4. Restaurants

Ben Tre Vietnamese Homestyle Cuisine

219 El Camino Real, Millbrae, CA, 94030
  • (650) 689-5588
  • Store is closed

Ben Tre Vietnamese Homestyle Cuisine Menu

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.

Visit below restaurant in Millbrae for healthy meals suggestion.

Panera Bread ( 320 Adrian Road )
KFC ( 950 El Camino Real,#23 Harman-Ike & Alvina, Inc. )

  • Carla F.

    I actually like this location, the staff is way more attentive than other locations *cough-cough*, I always order my Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls (Goi Cuon) the peanut sauce is the best. The (Kho To Dat Bie #52) is a fabulous Clay Pot, with mixed pork, chicken and all the fixings, chicken, beef & GARLIC. So good over rice.

    (4)

  • Athena C.

    This is a perfect spot for cheat eats especially if you get off the flight at SFO near rush hour and don't want to go through SF city traffic. I really enjoyed my Grilled pork chop over rice special dish here. It has so much food I can't finish all at once. Their Stir Fry Beef over rice is also delicious. The service is also fast so you don't need to wait forever to get your food. There are tons of customers when we were here and I can see why!

    (4)

  • Mike P.

    This is actually a 2.5 star review. Slightly better than "meh," but not as good as "A-OK." But I won't ding them for the difference. Out on a drive in my new car last Saturday after the gym so I was hankering for some tasty protein. I thought a nice big steaming bowl of pho ga would be perfect. I've only recently discovered the joy that is Vietnamese cuisine and can't get enough pho. I love a good bbq chicken sandwich but pho is much more satisfying to me. Checked Yelp for recommendations as I was tooling along in the upper peninsula and decided to try Ben Tre's joint due to the positive reviews. I was very hopeful. Showed up and found a seat at the bar easily enough. The staff was friendly and they seemed reasonably sincere about it. Attitude isn't usually a big deal for me; I am more interested the level of service, the quality of the food, and the cleanliness of the place. Anyway, I ordered a large bowl of pho ga and tea to drink. No appetizers, nothing special. I was just me, after all. Don't get me wrong: the pho ga was serviceable. It came in a huge bowl and there was a ton of the sliced chicken in it, along with a good serving of rice noodles, which I prefer over the thicker, heavier (and messier for an old white dude using chopsticks) egg noodles. I expected the chicken to have a simple, natural flavor, which it did. But the broth was rather unexceptional. It was good, but it didn't wow me (I'd had a bowl of pho ga at the Mint Leaf near the Berkeley Bowl the weekend prior that absolutely hit all the right spots and left me totally satisfied). The tea came pre-steeped in a water glass with a napkin around it, rather than in a steeping pot and tea cup. Whatever. But it was neither terribly hot nor especially strong. All in all, it was an "ok" experience. I totally would not make a special trip here and, since I work in San Bruno, I'll stick with the Vietnamese restaurant in the Bayhill Shopping Center on San Bruno and Cherry until I find a better place.

    (3)

  • Angie E.

    I can't say enough about how much I love this place. The food is great. The service is pretty fast. It's always a little packed but I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a table, so it's not a "line out the door" kind of place. They do Vietnamese staple foods really, really well. You'll leave satisfied and probably with some leftovers. It's not a fancy place though so don't expect great cocktails and ambiance music. You can wear you're gym shorts or a collared shirt and be equally comfortable. TIP: if you get the noodle soup "to-go" then separate the noodles and the broth so you don't end up with mushy noodles the next day.

    (5)

  • Jane P.

    Still a solid place to go for Vietnamese food. I've visited many times since my last review and have tried the shrimp papaya salad, bun rieu, 5-spiced chicken rice platter with a fried egg, and eggrolls. All delicious! The service is inconsistent but I never go to Vietnamese restaurants for customer service. Worst case scenario, you flag the waiter down. Perhaps I've gotten used to terrible customer service at Viet restaurants in general. I just come to Ben Tre for the good food!

    (5)

  • Kelly O.

    It is a good spot to eat since it is close to SFO and the BART station. The staff is great, always attentive. I ordered the beef stew and shrimp spring rolls. The beef stew was delicious. It had enough noodles and beef. The menu offers vegetarian options which is great.

    (4)

  • Sandee T.

    Came up to SF to surprise my beloved friend for her birthday! TRE BIEN! ...and now for some Ben Tre :) * DRK - Vietnamese coffee = Finishes "dripping" at your table... * GET - Pho Original = Dining co. loved it, all the fixings come on the side! * GET - Pho with Meatballs = Huge soup bowls! This was his "usual" dish and it was devoured~ * GET - Bun Thit Tom Cha Gio combo = Bowl of vermicelli, amazing egg rolls, lotsa BBQ beef and grilled shrimp with side veggies...it was so good! * YES - Fast service, plain table & chairs, simpeecor * YES - Small restaurant...sometimes you "share" a table with others * YES - Bar service with flat-screen TVs on sports channel * WOA (words of advice): - No reservations - Takeout available - Plaza parking is limited Delish, no-frills, quaint Vietnamese neighborhood joint~

    (4)

  • Josh M.

    Great crepe, spring rolls and pork chop with rice. Vermicelli dish needed improvement. We got take out and our order was complete and on time, even though the place was slammed for lunch on Saturday. I would definitely eat here again.

    (4)

  • Jane A.

    GOOD PHO & BROTH Wifi password: garlicnoodle Minimum card: $10 Sniffles + post workout = pho. Tastier and cheaper pho compared to any in the city. This Ben Tre is one of the newer locations. And expect to drop your name on a list at the door. The service is fast to make up any wait time. The staff is very kind, a mix of no English speaking to very well English speaking. Orders can easily get mixed up. They can't understand and you can't understand. Good luck!!!Portions are generous, everybody around you seems satisfied. There's bar seating with a view of the TV or tables holding 4+ chairs. #16 PHO TAI - tasty pho although it looks like nothing. With pho, it is all about the broth. The broth had good flavor. The raw beef were thinly sliced and surprised there were barely any in my bowl. The side plate of garnish came with a slice of lemon, one jalapeño ring, lots of cilantro, basil, and sprouts. I love cilantro so all of that went into the bowl. The more the merrier. Recommend. Three Colored Drink - it didn't have a real name but it was compromised with coconut milk, sugar, grass jelly, red bean, and mongbean. Its good. Recommend. Will I be back? Yes. Until the next review...

    (4)

  • Matt G.

    Good eats. BBQ pork and beef was excellent. Five stars for this south SF restaurant. I feel like restaurants outside of major cities need a bit more stars given the area they are in. No consideration needed here. This restaurant is up there with downtown SF places I have enjoyed. Normal beer selection, above average for a suburban restaurant.

    (5)

  • Bai H.

    Too much hair in the pho. Bad waiter/waitress that day. Visited the store with friends just arrived the airport. They wanted pho and asian food. It was expected that the place would be ordinary. But we liked the "homestyle" part. - One or two hair, ok , chefs have hair and they sometimes get mixed up, but find it several times is not really sanitary. - The waiters/waitress were college students on that day. If the tip scale is rated by percentage, it is about 0.05% tip for service. College students can be loud, rude, and talk about none sense however they like it during free time, but it was annoying to have your waiter/waitress to be that way. - The spring rolls and shrimp salads were ok. Question, which part of the menu is homestyle? It tasted pretty much like Panda Express.

    (2)

  • Y M.

    Same food, but cleaner/nicer interior than their south city location. Parking is going to be more difficult. Awesome five spiced chicken...

    (4)

  • Sheila C.

    Very popular place as there is typically a line of some sort every time we come, but their service is pretty efficient and that translates to quicker turnaround times than other establishments. My favorite items: 5-Spice Chicken w/ Garlic Noodles - tender chicken perfectly cooked and seasoned on top of a bed of garlicky noodles - how can this combo go wrong? BBQ Pork Chop Rice Platter - the marinade / flavoring of the pork chop is amazing! Bo Tai Chanh - beef carpaccio w/ fantastic lime flavor

    (5)

  • Miss J.

    Really delicious neighborhood joint with Vietnamese food. very authentic and friendly service. I wish we lived closer so we can frequent it as our joint. Everyone was so hospitable and nice, we are from Southern Ca and this doesn't happen as frequently where we're from. I really appreciated that.

    (4)

  • Jennifer T.

    3.5....but definitely rounding up since I enjoyed my meal :) I definitely know of better places, but Ben Tre for Millbrae is a strong Vietnamese restaurant addition. It is very clean and the service is great. I really enjoyed the five spice chicken!! The chicken was juicy and flavorful and I would get this dish again in a heartbeat. The banh xeo was good, but I wish it had more filling. Bun Thit Nuong is pretty good and it is a hefty portion. My only two concerns are that the egg rolls were not just okay and the whole dish together with the fish sauce was leaning on the sweet side too much. If you are craving viet and are in the area, I would recommend Ben Tre. I can't wait to come back and try the pho!

