Saigon Cafe

Since our initial visit on the first day of the new year we have been back several times, most recently last night for takeout. The lemongrass chicken has become a favorite of ours and we got it yesterday as well as the time before. We also had the vegetarian phở with tofu (but requested beef broth) and it was tasty as well. I am happy that with takeout they give you an ample amount of garnishes as they would if you were dining in. Tofu spring rolls with peanut sauce was so good we got two orders just for the two of us.
Last week we dined in and had the lemongrass chicken as well as make your own spring rolls which was fun. It was a platter of grilled tofu with steamed thin rice vermicelli, green leaf lettuce, cucumbers, pickled vegetables, basil, mint, & cilantro. Topped with scallions, fried shallots, and peanuts. Served with rice paper and sweetened fish sauce. It took some getting used to wetting the rice paper enough to make it pliable to wrap around the other ingredients but it is enjoyable if you like a more hands on experience with your food.
I am not sure this if this being offered anymore but when we came last week they were offering complimentary calendars for the new year. A nice touch! In other news, I am looking forward to having leftovers from last night’s dinner for breakfast or brunch later today. We are big fans of Saigon Café!

This is one of the better Vietnamese restaurants in Lancaster. Wife had the stir fry which was terrific. I had spring rolls and the Pork and egg roll bun. Spring rolls were delicious. The Bun was perfectly prepared. This will be on our frequent visit list.

Honestly one of the best Vietnamese places in Lancaster. Service was very accommodating, and the whole staff treated us with the utmost patience. My only note to for newcomers is be adamant about a dish being spicy if you want it that way. Was a little disappointed :\ but plenty of Sriracha and chili sauce is provided!

This place is great, ate here on a whim for he first time with my lady tonight. We were greeted and seated promptly. Our servers were polite, generous, funny and kept our drinks full and were full of charisma. The décor is nothing special but you’re not paying for ambiance, the price is very affordable. They even offered free dessert after finding out it was my birthday the previous day. The food was phenomenal I had a chicken and mixed vegetable, lemongrass and bamboo shoot stir fry over vermicelli noodles. My lady had a similar dish with tofu. Both were very flavorful and the condiments on the table i.e. Chili paste, Sriracha, soy sauce etc… Accompanied the dishes well but didn’t necessitate the use of them. Our appetizer of tofu spring rolls with peanut sauce were to die for as well. We’ll be back and may become regulars. Definitely has become one of my, if not my top Vietnamese spot in the surrounding Lancaster area.

Highly recommend. The food is fresh and delicious. If you don’t know what to order just tell them what you like and you won’t disappointed.

Their mi hoanh thanh is excellent. This noodle and wonton soup is the best I’ve had outside of Vietnam. The flavor of the broth is what made me wanting more. The egg noodles were perfectly cooked and the wontons were plump and savory. The sliced roast pork and greens were the perfect accompaniment.
If you’ve never had this soup you are missing out. I suggest giving it a try. I hope you like it as much as I do.
Thanks you for reading my review. This is based off of my personal experience and opinion.

Great food, great prices. Loved the dish I had so much we went back another night (while visiting the area) and had the same dish — a broth based dish #32.

Love the phở here! The best around the Lancaster County. The service is fast; Food is very fresh. I recommend their phở and their spring rolls. Delicious!

This is the best Vietnamese food I’ve ever had. The service is great and the food is always fresh and hot.

I love this place. Usually the Vietnamese restaurants have a specialty. Like one place makes better Phở than the other, and another places makes the best spring rolls. ect. However here at Saigon Café, they are just all around the BEST. Everything I have tried here is just delicious and well made. I will go out of my way to eat here over any of the other Vietnamese restaurants in Lancaster.
The one thing I wish they would have is Banh Mi. I love those sandwiches and its surprisingly missing from the menu.

Overall I enjoyed the food. I got a chicken and egg noodle dish that was good, most places I’ve been to go heavy on the noodles and sauce and light on the veggies and meat, but not here! It was a small bed of noodles piled high with plenty of veggies and chicken. I love veggies so I was very happy. My husband had a fried rice dish and he said it was good. My toddler son ate some of my dinner since he didn’t like the egg roll we ordered him (I tried the egg roll and it honestly wasn’t very good) but he really liked the noodles and veg on my plate. The staff was friendly and attentive. When they brought the check they also brought a plate of orange slices, I think as complimentary dessert, which was very tasty. We plan to go back and try the phở sometime. Lots of people were ordering it and it looked delicious. I do wish they had a children’s menu though for younger kids.

