Taste of Saigon

This place is under new ownership, taste awesome! I love these types of hole in wall, small but tasty, friendly owner, will come back for sure!

As of right now, this is my go-​to place for phở. They are reasonably priced, their menus are neat, presentable and a nice lime green color (for some reason, I’m a fan), service is always good and although they are a small place, it is always clean.
I just wish they were open on Mondays but I guess restaraunts need to close at some point, right?
As usual, I always get the Phở Tai and it never disappoints!
I will be back– it’s not too far away and usually I go to meet up friends after work so the drive isn’t bad, either!

It’s all about the food. =)
This place is pretty small, and nothing fancy to look at. But their food is awesome! Not to mention, the waiters we had were great everytime. This is no.small.thing. I’m pretty observant and critical, and honestly, couldn’t find fault with our sweet waiter. In fact, it’s the kind of consistently good service that makes you feel affectionate towards the place after 3 or 4 visits.
We stopped by here 2 summers ago~ we’d been intending to try Phở Quyen, but it was close that day, so we ended up here. And I’m so glad that we did! Their pork on the broken rice dish was out of this world; the egg over-​easy was perfect. Their phở was also really good. I was actually really impressed with their shrimp spring rolls. I mean, many places aren’t consistent with them, and most are sub-​par: shrimp isn’t perfect texture, rice paper is hard & stale, sprouts aren’t bursting with freshness, etc. But the ingredients in theirs were always perfectly fresh and good.
I loved the food here. No, it’s not a great-​looking place, but I’m here for the flavors after all. ;) After trying Phở Quyen another day, we kept coming back here. It’s so consistently good, I wish I could live near this restaurant!

Fan of the bun bo hue and more than reasonable prices here

Taste of Saigon is one of those places that looks like a hole in the wall and can be easily passed by. When driving down Park Blvd. you pretty much pass more than a handful Vietnamese restaurants. But Taste of Saigon is a must! I’ve been to quite a few Vietnamese restaurants between St. Pete and Tampa Bay but Taste of Saigon is my go-​to. What makes a Vietnamese restaurant is the phở broth. Their phở is perfect for my taste. It’s not too bland and it packs flavor. Other places the broth can be almost clear but here the broth is a color of savor and true traditional Vietnamese cuisine. Another notable item is the bun bo hue– a spicy rice noodle with lots of meat. There’s not too much to say about a Vietnamese restaurants without saying if they have good phở or not. Taste of Saigon does and should definitely be checked out

Small hole in the wall.
Good phở and BBH for cheap.

Taste of Saigon is one of the top rated restaurants in Little Saigon, so we decided to give them a try.
The interior looks like a replica of what a Vietnamese restaurant would look like back in the 1950’s, complete with wood paneling on the walls and a circular bar in the center of the restaurant.
When we arrived, we learned that they are known for their signature Bun Bo Hue.
Which is probably what we should have ordered, right?
Nope, I did something silly and ordered from the menu. An interesting entrée description caught my eye; fried potatoes and beef. I made sure to check that is was not Bo Luc Lac, which is fried beef over French fries, which is was not. So, I just had to order it. It was very home-​style, let’s say… thin slices of potato with cheap cuts of beef covered in Maggi sauce and gelatinous clear goo. No garlic or spices.
The Phở broth is a dark brown color and super salty. It was interesting…
Should have taken our chances with the possible fish-​saucey Bun Bo Hue.

Excellent Vietnamese food. Very authentic and great prices.

The best PHO-​king place around!!! Period.

Im giving 5 stars for what is, a small quaint place that has the best Spicy Beef Noodle Soup and their Phở is really good. Went here because of a Unilocal review that echoes what I’m saying. Price is low compared to all other Vietnamese rests in America. We travel regularly & eat Vietnamese restaurants everywhere because we’re Vietnamese. Portions are more than enough. You wont leave hungry. Server was very friendly & nice. Place is tiny, but clean. Real good VN food — menu limited.