    (4)

  • Tony U.

    Excellent quality Vietnamese cuisine here. The Pho's pretty decent. There are no aggressive flies hovering about . Service is fast and accurate. There's a nice flat screen TV to watch the Warriors. The imperial rolls were excellent! The Bun Xao was good but not as good as I've had at other places in Milpitas/SJ. Would definitely come here again.

    (4)

  • claudia y.

    We had to wait a bit to get seated. The place is pretty dirty. Sticky floors. Service is good. Food is decent. We ordered a lot of food - appetizer combo, banh xeo, bun rieu, papaya salad, 5 spice chicken with garlic noodle

    (3)

  • Sandy T.

    My family and I enjoy going to both Ben Tre locations. The huge portions of food is delicious and at a very good price. I've had both lunch and dinner plates at this location and always leave happy! For lunch, I've had: [+] vermicelli w/ imperial rolls & BBQ pork [+] garlic Noodles w/ five spice chicken [+] pho Dac Biet [+] pho w/ five spice chicken (the chicken comes out separately on a plate) [+] Pho bowl is HUMONGOUS! It's more than filling and will happily satisfy you if you're super hungry. [+] Five spice chicken is huge, tender, and full of flavor. [-] The clear noodle soup is a no go for me though. The noodles were undercooked and it really wasn't that good. For dinner, I've had: [+] rare beef w/ lemon [+] shrimp papaya salad [+/-] beef papaya salad (plenty of beef, but it's a bit too salty) [+] hot & sour catfish soup [+] catfish claypot and loooveeee it! It helps that this place is consistently delicious and affordable. But I must admit, Vietnamese food is one of my favorites (:

    (4)

  • Tamara S.

    Yeah I am a fan of Ben Tre Vietnamese Homestyle cuisine Yelp! Listen after having some seriously delicious pho in San Jose, I can honeslty say that the one at Ben Tre isn't as great but it is still pretty damn good. I think their best is everything else. Don't get me wrong I always end up sharing a pho with my husband ( as the portion are huge! ) along side other dishes. For starters the bbq pork rice rolls are a must trust me! Just go and order them. The quail is also quite good. Their combo starter platter is really good, but if you are going the healthy path pick something else as it is mostly fried. The 5 spice chicken is spectacular. I personally prefer the rice 5 spices chicken over the noodles one, but the noodles is delicious too. The place is usually quite full, specially during lunch hours, so there might be a little wait sometimes but nothing crazy.

    (4)

  • Sean B.

    Ain't gonna lie. This place was awesome. And I wasn't expecting it to be. Not sure why, I just assumed that the best Vietnamese food in the Bay Area would almost certainly be in a Vietnamese neighborhood of San Jose or San Francisco. Turns out, it's in an unassuming little strip mall off of El Camino Real in Millbrae. Who'da thunk? Large clean restaurant, slightly upscale for Vietnamese cuisine. Many of my favorite places in other cities (Phoenix, San Diego, LA) are in really dumpy buildings, this one is a bit more clean, modern, well-maintained. Seated quickly though it apparently does get busy on the weekends and there's a waitlist. The food was... awesome. The banh xeo was on-point, the bun thit nuong cha gio was the best I've had in years. Even my friend's hotpot was amazing, and the Thai iced tea was even better than average. I found my new go-to. Ironically, near my gym. This sounds circular.

    (5)

  • Christopher N.

    Best Vietnamese restaurant along with Vung Tau in Milpitas within Bay Area. The combination rice noodle is personal favorite. BBQ shrimp/beef are well prepared. Got to have the shrimp roll...now only the line can move faster

    (4)

  • Miguel O.

    Better ambiance than your typical vietnamese restaurant. There is a bar area and TVs as well. We'll be back for sure.

    (4)

  • Elyse L.

    This is one of the best Pho places I have ever been to. Don't be put off by the packed house during the lunch and dinner rushes. It is so worth it! The wait staff is quick and friendly, and offered suggestions as to what was really good. I ordered the Pho and found the broth to be flavorful, the pork to be so tasty and smoky, and the veggies that went along were fresh and delicious. Not much else to say other than you need to try it for yourself!

    (5)

  • James M.

    Ever have a craving for Pho and Viet food but feel like eating somewhere with a little nicer ambiance and decor? Maybe it's just me, but sometimes I feel this way, especially after a long day. Don't get me wrong, I love my hole in the wall, fast in and out, style restaurants. But sometimes I want something different. Ben Tre Millbrae is the place for that. It's great for a single person, couple, or group outing. I go and sit at the bar and watch the game sometimes or when I've caught a cold and need some chicken pho and don't want to see or talk to anyone. Comfy atmosphere, very clean and friendly service. My choice to order there is their chicken with either rice or pho. It's not cut up pieces of chicken like other places but rather a large filet of leg, thigh and other parts.

    (5)

  • Eddie W.

    Ben Rieu-Tomato and Crab Pho A great portion, flavorful but essence of crab and tomato is underwhelming Imperial Rolls-lack the hefty quality that I have come to expect from these aptly named rolls They have a good amount of tvs throughout with various games on Overall Thoughts A decent place to grab some food with a small group while catching the game

    (3)

  • Kat W.

    Wheelchair accessible place, tables, and bathroom. I love going here for my pho fix and bun fix. Every time I go I think I'll try something new, but end up getting one of the pho options or a combo bun. Nice service, tasty fresh food, and nice atmosphere. I already go often and will keep going.

    (4)

  • Kristen S.

    Oh. My. God. As good as it gets! I intend to eat through the entire menu. #21 - five-spice chicken with a bowl of pho. Great broth. Chick wasn't as juicy as I'd expected, but it was very flavorful. My husband ordered the BBQ pork ribs on a bed of garlic noodles. The ribs were a bit too greasy...but! The noodles were just the right degree of chewy...very satisfying.

    (5)

  • Inez J.

    I've only ordered the coconut drink and the garlic noodle shaken beef. The young coconut is good for $3.50. Soft meat. And yummy coconut water. But the garlic noodles - man, it has so much MSG! I came here with my friends and they ordered pho and seafood vercimelli noodle. I asked them afterwards if they are also thirsty and they said yes. So for $16 of garlic noodles n beef - no, im not impressed. Will I come back for more msg food? I dont think so.

    (3)

  • L L.

    I haven't been back here for a while, but it's definitely our favorite Vietnamese restaurant here in Millbrae. The food is delicious, staff members are friendly/welcoming, and most importantly, it's clean!!! My favorite dish is always the pork with shrimp cake and egg. My husband's usual dish is the meatball and rare beef pho. We enjoy coming here when our Vietnamese craving kicks in.

    (4)

  • Cindy W.

    You don't come here for ambiance though it is slightly better than other Vietnamese restaurants. The staff is friendly and fast though, I'll give you that. Food-wise is solid. #64 - Bo Luc Lac (Shaking Beef) with Garlic Noodle ($16). Tender flavorful bites of beef with sauteed bell peppers on a bed of garlic noodles. Tasty. #31 - Ben Tre Vermicelli Combo w/ BBQ Meat, Shrimp & Imperial Roll ($9.50). Classic dry bun bowl with sweet tangy fish sauce. Fresh, large portions, clean flavors. Love it. #36 - Ben Tre Rice Platter Special ($9.50). Chose pork chop (suon) + D Shredded Pork & Fried Egg (Bi & Trung). Again, another giant plate but this one had less flavor. It's more a big rice filler. We had come for some other dishes. Reco #54 Catfish Claypot. This place is always full of customers. Good sign.

    (4)

  • Marlene T.

    Good Vietnamese food is hard to find in the Peninsula. As pho cravings hit, we get desperate for a good bowl of piping hot broth filled with delicious tender meat. Is this the place to go to? I guess if you can't seem to find another place... we obviously couldn't. The Pho Dac Biet was ok. Not delicious. The meat had a funny taste to it and the soup didn't taste like that clean crisp taste that I enjoyed at local Vietnamese restaurants in San Jose. It really just isn't the same. The Banh Xeo was ok. I asked for extra crispy, I got a slight burnt one instead. It wasn't bad, but definitely not the same as Pho 909 in Milpitas. That place has the best Banh Xeo ever... So I guess if I am just not ready to drive to the south bay for good Vietnamese food, this will just have to do.

    (3)

  • Beatriz R.

    If I could eat here everyday of my life, I would. Every single time that my bff and I come here it is a great experience. The waiters are nice, the owner is nice, and the food is delicious. Spring rolls and peanut sauce are on point! If you're reading this, i'm probably sitting by the window stuffing my face.

    (5)

  • Joseph T.

