Sai’s Vietnamese Restaurant & Bar

My husband and I came here for dinner—he’s been for lunch before and couldn’t wait for me to try it since we both love Vietnamese food. Everything we ordered was fresh and clearly made with high-quality ingredients. One standout was the crispy rice balls stuffed with pork—so crunchy and flavorful, something really unique and delicious. The lemongrass beef spring rolls were also incredible—some of the best I’ve had. The lettuce was bright and fresh (not the usual filler cabbage you get at other places), and everything tasted super balanced and tender. The broth in our soup was rich, complex, and so comforting. Highly recommend Sai’s if you’re looking for authentic Vietnamese food made with care. We’ll definitely be back!

Chicken curry with baguette is delicious. One serving was meaty. Chicken was tender. Service was quick. Spring Rolls was not good. It was tiny, hard and chewy. Not enough filling.

Incredible Vietnamese food! My boyfriend got the beef stew, which comes with rice—highly recommend adding the baguette for $5 to soak up all that rich broth (he insists it’s a must!). I went with the chicken banh mi ($15.59) and it was unlike any I’ve had before—super flavorful and really satisfying. Heads up: they do charge for to-go containers, but it’s not mentioned up front. That aside, the restaurant is clean (yes, including the bathroom!) and the service was solid. Definitely coming back to try more dishes!

Definitely a mom and pop kinda shop. You can see right into the kitchen so you know it’s hot and fresh. The pho and rice could definitely have used a bit more flavor, be it salt, soy or garlic, was definitely a bit lacking. However the fish balls were wonderful, the curry flavoring was perfect and well plated. Prices were incredibly fair in an otherwise overpriced market.

Customer service was great. Our waiter was friendly and quick. He made us feel welcomed and even put the basketball game on the tv for us. Orders can be taken with a QR code at the table or by the server. Order came out fairly quick and order paid for by the qr code so everything was quick. Food was delicious. The pho broth tasted well balanced and very good.

I went for Bun Bo Hue, but they didn't have it so my server recommended the beef noodle soup and it was lovely. I also was greeted by the oh so friendly bartender Jasmine who is quite charming and nearly persuaded me to order a drink, but I refrained. Overall a great experience and I will be going back.

One of the best and tasty vietnamese food, super love the Peanut Sauce of my Fresh shrimp roll , and ofcourse yummy chicken pho soup.. Definitely ill be back and eat here again ❤️❤️

Went here with two of my friends. We went at around 4:00, so it wasn't busy at all - we were the only ones in the restaurant when we sat down. Accordingly, the service was very good, but obviously I can't speak for a busier hour. Food itself was incredible. I got a beef curry stew, very flavorful broth & beef was super tender. My friends' dishes were also great.

Cute spot for delicious Vietnamese food and good vibes! Came here with a girlfriend and we ordered an appetizer and two entrees between the both of us. The restaurant was very spacious with lots of seating, although some of our plates/utensils had some food debris from previous customers. I ordered the banh xeo with came as a generous portion. The crepe itself was crispy but soft on the inside and the filling had a good amount of shrimp. We also tried the pork spring rolls which was majority lettuce. Wouldn't recommend ordering these since you don't get much protein. Waiters were friendly but could have been more proactive about filling waters, bringing our check, etc. food came out relatively quickly, maybe ~20 min

I had lunch at Sai's on a busy weekday, and the restaurant was bustling. Service was very friendly, albeit on the slower side. We were immediately served hot tea. I ordered the beef pho, which was just okay. The brisket was quite chewy, with some stringy pieces, and the broth lacked depth of flavor. Sai's is fine as a quick lunch spot in a convenient location.

WOW! Talk about a punch of flavor! I absolutely LOVED what I ordered which was the "C3" combo which had sliced beef, cut up pieces of 5-spice chicken, Imperial rolls? and fried prawns w/ rice and salad. I read someone's review earlier saying that their prices are a little on the high side and not as affordablely priced like the Vietnamese places in San Jose. While this is true...you have to remember that you're in SF. :-/ But aside from the above-average prices, I wouldn't mind trying this place again whenever I'm around the area. The salad was fair but everything else was pretty much *chef's kiss*, ESPECIALLY when you dip the protein in the fish sauce. Suuuuper good! :-) And shoutout to the very friendly staff who served my food quickly since I had somewhere to be within 45 minutes.

