esp on a $400 bill), nice hospitality would've been to offer to tc of that replacement instead of charging for a 4th. - Return? Yea - Restroom sitch (helps gauge resto's cleanliness): kept well - Out the door w/ dranks: ~100. pp - Apple Pay: Yea, who doesn't these days? If u found what I spent time on to be of help, show this (Asian) sista some love by SMASHing a reaction & FOLLOWing me if u don't already!! ;-P Thx in advance & may there be more noms in our futures, cheers...

I didn't know what elevated pho was until I came here. The broth for both the chubby pho and banh canh were both so delicious. You can taste the marrow in the chubby pho and all the meat pieces were juicy. The short shell crab broth was also good and the soft shell crab in the soup still had the crisp even though it was in the soup. The waiters were also patient when we were looking through the menu and were attentive to our questions. The wait could be quite long so I would advise getting on the wait list earlier in the day. There's seating both upstairs and downstairs but can still be over an hour wait.

Finally we make it here and got in after 3 yrs of trying and missing it due either closing for the holidays or too crowded. We're the 1st or 2nd in line today and we got front door parking (for free due to holiday). Very cute decor and great vibe plus the ambiance seems very relaxing and chill. Menu is through scan app on table. Service is nice and friend. We ordered 3 dishes: BÁNH BÈO, BIG GAO PHO, and THE PIG OUT plus VẢI TINI. All looks delish but once we tasted, it just okey and something is missing. For the pho, it was just too fatty taste, the broth is depth of bones favor but tasteless just okey...I know it pan Asian this and that but without the veggies, it just not right. After tasting the broth, my mouth just dried and dehydrated plus I feel heavy & blowed. The pig out, or sticky rice, the fish sauce is not to my taste so it was off. The grilled meat is very tasty and good. Same with bì or shredded meats plus the sausage was tasty but cold. As for bánh bèo, it just way too thick and too much off coconut tasting, it tastes more of bánh đúc. The Tini was great. As for pricing, way too expensive for the twisted basic dishes that just make it more of jumbo size. This is just my opinion, but was disappointed overall. Our bill was about $140 with tip. Great presentation, great concept, great vibe & decor, nice service - not so good on foods and prices. Would love to give more but was disappointed on foods and all of us were not feeling well for most of the day afterward and didn't eat til around 8pm. Sorry, hopefully next time will be better.

I've been wanting to try this place for a while since there's always a line, and now I get why! It's a little pricey, but totally worth it. The food is seriously delicious! I also got a lychee martini, which was not the best, lacked the lychee flavor, hence the four stars.

Elevated Vietnamese cuisines. Food looks amazing and has huge portions but has a slight twist from the authentic taste. Cozy restaurant with two floors and has decent service. Started off with the creamy pandan for a drink and it was indeed pandan flavor and milky. Got the mango salad which was refreshing. The egg roll was small and has nice filling but the wrapper is too thick making it a bit hard to bite. Would prefer them to give more lettuce to wrap the egg roll in but only had once piece. The big Gao's pho had a large piece of meat. Not super tender but solid meat. Lots of green onions and has bone marrow pieces in the soup giving it the fatty flavor. Delicious the first few bites but too fatty the more you go through it. Got the 5 spice pho which came with a very flavorful chicken and crispy skin. Similar broth as the big Gao's pho but slightly sweeter. Both came with fresh noodles. The banh canh cua came with 2 fried soft shell crabs which gives the soup a strong crab flavor but the soup doesn't have the thick texture of an authentic banh canh cua. Maybe come back to try their other stuff but not a priority on my list. Plenty of street parking and has garage parking.

What a lovely place for date night and watching the game at the bar! Great flavors and refreshing drinks and atmosphere.