    Nice atmosphere and a clean store. Quality food. Soup is pretty rich and well spiced, though with a little too much salt. Meat is good and noodles are perfectly chewy. It's a little pricey. But that's the price you pay for a slightly more comfortable setting (compared to traditionally run down pho places). I ended up paying $12 for a large combo beef pho with extra noodles. There's a $12 minimum on cards, which they waived cuz I found a hair in/on one of my pieces of tendon, which was pretty gross. Nothing special, but it gets the job done.

    (3)

  • Jennifer T.

    Whatttt...why hasn't anyone ever told me about this place? So delicious. We eat around Millbrae quite a bit since my grandpa lives in Burlingame. We usually go to the same places but decided to try something new one weekend. Thanks to Yelp, we found Ben Tre. When we entered, the place was packed (good sign) but we were still able to score a table right away. I think it was the last one. Every dish we ordered was amazing and the service was awesome! They had quite a few waiters when we went, so I think they're well staffed during the busy hours. We got a few dishes to share: - Five Spice Chicken w/ Garlic Noodles: Yum! The chicken was tender and the sauce was well balanced. Garlic noodles weren't that garlic-y but they had this sweet taste to it that I liked. - Shaking Beef (Filet Mignon) w/ Garlic Noodles: The beef was also very tender and delicious, although they don't give you as much beef. So you must fight for your pieces if you're sharing! LOL. Delicious. - Pork Rice Platter w/ option A (Imperial Rolls & Chicken Wings): I didn't get a chance to try the chicken wings, but my fiance and sister said they were ok...a bit dry. I also didn't get to try the Imperial Rolls and forgot to ask about them. Or, I think my sister said it was ok. Nothing special. But my oh my - that beef though! Mmm mmm mmm. - Some kind of pho: My fiance just gave my sister and I each a bite and then ate the whole thing. How rude. LOL jk. He's pretty picky with his pho and he enjoyed it! I also thought it was pretty decent pho. I would definitely come back the next time I'm craving Vietnamese. Oh - and we went with my grandpa who needs a wheelchair and on the way out, we had to maneuver a bit but one of the waiters saw us trying to get out and went ahead to ask some people if they could move to clear a path! How sweet!!!!

    (5)

  • Annie G.

    Their shaking beef garlic noodle is a die for !!!! Beef are so tender and the garlic noodle is just must have. They also served with shrimp. And the papaya salad is bit sweet and crunchy !! This is a very authentic Vietnamese restaurant. But beware of the garlic noodle coz you might smells like garlic afterwards, but it's worth it !!

    (4)

  • Laura B.

    Came on a Wednesday for lunch with a couple co-workers - they were looking for a place to watch the World Cup, and I was looking for a place with good food. Fortunately we both lucked out. Really clean place, excellent layout and tables, TVs on both walls, and super-nice service. This ranks in my top 5 for places to grab lunch in Millbrae. Had the "BBQ Shrimps" (shrimp is already plural, so that must mean a LOT of shrimp), which came on rice with some salad and only set me back $10 after tax/tip - it's the #38 if you're looking for it. Came with 10 real shrimp (not canned, not baby shrimp), excellently grilled - the whole meal was great. If you're looking for a healthier, fresh change of pace from the Chinese eateries in the area, check out Ben Tre. I'll be back.

    (4)

  • Erika P.

    Food is delishious. Service is great! Gets packet fast so plan to wait a bit. But worth it. The Thai teas are great!!

    (5)

  • P.Y. H.

    our first experience at Ben Tre and it was awesome, amazing, .. all the superlatives I can muster. The food was very good. Beef in the beef noodle soup was tender. the Banh Xeo was crispy but not dried. My Kho To Dat Biet was delicious and filled with complex flavors. Com Vang Voi Thit Dac Biet was also very good. The most amazing aspect of the meal was how fresh all the raw vegetables and ingredients were. Definitely made the difference in okay taste to very good flavors Service was extremely fast, and courteous, yet we never felt rushed. Made for a nice dining experience. We will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • P. O.

    I came here on a recommendation from a friend on Monday evening a little after 8:20pm. It was pretty full for a Monday evening, but was able to get a shared table right away. I enjoyed the BBQ shrimp Garlic Noodles but the rare tendon beef ball pho was kind of bland. It's possible that I was a little full from eating the BBQ shrimp noodles first, but I didn't feel overly full upon finishing. Also tried the five spice chicken with yellow rice. Was alright, but wouldn't order it again.

    (3)

  • Shakira C.

    I enjoyed this spot a lot. The servers were nice and the food is damn good! I really love the many options for pho, even including bbq pork, beef, chicken, and shrimp into the mix as an option. I ordered the bbq beef. It comes in a separate dish from the broth and is perfectly marinated/seasoned. Omg, so good! Definitely one of my favorite Vietnamese spots in the San Francisco area. I will be back!

    (5)

  • Jenny C.

    Met up our friends on a Sunday morning with great need to be revived by pho. I've had this place bookmarked for some time already and glad to have tried it. The restaurant is tidy and spacious. Everything seemed clean and organized. People seem to like this place be because seats filled up fast! I had their Pho Tai and the hubby ordered their combo rice plate with BBQ Pork, Shrimp Cake, and Fried Egg. Pho was great, good amount of beef, and the broth was comforting. The rice plate looked delicious and is served at a very good portion. Definitely gonna come back again :)

    (4)

  • Keith W.

    Followed them since it was in Brisbane, then SSF and now Millbrae.. I assume it's the same ownership. When it was in SSF, menu and portions were quite different. They were higher end and small.. now when they went to SSF, it's more conventional Vietnamese menu and portions got larger. A bit on the greasier side but flavors are good. Now in Millbrae, though I only ate here once, seems like it's just right, larger portion and not as greasy... I had the Vermicelli with pork and egg roll.. Though I love Hoa Ky too.. I give the "Bun" at Ben Tre the edge!

    (4)

  • Jess D.

    This has been my local Vietnamese spot since moving to Burlingame a few years ago. I obviously enjoy the food here because I keep coming back. The service unfortunately is very hit or miss. More often, it has been quick and friendly. However, when it's bad, its really bad. Let's recap my visit from last night... Last night's service was HORRIBLE. We knew we were already going to get really bad service as soon as we sat down. I arrived a little earlier than my friend and grabbed us a table. I requested a table for two, so they knew that a friend was soon joining me. About 2 minutes after sitting down, I was already asked if I knew what I wanted to order. My friend had not arrived yet, so I said I would wait a few minutes for my friend. She joined me five minutes later and then no more than two minutes after she sat down, she asked again if we were ready. It was only my friend's second time there so she wanted to check out the menu and we asked to give her a few minutes. The waitress with a really annoyed and pouty face. She came back again two minutes later and again looked super annoyed that my friend was not ready to order. When we were finally ready to order, she was no where to be found-- I had to wave her down. We finally put in our orders and I specifically asked for tea and an extra bowl of broth (because the rice plate I normally order does not usually come with broth.) I have requested this in the past and it has never been a problem.. that is until last night. We finally got our food, but no tea or bowl of broth. After about 15 minutes, I waved her down asking for the tea and broth. She gave a big sigh and came back with the bowl of broth but no tea. We never got the tea. And I was not surprised that we never got the tea because she was just a bad waitress overall. Then of course, they rushed us out at the end. Mind you, it was a Monday night and the place we busy but not packed. No one was waiting for our table, but they were quick to clean up. Overall, to rate my experience here: - Food = 3.5 stars - Service = 1 star Here's a tip: If you plan on coming here, be ready to order quickly and don't plan on hanging around too long.

    (2)

  • Davide M.

    Let me start off by saying the SSF location received one of my worst yelp reviews. The food was great, but I could not stand for the service I got. I questioned wether or not they were racist because the staff seemed really attentive to everyone, except the two white guys eating there. It seemed like they honestly went out of their way to ignore us and give us poor service like they didnt want us there. Ok onto this location. I decided to give it a shot because other then my bad experience at the SSF location, i really liked the food and there isnt many Pho places near my work. I've been here 4-5 times now and every time the staff has been really friendly greeting me with several "welcomes" or "Hellos" while walking in. I am always served with a smile and the staff seems a lot friendlier. The food is on par with the other location and since the food is as good and the service is a LOT better, they have my buisness. Lately I been addicted to there rice plates which is rare for me at a vietnamese place. It's $8.95 and you choose which meat you want and also choose a letter to go with it. I'll recommend the Pork chops with the fried egg and shrimp cake, also the bbq short ribs with fried chicken and imp rolls.

    (4)

  • Liz R.

    I got the Fresh Spring Roll app and Garlic Noodles with Shrimp, to go, quickly hoofing it to my room at the Fairfield across the street and shoving it into my mouth. The app was large, with two rolls cut in half and a side of tasty peanut sauce for dipping. Loved the abundance of fresh, crunchy veggies inside and the pop of shrimp. The noodle dish had, I swear, 2T of chopped garlic mixed in. The noodles were stuck together slightly at the bottom - probably better eaten in, right away. Huge portion of BBQ shrimp on top, still hot and juicy. The two sides of srichacha included were more than enough to ooomph the flavor even further. The staff I encountered were friendly - the waitress who took my order offered me water while I waited, and the bartender chatted with me about what his favorite dishes were. They sent me off with napkins, a fork and chopsticks. Extensive menu (with pictures) with all proteins represented. A dozen vegetarian dishes too.

