Saigon Deli
| Address: | 1237 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98144, USA |
| Phone: | +1 206-322-3700 |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | 7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM |
Location
Photos 1
Reviews 9
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Jon Conley
Perfectly Delicious and Affordable Vietnamese Cuisine Saigon Deli has the best bánh mi in the city for $3.50. you should order it and eat it in your car or as soon as you leave. Dont eat it cold or attempt to warm it up later. The fried bananas (in the heat lamp case -- they look like huge pieces of fried cod) are not to be missed; incredibly chewy, sweet, and crispy with a pleasant, warm, smashed banana filling. Try to get there early in the day, when all of the wrapped entrees are still warm. Definitely try the bánh xèo (small shrimp crepes / pancakes with a sweet, chili-vinegar sauce, basil, and bean sprouts). The Bún Nem Nướng (Vietnamese meatballs) should not be missed. These are best enjoyed in wraps, or at home with cooled leftover, sticky, jasmine rice and spiced dipping or a sweet garlic sauce. A word of warning: the fish sauce used in these is extremely potent at first. I eat fish sauce with every other meal, and even for me, they were a bit overwhelming until they spent a night in the fridge and were warmed up in the oven for breakfast. Most of the food sold from the hot bar is delicious; though I typically just end up buying a few of the wrapped to-go entrees, instead. The fruit smoothie drinks are authentic and delicious, if you are familiar with SE Asian flavors. If youre looking for Vietnamese coffee, they have it, but it is quite expensive and small. Overall, Saigon Deli is a fantastic kitchen run by some truly talented cooks. Its the sort of spot that makes Seattles Asian neighborhoods true treasures.
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David Nguyen
This is a go to spot for me... cause I go here periodically... haha...U gotta banh me here. The grilled pork for $3 is the best flavors for your buck in Seattle. The tofu and bbq sandwiches are good options too at $2.50. Newbies, watch out for the jalapeno it will get u.Also, gotta do the Goi Cuon (fresh spring rolls). My faves are the chinese saugage and egg which comes in the 3 pack, and the traditional shrimp and pork. CRACKIN. the shredded pork one is kind of weak with the fish sauce, but everything cant be good.Then I get a pork ball stick (nem noung), which is a vietnamese meatball but with constructed like sausage, u will know what Im talking about. Also, ba loc lot the beef wrapped in mint leaves (i think). Awesomeness!Deserts are solid the che at $1 something but better at Tammys. I been going to Saigon deli since the late 90s as a kid. Love this place, reminds me of running around in Saigon but with less chaos. Everyone is pretty nice and very american friendly. FYI, no tables to eat inside..u just have to make due.
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A Private User
I read the older reviews, and I may just have to give this place a second try. It looks as though the best thing to order from here is the Banh Mi.? I did not get any help from the people behind the counter at the time (language barrier perhaps?) Other customers were "assertive" to put it nicely, and cut in front of me, because I didnt seem to know what to order. Finally after about 10 minutes, someone that spoke english, sort of helped me out and gave me some idea of what I was looking at. I tried some spicy beef and vegetables, and some sweet/sour pork and rice. I bought a pre-packaged lunch tray of some kind of wraps filled with ground meat (not sure what kind of meat) and rice/beans?..that came with a bean sprout salad it was actually better tasting than what I expected. I am putting my star rating, slightly lower than average, mainly because of poor customer service at the time....otherwise the food looks and tastes good.
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Nam Nguyen
This is what a staple of a deli should be. This place is been a corner stone of vietnamese sandwiches for years... decades... or at least as long as I can remember. Is it the cleanest place? hell no. But do they serve some of the best foods around town? hell yes. Ive frequented this place since i was a wee-lad. And it has never disappointed. Between the arguably the best vietnamese sandwiches ($3 - 3.50/ea), the $5 meal combos, the various snacks, baked goods, and smoothies. This place is awesome. What makes it even better over the years is now they accept debit/credit cards. The parking lot is a bit small and sometimes the line can get ridiculous but I assure you its worth the wait. And if you are wondering what a Vietnamese sandwich is... youve already failed at life. So go. Go and get one and unfail yourself! get saved!
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A Private User
I will NEVER come to this place again. I dont care how good or cheap their food is, the service is one of the worst ive ever seen. I will give 3 reasons why: 1. we told them No Jalapenos twice on our sandwiches and all of them had jalapenos in them. 2. they gave me ice coffee that was not all the way full so i told them to fill it all the way up. this kid (probably the owners son) took the coffee and while handing it to one of the employees, laughed and said something in vietnamese. THEY JUST PUT EXTRA ICE ON TOP TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THEY PUT MORE IN! are you serious?! 3. Dont ever ask them for a water cup--they charge you $.50 WOW.
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Peter Truong
Great food but be careful... Ive had them short me twice and Ive only been there about 4 times. The first time I ordered and paid for coffee but then they forgot the coffee in my order so I didnt get it. The second time I shouldve gotten $15.50 in change but got $0.50. I assumed they got it right so I left but then came back 10 minutes later. The guy behind the counter said he didnt remember me. Most items dont have posted prices so check your order and ask for a receipt. I understand language barriers but this place presents a different problem. Its surrounded by delicious Vietnamese delis, take yourself to an honest one.
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Nic Beurskens
I did not visit the location, however I was brought a Banh MI by my girlfriend. Being one of my favorite sandwiches I was a little skeptical of the reviews. I have to agree this is one damn good Banh Mi. The bread was perfectly flakey on the outside and light and moist on the inside. The flavors of the pickle and meat assert themselves perfectly balanced. Few sandwiches in Seattle have been what I hoped. This was the most memorable exception. Edit: I actually went in two days later because I could not get this sandwich off my mind. Crazy wide selection of hot and cold foods. This place is a must see.
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Nick Hayes
This is my go-to lunch spot just about daily. For less than $4 you can get yourself a really great "buhn-mi" - or Vietnamese sandwich on french bread - these probably get ordered the most out of anything. But I get the "lunch box" or "rice" - two hot food items over rice. The chicken curry is an absolute standard of excellence, they also have great veggie dishes and various other items like beef brisket stew. - any two items, just $6 (cash) or $0.75 charge to your card if under $15.
CA
Caroline Zelonka
This place has two locations, one on Boren and one right around the corner at Jackson and 14th. This is the Jackson one, and this has the superior sandwiches. The bread, baked on premises, is what elevates their sandwiches to the top of the banh mi universe in Seattle. Im not a big fan of the pork, but the grilled chicken or tofu varieties are delicious. They also have some interesting flavor combinations in their summer rolls. Plus, its about a 15 minute walk from my house.