If you're looking for some unique Vietnamese dishes that are pic-worthy yet tasty, get on that Yelp waitlist as soon as you are able to on the app! We ordered the 4-item banh hoi which comes with snack-sized imperial roll, sugarcane shrimp, pork belly, and pork sausage. This sampler was our favorite of the night; who doesn't love a good variety! I asked for some thai chilis on the side and used it in the fish sauce. I liked that they were the muddled kind. We also got the gaozilla for the first time (go big or go home, right?) but I expected more from it to be honest, especially at the price point. While the steak and bone marrow were excellent, the pho fell a bit short. The oxtails weren't tender at all and the broth could have had a lot more depth. It kind of just tasted like a beef broth with the slightest amount of pho spices. But, the holy trinity with the bone marrow + steak pulled it together for me; I definitely would have been more disappointed if I had just the pho by itself. I've also tried their bo ne, banh canh, and coconut coffee before which were all pretty good. In terms of service, it's alright. It's a bustling restaurant so you can kind of expect how it'd be. Our server was also trying to clear up our table a little too prematurely in order to make room for the next dish, but that could have been planned better instead of us rushing to finish our food when we were already eating at a fast pace.

As soon as I sat down, the memory of our Hanoi trip flashed back! The taste of the bun rieu was light, bright and delightful! The soft shell crab was a nice addition. It soaked up the flavor of the broth! The bahn cuan and sea snails were good. Hubby got the beef pho...which I thought was too heavy on the lemongrass fragrant but not the taste that I wonder if they used extract or spray or something? I usually love the pig blood jelly thing ...but those here were too 'hard' vs bouncy...not a fan of the texture and the noodles. Skip the cocktails. The ingredients of shrimp paste, lemongrass etc sounded more intriguing than the taste and it was weak... Portion was def generous! We def over ordered for our family, and ate a whole weekend worth of food :)

My latino partner hates asian food but with all his might he will deny it. So imagine my great pleasure when he said that he had the best pho ever here at Gao Viet Kitchen & Bar. And I have to agree. We got the filet mignon pho and chicken pho. If I had to choose, I would get the filet mignon again, BUT if I were sick, definitely the chicken pho with it's clear, light comforting broth would be my choice. We really liked both, though! There was a line and we waited about an hour. Luckily they utilize Yelp's waitlist function, so I had visibility into where we were in line. My hubs took the kid around the corner to look at the fire station and fire trucks, so we survived the wait. The service was way too nice for a busy place. It was a Saturday lunch and I just had no idea that it was a popular spot, but I'll tell you that it was worth the wait! Hands down I am terrified of going to another pho place now that we've found a winner!

I came here for my birthday! They were super sweet and brought out a special treat with a candle and sang happy birthday. I made a reservation on a weekday and it was quite busy! Make sure to check the reservations if you know you are coming in advance. It is a very nice interior with two levels. The food portion sizes are quite big and there is a whole vegetarian section on the Menu. I liked the Lemon Grass Tofu a lot and the grilled eggplant. I also had the vegetarian pho which was good. I wanted to take the rest of my pho home as it was quite big but the server accidentally took it away before I could ask. Either way this restaurant is a great option for meat eaters AND for vegetarian eaters with MULTIPLE starter and main dishes available to choose from, which sets them apart from the classic 1 or 2 options available at Vietnamese restaurants. Would love to come back!

Let's start with first things first how amazing this places!!! When you walk in you either check in for your appointment or you check through yelp. Trust me the wait is worth it if you're checking to wait but I do recommend making a reservation. The staff were very kind and welcoming! I love the layout. You can go upstairs to their bar area while you wait for your time to sit as well. So many delicious food to choose from we decided on a little bit of everything. I'm glad we did just because we truly got to try so many different delicious dishes from appetizers to soups to delicious five spice chicken with garlic noodles! Over all 5 stars I can't wait to come back and try more

