Mekong Restaurant

They have beers, if you’re a beer lover, this is the place. Fried Calamari was good, crispy, well seasoned, not too salty. Quail was gamey which I am not a fan of. Gỏi ngó sen was a rip off, only a lil ngó sen, the rest were carrots, celeries and cucumbers,and of course the shrimps were farm raised. Surely made for Americans, not authentic. Service was above average , I would come back to try other dishes.

​Mekong has a lot going for it! The ambiance is great, and since the place is so large, you can likely get a table even during peak hours. The beer bar with its decent selection definitely sets it apart from other Asian restaurants. ​We enjoyed the food—it was delicious, although it wasn't as spicy as we had asked for. The huge menu offers a lot of variety, but it can also be a little overwhelming. The portions seemed moderate for the price, and maybe even a bit small compared to similar places. ​Unfortunately, the service was a bit disappointing. We felt rushed to order, with our waiter checking on us three times even when it wasn't that busy. After the food had been served, no one came back at all to check whether everything was okay. ​Overall, it's obviously a popular spot with a nice atmosphere and good food. Despite the service issue (might not be the normal), I'd still say it's worth a visit.

Well packed Vietnamese restaurant, the seating reminds one of an old school Cantonese restaurant. Wooden tables, high top tables and bar seating. It can be a tight fit between tables. Friendly wait staff. Food was good, but not deeply spiced/heat. More....aimed at a Caucasian audience. Still, my beef was nicely done/presented, good texture. The pickled carrot was quite good. Apparently a great selection of unusual beer can be had.

Was recommended by multiple coworkers for the Pho. Had a beer while I waited. Mug wasn't cold which i would have preferred. The spring rolls were good and so was the sauce. Not a huge parking lot but I didnt have a problem finding a spot. I ended up getting the seafood pho. Very flavorful. They were pretty busy but would be back for the food! Patrons sitting at the bar were local and friendly.

Spring rolls were very tasty! Pho slightly missed the mark for me. Incredible selection of food and beer though!

Overall 4.6/10 - A mixed experience with decent food but hindered by slow service and a less authentic atmosphere for a Vietnamese dining spot. Atmosphere 4.6/10: Styled more like a Chinese eatery rather than a Vietnamese restaurant, which may confuse some guests. Staff appeared friendly, adding a positive note to the ambiance. Service 3.8/10: While the menu was clearly detailed with helpful images, the absence of desired menu items and notably slow service detracted from the dining experience. Pho 6.7/10: The pho stood out as a highlight, featuring a flavorful broth and well-prepared meat, contributing positively to the meal. Dumplings 6.8/10: Another high point, the dumplings were perfectly crispy and delicious, accompanied by a tasty sauce. Value 5.1/10: Despite the good quality of the dishes, the overall dining experience was diminished by service issues, impacting the perceived value of the meal.

This is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in RVA. I’ve been coming here regularly for 12 years. The food is always consistently fantastic. I have yet to order something I did not like. I Love trying the different beers they have on tap. It can get quite busy even on weekdays so service can be slow at times but it is well worth the wait in my opinion. Restaurant can use some updating but I like that they have lots of seating and can accommodate large groups. We have Never had to wait to be seated. Lots of taps And a well stocked bar. If you have not been to this restaurant you need to try it at least once and you won’t regret it.

I've only ordered carry-out here, so I'm unsure of the atmosphere. But when I pick up my order the place is usually pretty busy and the patrons are smiling. So I would assume the atmosphere is good. The food for sure is excellent and the service in my experience has been excellent too.