I am Vietnamese. I don't approve Phơ here. It is pathetic. Haven't tried other dishes. One day, I'll come back and try other Vietnamese dishes. But I wish I could get my money back for this combination bowl of phở. It is so bad. The broth taste lịke water + fish sauce.

Not a huge standout, but not bad either. The Imperial Rolls were nice and crispy, made with the correct filling wrapped in rice paper. They were a bit on the smaller side, but a pleasant snack to start with. The Bun Rieu (crab and pork noodle soup) was an interesting take on the traditional Vietnamese dish - not exact in the way it was made, but the broth was good and the portion was generous. I was looking for something broth-y and warm on a windy day, and this did the trick. It wasn't too crowded when I came in, so it was a pretty comfortable and smooth experience.

There's something quintessentially San Francisco that Sai's Vietnamese Restaurant & Bar represents. Could it be their old school Vietnamese cuisine that at one point was served for lunch hours only as their primary crowd was for the working people in San Francisco's Financial District? Or could it be because after four plus decades in their borderline shack of a building on the corner of Washington and Sansome Streets at the foot of the TransAmerica pyramid, they somehow managed to beat the odds and move to another venerable location to the corner of Columbus Avenue and Jackson Street where so many legendary restaurants in San Francisco lore once stood. It is common belief that it is a combination of both points plus a lot of good luck as things fell into place as Sai's Vietnamese Restaurant & Bar for them to find a new home and a new lease on life. Everything old is new again at Sai's Vietnamese Restaurant & Bar, as with a fully remodeled interior complete with a tiled backsplash that highlights their new bar and the fact that they now serve dinner and on Saturdays when in the past they previously had limited hours on weekdays. This has been a whole new rebirth and it's all thanks to the temerity of owner Charles Vong who now owns Sai's new home thanks to the previous corporate owner of their old property who agreed to help them find a new home after they were forced out of their old one, and even assisted financially with their new space. What brought a group of diners and I here on a weeknight was the fact that we were looking to enjoy a nice evening of libations and food and it never crossed our minds to even venture into Sai's Vietnamese Restaurant & Bar because for decades it was primarily known as a lunch place. So when many of their neighbors in the area were lively with customers, we happened upon Sai's Vietnamese Restaurant & Bar and only found one table having customers and took a quick glance at their bar menu and found the drinks appealing and the prices reasonable. Being placed at a table for four people facing the activities of Columbus Avenue while perusing the menu, we saw that they not only had cocktails both unique to Sai's and Classic Cocktails and Sours on their bar menu, they also had beer and cider in addition to wines. Since we were already here many at our table also opted to dine on their dinner menu, with categories that includes Appetizers, Salads, their signature Pho or Vietnamese Noodle Soup, Vermicelli Bowls, Banh Mis or Vietnamese Sandwiches, Combination Rice Plates, Grilled Rice Plates, Stew, Clay Pot, Crispy Noodles, Wok Stir Fry, Fried Rice and Chow Mein. Not being super hungry, but wanting to try one item off of their food menu I ordered their Imperial Rolls, which were deep fried pork rice rolls made with taro, mushrooms and carrots and served with nước mắm sauce. Others in my party ordered their Phở Bò, which is their USDA Choice Beef Noodle Soup which has sliced Top Angus prime grade sliced rare brisket as well as local beef balls and sliced onions; and their Garlic Noodles of which they added beef short ribs and was served with a sunny side up egg and sliced lettuce and tomatoes. Of course, we came for the cocktails and so I ordered their cocktail named Saigon on Fire which contained their house whiskey, lime juice, peach puree, rose water, sriracha and basil. It didn't take too long for our food to be brought out as everyone's dishes were both authentically Vietnamese with a modern flair and heartily plated. My Imperial Rolls were a hair over deep-fried as the texture became a bit on the tougher side, but they were tasty nonetheless. My dining mates really loved their garlic noodles and pho dishes and my other dining mate loved the cocktail they ordered, as I did mine with my Saigon on Fire the fiery flavor of sriracha was felt with every sip. With a bill that came to roughly twenty-five dollars a person with gratuity included, it was an easy night of libations and classic Vietnamese comfort food. What better way to celebrate a San Francisco institution than take part in their newest side to their business. Here's to hoping that Sai's Vietnamese Restaurant & Bar continues to thrive in their new home for another four decades, as this city could use more family owned and operated businesses that want to stay and adhere to tradition.

