Saigon Cafe
“When I am craving coconut flavor I get the beef rendang – if you love coconut you must try that dish!”
“The portions are just right (enough to fill you up without overly stuffing you) and the "clay pot" kept my food hot throughout the meal.”
“This place stands out for this one amazing, incredible, mouth watering dish "Beef Rendang".”
Saigon Cafe
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I love vietnamese food and this place does it pretty well. the portions are filling and the flavors are pretty comparable to some of the authentic places in nyc. I love the pho and the grilled beef bun (chilled rice noodles with veggies and sauce). They also have a pleasant ambiance with fairly dim lighting for a more intimate feel.
They seem to have some random hours from time to time. I've been there at the posted closing time and they were still seating new customers, but i've also walked by at like 6pm when they were randomly closed. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
3.5 Stars
I think I would have to try a few more dishes from this place to really know how good it is. The place is simple with red tablecloths and white paper on top, it has a western feel to it.
The hu tieu was decently good, it used thin rice noodles (like in pho) and came with a plate of bean sprouts and wedge of lime. The soup had a almost tart taste to it, and had some shrimp and white cuttlefish in it. I wasn't partial to the shrimp cracker on top (it tasted too doughy).
The guava smoothie was sweet and tasted okay, I don't know if it was made with fruit or powder though because there was a slight granular texture to it.
The tomato stuffed with beef was ok, it was like eating a beef patty inside a very soft stewed tomato. It was immersed in a clear tomatoey-broth with some carrots and broccoli.
I was very impressed with the food here. We had a wonderful waitress who gave great recommendations and even let me taste the curry before ordering. I ended up getting the acorn squash curry with shrimp which I loved but was spicy!!
A lot of good sounding options on the menu which I look forward to trying in the future.
While the dining scene has changed rapidly in Jersey City over the course of the past year, there are the stalwarts like Saigon Cafe that continue to deliver on consistency. A quick walk on Newark Avenue from the Grove Street PATH, it's one of the few restaurants in the area that specializes in Vietnamese cuisine, with a few scatterings of other Southeast Asian dishes on its menu.
To start off with, I can't say that the Fried Chicken Wings are overly impressive; at $10 for five pieces, neither was it the most reasonably priced. The wings were on the smaller side and while the sauce utilized, a sweet-savory mixture of honey, plum, and garlic, was tasty, it could have used an extra punch of spice or acidity to round out the flavor. A better bet probably would have been the Cha Gio, the traditional spring rolls, or for something lighter, the Goi Cuon.
It's hard to avoid a noodle dish in a Vietnamese restaurant (or, at least this is the case for me) so I debated between a traditional bowl of Pho or one of the more "fusion" items. In the end, I opted for the Bun Ga Ca Ri Thai, or the Thai Curry Chicken Soup. It's a well-portioned bowl with a yellow curry and coconut milk base, served with sliced chicken, potatoes, and thin vermicelli noodles. Topped with freshly chopped lettuce, cucumbers, and bean sprouts, it's a well-rounded and flavorful bowl of noodles, with just the right balance of spice, creaminess, and crisp vegetables.
The fact that it's very unlikely to be busy at any one point in time, and the reasonably priced menu are additional pluses to note for the restaurant. I'll likely have to make a return visit in order to pass firm judgement on Saigon Cafe, but it currently stands as a solid 3.5 stars in my book.
I came here for dinner on a Friday. This is just an over-priced American Vietnamese restaurant. I've never paid so much for plain pho noodles in my life. On top of that, the pho was not even that great. The soup was not what I was used to. The usual price I pay for pho is $8 and it is the best pho I ever had. Not a big fan of this place. You can find a more authentic vietnamese restaurant somewhere else.
Came here for lunch with a group of coworkers and had a great time. My party of 8 arrived around noon and was quickly seated at a large table in the center of the restaurant. The place definitely filled up quickly with a large lunch crowd so I would suggest making reservations or arrive early.
Saigon Cafe has a great lunch menu, which is available Tuesday – Friday from 12 – 3. All lunch entrees were $10 each – I had the Saigon Nem-Burger which was great and I would totally get it again.
They have a fully stocked bar and unique cocktail which are sure to improve any work day.
Overall staff was very friendly, restaurant was clean, prices were affordable, and food was great!
I would definitely recommend this place to someone looking for great Vietnamese food in the Jersey City area – I know I will be back!
Love it here. Nice spot that was totally unexpected. Friend suggested we go here and I had a great pho (i.e. pork meatball soup) and some tasty apps. Left feeling so full and content. Also brought home the remnants of my soup and it made the greatest second time around meal!
Definitely is busy and buzzing with customers, and located right in the middle of Newark Ave, so easy spot to meet-up with friends from other areas.
I crave Vietnamese food often, so the craving came while visiting my homeland of Bayonne and this was the closest spot I was able to find.
Talked Mom and Grandma into joining us even though they claim they "don't like this kind of food," but I assured them they would find something on the menu and would love it. Then the place actually ended up having a chicken and capers dish on their specials menu so of course Mom and Gma ordered this. I was a bit disappointed they wouldn't venture out of their food comfort zone but I didn't say anything- just let them try a taste of mine. They actually loved their dishes and all the traditional Vietnamese dishes that they tried.
Summer and spring rolls were great, nothing out of the ordinary.
Dad ordered the Chicken CANH CHUA and asked for it spicy – IT WAS SPICY and full of flavor, may have been a bit too spicy though, I tried some as well.
My BF got the vermicelli noodles with grilled pork and spring rolls and said it was some of the best he's tried (I force him to get Vietnamese food often:) so that was a plus.
I ordered the beef pho and ate the entire bowl, it was tasty but not the most favorable broth I've ever tried. Also wish they served more greens with it (jalapenos, green onions etc.) but overall I was happy.
Nice ambiance – the place is cozy but casual with red tablecloths and white paper on top.
The family actually ended up going back here in the same week after I left town, so now this will be our go to Vietnamese food spot when I'm visiting home.