Parking's a little rough in the front, but there's a lot in the back...just be ready for it to be packed. Luckily, even though it was busy, we got seated right away, and our waiter was amazing--super attentive the whole time. I also loved that the bill was handwritten.. it took me back. The decor and vibe made me feel transported back to the 90s. The beer list is massive, and they do cocktails too, but don't expect the full lineup. I asked for a mojito, but they didn't have mint, so I went with a Moscow mule. It was fine, not the best. The food, though? So good. The crispy veggie spring rolls were perfect, and the pan-fried dumplings had great flavor, even if they were a little doughy in spots. I got the Dau Hu Xao Lan which is crispy tofu curry (added spicy), and it was honestly some of the best tofu I've had in a long time (it's hard to make tofu well). Though it could have been more crispy in my opinion. Super affordable, great service, and I'll 100% be coming back.

First of all, the low scores on this place are ridiculous. I've been eating here for over 20 years and it's always been delicious. It's consistent, delicious, and comforting. Particular standouts are the Spicy Beef & Basil, Fat Rice Noodle Soup w Shrimp n Pork, Rocket Skrimps, Rice Noodle Salads, and more! The beer selection is second to none, and you will never request water refills (if you know you know). The only knock on this place is the service--it ain't super friendly, and I rarely see a smile. My wife and I joke about it, but it's never deterred us at all tbh. Mekong is one of the better Vietnamese restaurants in Richmond, fact. The food is delicious and the beer variety is excellent. Eat here.

I got the house special pho Dac Biet ($13) and a viet iced coffee ($5). The food came out in about 15 minutes. The broth wasnt my personal favorite as it was on the sweeter side. There was only meatball and sliced beef in there combination pho which seemed weird as other places would have a bunch more meat types in it. The viet coffee was quite solid. The inside was very nice and surprisingly big. Overall I wasn't a fan of the pho broth being sweet which is just my preference, but I probably won't come back. Food(50%): 5.7 Staff/service(25%): 6.5 Value(25%): 7.0 Overall: 6.2/10

Hidden Richmond Gem! If you're looking for excellent Pho and sought after hard to find beer, this is your spot. On the recommendation of a friend, I ate there earlier this month and it was excellent. Highly recommend the Pho and crispy egg rolls along with a beer of your choice from a great selection. It doesn't have much curb appeal but the food and beer hold up. Looking forward to my next visit!

Super fast service, but also makes you feel a little bit like they're rushing you out of there. The spring rolls were nothing special, but good. I got the rare beef pho and it was amazing. The regular size it definitely incredibly filling. My boyfriend got the giant size of the spicy and he ate every drop. Definitely felt like a good price for everything, it was about $36 for us both.

I've been here a few times and it has been delicious every time. As far as price goes, it's certainly affordable in the current sit-down scene. It has a very retro feel, like it hasn't been renovated since opening. And in a Richmond that opens a carbon-copy burger joint with grey, boring interiors, this is such a a welcoming spot.

Mekong is a family-friendly staple in Richmond known for its impressive beer selection and delicious Vietnamese dishes. My personal favorite is the Pho Ga. This chicken and noodle soup comes with all the you'd expect (lime wedges , crunchy fresh bean sprouts, basil leaves , and sliced chilies ). The of Mekong's Pho is the freshness of the ingredients and the of the broth. The broth is so flavorful without being too aggressively salty and adds just the right flavor for your building base. I like the DIY nature of Pho and how everyone can make it their own. Build your Pho, finish it off with an artful swirl of hoisin sauce, and ! (Tip: pair it with a beer off their extensive beer menu or my favorite- a Mai Tai!)

I love Mekong. Big fan of their tofu noodles salad. I usually get take out, but their place is always clean and they get you in and out pretty quickly. Service is always good.

Loveeee Mekong! My husband and I come fairly often and always have a great experience. It's normally pretty packed in there, but the service is good, sometimes a little slow but nothing terrible! We love their extensive beer selection and the apps :) We went last night and got the mon an Choi (appetizer sampler) which was just absolutely delicious. The phô is decent but I will say, there are better options in the area. If you love beer and Vietnamese food, would recommend!