My initial impression with the hostess did not go too well. We made a reservation for 10 people initially, and a few days prior our headcount dropped to 6 people. I attempted to call them 2 days in a row to let them know with no luck reaching anyone. On the day of, I show up about 10 mins ahead and wait for a host to appear to let them know about this change but no one is around for a while. Until about a few mins before our reservation (12:45), I finally find someone who was a hostess that was unfortunately unpleasant. She was clearly upset that we didn't tell them sooner and I explained to her that I tried calling days ago and she was clearly irritated with me. She then asked me to find her when my whole party arrives. Eventually we are seated, and are passed over to a gentleman named Bao. He provided great service, but one thing I did find quite strange was when we received the check, the person handling the receipt would circle the 20% gratuity (twice!). I've never experienced anything like this. Besides all of the off-experience, the food was great! Their portions are massive! I HIGHLY recommend splitting your meals if you come here. I ordered the 5 Spicy Dry Chicken Pho which was delicious along with the Pistachio Coffee. There are so many other things I'd love to try but I'd rather come on a day when that hostess is not working. Because the foods trumps the services, I'd recommend this restaurant to friends and family if they want a flavorful meal!

Expensive but decent Viet food. For two people we ordered: --3 Item Banh Hoi: You can buy the noodles and cook them yourself. Just add scallion Oil. I chose the Pork Sausage, Imperial Roll, and Sugarcane Shrimp. You can also easily get the pork sausage from an asian grocery store and just air fry it for similar quality. For those reasons I'd skip this dish. Even though the Imperial Roll and Sugarcane Shrimp are a little more rare at Vietnamese restaurants, they weren't really anything special or extraordinary. A little bland. --Banh Khot: $19 and 7 pieces makes this pretty pricey. I've lately become infatuated with Banh Khot lady in SoCal so that's a high bar. Hers is about $2 per piece and gets cheaper as you order more. These were pretty good, slightly undercooked by like 10 seconds. They were also really big so hard to fit your mouth around, but they were thin enough that you could fold them up into a taco and bite into it. The nuoc cham also has a little more sugar than I'm used to, but it wasn't a bad thing. --Chubby Pho: Really good and probably one of the few items that aren't super overpriced here. $23 for pho is slowly becoming the norm, and the quality of the soup here is worth it. Would I come back? Sure, but probably only for special occasions. I can get a quick Pho fix elsewhere. Waiting for the San Jose location to open up. Overall $100 after tip. Even though I joined the waitlist when it said 25~40 minute wait, I drove 20 minutes and still had to wait another 40 minutes to be seated, so an hour total.

This place was so good. I am biased because i was playing basketball before this so food just sounded amazing. The pho i got (beef boy) was so flavorful. There was a strong taste and smell of meat but the broth was rich with the aromatics and a slight sweetness from the different cuts of meat. I really liked my friends plate too. They got the shaking beef which was so soft and chewy with a nice strong flavor. They also got a rice plate and the sausages and pork chop is something u cant miss out on. UNDERRATED IS THE BANH KHOT. Those tasted so good, it is like banh xeo(the vietnamese crepe) but smaller and easier to eat. I got this silky pandan coconut drink and i wish i had gotten another one because it was so tasty.

Chicken Cartilage was my favorite dish. The sauce that accompanied it was so flavorful. We also ordered the Prawns with Banh Hoi with herbs (mint + cilantro) and lettuce, Bo Tai Chanh (Beef Carpaccio) and Banh Khot. Service was amazing and tentative. Party of 5 and the appetizers was enough for all of us. I do want to return to try their soups, but it was way too hot today. I don't think they have AC. We wanted to sit upstairs, but there was no seating available. They have happy hour everyday for discounted prices on beverages. Can't wait to return to try other items on the menu. Pro Tip: Park in the parking lot a couple blocks away for only $1/hour and Join the Waitlist from Yelp on your way there. We got seated right away as we arrived.

