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Restaurants, Seafood Restaurants
$$, Date Spot, Hidden Find, Local Favorite, Lunch Spot
Went to New Saigon a few times. Eacth time there's a long wait to get our orders in. The food is good but the service is very slow and staff is unfriendly. The interior of the restaurant is bare and minimal. Expect to spend about at least 30-45 minutes for your entrees and 2-3 hours in and out.
Posted 12/28/07 | Report Abuse
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Food was good but overpriced and the staff was less than friendly. The was the second Asian restaurant I tried this week and definitely the lesser of the two. I'll pass on going back
Pros: The place was clean inside
Cons: Unfriendly staff and food was overpriced
Posted 01/14/09
I would have to say the previous review is using a lot of hyperboles for his/her review. I completely disagree with them. Pho is a quick and easy soup to prepare. The reason why they're usually slow with service is because of how busy this place is. I don't know about anyone else, but if I am going to go eat at a restaurant that is really slow, than there's a problem. Waiting for pho for 2-3 hours is completely exaggerated. As a customer, I make sure I understand and be considerate of the fact that they are busy people, its hard to handle so many tables like that. There are some people who just can't ever have enough attention from these servers. The food is great, and this restaurant is not "filthy". Of course its going to get dirty during busy hour. Kids are throwing food on the ground, people are walking everywhere, its chaotic; not becuse they're filthy, but its because they're busy. You come in the morning this place is clean, during lunch it's clean, and dinner time is so busy, no matter how much they clean, it gets dirty again. This isn't a fancy high class restaurant, its a family style restaurnt. So you want a restaurant that comes out with quick food and clean aura? Go to a place with barely any customers than maybe you would get your food quicker or a place that has a person cleaning 24/7 because they have nothing better to do (like serve people or make delicious food like New Saigon).
Pros: Great Food, Great People
Cons: Being misunderstood by customers
Posted 10/02/08
We go to New Saigon about once or twice a month - and would go more - except it is honestly the worst service in town. Bar none. This last visit, we had a conversation about how they should try to hire some kids from the Dairy Queen since they are more friendly and attentive in the drive-thru. Here's the skinny: you won't find better Vietnamese food in Denver. The Pho is to die for (I crave it on a regular basis, but don't usually have 2-3 hours to wait for it), and every entree we have ever had is fantastic. The portions are huge - the prices are small - you'd think it's perfect. However...we have never been able to escape from New Saigon in less than 2 hours. It's not that we're slow, it's not that we want to sit there (the environment is equally awful, with filthy carpet/ceiling/walls and screamingly loud) - it's that the service is so terrible that you're just stuck. This past Saturday, we were able to watch the entire Ohio State/USC game while waiting for dinner (and waiting to pay). We didn't go there to watch the game, you see, I just noticed b/c there was a TV next to the table - and when we got there it was the 1st quarter, when we left, USC had won. I really cannot stress enough how horrible the service is...always. You should still go, because the food is amazing, so I have a strategy for you. Know exactly what you want to order (drinks, apps, soup, entree, etc) the first time the server comes around. Try to get it all out at once - and you might get out in under 2 hours. Ask for the check as soon as you get the food - this will help with the waiting for the check process. Be sure to get some Boba. And if you're fuming after dinner - stop by the Dairy Queen on Alameda. Those kids are great.
Pros: Food is amazing
Cons: Service is beyond bad - Decor is filthy
Posted 09/14/08
Small space so there can be a wait. Last time we were there the service was a tad slow, but not for a lack of trying from the staff, they were packed and short handed. Very friendly servers and the food is the best Vietnamese food in denver! Try it!
Pros: Food, friendly staff, fancy new tv's for watching ball games and olympics :) try family style eating (sharing dishes)
Cons: Small parking area, small resturant space (but sat as promptly as possible) go at off time with large group
Posted 08/26/08
I've came to this place over 3 times, thats cause I live far.. Food is hecka excellent though. I LOOOOOOOOOOVE LOVE LOVE their crab dishes, its the first one on the crab menu list. Thats the best dish I always get it, though it is the priciest. The wait can be sometimes long, but if you have patience, its well worth it for your tummy. You're hungry right? Thats why you're there for a reason, and when you're there on an empty stomache you get grouchy. But when you get the food into your system, all that stuff takes away the wait for the food. This is only when its VERY super busy. and you can tell that when it gets busy, it must be a reallllly good place to eat. HIGHLY reccomended!
Pros: The food is awesome!
