Bao Noodles (CLOSED)

I live in the neighborhood and I've had both flavorful and bland food here. It's really hit or miss. There are some delicious dishes, but when it's bland, it is really bland. The sandwiches are OK, need more meat fillings in them. The waitstaff is poor if you go for lunch. They act like you're inconveniencing them by walking in. Dinner service is better, although some waitresses can still give you attitude. I love their spicy beef stew noodle soup, but not enough for me to keep putting up with the service.

We have been wanting to try this place for a while despite some questionnable reviews regarding price and quality. While I am usually one to take reviews with a grain of salt, heed my warning and take no salt at all. This place was disappointing, from the quality to the quantity of the food, with a high price tag attached. $12 for 3 measly pieces of potato and chicken each, bland as the earth and coop they came from, and another $12 for a bowl of greasy noodles with 3 strips of tofu in a sea of onions. Ambiance was quaint and appropriate for a noodle shop, and service was functional at best. Two dishes, a diet coke and $32 later, I am licking my wounds yet still feeling hungry.

The food is standard vietnamese, but they charge an arm and a leg for it. You're better off at Saigon Grill or Pho Banh.

I love there food and live around the area, but their take out and delivery is insulting. They will give you half of your order then appologize and hang up. They will not go out of their way to correct their mistake. This has happened to me several times.

How can somebody critize this food? I'm a "connoisseur" when it comes to vietnamese cuisine...and let me tell you the food there is incredible (I even went into the kitchen to thank the chef) Bao is now my favorite restaurants and I'm never disapointed by the food or the friendly service. My favorites: the subtle and flavorful sauteed beef in coconut curry, the beef salad, and the green tea custard dessert.

I love this place. I, too, have experienced some slight problems with delivery (one delivery couldn't be made and another arrived cold), but I don't think Bao is meant to be a delivery business. Its real expertise is in eat-in dining. The spicy beef & pork noodle soup is excellent and filling - I rarely need anything else with it, to make a meal. And for $7, it's one of the best deals in the neighborhood. The lemongrass shrimp (or chicken) is phenomenal and at $12, it's enough food for 2. Spring rolls are good, jicama salad is crisp and flavorful, the sliced beef salad is sublime. P.S. The music is from an iPod, so if you want to see if there's something more to your liking, just ask.

The music should be Vietnamese, not the radio. It caters more to the bar-crowd.