Clown Alley... This location will always remind me of that SF institution for anyone who grew up in the '70's and '80's or prior. A late night destination when the neighborhood was full of life after dark. Fast forward to the 2000's, when this odd shaped space pivoted to become Bask, a popular low-key locals spot for Fidi workers for lunch then chill diners in the evening. 2020 marked the change when the lights went out and remained so until now. Sai's was a staple in itself, thriving in the shadows of the Transamerica Pyramid until a new owner took over that landmark and most of the surrounding buildings. The city brokered their recent move here. I decided to come here for an early midweek lunch, entering from the corner entrance. With only two other diners here, I was offered my choice of tables and sat at a window side one facing the bar in the main dining room. The one page menu has a variety of food and beverages. I started with a plate of imperial rolls (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=b8SpR6MeFmJxWNoKFZGp_Q); these came with large slices of pickled carrots and one pad of daikon with the requisite fish sauce for dipping. If you are filling forward, you may not enjoy these as they are like taquitos. I appreciate they use rice paper skin vs egg roll wrappers. My main meal was the Pho Bo X (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=TlwN-jjKyjtuRonVrx-zjQ); it's described as having sliced beef and local meat balls; X adds top Angus prime beef grade rare beef brisket for $1.40 more. I enjoyed my bowl though I wished the brisket was more rare. The broth was clean tasting with a slight bite in the aftertaste. When I got to the bottom of my bowl, I found ginger pieces. I thought it was white pepper but this is the probable reason. It came with a generous portion of Thai basil, bean sprouts, and a lime wedge. The noodles and meats were standard as enhanced by the sriracha and hoisin sauce mix that I made (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=6xx44gSoMVRmbe4cl2dTaA). My food came promptly so I was in and out of here within 45 minutes. By the time I left, the restaurant was a little more than half full with diners who likely work in the area. I enjoyed my meal and have another potential spot for lunch when in the area. It is just a step below my rotation spot in Chinatown but pretty solid. The atmosphere is definitely nicer than their original location which always gave me pause in dining there. Thanks to Bo for providing me my lunch and being friendly and helpful. You've been working here for how long?!

Came here around 11:40am on a Tuesday. It is a bright, sunny space -- beautiful white tiled back wall and big lovely windows. I love pho! I got the beef pho and my friend got the curry beef stew. Both had good flavor! The beef cuts in the pho had some tendon on it. Overall, tasty. 3* as the beef (which they called brisket? Had the connective pieces / not what I'm used to for brisket in pho). The place filled up by 12:30. The seat next to the window got a bit hot as it was a sunny day. I'd come back for a casual lunch. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat or pick up take out here.

I had lunch there on a weekday and ordered a Vietnamese pork chop over rice. The pork chop was just 3 thin slices of pork. After eating half the plate, I found a piece of hair in my food! I didn't see the hair when I took a picture of the rice plate, I was just going to share my review on the thin pork chop. I see the hair in my photo just now when I am making this post. I didn't bother to tell the restaurant staffs because I already ate half the plate and knew that I would not go back eating there again. I regret using the QR code on the table to order the food because the pre-order app asked for 18-22% tips and payment in advance before the food is served. 3 slices of pork over rice with tax and tip cost $21.50