Our go to place in that part of Richmond. The space is open and has plenty of seating. I had a tofu dish which was very good. The servings were large. There is always a great beet selection. The issue at this visit was the service. No one came to seat us for a while despite many people (who worked there) walking by us. We finally were seated by someone who obviously didn't want to be there. We wanted a dish but the waitress told us we wanted something else. Service was definitely off but food was good as usual.

Used to love coming here bc the staff made you feel at home. That vibe is long gone. Rude wait staff, takes forever to get a beer, and the hosts up front seem inconvenienced you're there. I'll give my business to Vietnam 1 and Pho Tay Do any day. Such a shame.

Mekong is like an old pair of your favorite jeans. They may not be the newest style but they are reliable and comfortable. The place ain't fancy but the food is good, service is fast and the prices aren't bad. I've never had a bad meal here in all the years I've been coming. The clay pot chicken is one of my go to dishes and the crispy pork spring rolls are a great start to any meal. I especially appreciate that you can order single spring rolls where most other places make you order several (and charge you for several). I'll keep coming back as long as they keep doing what they do.

Would not recommend. Waited 20 minutes to be seated since they were so busy, and was less than impressed with the food. Ordered Cha Gio crispy spring rolls for appetizer, Pho Dac Biet, and Ga Dong Khanh Crispy Chicken. The crispy spring rolls were probably the best part of the meal, but I can find spring rolls like that at really any Vietnamese restaurant. The Pho Dav Biet was solid but I wouldn't come here especially for it. The biggest disappointment was the Ga Dong Khanh. It was cold when they brought it out. The server apologized for it and brought it back to the kitchen and then proceeded to mostly avoid our table for the rest of our meal. When the server brought back the plate, I could tell it had been microwaved since the food was arranged the same way it had been before, the plate was warm, and since the edges of the plate had the tell tale even splatter from being microwaved. I had a piece of chicken before the plate was sent back to be warmed, and it was dry and cold. When we got the plate back, it was warm but chicken was still dry. Also the portion was really meager for $16. Also the beer was $8/glass! Clearly they make their premiums off of drinks and do not really care about making their food good. Would not recommend for food or service, and would not recommend anyone come here, there are far too many other Vietnamese restaurants that are much higher quality and better value pricing than this watering hole.

The Bo Xao Lan is single-handedly one of the best dishes I have ever tried. It's like if Liver and Onions was actually good and used steak instead of livers. I had it in the form of takeout, I would move to richmond for this dish lowkey. I didn't see a single person working there that was white, which for a place like this, probaly the best sign you could have.

The pho was delicious as were the soft spring rolls with shrimp and pork. We were disappointed that the restaurant was "busy" so could not order the crepes. I found this a bit odd and off-putting. The dining room was bright and loud but the exemplary service made up for any shortfalls.

It was busy on a Thursday night, but I came with a big group. Took maybe 10-15mins to get a table. Took a while to get our waiter. But he was friendly and once we ordered, everything came out pretty quickly. The food was fresh and delicious! Enjoyed the crispy rolls. But the Com suon dac biet was the star. Huge helping so I had leftovers.

I stopped in late afternoon to pick up a take out order. I have never been there before. 2 noodle dishes, one shrimp, one beef. plus a few fresh spring rolls. spring rolls were mostly rice noodle, the dipping sauce was awful , no peanut flavor, just a sweetened corn starch paste. both noodle dishes, we're about as good as really bad take out Chinese. my wife threw hers out,

Mekong is consistently good with its dishes. My favorites are the lemongrass chicken, fried rice, and any of the appetizers. Love calling in an order and picking up but dining in has always been a pleasant experience as well.

Walked in on a weekend afternoon and it was very empty so we didn't have to wait. Overall, the food was slightly disappointing. I ordered veggie dumplings as an appetizer and seafood pho as my entree. The dumplings were extremely starchy and had very little actual vegetables. As for the pho, it was fairly average - the seafood wasn't very fresh and didn't taste that good. Pricing and service were good, though. You can definitely find better pho out there.

