Ben Tre Vietnamese Homestyle Cuisine

Food is always good. Pho broth is always A1! My fav is the house fried rice.. idk what they put in there but it is always a must each time.

The imperial rolls is what makes us come back all the time. This place gets super packed during dinner hours so come quick or you'll have to wait for awhile while ppl are eating delicious food!!

Ben Tre is starting to be one of my go-to pho spots in the bay area. Not only does the food always hit the spot, but they also have safe options for my daughter who has allergies to gluten, soy, shrimp, dairy, eggs.

It's hard enough to find places to eat for my daughter, but Ben Tre has been one of her favorite places. We usually order the #18 and my daughter loves it. The menu also annotates which menu items are gluten free (gf)

If you want to indulge a little, I like getting the garlic noodles with the 5-spice chicken. The service is fast, they're knowledgeable about the menu and what ingredients goes in it.

I have eaten here twice now. The first time I ordered delivery online through their website. Everything was hot and packaged perfectly! It arrived 20 minutes later. I could not complain about anything; everything was delicious this time!
The second time I ordered takeout. Food was ready within 20 minutes, and it was ready on the counter when I arrived even though the place was packed!
The only reason I'm not giving another star is because on the second visit the salad was packed with a lot of mint. It totally killed it for me and my husband. The first time it didn't have any at all but the second time it seemed like they just made the salad with whatever they could they find. It sucked because I was really looking forward to the salad.
Parking was a bit hard because of the time I came but it's expected in this area. Next time will just get it delivered.

On to the food:

- Wonton Noodle Soup (4/5)
Good soup! I asked for extra veggies and they added them. I was feeling a bit sick so this hit the spot.
- Crispy Imperial Roll (5/5)
SOO good! I would go back just for this. Piping hot and delicious!
- 41. Beef short rib plate with garlic noodles (4.5/5)
Big and filling plate. Would order again.
- 32A Pork BBQ plate w. Imperial Roll (3.5/5)
Pork was a bit dry and the mint on the salad wasn't ideal for me.

I have been coming here since 2012, and am proud to say the quality has only improved! I'd venture as far as calling this the best pho restaurant in the Bay.

I dropped by on a Monday afternoon for a late lunch and it was decently packed. However, because there are plenty of seats inside and outside, the wait is always pleasantly short (or nonexistent-- most parties can get seated right away).

I highly recommend the shrimp spring roll, as it comes with the most delicious dipping paste. The soup stock for all noodle soups are decadently flavored with layers of meaty stock and the generous portions of toppings. If you desire a variety of meats, I recommend #15, which comes with beef tripe, meatballs, and about 3 other types of meat. My tradition is to always get a Thai iced tea with my pho, and theirs never miss! It can be a bit on the sweeter side, so I would beware or ask for more ice to water it down.

The service here is quick and reliable-- the wait staff are always just a glance away. Once they make eye contact with you, they're usually already on their way to help you out. I would advise looking at the Yelp reviews to decide on your order. The wait staff will be less helpful with recommendations as they're more used to a local, regular clientele knowing exactly what they want.

One of the few places that I'd say truly embodies "no frills", Ben Tre is a homestyle Vietnamese restaurant located in South SF. I've tried several things on the menu at this point, and I've found that you really can't go wrong with the pho, bun rieu, and 5 spice chicken with garlic noodles. The 5 spice chicken in particular is a standout and I haven't had this dish elsewhere - I'd definitely recommend it for first timers. Somehow, they manage to crisp up the skin, while keeping the whole chicken leg tender. We also wanted to try something new this time around so we ordered the braised catfish, which had an intense, savory, and sweet sauce. The dish by itself is a little salty, but that makes it perfect for downing a bowl or two of rice. Overall, just a great spot with so many good dishes to try.

Still one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants to date. This is our go-to if we are out and about in SSF and craving something Asian.

My typical order is a vermicelli combo and a salted plum drink, plus or minus spring rolls or the Vietnamese crepe, depending on how hungry I am and how many people I am dining with.