I came to Sais because i saw great reviews on yelp. I went on a weekday for lunch time and the place was packed! The ambiance is a fast paced, whole in the wall lunch spot with nicer decor! I was seated quickly and ordered right away since i was on a little bit of a time constraint. The imperial rolls came out fast and were delicious! I ate all of them really fast and finished the carrots and daikon too! Almost burned my tongue because they were too good not to eat right away. The pho took really long to come out and i almost wondered if maybe they forgot to put my order in. When the pho finally came out it was hot and tasty! But i did notice it was a little more oily than other pho broths i have had. It didnt effect the taste - but at the end of the bowl the soup consistency was a little weird. I saw a ton of other customers order a variety of menu items. I will definitely be back here to try more dishes/the pho again!

just had an incredible lunch at Sais Vietnamese in the FiDi! I ordered the Phở Gà, spring rolls, and the Bún Thịt Nướng, and everything was outstanding. The Phở Gà was rich and flavorful, with tender chicken and aromatic broth that warmed me right up. The spring rolls were fresh and perfectly crispy, paired with a delicious dipping sauce that complemented them beautifully. The Bún Thịt Nướng was a highlight as well--grilled pork that was juicy and savory, served over vermicelli noodles with fresh herbs and veggies. Every bite was a burst of flavor! Perfect for lunch or dinner

What happened? Tuesday evening to go order. $17 for vermicelli, 1/2 chicken thigh and 3 egg rolls. Small portions.

40 years in the same location, & their landlord, Shvo, owners of the Transamerica Pyramid, did not renew their lease, despite Legacy Status. Sai's many fans lost their s#!t & after much public shaming, Shvo secured them a new spot at 40 Columbus, formerly Bask, & before that Clown Alley. Owner Charles Vong is happy to report he is buying the building from Bask. Shvo plans to pay up to $350,000 in tenant improvements, which will be a forgivable loan iif Sai's vacates by October 2023. Why all the love? The friendly down home service & especially, the yummy food. I've been going here for years & almost always order the #23 1/2 shrimp & crispy noodles. Other favs include imperial rolls and vermicelli shrimp or pork. They make a mean homemade lemon/limeade, which I have them cut down the sugar. If you don't live or work nearby, and drive, I recommend going after 6p when there's free street parking.

Tough parking here. Walk from BART. Are late lunch about 2pm. Service via QR code to your phone, but waiter came by to take order. Service a little slow as there were about 3 tables with customers. Appetizer pork rolls was very good. Claypot chicken was average with mostly onions, carrots, green onions, a few slices of chicken in gravy. This is eat and run, ambiance is from the North Beach area. Overall, 3 stars out of 5.

Cold, rainy, airy day in San Francisco. This reminded me of the 90's for some reason, maybe because the population density feels the same with everyone leaving the city for one reason or another. But in the 90's we were living in a bubble compare to now, it was great. SF was a place of its own, mind of its own, and with regular liberals. Now social media is playing a big part of why people aren't coming as much. A lot of tourists are going back home with verification of all the negative narratives that's been going on. I feel the repercussions of EVERYTHING is at its peek right now. Anyways life goes on. We decided to eat at Sai's Restaurant and Bar before getting our haircuts in Chinatown. My son is incredibly paranoid about having his hair from his haircut falling into his food, so we always eat before having it done. I felt that it was ironic to be sitting at an old old school burger joint location Clown Alley while looking at a new burger joint across the street. We all had noodle soups, it was perfect for a cold raining day. I'm not a fan of the modern type bowls. I like the traditional thick and deep bowls because it keeps the soup piping hot. I'm just use to being threaten with a 3rd degree burn if the waiter spills it on me. The drink selection needs a little step up of some kind, this is not their strongest point on the menu. Let's say my ice coffee was just ok. The soup noodles were good, solid, traditional. And service was even better, for that I will give them a 3.5 star rating. We will come back to try other items on the menu.

Nice casual spot with fast and easy service - ordered the bun rieu with imperial rolls and banh xeo to share. I really liked the slight spice to the bun rieu but wasn't a huge fan of the pork meatballs which were a little too mushy for my taste.

New location, new BEAUTIFUL interior, new presentation, same delicious flavors, menu, and prices. Sai's now looks and feels high end, modern, and inviting, without losing its neighborhood appeal and service to its loyal patrons. The food is as good as ever. The ambiance is way more inviting. The staff is so happy. Watch out though, this place will be on everyone's radar.