Mekong is a staple Vietnamese spot in Richmond. They have a large menu of food and beer and you can't go wrong with anything you order. Weekends can be busy but the restaurant is very big inside. All of the staff are always super friendly and the food comes out quickly. I love their hot tea, and Vietnamese iced coffee. Their hot and sour soup is amazing! Looking for a comforting Asian spot definitely check out Mekong!

Our party of nine was seated immediately on a Saturday night without reservations. We were thrilled because we had all run the Richmond Marathon that morning and were starving. We were also glad to be put at a huge round table which made conversation much easier than it is at a long table. It looked like they had an extensive beer and wine menu but we'd had enough at Veil already. I ordered a spring roll shrimp appetizer. It was very average -- mostly rice noodles. For my entree I ordered Pho Xao Do Bien -- flat rice noodles with shrimp, scallops and calamari. It was a good sized portion and very tasty. I ate every bite. Prices seemed reasonable and service was good. They gave us one big check and we split it up individually at the cash register which made it pretty quick.

We love Mekong. Any food we've had is always spectacular. Both the soft rolls and fried spring rolls are phenomenal. Service is always nice and quick. The restaurant is also good for large parties.

My sister and I split the Pho Tom and it was awesome! Service was efficient and the restaurant had a very cozy vibe to it. My dad is a tough pho critic and he really liked his beef pho. Would come back again!

The food is always amazing! The beer selection is impressive and truly delightful. The service consistently exceeds expectations!

Super duper good!!! Great customer service , great food , great prices ! The best in RVA!

If you're looking for a place with good food and good service, this is the place! The staff were very quick and friendly, and food came out rather fast. Though I didn't drink, they have a large variety of beer on tap as well as a full service bar. Definitely recommend coming at night / dinner time for the full experience.

Just another one of my favorite establishments on earth, adjacent to The Answer (same owner). Expansive menu of authentic Vietnamese food that is prepared with fresh ingredients and served in appropriate portions ( large for entrees). World class craft beer selection that is constantly changing. Servers are very well trained and know their beer and of course the menu. A must visit for me (at least once, usually more) every time I'm in RVA.

Mekong is the GOAT. I live in the northern va area , but whenever I am town visiting friends this is my number one. We went on a Saturday night and it was poppin' so we plopped on some bar seats. My friend and I shameless got a feast consisting of crispy spring rolls, steamed dumplings, pho thai, grill with chicken and beef, and a veggie and tofu dish made of crispy tofu, string beans, pineapple and other veggies. Chef's kiss. It's been less than 24 hours and I still dream for it. I would go back to the RVA just for Mekong.

I've been coming here for decades with my family. Went again tonight for an early dinner. Solid food and service. We will always return!

Four of us went here for dinner on a weekday night. There is a decent selection of craft beers and a large menu. Mostly combination meals with the pork, beef, or chicken options. I had a grilled chicken with peppers and mushrooms in a honey ginger sauce. It was very good but next time I will add some spice. The best order of the evening was the chicken pot order. Chicken comes in a metal pot and excellent flavor. The service was a little slow and the place started filling up even on a weeknight around 7 pm. I will definitely go back...

The food is amazing and Lee will always take care of you at the bar!!!!! #dwaynesworld804

We came here on a Saturday night around 7pm right after a fun evening at The Answer. It was packed! We didn't make a reservation, so a table for two was about a 20 minute wait (not too bad in my book). However, when we were seated it took forever to get a waiter. Our waiter was kind, but he was very busy. It seemed like there were only 3 waiters in the place. There were long waits between appetizer ordering, entree ordering, food arrival, and receiving the check. We tried: Pan-Fried Vegetables Dumplings (6) These were very bland for us. The main flavor was oil. I let them soak in the dipping sauce for a while and still found them to be a bit bland. Pho Xao Ga (Flat Rice Noodles w/ Chicken) I love the texture of rice noodles. They are chewy and almost doughy, but not in a way that will hurt your tummy. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the flavor of this dish. The sweet sauce worked well with the veggies, chicken, and noodles. Dau Hu Xao Cai Ngot (Vegetable Dish: Tofu, Bok Choy, Onion, Shiitake, Rice) My partner liked this a lot. It seemed to have the same sauce as my noodle dish did. The tofu was prepared well with a nice crunch.