    (4)

  • Eaw W.

    Stopped here after flying in from DC. I expected that it to be good compared to what I get in DC, but the food was awesome and so was the service. The waiter recommended the yellow rice next time I'm there and a chicken dish which is their specialty.

    (5)

  • John N.

    I'm a Vietnamese from the oc and am familiar with Vietnamese food. I had pho, bun Bo, and the 5 spices chicken here. Beside the bun Bo, the other two dishes were good although they can't compare with my favorite. 4 stars for varieties that are good. I normally only expect 1 good dish per Vietnamese restaurant.

    (4)

  • Scott W.

    Five-spice chicken with garlic noodles - one of my favorite dishes of all time, anywhere! Everything else is great too. They seem to be spreading in a southwards direction...South City, Millbrae, San Mateo...maybe my hometown of Redwood City will be next...

    (5)

  • Lauren K.

    Okay. 4 Stars because this place beats the other Pho place in Millbrae by far. My mom loves going to the Ben Tre in South City so she has been itching to come to this one especially since it is closer to home. This is probably the best Vietnamese place you're going to find in Millbrae. For a Friday night, it was packed but we managed to walk right in and get a seat. We weren't too hungry but settled on the Vermicelli noodles (~$8) and the Garlic Noodles with Five Spice Chicken ($12.95?). The Vermicelli was typical and good, you can't go wrong with it since it's just noodles, lettuce, and meat... The Garlic Noodles weren't as great as I thought it'd be but definitely worth a try. I just felt like they were a bit dry. There was lots of chicken which was delicious too! Service is great and friendly.

    (4)

  • S D.

    Been here several times for to go orders. Their food is good but their service and accuracy is horrid. This is the second time in a row that they messed up my order! I am now driving back to pick up food that I already paid for. I specifically asked if everything was there and the man told me it was. Not worth the trouble. If u order to go, check your order before leaving.

    (1)

  • Donny T.

    I'm from NYC and the Vietnamese Cuisine are pretty good, but Ben Tre wins by a landslide in terms of food and service. We ordered the Ben Tre Pho noodle soup, BBQ shrimp over garlic noodles, Spicy beef slice noodle soup and a Vietnamese ice coffee. The food and service were excellent. My wife and I thought this was probably one of the best meals we had on our SF trip. We're from NYC and the Viet food in NYC is decent, but the service is horrible and the portions are small. When my family and I strolled into Ben Tre, they made accomodations for our family (9 month and 2 1/2 year old). All of the wait staff was very friendly. When the food was served, my wife and I was amazed of the taste and portion size. We walked out happy and full!

    (4)

  • Bonnie N.

    Food was not that good. My friend ordered a noodle soup which was tasteless and I ordered Short Ribs which was super chewy and bad. It was expensive and the service was poor.

    (2)

  • Christina L.

    Cleaner and more spacious than its SSF sister restaurant. Only been there once, and my pho with rare beef and tripe totally hit the spot for a late brunch after a particularly late night of drinking in celebration of yet another marriage. Flavorful soup and fresh tasting noodles. A contender for my weekly go to pho place near my house, but it's on the border of being too far . . . so the hunt continues.

    (3)

  • Stevezee C.

    This is probably the one the best Vietnamese place in the peninsula. They make the best Bun Rieu in the peninsula I think. They give generous portions and the Pho, garlic noodles and imperial rolls are always up to par.

    (4)

  • Michelle D.

    Came here 2 days ago with the fam. Ordered the bun cha gio thit nuong and it was pretty good. They gave more meat, imperial rolls, etc than noodles which I'm not complaining about. Mom ordered the bun rieu and she actually didn't make a face which means this place is really good coming from a Vietnamese mom (my grandma can make it better though). The restaurant is more of a western style mixed with Vietnamese cuisines. Everything was good until they forgot to bring out our fried banana with ice cream. We had to wait another 15 minutes but left only with fried bananas due to the fact that we didn't have enough time/were too full to eat and the ice cream would have melted by the time we walked back to the parking lot. The waiters were really nice and generous. I like the fact that they were actually Vietnamese and could speak/write Vietnamese since my family isn't really into speaking English. Would come here again but with friends who aren't really experienced with Vietnamese cuisine. Overall, it was pretty decent!

    (3)

  • Peter Y.

    I come here every week mostly to order to go. The fresh spring rolls are my favorite appetizer! I have ordered them every week since 2012 and I still love them! People ask me all the time if I do not get tired of the same food but honestly I have not been able to find better spring rolls in town! Some other dishes are great too. When I am hungry I usually get noodles, most of the times with chicken but in occasions I have tried them with chicken. Although I have been here so many times I have only tried about 20% of the menu items, this is probably a good sign because I only order the same food when I absolutely love it!

    (4)

  • jose m.

    SUCK!!!!!!! We'd ordered two dishes BBQ pork with dried noodle the pork was burned and the garlic noodle was made with Chow mien noodle .....what up? There was supposed to make with Vietnamese noodles not chow mien and garlic oil. For 12.50 I rather go to my favorite place on Broadway Hoa ky. Oh well at least we can say we'd it once and move on.

    (1)

  • Ron M.

    I've been to this place with my GF plenty of times. Probably because it's the closest Pho restaurant to where we live. The food is actually pretty good. Although, the service has always been average to poor. The servers there are just not that personable. Infact, they're actually quite rude half the time. 11/17/14 topped the cake. We went there after coming back from freezing cold Chicago with our little man. First and for most, they sat us down on a six top with another couple. We weren't too pleased with that but we were not going to make a big stink about it. A few minutes after we sat there, a server came by, stood next to us, and asked, "Are you ready?" Luckily we already knew what we wanted. Thank god we didn't have any questions. I really don't think the server would be pleased enough to answer any questions we might of had. Luckily, they brought us water right away because the server was about to walk away before we stopped him to order our little man's drink. We ordered springrolls and imperial rolls, which by the way had no flavor what so ever. I don't advise anyone to order the imperial rolls. Our actual server did not drop those off but he did drop off the 3 bowls of Pho that we ordered. When I say dropped off, he literally dropped off the Pho. Any harder he would've spilt it all over us. Later on I had felt like a having Coke. So I patiently waited for our server to come around. When he did, he came to talk to the couple that was next to us, then walked off. I tried to wave him down but he had walked off to fast nor did he even acknowledge us at all. All he really needed to do was look up and see that my hand was raised. Thank god one of his co-workers was looking my way and happened to see that my hand was raised and was able to order a Coke through him. At the end, I left to go smoke and my GF sat there and waited for the check and a box for our flavorless imperial rolls. Our server came by dropped off a box and a check, once a again to the couple that was sitting next to us, and once again he failed to acknowledged that my GF was trying to get his attention for a check and a box. The sever ended up walking away causing my GF to pretty much yell out that she wanted a check and a box as well... Low and behold, she ended up tipping him crappy because of his poor service and definitely lost a customer. Now this is not a complaint coming from some random person that has no clue to the food/beverage industry. I personally have been in the industry for about 14 years going on 15. So we tip good as well understand servers being in the weeds but this was the worst display of customer service I've seen and it wasn't even that busy!!! All in all, we will not longer spend our time or our money at this place.

    (1)

  • Jessica L.

    This is my new go-to place for pho. Street parking only, but there're also plenty of public parking lots nearby (maybe a bit harder to find parking during dinner hour). Service is FAST, decent price and the pho is defrigginlicious. Beef Stew is my one of favorites, and if you are really hungry, I'd recommend getting the five spice chicken with a large bowl of pho.

    (4)

  • Kaliah C.

    DEEELISH pho! BEST vietnamese place in the Peninsula! I've been to this location as well as the one on Grand in SSF and they are equally good. This location is just a little nicer and roomier for dining in. Pho needs to have all the good stuff like tripe and tendon. I usually get the combo pho and oh man... SO hearty and good! The flavor is the best compared to other Vietnamese places in the Peninsula. I've also had the chicken and rice and its yummy! Great service too.

    (5)

  • Mara X.

    I was there once... I wish to come back more and more to try all the dishes. Food is mouthwatering, spring-rolls are finger-licking especially fried ones. Great place come and try! It will be lots of joy. You will get high quality of food, design and services.

    (5)

  • Heather B.

    Great spot for weeknight or weekend casual dinner. No frills, so don't expect anything fancy, but the food is oh-so-good, and the prices are very reasonable. I will definitely go again! The Garlic noodles are a must.

    (4)

  • Melissa Y.