Delicious, fresh food and incredibly friendly staff! Everything was so flavorful and service was excellent. I loved the peanut sauce that came with the fresh rolls, and that they gave us plenty of it.

Great service & beef pho is well flavored with large portions! Price is very reasonable & definitely will be coming back to try other things on their menu

This is a review of Sai's location at Columbus and Jackson. The space is definitely an upgrade from its former location (for 30+ yrs at Sansome and Washington). I used to be not impressed by their food nor vibe back then. It was a convenience to go there for lunch with my colleagues, but back then it definitely had a faithful fan group. I ordered a lemongrass curry soup vermicelli with beef. The beef cut used was beef shank, a flavorful cut of meat. It was tender and there were 4-5 good size pieces in my bowl. I wished the meat had been cooked in the broth so it picked up some of its rich flavors. Broth was good, curry (not very spicy) with notes of lemongrass and coconut milk. Carrots, potatoes and onion came in big chunks, regretfully because cooked separately from broth, I'd rather that they give me some more fresh herbs or crunchy texture veggies to contrast with tenderness of beef. Service was good, but food took a little while to show up: understandable as restaurant filled up after I placed my order. My waitress was a nice lady and we conversed in Cantonese. She warned me that Vietnamese coffee is strong (I asked for hot coffee since it's a chilly day). and that the jarred chilly oil and paste on the table is made in-house, way better than just chili oil. Overall, I like the location and service. Food wise, maybe need to come back to try other menu items.

I eat here a lot for a reason... they're great. Lots of gluten-free options and the most tasty Curry Chicken Noodle Soup ever. Also, the group running this spot is super friendly & accommodating.

Amazing service! This place has the best spring rolls and the most delicious chicken curry noodle soup.

My favorite Vietnamese restaurant for 30+ years. I have eaten almost everyrhing on their menu and it's all consistently good every time. Some of my favorites include five spice chicken, vermicelli cold noodles with grilled pork & imperial roll, vegetable crepe with shrimp, Joel's classic chow mein made with pan fried noodles, curry chicken, the claypot special, beef stew noodle soup, pho noodles, the sautéed string beans, and their perfect iced Vietnamese coffee. Be patient with the servers as they are busy here. It's basically a family run business that I like to support for their good food.

When in SF and have a craving for Vietnamese food, we always go to Sai's. My husband fave is the Shrimp and Chicken Claypot with its thick sauce and sizzling hot rice inside the pot. It's such a comforting food especially during the cold days. Staff and servers are friendly and very accommodating with special requests. I don't eat eggplant and wanted to try the Catfish Claypot. So they sub the cabbage instead. Little things like that can make your day. Place is clean and airy. Love the huge windows, even when the place is crowded it doesn't seem tight.

This place is 10/10 for price and for the quality of your Vietnamese food. I got takeout here for lunch on a work day. The food was prepared timely and it was fresh and ready for pickup quickly. The spring roll was my favorite and it stayed crispy even after I walked the food back to my office. Highly recommend, this place is underrated.

Sai's new location has a complete different feel to it than their former site. The food remains one that is of high quality, quite authentic in taste. The staff and service are of professional grade; they know how to treat their customers right. I will be back for another fine dining experience soon. Keep up the great work!

The best Vietnamese food in San Francisco! The location has greatly improved since relocating to the North Beach location after the pandemic. You get a lot of food for the price.

The food is great! They now serve cocktails as well, perfect spot to stop by, grab a quick meal, drink a gorgeous cocktail and watch the game!

I came here on a Monday evening for dinner. It was not busy at all. It's a simple, no frills, and decently-priced Vietnamese eatery. I got the Pho Bo and was pleased with the portion size and the flavor of the broth. The sliced beef are definitely well-done compared to most places I've been to that serve them medium-well. The beef balls are decent and the bean sprouts are crunchy. I only wished the basil leaves were fresher because some of them already turned brown.