Food was good, but they needed more options on the menu. No vegetarian options (not a single one) for my daughter. Service was great.

Yet again I’m disappointed with the Tampa/​St. Pete area Phở. I was positive this would be the spot after reading the reviews. When I pulled up and saw it was in a strip mall and how tiny it was I had even higher hopes. I was ecstatic really that this would be my new Phở spot. Sadly, I was wrong once again.
Starting with the service… one server was EXTREMELY friendly and helpful and he alone should be the reason people visit this place. Other than that they were too understaffed OR didn’t know how to handle such a small dining room when it fills up. I could easily get over this, but it certainly didn’t add to my experience.
As for the food though, the important part of this review. The Fried Egg Rolls ($ 2.95 for 2) were underwhelming. They were overcooked to start so parts of them were inedible. They were obviously fried in an oil that wasn’t proper temperature because they retained their greasiness through each bite. And finally they were far too heavy on the mushroom. The flavor that was most pronounced was the one I wanted the faintest taste of, and it really just killed this appetizer.
The Phở. The all important reason I drive around each weekend trying Vietnamese spots. Don’t look for it here… The Large Bowl ($ 6.95) is in fact large, actually it’s huge. The broth is bland, has no scent of anise, coriander, cinnamon, or anything else I would have loved to have detected. Also, I’d be willing to be they don’t use oxtail or bone marrow for their broth. It really just tasted like roasted beef knuckles, but maybe it was just a weak batch. The brisket was cooked incorrectly (i.e. too fast like most people do). For condiments they offered the usual lame duck suspects, but it was disappointing to once again not have Cilantro on my plate. Basil, Saw Palmetto, dandy. No Cilantro… no bueno.
I won’t return, and will continue to search the area for a decent bowl of phở.

Don’t judge a book by its cover and don’t judge this tiny hole in the wall by it’s terrible décor and location. The food is pretty good. And the coffee? Amazing. Great service and extremely friendly staff. Found it by mistake but I’m glad I did. Be adventurous and try it out.

I ALWAYS stop by Taste of Saigon when i’m in Pinellas Park; it never fails. I love the food here! Especially their Phở dac biet! It’s the only place that I ever finish my entire bowl of noodle soup because it’s just that good. The restaurant isn’t in the best plaza; it’s a mom and pop shop but it has the best Vietnamese cruisine. Sometimes it will be so packed inside that your food will be done before you even get a table! I highly recommend coming here to eat.

Will not be back. Super cheap but you get what u pay for. Huge portions but wayyyyy too much msg. I was getting a scratchy throat on the car ride home (msg irritatibg my throat)

Cheap spot right on park blvd. Had the Bun friend had the phở both for ~ 6 bux. Great place to drop by and grab a quick bite

tucked away unassumingly next to a typical gaudy tattoo parlor in an awkward location that is only accessible heading West on Park Blvd a block south of 66TH ST, lies a modest appeal for the salty, the fatty and the sweetie. i’ve only visited two Vietnamese restaurants in the St. Petersburg area, which is pathetic considering i’ve spent most of my 43 years here. even when i lived in San Francisco on Clement for some of those years, i only ate at Minh’s across the street and ignored phở for the unsane chef specials and the sickest shrimp pork spring rolls. since i also love Thai noodle houses and soups south of the Mason Dixon, it was only a matter of time for me to ask the right folks: my Vietnamese students. they asked me where i eat phở (preferably near the high school where we all attend) and when i told them Phở 97 they snickered loudly and tossed their game of 13 up in the air at me as if i was the most naïve caucasian they’d ever met, then insisted i go to Taste of Saigon. my friend, who has tried phở elsewhere is impressed, and that’s why we haven’t gone anywhere else since. the tiny sparse place gives you the sense you are eating home-​cooking. you can go for the vermicelli bowls and rice plates, the grilled pork, lemongrass chicken, spring rolls and luxurious coffee but there’s only one reason for me to go there. amazing phở.