    For those of you who love the sweet and savory combo, don't miss the catfish clay lot! The flavors are great, albeit a tad salty, but they offset that with a generous bowl of white rice. Portions are on the small side, but definitely worth it! Papaya salad is yummy as well.

    (5)

  • Subrosa I.

    FOOD: Love the five-spice chicken here! It's tender, flavorful, and utterly delectable. I highly recommend it. SERVICE: No complaints about the service here. Our waitress was somewhat reserved but very efficient and responsive. PRICE: Our bill averaged out to around $13 per person.

    (4)

  • Judy P.

    I've been to the S. San Fran location, and the Millbrae location seems to have a few more tables and more elbow room. Service was absolutely great and every dish we had did not disappoint. All of the dishes were full of flavor and the filet Mignon was incredibly tender! Here's what we had: - Pho Ben Tre Dac Biet (beef, tripe, tendons, and beef balls with rice noodle) $7.95 - Bo Luc Lac (cubed filet Mignon tossed in garlic and red onion, served with steamed rice) $13.75 - Yellow Rice in Clay Pot $9.15 (yellow rice, shrimp, chicken, mushroom, baby corn, and garlic)

    (4)

  • Terrie C.

    So I like to think of myself as a foodie, but I'd never tried Vietnamese food before. I figured that traveling through the San Fran area would be my best bet. Boy, was I right. Did my homework on Yelp to find the best places near my hotel and came up with Ben Tre. Yelp did not steer me wrong. Had the 5spice chicken w/ pho and the BBQ pork with garlic noodle. Angels sang! I may not know Vietnamese food, but I KNOW food and flavor. This was divine. There was something delicate and subtle about the pho, yet at the same time there was heat and a herbaceous flavor that got my attention. The chicken teased sweet and crispy skin against juicy meat. Garlic noodle and pork played well with each other. I am coming back into town with my kids next week (ages 10 and 12) and am bringing them there to experience my new found food-love. I'm sure they will jump on board.

    (5)

  • Julane S.

    This place is amazing , from the Vietnamese coffee to start WOW . Pork so delicious it just melts I. Your mouth . My favorite the garlic noodles you can't stop eating them . My family lives this place .

    (5)

  • Christine L.

    I loved this pho place! I came here extremely hungover on a Sunday as soon as they opened (at 10am). It's a 'nicer' pho place (super clean, has a bar, a TV, etc). I had the pho tai (rare beef) for $7.25 (small bowl). Great ratio of meat/broth/noodles and they give you a healthy heap of thai basil and cilantro and sprouts to add yourself. There is some parking out front and some on the side streets. I recommend this spot for pho.

    (5)

  • Naoko M.

    After a weekend of fat assery at home in SoCal, my siblings and I wanted to eat something on the lighter side. Pho was a popular choice, and having just hopped off a plane we found Ben Tre. Though Pho sounded great, the prospect of getting the garlic noodles so prominently displayed on their menu was too hard to pass up. I got the five spice chicken w/ garlic noodles, brother got FS chicken w/ vermicelli, sister got the pho with side of bbq pork, and bro-in-law got a big bowl of pho. The food overall was quite good. the BBQ pork was probably the best, with the FS chicken a very close second. Well-seasoned, tender, and just a delight to eat. The garlic noodles had a subtle garlic taste - I probably would have been ok with a little more seasoning in general on the noodles. Pho was really good with a slight tangy after taste. Portions here are very large so come hungry or just take half of it home for lunch the next day, as I did. A great find!!

    (4)

  • Paolo T.

    Very good local option for Vietnamese food. The service is attentive with very short wait time for food.

    (4)

  • Ryoko K.

    WOW, I loved their foods and friendly service! I don't mind to drive 10 miles to have their great foods in stead of going to Vietnamese restaurant within 3 miles from our house. Even though the price seems to be a little bid higher, I don't mind as long as the foods are great!

    (5)

  • Steve K.

    I was craving some pho for lunch last week, so I found Ben Tre's newest location in Millbrae. The restaurant is nicely designed, new, and comfortable. They also have some nice big TV's, so if there are some sports on, it just makes it that much better. Seating is community-style, as in many pho restaurants these days. (If you only speak English like me, it's not that hard to tune out any nearby Asian- language conversations) The pho here is "fuh"nomenal... I haven't had better anywhere in the Bay, maybe equal, but definitely not better. Service was friendly and efficient Overall, a nice place for great pho

    (4)

  • gayle p.

    The food is homemade, cooked to order. The portions are generous. We left completely stuffed. Service was excellent and attentive. Highly recommend it.

    (5)

  • L T.

    Very tasty and fresh! The garlic noodles were the highlight! We had the mixed vegetables with tofu which had a nice variety of Bok choi, broccoli, cabbage and bell peppers. We also had the lemongrass chicken which was not too oily and had a delicious flavor. The cold rolls were good, but the peanut sauce was a little too sweet for me (my only complaint). Easy access and parking. Overall, my whole family loved it and we will be back!

    (5)

  • Lisa C.

    I walked past here a couple times and it seemed very busy and full, so it was a sign that I should try it out. I came here today on a Saturday afternoon around 2pm, it was slightly busy. And well decorated. We ordered the rice places with a meat and some side for $8.95. I got the ribs and imperial roll and chicken (and so the review begins). It looked pretty appetizing when it was served. 1st problem: the short ribs were ridiculously fatty and meatless. The rice was barely warm, it was warmed by the food served on top of it. The imperial roll, just one, just to specify, was a little on the dark side, but because I'm a taro lover. I must say it was it was somewhat delicious. The fried chicken had LOTS of hair, I mean lots! Mom got the chicken with egg and shrimp. It looked a little more appetizing, but there was so much oil involved in the cooking process. The food was pretty flavorless to my standards. I do believe that they are able to make improvements. But I don't know about the staff. They were leering over while we were paying, checking on how much tip we were giving. First of all, that's why I deducted some. Tipping is customary, not a requirement my dear businessman.

    (2)

  • Liz N.

    Poor service! We had 5 in our party, they brought us 4 tea cups, when we asked for water, they brought us 2 cups of water!

    (2)

  • Madison W.

    it's fine - the wait is at least 30 minutes on a Friday evening. The pluses - service is fast and friendly.... though not exactly accurate (forgot one dish that we ordered). We had the shredded pork fresh roll (not good, very dry and crumbly), shrimp fresh roll (very very good) as appetizers. Neither appetizers came with any sauce of any kind - isn't peanut sauce supposed to be offered. We ordered the pho with tripe, raw beef and tendon - it was good, not salty, and the noodles were a nice al dente (different than most pho places). What was weird that neither bean sprouts and basil were offered - their explanation was that they ran out???? really? yet, I saw it on other tables. hmm.. The five-spice chicken was good, but again no sauce was offered for the vermicelli noodles. It was super busy so I guess things fell through the cracks. It was fine, but not necessarily worth the 30 minute wait.

    (3)

  • Josh C.

    Been going here for the last year and I have to say the food and atmosphere is nice and the portions is more than enough. The price is reasonably priced.. I would recommend there 5 spice chicken with garlic noodle.

    (5)

  • Jcv88 D.

    I love their grilled chicken over rice and their fresh roll! Can't go wrong with their Phos' and prices are affordable. We've been going to this place at least 4x a month. Kudos to the servers! Very prompt and friendly....

    (4)

  • Angela L.

    Here is my thoughts on Ben Tre. Yay! Yes finally there is a Vietnamese restaurant besides the mediocre Vietnamese cuisine across the street namely Le Petit Camille. Been meaning to try this place out since I first layed my eyes on the Grand Opening sign that has probably been there for weeks if not months. Anyways, I had the pleasure finally to try it. I got the clear noodle seafood soup. The broth was decent but the noodle was a tad chewy. Overcooked you might say. This is one of my all time favorite dish and they did an ok job. I wouldn't say it is great but decent enough to come back. I also had the papaya salad. It was ok. And finally I had the raw sliced beef. It wasn't good at all. The beef wasn't thinly sliced so it didn't penetrate to the lemon fish sauce. It was fairly raw. Very chewy and just plain RAW!!! I felt like a beast tearing up a cut beef. Ugh. Actually rememebering of why I even bother to continue eating that thing is beyond me. The service is fairly good and the decor is modern and clean. I probably will come back here just because it is the only decent Vietnamese restaurant around my neck of the wood. Still need improvements regarding taste as well as authencity. Oh well, you can't win them all. I think this place might just be what Millbrae needs in terms, of a business that actually survives the everchanging palate of us foodie. LOL.

    (3)

  • Prima B.

    Food was tasty but really salty and oily. I might give it another try.

    (3)

  • Melody T.

    MAKE SURE TO LOOK OVER YOUR BILL. Love the sauteed crab and garlic noodles and the vietnamese crepe, but now I'm starting to get irritated with their ability to accurately calculate the bill. I've only been here twice and both times we were overcharged for items we did not order. In addition to our eat-in order, we ordered a few dishes for take home as well. Instead of listing out the take out order - it was "all" combined onto one non-descript line with a total. I happen to grab a menu curious about prices because the total seemed too high. Anyways, needless to say they are 2 for 2 in adding extra misc items, so food is good..eat here, but take a sec to look over your bill. Shady!!