Gao Viet Kitchen & Bar is located in downtown San Mateo, near Central Park. There is paid street parking and paid garage parking. The restaurant is 2 stories and has a bar upstairs. I would recommend joining the waitlist on Yelp as soon as possible if you want to eat around 6-7 PM. There is always a wait, as the restaurant doesn't have a ton of seating. For a party of 7 on a Sunday night, I joined the waitlist at 5:30 PM (when it opened) and had to wait about an hour and a half to be seated. I've been here twice. The first time as a party of 2 and the second time as a party of 7. The first time I sat upstairs. The second time I sat downstairs. Sitting upstairs is better in my opinion and less crowded. The staff are "eh." It's so busy that you hardly see your waiter and you have to typically flag them down for things like water refills, to order, etc. Or, it honestly could have just been my waiter, as he wasn't the best. They also automatically add a 20% tip for parties over 6 (expected, but wish the service was better). The food was okay, honestly nothing special. The presentation was a little disappointing, especially considering their high prices. Their beef pho broth tasted like any other Vietnamese place. My uncle really liked their chicken pho, however. Overall, probably won't be back as I prefer smaller, less expensive Vietnamese spots.

Been here twice and food was very average to me. I had better pho than this. The drinks;however, were terrible ! My friend and I both had 2-3 sips and we just couldn't take another sip. It tastes so artificial like it's from a can or something. Just not good. The rice noodle was overcooked. It had no texture like the pho should be. I'm not sure if I'd go back again.

My coworker and I went to Gao Viet Kitchen & Bar in San Mateo. Everyone ordered something different, but the wait was long since you have to join the waitlist in person, and the prices were quite high for a group dinner. I ordered the Filet Mignon Pho, but I think Ben Tre would've been a better choice. The space was small and a bit crowded; however, I really liked the restaurant's style.

Finally got to try this place after hearing and passing by this place many times. Came here for a late lunch on a Saturday. Since this place were still busy, i put myself on the waitlist. There is a waiting area if you like to wait until you get a text that youe table is ready. all parties need to be there in order for you and your group to be seated. This place has 2 levels but going through between tables can be narrow. Theres a qr code where it has an extensive menu. They have varieties of food to choose from. I decided to get the old school bbh. Portion is good size with decent amount of noodle and protein. Broth has good flavor. Only thing is the price is pretty pricey, higher than most Vietnamese restaurants. Would definitely come back again to try their other dishes.

Might be my favorite pho in the Bay Area! Stopped by around 20 minutes before they opened on Sunday and there were already 10+ people in front (some had large parties). A worker comes by to note down how many are in your party, and everyone has to be present to be seated. There is a garage across the street from the restaurant, along with street parking - but it can get busy so allow more time to find parking. There are two levels inside, and the upstairs was nice during the summer as they had the windows open and there was a nice breeze. As for the food, I got the pandan coffee and the filet mignon pho. Both were really good! The pandan drink isn't super creamy, but is refreshing. It had good sweetness too. The filet mignon in the pho was insanely soft, and it also comes with what I assume is fresh noodle. It's a flat white noodle similar to Pho Ha Noi, but this one is slightly chewier, which I like!

If you're looking for a trendy spot with instagramable food and cocktails, GAO is your spot. If you're looking for authentic, no frills pho, keep driving to SJ. For appetizers, we got the 4-item banh hoi ($46), which came with imperial rolls, sugarcane shrimp, pork belly, and pork sausage + all the accoutrements. For entrees, we got the house fried rice ($26), shaking beef ($32), lemongrass shrimp noodle ($27), combo claypot with catfish, shrimp, and pork belly ($33), chubby pho with filet mignon, tendon, and bone marrow ($23), and the beef boy pho with filet mignon, bone marrow, and beef rib cubes ($33). Everything was good, but I would say that the standouts were the tangy lemongrass shrimp noodle and the incredibly tender shaking beef. The claypot was good but pretty sweet and definitely needed to be balanced out with the rice. The 2 phos were probably the weakest dishes--the meats were tender but the noodles were overcooked and the broth was pretty bland. If you're ok with the prices, I think it's a good spot to check out. It is also pretty busy so utilize the Yelp waitlist or make reservations (for parties 6+) or be prepared to wait. There is a 90 min limit per table to help with turnover.