When news got out that Sai's lost their lease during COVID a couple of years ago, I was really bummed as I've been a customer of there's since the '90s. Last night, I was on my way to have dinner at Roka Akor after parking at the Jackson St Garage...then I saw a new restaurant at the corner of Columbus & Jackson with the Sai's signage. I wasn't sure it was the same place, but I decided to pass by after dinner. I walked in to see if I recognized any of the staff, and sure enough, I saw Bo. I immediately greeted him and we briefly caught up, learning they were able to attain this new commercial space last year. The business is now owned by his cousins, but he was there to manage and continue growing the business. Though we were full, I decided to order some take out of some of my favorite dishes, their curry fish and their Vietnamese pot stickers. I placed my curry fish in the fridge to have for lunch the next day. The pot stickers, however, were consumed upon arriving at home. They were as good as I remembered, with the crunchy fried sticky rice on the outside, and the savory pork stuffing. The next day, I reheated my coconut curry fish for lunch. It smelled familiar, with the same vegetable & curry seasonings. The fried battered fish pieces looked different though, and not as much fish as they used to. After a few bites, I concluded that there was less curry sauce as I was accustomed to and the fish pieces were a little saltier than I recall...not as good as I remembered, but the curry sauce is still good. I'll have to order this again, eating it there instead of take-out. I'll have to try it in pork next time too, and try other old favorites like their curry beef stew, lemongrass chicken clay pot, and their garlic basil beef or pork. My friends loved the Vietnamese potstickers, but the spring rolls were just ok. Gotta try their fried imperial rolls next time. I'm so glad they're at a location with better evening foot traffic compared to their previous location. They now have a full bar too, which is a nice new addition to their business. I wish them the best in the months to come and I hope their old customers will become aware that they're back in business, and that their new customers will come to enjoy their tasty menu.

I've walked by Sai's many times on the way to and from tennis, but never tried it. However, when I read that Sai's landlord was going to kick them out at the end of the month, I jumped into high gear and scheduled a lunch date with a friend to come here one week day. They've been around for so long! Multiple generations have run it for almost four decades--it's wild to me that my parents could have come here when they were working in SF FiDi! I ordered the bun rieu and a Vietnamese coffee, and my friend Griffin ordered the grilled chicken rice plate. Everything was delicious, and portion sizes were large for lunch plates so I took some home! The bun rieu broth was perfect, and the chicken was tender. Staff was courteous and efficient, especially given the amount of people eating in and also doing takeout at lunchtime.

Came here since I was craving some spring rolls and want something light with that. I ordered the Imprerial rolls & grilled pork vermicelli bowl. Definitely the smallest imperial rolls I've ever seen and did not expect the size at all. Thought it'd be bigger, at least to the regular size. The bowl tasted fine and they made the fish sauce right, but I can't get over how small the imperial rolls were. Food was served quick even during lunch time.

i shared a shrimp spring roll and a beef stew noodle soup the shrimp spring roll was standard, didn't really have any complaints. the beef stew noodle soup was good and flavorful. they did a great job adding in the beef stew flavor without overpowering the standard pho flavor. the beef was also pretty good and tender. i also liked how the soup wasn't too oily, and they gave a decent portion of noodles. i wish they added more vegetables though (more carrots and potatoes). i liked the potatoes, but my partner felt that they tasted like frozen potatoes the service was good, the food came out pretty quickly.

Ordered the lemongrass tofu and the vegetable pho. The tofu was ok, it tasted like sriracha and not much other flavor. The pho was on the salty side but had a decent amount of veggies. Food service was fast and they had quite a few pickup orders while we ate.

This was my second visit here. Food was good on both visits. Problem is with hygiene. During eating, flies sat on our rice. We asked for spoon forks, the ones we got had something sticky on them. I assumed it being water and tried wiping the spoons with a napkin. But the napkin got stuck on them. Would not return for a next visit.