I thought this place was alright. Overall it's not a bad place to visit. I would say the most appealing thing about this place is portion size. They really do give you a good amount of food for the price you pay. Service is pretty good too with attentive and courteous servers. The food itself was fine. My pork and onion stirfry tasted pretty decent, especially with pieces of pork getting nice and crispy along with the onions. I would say the food is well executed, just not mind-blowing spectacular. If I'm already in the area, I would be fine coming here if people threw it out as a suggestion. However, there are definitely other places that would catch my eye more.

This place is great. It was bigger than I expected when I walked in. The place was packed but we got our orders in pretty quickly. They have tons of beers on tap and other drinks available. I ordered the orange peel chicken. It was one of the better Asian dishes I've ever had. I'd definitely go back again.

unassuming Welcoming atmosphere; phenomenally great beer selection; incredibly tasty and big menu of Vietnamese food! All Around a BiG "Yes!" Plan to stay late and to visit the ANswer Brewpub if time allows, if you are a beer lover you certainly won't regret making this decision after your delectable Mekong meal!

I've been here about 20 times from Pittsburgh. It's perfectly paired with my Richmond craft beer travels and the answer brewery next door (same ownership). I order something different every time. Love their hot n sour soup and seafood offerings. Their apps are always consistently delicious as well. Great value for portion sizes and always has an amazing out of state draft selection of elite beers of all styles.

Food is amazing and fresh. Have been craving rice noodles for so long and their rice noodle salads hit the spot.

Mekong has eliminated giving customers an itemized bill for their meals. They now simply give you a bottom-line figure that you are expected to pay. The girls at the register slap in some numbers on an old calculator and then tell you ow much money they want. There is no transparency and you have no idea if the amount is correct or if you are being double charged. To say the least this new practice is sketchy if not dishonest.

The attitude of the hostess and wait staff is not appreciative of the customers coming to the restaurant. You're treated like a nothing basically. The only reason to go there is because the food is cheap and tastes ok.

The food here is incredible and leaves many options for my pescatarian palate. Pho was delicious. The service was great as well.

Was here in June to celebrate a birthday. Great tasting authentic Vietnamese food! I had the Banh Xeo (crêpe) as my main course and it was delicious! Just the right crispness and right amount of filling. The others in our group had Pho. We also shared the special rolls (cha gio) and the shrimp (chao tom) rolls for appetizers. Service was very attentive. This place is a favorite of my family!

Some of the best Pho you can get anywhere. If you like beer they have a huge selection. This is a staple in Richmond if you're in town you should check it out!

Mekong will change your life. This family run business deserves a visit. The beer selection is unmatched. The food next level. If you have never "rolled your own" the grill platters are a must. The service is fantastic and RVA is lucky to have this establishment.

Great service, the food came to us fast, and really nice ambiance! Definitely worth it and will go back!

Wow. Being a visitor to the Richmond scene, my friend introduced me to this place! I ordered the large bowl of pho for a reasonable price of $16-$18 and was completely stuffed afterwards. Definitely want to come here again the next time I am in town.

Very expensive beer list that's two pages all on tap. I had a beer that had passionfruit and mango! The chicken was yummy and the broth was had depth! The only thing to be aware on a Friday night it's a madhouse and expect to wait for a table!

Delicious pho, beer, and spring rolls. Came with bean sprouts. Small pho portion was large. Enjoyed my stay.

Great beer selection. As far as the food, I've never had anything I don't like here. Chicken vermicelli, to Pho, everything is delicious. Huge portions

Always an excellent tap list and really good Vietnamese cuisine, both of which are why I show up. Friendly, knowledgeable staff. RIP Quy