LOVE how there is a yelp waitlist. Joined around 11:30am on a Sunday and was 20th in line. Only took about 30 minutes for our table to be ready. There was upstairs and downstairs seating. Downstairs seating was limited but I'm sure there were a lot more tables upstairs. Looked at the menu from a QR code and quickly ordered. The food came out SO fast. Roughly 7-10 minutes. The coffee and Thai iced tea were delicious. The pandan coffee had the perfect mix of coffee and pandan flavor. The food was PHENOMENAL. They give SO much meat. The what the duck was definitely my favorite, but they were all really good. 10/10 would come back if I'm craving a more elevated experience.

This isn't your regular Vietnamese pho shop, everything we ordered was delicious. The chicken wings were a little on the dry side and lacked much fish sauce flavor, but the rest made up for it. The spring roll platter was good, and the bánh khọt was my favorite. The bone marrow bites were also tasty, though the flavor wasn't exactly what I expected. Overall, it's a solid spot with some standout dishes that are worth trying.

Upscale Vietnamese restaurant with most of their popular dishes starting at $30+, including their pho. Generally slightly larger than normal serving sizes, but their tableware makes it look much bigger. While they do use a good broth, I wouldn't say that their pho is legendary or life-changing, although I haven't had their $120 phozilla. The waiter also recommended the 3-Way, a beef dish over garlic noodles. The beef felt oversalted but was well cooked, but once more, I didn't feel like it was extraordinary. Service is also a little slow and our server never checked in with us. Menus are digital, so I've attached the QR code for easy access. It does have a beautiful interior and looks quite nice, but tables and space are a little squished.

Best vegan pho! They have a great cocktail list too. Highly recommend! It gets busy so add your name to the waitlist.

We heard from a friend and wanted to try. San Mateo is closest so we went. The interior looks nice, seatings upstairs in a loft. You have to scan the QR code for the extensive menu, and most looked good, but not cheap. I noticed their Phozilla which is a giant bowl of pho with a bone-in beef rib and a lobster (?) $110! Waitstaff were quick and efficient. We ordered the mama's clay pot and felt it was not too bad but way too much pork belly and the shrimps were overcooked and tough. I believe the one in SF is fancier and more expensive from what I've heard.

I feel like Gao Viet doesn't need a review because the reputation speaks for itself. It is of the first, "more expensive", Vietnamese restaurants in the area. You truly can't go wrong with ordering anything on the menu. One of our favorites is the big gao fried rice. Everything is incredibly delicious, service is attentive and fast. The restaurant can get quite loud but nothing beats a lively atmosphere.

I love this restaurant and I can't believe I still haven't made a review! I often take people here if they are visiting because it is close to the airport and easy to impress, plus the nearby parking is quite reliable. The online yelp queue is extremely convenient, and my hot take is that this is much easier than making a reservation! As for the food, I am never disappointed. I absolutely love the banh khot tofu, which is a must-try if you haven't had it before. It strikes a perfect balance of crispy and indulgent with fresh and tangy when you wrap the lettuce, herbs, and pancake all together and dip it in the sauce. I always get it as an appetizer, if not a main! The imperial rolls are good too but nothing beats the banh khot. I didn't snap a picture of the lemongrass tofu because I believe they changed the recipe from my most recent picture, but I actually much prefer the new recipe which is a bit saucier. I love to get it with the sticky rice, which is pan fried to give it a wonderful contrast of textures. Finally, I really appreciate the attention to detail on the allergens in the online menu. The waiters are very helpful too! Going here with dietary restrictions or being vegetarian/vegan is easy and uncompromising on flavor.

The food here is really good especially the bun Bo hue and banh cuon. The coconut coffee is really good too. Waitlist can get long so make sure to put your name in the yelp list beforehand. Service is nice and friendly.