    (3)

  • Morgan Z.

    Delicious Pho Tai #16! Standard pricing $7-8 a bowl depending on if you get a small or a large. There is a good amount of meat in each bowl, slightly on the low side though. Place was pretty busy but well maintained! Didn't see or talk to our server much but service wasn't bad. Would definitely come back for more!!

    (4)

  • Tony L.

    Everyday Vietnamese family style restaurant. Now, at least there are three good choices in Millbrae. There was nothing really impressive and nothing really bad (other than slow service). I ordered the roasted quail, 4 halves, skinny and crispy, not overly salty. For the main event, I had the dry rice noodles with roasts rolled pork, shrimp (3) and deep fried egg rolls (2). Good portion, but nothing special. Service was very slow, one of my dish didn't come until I was done with the first. The table behind me had it even worst. I should give this place 3.5 stars, but I had to drop it down because of their service.

    (3)

  • Phuoc K.

    Visiting my buddy in the area, and he mentioned this is his new go-to Vietnamese place in the area. The place was clean and the service was on top of things. Looking at the menu, it's pretty extensive. I really liked that the menu carried several items that you wouldn't normally see on your standard Vietnamese restaurant menus, and thus living up to its "Homestyle Cuisine" moniker. Of course, considering it's always freezing in Millbrae once the fog rolls in, I knew I would order some sort of noodle soup to warm me up. But before that we got started on the combo appetizer platter which included just a little bit of everything from the fresh shrimp rolls, to the fried spring rolls, fried shrimp on a stick, shrimp paste on sugar cane, and little meatballs on a stick. Everything was pretty good, though my favorites were the fried shrimp on a stick and the shrimp rolls. My friend told me the Pho here was OK, but nothing to write home about, so I decided to get the Bo Kho with Pho noodles, (Beef Stew), which is a dish I've been getting into more often recently at Viet restaurants. They do a good job here, very flavorful and the beef pieces were both wonderfully meaty tender and fatty in that good sort of way. This sort of soup is much richer than Pho normally is, so I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but it's a very filling and conforting dish. Their portions are substantial for a fair price and the space is pretty nice. Hot tea came with the meal which is always a plus in my book and I found it amusing to see the flat screens on the wall showing Vietnamese cooking show videos, which I think must've been of the chef. All in all a pleasant meal and a worthy place to go back to.

    (4)

  • YanYan D.

    Finally! Good Vietnamese food in the area! I've been spoiled with amazing Vietnamese food growing up in the OC along with my lovely Grandma's cooking so I'm quite picky about Vietnamese food! Every dish I've tried has been good. The Banh Xeo (Vietnamese Crepe) filled with shrimp,pork,onions and bean sprouts is my FAV!! My next favorite is the Pho Ga Quay Chao (5 Spice Chicken Pho). You get a bowl of Pho with a good portion of Marinated Baked Chicken on the side. Try dipping with the Nuoc Mam (Fish Sauce). It's quite divine! I've seen my friends order the Garlic Noodle dishes and they always have leftovers cause they give you so much! I want to try the crab next! It does get pretty busy here for dinner on any day of the week. I'll be back here sooner than later!!

    (5)

  • Doctor B.

    I have only had a few dishes here bit I have eaten here many times. I would recommend the com ga xa ot and the pho ga quay chao. Both are the best I have had, and I have had a lot. It's always hard to try new things when everything you try keeps you coming back for it.

    (5)

  • Patricia G.

    Came in for lunch yesterday as it was right at noon and I'm sure their SSF location was already packed.... This location is certainly larger but the parking is worse and the concept sort of speak is the same. If and when it gets packed, as it always seems to do so, you're sat with other people. Granted this location makes more space for larger groups and seems to have this center long table that's "designated" to sit multiple small parties. Either way, the food remains consistent and service is quick. Price is right and so are the portions. Be patient and friendly to have lunch here!

    (3)

  • Crystal C.

    Pho is reallllly good here. The broth is perfect, the noodles are endless (even in a small), and the meat is fresh! Vermicelli, not a lot of noodles but enough. The noodles were cooked perfectly, soft, and warm. Not like some places where it's cold. The sauce is very tasty, and perfect. The BBQ pork is cooked perfectly and not dry. The imperial rolls are VERY Delish. Service: 1/10. Need to pay attention more.

    (4)

  • Chi N.

    I was Ben Tre 2's very first customer but I got caught up with work and then the weekend hit and I forgot to post up my review. Doh! I have reviewed Ben Tre's original location in SSF and given it glowing ratings. I am happy to say that you will find the same things at their second location: good, home-cooked Vietnamese fare. The pho is good. The broth is clear, which is a good indicator of its quality. I had the bun rieu and though it was no match for my momma's bun rieu, it still was a worthy contender. Just remember to add some mam tom (shrimp paste). My colleagues got the garlic noodles with BBQ shrimp and chicken. The chicken was better and the garlic noodles were tasty. I still like Crustacean and PPQ's garlic noodles better, but Ben Tre does a good version of it. And for $12 a plate, complete with the heaping proteins, you've got yourself quite a deal. I love the paintings straight from Vietnam and the 5 flat screen TVs that show everything from sports to V-Pop to Luke Nguyen's cooking show. Ben Tre 2 has added a wonderful addition to Asian cuisine in the Millbrae area.

    (4)

  • Jane D.

    This is hands down my favorite place to get pho. I've tried other places but this place just hits the spot. I usually get the rare beef pho with some shredded pork rolls and I couldn't be happier just eating this all of the time. The small is a great portion and seems to run bigger than other vietnamese restaurants that i've been to. They have a lot of TV's and are always playing something different, I love coming in and watching the giants game on the giant TV. The service is amazing and very friendly. I always get about 4 'Hello' and 'Goodbye' when walking in and leaving.

    (5)

  • Irwan N.

    Love this place, great decor and clean. We ordered the five spice chicken with garlic noodle. This is a must order. Then we try their beef stew rice noodle, their soup base has a lot of fragrant and the beef stew is tender. The beef rib rice is awesome.

    (5)

  • Steve L.

    Hopefully third time is a charm for this cursed restaurant location as I like the Ben Tre folks. This used to be a ramen place then a crab place. We had the garlic noodles with fried fish and it did not disappoint - just the right amount of garlic flavor and the fish was deep fried perfectly. We also like liked the shaking beef as well as the spring roll appetizer. Good service and ambiance. However, the needs improvement was exactly what Eric Y had in his review. The pho came out lukewarm and was not hot enough to cook the rare beef. I was swirling that soup like a tornado to get the beef to cook. I'm not interested in beef tar tar folks! Overall, go there for the other dishes but skip the pho.

    (3)

  • Joe L.

    I don't get all the bad reviews here. This is the best Vietnamese place in Millbrae and my favorite spot since it came here. This place can get pretty packed. But they do a great job in turning the tables over, checking up on you, and getting your order out fast. I do recommend the roasted quail appetizer, the pho, the five spice and garlic noodle or noodle soup, and the rice platter combos. Trust me and get the imperial rolls with a a fried egg on top for the rice combos. Can't go wrong with any of these. Love this place.

    (5)

  • Dina V.

    I've always wanted to try the one in South San Francisco, but it always looks so crowded. Driving down El Camino, I noticed this Ben Tre and knew that I would finally get my chance. The Mr and I found ourselves here on a rare Friday night date night. Luckily it was just the 2 of us, and not our usual troop of 5, b/c we easily got a table. My brother has been to the one in SSF quite a few times and kept telling us to get the Shaking Beef over garlic noodles, which ended up being the Mr's meal. I figured there was no need for the both of us to order it, and I actually wanted something "lighter" so I went with the Bun Cha Gio Thit (rice vermicelli with imperial rolls and bbq pork). The Mr was in LOVE with his food. I had a taste of the beef and it was nice and tender. When I eat Bun, I normally douse it with hoisin and other condiments, not this time, everything was nicely flavored. Note this location is CLOSED ON TUESDAYs, but the SSF location is open 7 days a week. We'll definitely be here again, I would like to try some of their other dishes, a friend of mine recommended the short ribs.

    (4)

  • Little A.

    This is the first time we experienced this horrible incident in the restaurant ever. We got the table near by the kitchen. We love the vibe there. We know all the Asian restaurants are noisy but the voice from the lady in the kitchen is much louder than noise. My mom was very scared when she saw the lady threw the togo bags on the floor. We did not know what was going on? We feel very uncomfortable, we tried to finish eating and get out the restaurant asap. We also feel very sorry for the waiters/waitresses whom have to deal with the lady(must be the boss/manager) everyday. They can sue her for verbally abuse at work too. However, the food is just okay, the service is not too bad either but we don't feel like coming back here again.

