Back Street Bistro

A great little gem of a restaurant hidden away from most people’s views. This is a small restaurant owned and operated by a very nice couple. The wife does the cooking while the husband mans front of the house. He is always smiling and pleasant and they are both very efficient at their jobs!
I’ve only ordered twice from here, both times take out. But the service has been prompt. Note that they only accept cash. The first time I tried the lemongrass beef vermicelli with spring rolls. Everything tasted fresh and had lots of flavor. I found the ratio of noodles to everything else to be quite high though. Not that I’m complaining but it seems like I was eating noodles forever!
Today I ordered the Wor Wonton Soup with additional noodles for extra. The chicken broth was flavourful and the bowl was loaded with fresh broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, bean sprouts and cabbage, along with two shrimp and four wontons. It hit the spot.
I hear this place gets really busy during the regular year, but the past two times I’ve arrived just after noon and have been able to walk in and order right away.
I second other people’s comments about the creative use of old shirts and pants to reupholster their seats… very quirky but it works!

Fresh and good price.
Since I’m vegetarian I had to go for the satay noodle soup.
All the other stock is made from chicken witch is a bit unfortunate.
Will come back.

A very nice little restaurant hiding in the corner. Very friendly owner. Great food. Like everyone else said, get there by 11:30 to avoid the lineup.

A great little Vietnamese place hidden in the back corner of an office building lobby. I had an extremely delicious bowl of phở for lunch. The broth was spicy and complex, and it was brimming with fresh veggies and an assortment of shrimp, wonton, and chicken. Only two people run the place. The counter man does a great job of shuffling orders and cleaning tables. He knows all his regulars by name and order. The woman does the cooking, and she’s fast and good. Stop in for lunch, if you can find it!

This is truly one of the little hole in the wall gems that you just love to find.
It is very easy to miss as it is tucked away beside the HSBC building. Even talking to people who work next door some do not know about it.
This Vietnamese noodle restaurant is run by a husband and wife team and they are there every day. Extremely friendly and helpful they are always glad to see you and remember you if your in often.
My favorites on the menu have got to be the soups. They have a spicy beef or chicken which are amazing but my favorite is the Wor Wonton soup. you always get a very big portion that you will be struggling to finish.
This place does get very busy during lunch so if you don’t want to wait in line you should plan on being there by 11:30.
If your looking for amazing Vietnamese food this is your best bet. It rivals the best of the places in China Town.

Great little friendly spot for lunch downtown — Vietnamese grilled pork and vermicelli/​rice plates, spicy satay and noodle soups and standard western fare (BLTs, burger and fries) available as well. Everything homemade and gets busy quick, so be prepared to wait a bit though.

Hmm…
This place is hard to find for sure, but based on all of the reviews I expected it to be a lot different. I really liked the staff and thought they were very friendly. It’s a nice little set up and cute space.
But I found that the broth in my soup just tasted a little sweeter than I’m used to. Maybe a bit more Westernized than I’m used to for phở, but it was still a very generous portion size for the price. I really liked the space and the staff though. They are very efficient and had my order ready very quickly.
Next time I will try maybe a vermicelli or another dish!

Wow, this place is literally a «hole in the wall»…no wonder it’s called the Back Street Bistro. Despite the «106 Street» address, the entrance is actually on Jasper right beside HSBC, on the southeast corner of 106 St./Jasper Ave.
The sign doesn’t suggest it would serve anything remotely Vietnamese, but I had a delicious vermicelli dish with lemon grass beef and spring rolls. I asked for it to be a little bit spicy and it was flavourful but not mad spicy. Good price for a place downtown where you can sit and eat. (You do pay up front and they bring the food to you.)
The chairs and décor… oh man! They upholstered one of the chairs at my table with some Pocahontas t-​shirt from the 90s; it totally reminded me of something I’d wear when I was in grade school and going through my Pocahontas phase. :P
Overall, I’d go back. It’s a nice little place that’s different from the usual downtown offerings and great for those days when I don’t have time to trek over to Chinatown for that Asian fix.