Loved all the food here! Keep in mind that there is usually a wait, we waited about 30 minutes. They have pho shots, which is something that not a lot of places have and it was amazing together. They have a lot good cocktails too! All the food was great, my favorite was the five spice chicken and the house fried rice! Definitely recommend both of those dishes.

Made Yelp reservation on a Sun afternoon about 1:30. Had to wait about 30 min. Arrived with 2-3 reservations ahead of us. Waited, then when I got a text that said talk to a staff member we did and got promptly seated upstairs near but not at the bar. Was a small table and ended up that the 3rd dish we ordered literally could not fit on the table. Lighting was little dim, but fine. Low level music playing. No paper menu except for the drinks. Have to use QR code to review but NOT order the food. Ordered: BÁNH HỎI NEM NUONG (6pc pork sausage), Garlic 3 way and Big Gao Pho. For drink tried the coffee with coconut milk. Garlic 3 way was served nice. Actually ate later at home. Shrimp in this dish little overdone.Nice flavor. Good quality sides. Pork sausage dish would probably not order again. Sausage was that type that has a lot of flour mixed in it. So quality was little low, but rest of dish was nice. Big Gao pho had a huge piece of beef in it, although some parts had small amounts of fat and other stuff. That isn't too bad but it was hard to tear the 1 huge beef piece apart to share. Did kinda ok with the spoon and fork we already had at the table. Flavor as-is was good. They do give you the usual pho additions like cilantro, mint and jalapeño. Coffee (cold) with frozen coconut milk was super nice. Cool to look at and super nice flavor combo. A must try. Overall a great experience and will stop by again when in the area.

My family and I love this place it's basically our default special occasion dinner spot. It can take a while to be seated when it's busy, and a while for the food to come out though. Otherwise, the service is prompt and nice. The chubby pho is super yummy. I love the broth and its slight smoky taste. It's always served hot! The garlic noodles with beef were good too. I loved the garlic noodles, which had a big and strong garlic butter taste to them. I honestly like them better than thanh long. The meat came off as a bit chewy though. I also love their banh canh! I love the soft shell crab that goes with it and the soup is super yummy.

Great tasting Vietnamese food. Been here more than 10 times now and the food has never missed. I would absolutely choose this place to introduce people to Vietnamese food for the first time. It's great quality and flavor, always consistent. There's always a wait to be seated, and you must have your whole party there when called to come in. Otherwise, you may expect to be bumped until all members are there. The order: (check the online menu on their website -- gaokitchen.com -- for photos and details) Bánh Bèo $19: simple, delicious - great app to share. Bành CUỐN $21: I order this as a plate for myself sometimes haha. It's light, refreshing, good eating, and very filling. BEEF CARPACCIO - BÒ TÁI CHANH $19: I am not a fan of raw dishes, but my fried ordered this and it was so good! The marinade and red onions on top (also not a fan of onions) really pulled the dish together and made such a tasty, light bite. VERMICELLI BOWL $25: SO WORTH IT. I always order this dish at viet joints, and this might be my favorite one. There's some really good ones out there and this is one of the greats. I never get tired of it. MAMA'S CLAYPOT $33: Friend enjoyed this classic dish, had no complaints. Great comfort meal. SOFT SHELL CRAB BÁNH CANH $29: other friend ordered this and thought it was great. It looked so good, I think I'm going to order it next time. So many good choices to choose from, every dish seems to be a hit so far. Solid choice for lunch, and a great option for eating out when people are in town.

Fabuloso is gross, stop using this cleaning product. The stench is overwhelming and can't even smell my soup. Just flew in and was looking forward to this meal for awhile. Soup was a bit watered down but noodles and meats were still good. Service was very very nice . Id prob order takeout again but definitely not eat in again.