    (1)

  • Joey M.

    Because I enjoyed my dining experience at the South San Francisco location I decided to this location. The food was just as good but the service was lacking. I'd hate to see how the service during the lunch and dinner hours.

    (3)

  • Ellen H.

    #30 combo, 19 pho, quail, garlic noodles, chicken salad, shrimp roll, Thai ice tea One of the better Vietnamese places nearby. Pho broth is above average. Beef is average Service is drop n go

    (3)

  • J C.

    Would recommend this place to friends and family. Their food looked very appetizing and the crowd of people says it all. Very generous when it comes to rice since I ordered one of their rice plates. The interior is pretty modern and the nicer than average Vietnamese restaurant. Overall, pretty good.

    (3)

  • Bailey Z.

    Cheap, fast, and delicious. Those are the three adjectives that I always look for when in search of good Vietnamese food. We were so hungry that we split an appetizer platter, which had a little bit of everything: imperial rolls, panko-breaded shrimp skewers, meatballs, and spring rolls. I loved the combination of the 5 spice chicken with the garlic noodles, which I've never tried at a Vietnamese restaurant. The portion was also huge. I didn't like that some bites included tiny pieces of bone that were mixed with the noodles and minced garlic.

    (4)

  • michael d.

    really good vermicelli bowl. Prices are good, restaurant is average size, but on a Monday, there was actually a short wait. Guess everyone knows about this place.

    (4)

  • Charmaine L.

    ben tre took over the failed restaurant space of trapper jack's crab shack which took over the failed restaurant space of oishi ramen. let's hope ben tre is here to stay. the restaurant was quite crowded and the tables were crammed together. the service was efficient and nice which is great for a vietnamese restaurant. we ordered the combination beef pho and shaking beef with garlic noodles. the pho was decent and well portioned but not the best tasting broth on the block. the shaking beef was tender and garlicky, which is more than i can say for their garlic noodles. the noodles had a raw flour quality, garlic bits and an oil slick, but too little garlic flavor for my taste. the portion was large enough for 2. fresh lemonade and authentic vietnamese coffee to wet your whistle. i'll return to try more items from their varietal and appetizing menu.

    (3)

  • Gen L.

    Delicious. I've always gone to the cozy San Bruno location. This location is bit busy but the pho is just as good. The soup is comforting. My favorite is the omelet but didn't order it this time. I'd come back again.

    (4)

  • Adriana L.

    Like this location much better than their other location. Maybe because it's more roomier and down the street from my house? I usually just order the Ben Tre Deluxe Pho with the BBQ Beef Papaya Salad so I can't review much of anything else they make. I can eat Pho and Papaya Salad all day everyday if I could. IT'S SO GOOD! Nothing beats my Brother-in-law's homemade Pho but this place comes very close. My boyfriend and mom are fans of their five spice chicken dishes and the service is very nice as well. I highly recommend this place if you are craving a nice big yummy bowl of Pho.

    (5)

  • TTrraaccYY H.

    One thing I love bat their food is I can't taste MSG And it's so tasty

    (5)

  • Cindy N.

    Shitty food,shitty service,and the waitress was a bitch!!!!

    (1)

  • Vitaly S.

    Cant go wrong with this place. Their Pho is really good and the 5 spice chicken is my fave!

    (4)

  • Megan S.

    This is absolutely my favorite place to get pho. I love the atmosphere and the place is so clean. The food just feels really fresh and is super tasty! This is also where I discovered Luke Nguyen's Vietnam (cooking show) as it's often playing on their TVs. Love this place!!! om nom nom nom nom.

    (5)

  • Nga C.

    This place is very misleading in their hours. I came by once a couple of months ago for their bun bo hue after an interview, and it was closed. On a Wednesday! There wasn't even any signage as to why they weren't open. Such a disappointment.

    (1)

  • RACHELLE T.

    When I saw that Millbrae was getting a new Vietnamese restaurant, and that this restaurant was going to serve GARLIC NOODLES, I was sooo excited!! But I was highly highly disappointed! How I miss trapper jack's! I ordered the chicken curry soup with vermicelli. Love this dish at perilla, love it at ppq on irving/19th in the city, HATED it here! No taste whatsoever, wasn't even spicy, super watered down. Fried imperial rolls were mediocre, nothing to get excited about at all. My husband's shaking beef plate was good, but the garlic noodles were somehow... OFF, idk how to describe really, it was just not there. Service was appalling!! Will not be back here again.

    (1)

  • Liza T.

    Came here on a Friday around 8pm. The restaurant was kinda packed but luckily there was a table for two. I got the egg rolls and chicken vermicelli. Decent portion. The chicken was ok, flavorful but little dry and the egg rolls were little over fried. The veggies could be better. My friend got the combination dinner - pork chop and egg rolls with rice and clear noodles. The pork chop was little dry but flavorful. The clear noodles were kinda oily to me. I think the one at South San Francisco was better than this location.

    (2)

  • Guang D.

    Great place to get Vietnamese food. The Millbrae store is a little better because it's bigger and easier to get seats, also a little cleaner, SSF location is always packed around lunch and dinner. This place has the best tasting BBQ pork and chicken I've tried around town.

    (4)

  • Honest F.

    This place is awesome! Their food is tasty and you can taste the freshness. My kids love their shaking beef and pork chops, and I love their garlic noodles! It conveniently located and there's ample parking all around as it is in Downtown Millbrae.

    (4)

  • Byron G.

    Excellent Phò. Clean and modern restaurant that had NFL games on. Highly recommended.

    (5)

  • Sophie E.

    Tasty Vietnamese food, good service and great prices. We popped in after work on a Friday evening while in the neighborhood and order one appetizer (the combo plate is tasty), two main courses and had beer and wine all for around $42. Compared to a usual night out in the city, and considering we had alcohol and an appetizer, it was a steal! The pho with chicken (chicken noodle soup, only better) was very comforting on a chilly evening. I would go back for a quick lunch or even get takeout from here if I wanted some Vietnamese food.

    (4)

  • Rhia R.

    The restaurant is slightly larger in size compared to the other location in South San Francisco, but same fast and efficient service. Had the fried spring rolls and their Pho Tai; totally hit the spot on a rainy and windy weekend. Parking in the can be a bit tricky due to several other restaurants in the area, but that's usually not something to stop me from a steaming bowl of pho, especially from here.

    (4)

  • Cindy L.

    This review is for their bun thit nuong, cha gio, tom nuong. I think it was #30 on their menu. Anyways, I wasn't really expecting much from a Vietnamese restaurant in Millbrae, but I was pleasantly surprised. I think the thit nuong here is the best I've ever had in a bun dish. The meat was actually high quality meat. Normally the meat for this type of dish is kind of dry and chewy, but this was moist! If you're deciding whether to get the garlic noodles or bun like I did, go with the bun. My sister's sis in-law got the garlic noodles and it was such a large plate that it was overwhelming.

    (4)

  • Patrick P.

    the food is awesome. i've only done pickup

    (5)

  • Tao Tao W.

    went here last night after finding it from yelp with 2 other friends. small little restaurant but the food was good. Only reason its not a 5 is the catfish stew. I was expecting the catfish stew to be spicy from pictures and not quite so sweet but otherwise the catfish was cooked very nicely. I got one of the vermiccili bowls with shrimp and beef sub noodles for lettuce - they were nice enough to accomodate since I'm low carb. Both of my friends got bowls of pho which they gobbled up. The small bowl of pho btw is HUGE. Employees were super nice and food came out really quick too. Everything was flavorful. Will be back to try some of the rice plates too next time i'm in the area.

    (4)

  • Georges S.

    Garlic noodles were good with the BBQ shrimp. The pho was good too. Great service, nice restaurant.

    (4)

  • Sharon W.

    Garlic noodles at this place is the bomb!! I always ordered garlic noodles whenever I dined at Ben Tre. I love their Vietnamese soups too! Can't wait to go back there again! Great customer service too!

    (4)

  • Teens F.

    Had lunch with hubby and the in-laws. I liked my dish (shrimp/pork and egg rolls over vermicelli). It was stuff after I left that I couldn't snack at our costco run:( My MIL ordered the pork chop over rice. They were tasty and you get two large pork chops. hubby and FIL had the #5 pho... their meatballs was pretty good and it wasn't huge but I guess big enough. Would def go back there again. Service was nice prob bc they weren't so busy but waitress kept coming back asking if we are ok. Which was fine, better than not being asked!

    (4)

  • Wayne L.

    This Ben Tre is the second restaurant by the owner. I used to go to the one in South San Francisco on Grand. Service is always quick and good quality. This location has more space, and better decorated. I especially like the spring rolls. Fresh and not fried! The BBQ pork spring roll has grilled pork, sliced marinated carrots, noodles wrapped in rice paper for a great texture. Other notables are the papaya and shrimp salad. We like to put the fish sauce and chilli oil in the soup.