The wait can get long, so we try to go earlier in the day if we can. Service is friendly although it can be a little rushed sometimes.

Popped in here after my Sunday flight. First bit of advice is don't be like me and assume that you need to sign the waitlist. There was a bunch of tables open, but I was copying this guy who came in before me and he was wrong lol.

I've seen reels of this placed, but didn't have any expectations because I wondered how different garlic noodles could really be from any other Vietnamese place. I was wrong; they really layered the flavor by adding black pepper and some peppercorn. Nice umami and really helps it stick out from the crowd.

I also enjoyed the plethora of vegetables and well-seasoned tofu. Tofu was spongy and soaking with flavor.

Only complaints is my dish had a huge chunk of onion that should've been sliced (they were busy) and the Vietnamese iced coffee I ordered barely had any coffee. It was partially filled and had a ton of ice. The condensed milk wasn't mixed in all that well.

However, I was starving and this really hit the spot!

Date: Monday, August 7th, 2023
Time: around 1:45pm
Meal: Lunch Takeout
Party of: 2

2. Fresh Spring Roll: Rice Vermicelli, Lettuce, Mint, Bean Sprout rolled in Rice Paper - A. Tom: Shrimp
3. Cha Gio (Crispy Imperial Roll): Deep Fried Roll filled w/ Ground Pork, Carrot, Taro, Onion, Mushroom
7. Bo Tai Chanh (Vietnamese Beef Carpaccio): Thinly Sliced Raw Flank Steak Marinated in Lime Juice & House Sauce Topped w/ Herbs, Fried Garlic and Peanut

The hubby was out running an errand and grabbed lunch on his way back home. I'm not sure how long it took for the takeaway, but I think it was probably a little more than 15 mins?

I'm pretty sure the hubby also ordered 15. Pho Ben Tre Dac Biet (Ben Tre Deluxe Noodle Soup): Beef, Tripe, Tendons, Brisket, Flank & Beef Balls for himself, but I didn't grab a pic of it. I love raw beef, so number 7 is always one of my favs. This one had lots of toppings to contrast the meat. Very good with lots of lime, fish, and hot sauce. I don't recall the rolls much, but they look fine.

I've been here once before and ate in the restaurant on February 8th. 2020. It was right before covid after getting home from a short trip. I remember liking 29. Bun Rieu (Tomato Crab & Pork Vermicelli Soup): Fresh Tomatoes, Vietnamese Ham, Tofu, Crab & Pork Paste & Rice Vermicelli in Mild Broth which is typically my go to. Very good with some shrimp paste added. Based on our photos, it looks like we also ordered 64. Bo Luc Lac (House Special Shaking Beef): Very Tender Cubes of Filet Mignon Tossed in Garlic, Bell Pepper, Onion, Served w/Garlic Noodle.

Always nice to try a new pho / Vietnamese spot. Too bad I don't live close to South City. Would probably order from here more often.

A very busy place! Lots of seating and good for big groups. The menu is huge and has a good variety of items to choose from.

I recommend the 5-Spice Chicken! We got this with the Green Papaya Salad and it was pretty delicious. Juicy chicken with duck-like cripsy skin. The flavors were subtle and not too salty. Paired well with the salad, which had lots of fish sauce.

Banh Xeo is pretty standard. Very thin and crispy, but WAY TOO much onion! Almost more onion than crepe. This tasted really delicious though with lettuce and nuoc mam.

Came in on a Friday evening for dinner and it was pretty empty at around 6pm. There was a wait outside when we left. This place is owned by the same owner as Gao Viet, but it's definitely a cheaper and more casual alternative.

The menu selection was pretty big, and we were kinda stuck on what to get. Our friends got the bun rieu, and that tasted amazing according to them. I got the lemongrass tofu over rice, and my husband got the house special shaking beef over yellow rice. Food tasted pretty good, and we would want to come back and try the other stuff on the menu.