All I can really say about this place is mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I am in love with BSB. I’ll start with the downside. It gets really busy. For lunch you need to go at either 11:30 or 1:00 or else it will be lined up out the door and you can’t get a table. Even so the wait is never too bad for your food so if you’re close enough to take it to go it’s not a big deal. They are tucked in at the back of the HSBC building on 106^st and Jasper so if you don’t know someone who goes there, you’ll never know about this gem (Thanks Karlie M!). The only other thing is that they only take cash, so no debit/​credit options.
The reason it is so busy is that it is AMAZING. The inside is adorable with vintage tables and chairs that are covered with T-​shirts. They are so cute and funny, and it makes for a very unique décor. BSB offers standard lunch fare, like BLT’s clubhouses, etc. They also have breakfast options I have never tried but are almost undoubtedly good. The real treat here is their Vietnamese options, particularly soups. They also offer stir fry platters, spring rolls and green onion cakes. Ranging from $ 7 – 10, the portions are ridiculous (one bowl of soup often gets lunch for the next two days). My favorites are the spicy wor wonton or the spicy beef and vegetable with vermicelli noodles.
The owner is very friendly, and makes a point to say hi when you start to come in often. I work just down the street, and BSB has become my go-​to spot for lunch in or on the go!

Back Street Bistro is alright. Nothing more, nothing less.

I’m glad I found this place on Unilocal as I would never have noticed this restaurant otherwise. I met some friends to try the Vietnamese food. There’s a variety of other food including sandwiches but during my visit, I saw only one person have a sandwich and everyone was having soup or vermicelli plate. Two of us ordered the vermicelli plate with chicken and another had the spicy noodle soup special. Our order was $ 8.55 and hers was just over $ 10. We went shortly before noon and there were plenty of tables available.
After ordering we didn’t have to wait long and our food was brought out and mugs of water too. I was impressed with my meal which included 2 spring rolls. It wasn’t too much food but I was full after finishing it all. My friend was impressed with the soup which included shrimp and scallop.
As the others mentioned, the owner and family are friendly. I will be back either to enjoy in the restaurant or for take out.

Really easy to miss this place because it’s tucked in the back of the HSBC building, but it’s a great little spot for those in the know about downtown lunching grounds!
You may want to get there before 12pm to avoid the lunch crowd, the earlier the better, otherwise the later the longer the line. The wonton noodle soup is great for a chilly day — the bowl was plentiful and the broth was full of flavour but not too salty. Mmm, mmm!
Service was friendly and efficient, it looks like it’s a sweet and hardworking couple who own the shop. Put your order in and pay at the front, then snag a table if you can. They will bring your order over to you personally. Don’t be surprised if it takes a little longer when you show up later though, because they don’t have extra staff and it gets busy around 12ish. Alternatively, you can order to go and they will pack it up in a container with a handy lid for you.
Also, cash only!

This gem of a restaurant is hidden from street view on the main floor of the HSBC building on the SE corner of 106 Ave and Jasper. Back Street Bistro provides authentic Vietnamese /​Canadian fare at great prices. Whether you’re looking for a bacon/​egg breakfast sandwich in the morning, or a custom ‘extra spicy’ vermicelli noodle combo with beef and spring rolls for lunch, you won’t be disappointed.
Tim, its owner makes this special place even more special. I used to eat at this place regularly for a year, but have not frequented it for over two years due to a change in my office location. When I came back recently, not only did Tim remember my name, but he also remembered my regular custom extra spicy combo!
Overall, a great place to go for great food, at a great price. Whether it’s to go or to stay, Tim will make sure you’re well taken care of.

This is a great little place. Mis-​named since it is basically a Phở noodle house, but well worth finding for a quick and satisfying lunch. The menu is limited but it’s all you need.

Tucked into the HSBC building and entering through the back alley, you’d never really know this place is here unless you know someone who knows (unless you work in the building). Once inside, you find a bustling café with a handful of tables with mismatched (although charming) tables and chairs serving a tasty mix of Vietnamese and American food.
Vermicelli bowls, spring rolls and spicy noodle soups are right alongside grilled cheese sandwiches and hamburgers and fries on the chalkboard menu. They also serve breakfast items like muffins and breakfast sandwiches. Prices are reasonable, with sandwiches running around $ 8-​$ 9, most soups at $ 8.35 and vermicelli plates $ 8-​$ 9. My personal faves at the moment are the spicy (chicken or beef) satay noodle soups.
The standout thing about this place is the service. Tim, the owner, is very personable and after a few visits remembers regulars names and orders. If you’re really special, he’ll even make something just for you, like my friend and her ‘Kim special’.
The bistro gets very, very busy at lunch time, especially on Fridays.
Cash only.

Backstreet Bistro is a little Vietnamese/​Chinese/​Western bistro located in the HSBC building on Jasper Ave, and despite (or perhaps because of) its small size and simple appearance the food is FANTASTIC.
All dishes are under $ 10, the service is always friendly and quick and you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu (though I recommend the Spicy Satay Beef Noodle Soup or one of the Vermicelli combos).
How this hasn’t already been review here is beyond me. this is one of the best places to have lunch downtown!