I had to chuckle a bit when I saw this place was 3.6 stars on yelp. That's the running average for absolutely delicious, old school places. Yeah you're not gonna get your dishes right away because they're cooking them! Any way, to my actual review- every other place has been a let down compared to Sai's. Do yourself a favor and try them out if you haven't I've still yet to find a place that serves ca kho, banh mis, and rice plates so well with such familial and warm service. We currently live in oakland but always pick up Sai's on the way home!! - Sincerely, a Vietnamese who's spent a chunk of time in Vietnam and grew up with her mom's amazing cooking and misses it

The Pho here is a must try, broth was awesome. Also, try the egg rolls, it's authentic. One of my favorite Vietnamese go to spot in SF.

doesnt make sense to me that this place is rated 3.5 overall on yelp. its one of my favorite places and one of few that im a regular at. the pho is not only delicious and filling, but service is very friendly/kind. it's definitely more no frills style but so conveniently located in FiDi next to the transamerica pyramid. i bring friends here all the time so we can split appetizers

So many memories have been had here over the decade+ that I lived in the city and on my recent visit back with friends. Brought a friend who lives and works in the East Bay, so he wouldn't normally have ever come here, and he was thoroughly impressed. Most people I've brought here over the years, from dates, friends, co-workers, or former bf's, have loved the food. I wouldn't say it's probably one of the best Vietnamese in the Bay, but it's one you can't help but visit over and over, and maybe it's the "home" vibe combined with seemingly authentic flavors. I am not sure, but this place is special, and it was sad to hear that they will be moving a few blocks away. I'm sure they'll continue to provide all of the FiDi folks with amazing foods for many years to come, and I'm glad I enjoyed one more meal here before they move.

Eeg rolls were fake. Just bunch of lettuce leaves with small spoon of beef and try look like rolls. No flavor at all.

Sai's is a great restaurant in downtown. They have a lot more than just pho and bun like a lot of Vietnamese restaurants and give you an opportunity to try more of what the country's cuisine has to offer. The atmosphere is nice as they're now in the location of Bask which has a lot more windows and lighting. It is a bit expensive like a lot of places in the area.

Service was not good. The server refused to take my order and asked me to order through the QR code on my own. The worst was to see him taking orders for other customers. From start to finish...No service at all. Worst experience, I can't believe I still tipped 18% gratuity :/

Discriminatory treatment: despite there being seats available, my client and I were shoved into a corner seat, we were not given menus for 10+ minutes while all the guests seated after us were given them. The server gave us the option of water without ice, and then 10 minutes later we get water with ice. When we did place our orders, they came back 10 minutes later to say "oh I forgot what you ordered". My client got their food, mine didn't arrive until after he was done with his food, and didn't come with the sides that I ordered, so naturally I refused. They billed us anyway. Would never visit again.

Fantastic food. Friendly staff. I love the beef stew #25. So glad they found a new location.

Amazing food with good vibes! I love how this place sells noodle soups that are different from regular pho, and the ones we tried are all well executed. The beef stew I got has thick and creamy curry flavor with carrot and potato. A friend got a braised beef stew which is also amazing. The server is very chatty, nice, and welcoming. He's proud of being a restaurant owner yet didn't have to write an email in 40 years of doing so, which is crazy. Will come back to try more viet cuisines!

The best place for Vietnamese food in down town. They used to be a block away, right under the Transamerica building for decades, but they were forced to relocate to this place on 42 Columbus. The new locale is great! Wide views of Columbus and Jackson st, and the interior is vastly better. The food itself is spot on, the guys at our station always come here at least once a week. The family that owns and runs this place are the nicest people ever. Highly recommend #19 the pho brisket.

My husband & I recently got really good bahn mee sandwiches to go. They are big enough to share so we had leftovers for lunch the next day.

The food was great! And the employees were all patient and pleasant. They had sat us at a table near the entrance, but it was bit cold that day, the employee noticed we were cold so she moved us to the other side where it wasn't as cold- that was nice! there did seem to be a language barrier, so just have patience when trying to communicate :)

NOT Vietnamese food; for example, the Imperial Rolls (Cha Gio) were cigarillo thickened, with no detectable meat or fish AND came totally without the fresh vegetables and sauce with which to eat them. Edible American food, barely vaguely related (except by name) to Vietnamese AND not very good. The place itself is pleasant and attractive and the food is edible so hence a 2 instead of a 1-star. The place badly, badly needs to send their chef to (a Vietnamese! cooking school) or be replaced. A sad choice for dinner which we will never repeat.