Absolutely the best phở in Lancaster county!!! This is a regular favorite. Small, family owned and authentic.

Hole in the wall, but great food. So fresh. Such wow flavour. Phở is a must. Phở real.

Average place not completely Authentic. I came in with family and had dinner. Nothing great. Had phở noodle soups which had a slight sweet taste on the soup — not authentic. The dried noodle bowl also sub par. Service was good but place not that clean as we had dirty stuff on chair and sticky tabletop. There’s probably better place nearby but unfamiliar with area. I’m Chinese do know a bit about Asian food in general.

My husband and I are at Saigon Café about 2 times a month. We love it. The service is quick and efficient, even if it’s not the friendliest. Although we sometimes change up our entrée selections, we order the spring rolls every single time we come here and they never disappoint! A few months ago, we tried ordering the summer rolls for a change, but the waitress (owner?) talked us out of it.
The beef stew with rice noodles (#39) is my go-​to dish in winter. It comes with big chunks of beef (some especially fatty pieces), soft carrots, and rice noodles in this incredible beef stock. In the warmer months, I usually order the grilled chicken and broken rice (#69). The chicken is cooked to perfection over a bed of broken rice with cucumbers, pickled carrots, and daikon, and fish sauce on the side.
The avocado milkshake is amazing, too, for a once-​in-​awhile treat. It’s refreshing and creamy – perfect on a really hot day.
Saigon Café is in a small, nondescript strip mall and the interior isn’t anything to write home about, but the inside is clean and spacious with plenty of seating, so no complaints here.

At first sight, the prices were a little high. Then… we found out that the portions were in fact huge! Even my father, who isn’t an avid fan of phở, thought that it was the best phở he’s ever had.
The phở and the beef stew are a must try! The Che Ba Mau was also so delicious. From the first bite to the last gulp!

I headed up to Saigon Café for a late lunch today. It is one of my go to Vietnamese places within a quick drive of my house.
Although not my favorite Vietnamese place, it is quite good. The customers are a mix of Vietnamese and Anglos like me. I went for my favorite meal, the Pork Bun Something or Other with Vermicelli Noodles, Egg Roll, and Fish Sauce.
It had a bit too much lettuce in it, otherwise the dish was great. The pork was crispy and delicious. The appetizer spring rolls were very good and I really dug the crunchy peanut sauce. The bill with tip was around 15 dollars which is a good price.
I am happy that authentic Vietnamese places are still around. Several have folded in the last couple of years. One kind of deserved to, the other two didn’t.
So, long live The Saigon Café. May it remain supported by the locals in the years to come.

I don’t know too much about this food, but I wasn’t overwhelmed with it. I had egg rolls that were over fried. The noodle dish I had wasn’t bad, but nothing too special.
Maybe I need to eat more vietnamese food, but this stop didn’t inspire me to try more.

I finally made it back to Saigon Café today and, again, I was blown away.
Try their drinks! The chè ba mâù (three color dessert) is perfection and so are their sinh to (fruit smoothies) — choose from durian, jackfruit, or avocado. The durian is surprisingly palatable and the jackfruit has a banana/​apple flavor to it. Yum.
I tried the spring rolls again and they were much better than before.
I split the bánh xèo (halfmoon crêpe) with my mom — a wise decision because it was HUGE. Roll up bites of crêpe and fresh herbs with the lettuce and dip in nuoc cham.
We also ordered the hu tiu tôm cua (a soup with shrimp, crab meat and rice noodles). Very good and served with similar accoutrements to ph.
The service is shockingly fast. They are both efficient and polite. A rare, but winning combination.
I wish I had a reason to be in Lancaster more often because Saigon Café has won me over entirely.

It’s a bit pricy for their location and food.
But good thing is you don’t need to go to Philly to crave Vietnamese.
We tried beef phở and fresh spring rolls, both was good.
Be aware they charge for tea, which normally are supposed to be complimentary in Chinatown, NYC.