Cons: service needs to pick up a bit often
Posted 06/01/08
Right when we walked in, we saw this huge display of Boba drinks on wall. It looked delicious. We were promptly seated and served. I suggest ordering the Catfish sauteed in green onions. The fish is very tender and drenched in a delicious sauce. You should also try their noodles. I don't remember the name but it is the first one under the lunch special. Make sure to pour in the provided sauce into the noodles and stir. The noodles have a nice mild sweetness. Also, You MUST try one of their special smoothies made with real fruit and with added boba. The mango flavor is delicious but very sweet. The red bean is a traditional asian flavor that's very nice. The watermelon is very nice. The service was not very good. Our waitress was kind of rude, but she was very busy. She gave us only 2 plates and bowls instead of 4.
Posted 03/25/08
Went to New Saigon a few times. Eacth time there's a long wait to get our orders in. The food is good but the service is very slow and staff is unfriendly. The interior of the restaurant is bare and minimal. Expect to spend about at least 30-45 minutes for your entrees and 2-3 hours in and out.
Posted 12/27/07
Its true, the menu is written in both vn and english.. Very explainatory, unless you are very dull in the head. I don't read a word of vn, but i understood 'tofu and vegetables stir-fried in yellow curry,' very well, thank you.. The service is absolutely perfect. I honestly have never seen a man empty a pitcher of water into the patron's glasses that quickly in my life.. no really, my girlfriend and I stopped and watched the lightning speed bustle for a while in awe, long after we finished our DELiCiOUS and HIGHLY AFFORDABLE meals. I heard somewhere that they actually own the building no strings attached, so everything is very affordable, despite the extremely high quality of preparation. Consistant. It never changes, you know exactly what you will get. Im sure they could easily charge arm and leg if they ever wanted to move downtown, but they got a good thing going.. why mess with it? The staff is VERY friendly and rather adorable I must say. DONT LET THE SOUTH FEDERAL THING SCARE YOU AWAY> YOU'LL REGRET IT!!! the place is totally spotless and has ...*ahem* sterile facilities..
I HIGHLY reccomend the softshell crab appetizer, and anything cooked in that yellow curry..it is HEAVENLY. The menu is thick and vast.. and awesome. very explainatory. you really never can get bored of this place. they also have a TON of different boba drinks which are ALWAYS righteous.
id give 6 stars if i could. My favorite resturaunt in denver by far.
Pros: food. service. atmosphere. staff. affordability. cleanliness. (everything!)
Cons: stealing too much thunder from other VN places that i am sure are pretty good too :(
Posted 09/11/07
I know nothing about Vietnamese food and have no Vietnamese friends in Denver. My desire to try something Vietnamese, was made difficult by their phonebook of a menu that does a poor job of explaining the dishes.
Perhaps noting my whiteness, servers have always pointed me to Thai or Chinese dishes that I already know. But Ive tried things like the catfish, which the server assured me was authentically Vietnamese. To my servers surprise, I loved it, even with its pungent, salty fish sauce.
The food is very good even if you go with the Thai and Chinese stuff you already know. But experimenting without having much of an idea of what I was getting has led to excellent meals, too.
Pros: Food
Cons: Long, unexplaine menu, Pithy service, Usually a short wait
Posted 03/15/05
For Vietnamese food I ALWAYS go here. It's been a Denver tradition for years. You know the place is good and authentic when plenty of local Vietnamese families eat here. Try the Boba (frozen blended drinks with chewy tapioca) for a cool and refreshing delight. Can't go wrong with any of the dishes on the menu.
Posted 09/19/04
This is as close to authentic Vietnamese as you can get in Denver! And it comes with the attitude: Cheap food (lunch combos $ = to McDonald's combos $), Fast service and Excellent food!
PS: Don't go in thinking you'll get the flirty eyes from the waitresses - save that for the Keg.
Pros: inexpensive, good food, service
Posted 08/03/04
totally amazing food. By far the best V. food I have found in SF/Seattle and Denver. I love this place. I will to dine here on every visit to the mile high city. latest discovery was the deep fried crab appetizer..wholly cow. astounding.
Pros: food, reasonable, great service
Posted 07/22/04
They have a huge menu full of yummy, flavorful food (and inexpensive) food. There is pleny of seating and good service.
Posted 05/27/03
I married into this culture and I can tell you this place does it the authentic way! The food is awesome.
Pros: Authentic, Good Prices, Good Service
Cons: Small Space
Posted 01/04/03
"Every staff member from door to the waitress were horrible. 1. I ..."