Food is 5/5- not my first time here. I order the wok pho every time because is my favorite. Had most of the other items on the menu before and everything is delicious. Ambiance 3/5- typical Asian restaurant, nothing to rave about. The only gripe I have is the price and the wait. The wok pho is $23, definitely one of the pricier pho around. The wait can sometimes be an hour long but I think you can now use yelp to wait in line which makes it much easier

I've probably made 3 attempts to eat at Gao Viet in San Mateo until I finally succeeded a few weeks ago. We came right at opening time on a weekend and luckily got in without a reservation or waiting at all. If this is a spot you want to try and you don't want to wait an hour or more in line, go right when they open for dinner. Parking: no designated parking lot but you can park on the streets or in the city lots nearby Ambiance: open, airy, 2 level seating. The place radiates a modern Vietnamese restaurant vibe. Service: good. We were seated immediately since the restaurant is still empty. We were given waters right away and time from ordering to food arrival was quick. I could tell they were getting busy and packed when we were almost done with our food but we were never pressured to leave. Food: 4.5/5. We ordered the banh hoi 2 item with sugar cane shrimp and imperial roll, what da duck and house fried rice. The standout was the house fried rice with amazing flavors and a lot of ingredients. Portion size for all our dishes were generous. The duck was just ok while the banh hoi was also very delicious. We both loved the imperial roll. Cost:$$ Will we return? Definitely yes but only if there is no wait or the wait is less than 20 minutes.

Came here on a Saturday night for dinner with a group of four. We heard it gets busy, so we put ourselves on the Yelp waitlist while driving over. The wait was around 45-50 minutes. Since the area is packed with restaurants, parking was a bit of a challenge--even with nearby garages--but we eventually found a spot within walking distance. Once we checked in, we were seated in about 10 minutes. There's a QR code at the table for the menu, which made browsing easy. Our server was attentive, quick with taking our order, and made sure we had water and condiments right away. I ordered the Old School Bun Bo Hue and my husband got the Beef Boy Pho. Both bowls were generous in portion and super flavorful. The broths were rich and hearty, and there was plenty of meat in each one with the meat being on the fatty side. A heads-up: the noodles in the beef pho weren't the typical type you'd find at most pho spots--just something to note if you're picky about noodle texture. My bun bo hue wasn't very spicy, but it was definitely on the oily side. We also shared a plate of imperial rolls. They came out hot and fresh, though pretty standard--nothing too memorable compared to other places. Overall, a solid spot for pho with bold flavors, good portions, and fast service. Just plan ahead for parking and wait times.

I've been here twice and both times I thought they had good pho. I don't remember what I got the first time but the second time I tried the chubby pho and was pleased with how rich and fatty the broth was. A lot of pho in the Bay Area feels really watered down but not here! There was also a fair amount of meat in the soup. I had a lot of tendon pieces which I don't like to eat too much so I gave them to my spouse. Noodles were nice and chewy. There is seating upstairs. We've had parties of 6-8 before and the restaurant can accommodate these party sizes but the upstairs doesn't feel particularly big to me so it can feel a little crowded.

The restaurant was filled and we had to wait, after tasting the food i realized why. The food was fresh and tasted amazing The Ox tail was fall off the bone The broths were tasty

The wait can be insane (line down the street before opening), but the food,drinks,service, and decor are all top notch. It's in a completely separate tier from you corner pho spot. Full bar with cocktails, fruit, and coffee drinks that highlight Vietnam's diversity.

It was nice to be able to make a reservation on Yelp! However, other than that, the entire dining experience was just okay. The staffs weren't attentive nor friendly and all dishes were on the sweeter side. The item that was especially disappointing was the Bone Marrow Cracker - the rice was not crispy, can't tell there's bone marrow in it and honestly it's just a greasy mess to eat. The Pig Out - the pork was good, but the rice was overcooked and gooey. The Five Spice Chicken with Garlic Noodles - chicken was good but again, noodles were overcooked and mushy, plus missing the garlic. It was also loud inside of the restaurant, so if you are looking to have a conversation with a meal, that's something to consider.