    (3)

  • Jennifer C.

    This place is just the same as the South City one. I can't remember if one is better than the other, but I got the 5 spice chicken and the chicken seemed like a very small portion at the Millbrae location. Economy? The pho was good, they give you a good amount. The chicken was very tender and flavorful. My friends got the other types of pho and one got one of the vermicelli bowls and all seemed to be pleased with their meal. Nothing out of the norm. Ambiance is nice and clean. The service was decent. All in all, nothing THAT memorable but also, it just becomes another pho place to get your fix.

    (4)

  • Megan L.

    The food was on point. We had the crispy spring rolls and they were delicious! Service was great. The staff were very nice and welcoming. The decor was great and spacious perfect place to watch the game.

    (5)

  • Trang C.

    Let me start off by saying that I am Vietnamese and I know authentic Vietnamese food when I see it/eat it! 1.What makes this place truly authentic is that they use the correct Vietnamese herbs for the right dishes. At typical Vietnamese establishments, they will just use cilantro and Thai basil which is incorrect or incomplete. If you ever have been to Vietnam, you will know they eat a wide variety of herbs and salads which make the dishes unique. The dishes reflect home made Vietnamese cuisine and not just the typical ph0 and noodles and the selection of food and quality is excellent! For those of you who would appreciate trying dishes that you would typically eat in a Vietnamese home, try these: Canh Chua - A sweet pineapple sweet and sour tamarind soup with catfish, fresh vegetables, and authentic herb (rau om) Ca Kho To - A savory caramelized catfish dish that is braised in a clay pot. Comes out salty sweet and sticky to be served with rice. The fish is cut into fish steaks which is how it should be prepared and is delicious and possibly better than my dad's dish! Banh Xeo - This is a crispy crepe that taste like coconut filled with yellow mung beans, bean sprouts, pork/shrimp, and jicama . You take a piece of lettuce to roll the crepe, cilantro, and mint, then dip into the fish sauce. Messy but delicious! Goi Cuon - This spring roll is authentic because it has mint. All Vietnamese spring rolls should have mint, and if it doesn't then it ain't a Vietnamese spring roll.... PERIOD. Other dishes that are sure to please include, Bo Luc Lac (Shaken beef with garlic noodles), Bun Bo Hue (spicy beef noodle soup), and the roasted quails. I am so excited that I can now have home cooked food whenever I want it! Everything on their menu is sure to please, service is polite and fast, ambiance is clean and casual, and food quality and quantity is excellent. If you are still searching out the best Vietnamese restaurant on the Peninsula, don't go anywhere else but here.

    (5)

  • Brandon L.

    Good Vietnamese food at a good price. Service is so much better than at La Petite Camille's down the road. Clean. Parking is so-so. Ambience is also better than La Petite Camille's.

    (4)

  • Nova R.

    Try it. It's good. ;-)

    (4)

  • Gors P.

    what i ordered... bbq pork and shrimp, fresh spring roll bbq pork was ok.. plenty but a little bland in flavor. shrimp was really shrimp in size and was also bland in flavor. even their 'nuoc mam' sauce was watery. fresh spring roll was good and large in size and with a good peanuty sauce. ambiance... good (clean and kindda hip) service... good (drop and go with a smille plus quick with cleaning up/picking up used wares) cost... $+ (fair to inexpensive, plenty of food...specially rice)

    (3)

  • Scott C.

    Winner-Winner 5 spice chicken dinner! I'm not Vietnamese, but I can imagine this would be the kind of food you would eat in a Vietnamese home. Great flavor and presentation! Pho is good, but the Bunh-bo-wei (I know I'm butchering this) is excellent! I'm not a fan of catfish, but their claypot is delicious!

    (5)

  • Cynthia D.

    Great food, the beef is amazing! And the imperial rolls are the best!!!

    (5)

  • Sweet P.

    I dined at Ben Tre during their grand opening a couple of weeks ago, and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to make another trip tonight. This time, I brought a whole crowd, and everyone really enjoyed the experience. Their food is just amazingly delicious. Every dish was authentic, and even though they had a full house, the food just kept on coming. Service was excellent. All the servers and cashier were super friendly. I highly recommend Ben Tre, and the owner was very down to earth. He made sure everyone was enjoying their meal, which we all definitely did. My favorites are the Shrimp Spring rolls, the egg rolls, the deep fried salted prawns, the 5 spice chicken, the shaken beef, the shrimp salad, the fried catfish. OMG, we ordered so much today, and now my tummy is thanking me for it. :) Ben Tre, we'll meet again! :)

    (5)

  • Cecilia B.

    I started liking Ben Tre after going to their location on Grand in South City. When i saw that they opened this location, I decided to try it out. The other location is a bit small so when I walked into this place, I was caught off guard by the size and style of the place. Much larger, has TVs, good decor, and looked cleaner than the other location (because it had just opened). The 4 stars is strictly for one thing: The 5 spice chicken pho. Such a good deal! My boyfriend feels that the other location gives you more chicken for the price but it felt the same to me. A nice big bowl of pho and about half a chicken to go with it. Delicious and cheap! Had enough for dinner that night and lunch the next morning. As long as their portions and price stay the same for this, I'll be coming back.

    (4)

  • Elliot T.

    Good place that just opened, I have been to the other location in South city a few time before and always had a good meal. They have a bigger menu than the typical pho restaurant with a few really good items. Food: Vietnamese crepe- really good and really filling, can be kind of messy but is really good. Bun Rieu- Tomato based soup with crab meatballs, good but soup is a bit bland

    (4)

  • Denice L.

    I ordered take out from here so the review is just based on food. Garlic noodles with shaking beef - noodles were seasoned well, though didn't travel well. Got a little stuck together. Beef needed to be marinated a little longer as it was a tad tough. Bun with shrimp, egg roll, and beef - beef seasoned well like jerky, but overall, nothing fantastic Imperial Rolls - good and greasy.

    (3)

  • Sahiba J.

    This place has hands down the BEST pho I have ever had. I ordered the five spice chicken pho and it is the most flavorful pho ever. They serve the chicken on the side instead of in the bowl with the pho. noms! I will definitely be back :)

    (5)

  • Melissa O.

    I've been looking for great pho in the Millbrae area with not much luck. I can't believe Ben Tre was right around the corner from us the whole time! Excellent pho (also they have vegetarian pho which is not always available at other places), clean, nice staff. Great portions too!

    (5)

  • Lily C.

    a regular here at ben tre in south san francisco. coworkers and i love taking a break from cafeteria food to eat. there are two free parking spots in front of ben tre, so always out of look out for those spots. the line is out the door during lunch time, so i recommend coming at 11:30-11:45. Once it hits noon, the wait can be 15-20 mins long. i enjoy sitting outside when its sunny. the garlic noodle can be a tad pricy but its just too delicious to resist. if you get the chicken pho, its a steal because you get it for $8.95: A plate of chicken and pho. you cant go wrong with that. another favorite thing is their vietnamese coffee. its strong to the point and its legit coffee. i dont like drinking starbucks anymore if i ever need a small pick me up.

    (4)

  • Robert H.

    The best Vietnamese food anywhere! I have been to Ben Tre over thirty times. Fresh ingredients, huge servings, friendly service!

    (5)

  • Z G.

    The place is pretty clean and nice... I have only try the pho and five spice chicken with garlic noodle. The beef Pho is pretty good, however, the "popular" garlic noodle was way below my expectation, it was oily and just small pieces of garlic on mix with the noodle. The garlic did not blend with the noodles, the chicken was okay.

    (3)

  • Calvin W.

    I don't understand why anyone would rate this place above 3 stars. The food here is mediocre, but it is way overpriced. Why the heck would anyone want to spend almost $8 for a large bowl of pho? It would be conceivable if the food was outstanding, but it simply isn't. I've tried their "five spices chicken" which is supposed to be their specialty, but I didn't think it was any better than BBQ chicken from any other Vietnamese restaurant restaurant. I've also ordered the pho here and it's not the best - soup base is a bit bland, and the beef was already overcooked before I even got my order. So much for rare steak. I have been to Bren Tre in South City and that place is much better. Their Millbrae location needs to step it up a bit or it will tarnish the original's reputation.

    (2)

  • Andi I.

    i tried the other ben tre off grand went here with coworkers for lunch before work this place however didnt hit the spot. i cant exactly pin point what it was the noodles were still stuck together, seem like it just came out of the fridge the broth wasnt even hot overall was ok experience, establishment way better than other pho places

    (3)

  • Lily W.

    Pretty good and is very similiar to the original restaurant. I ordered my usual rice plate but this time I played it up and ordered the 5 spice chicken. AMAZZZZING! LIKE BEST THING IN THE WORLD! ORDER THAT!

    (4)

  • Lis A.

    What a wonderful find! I came to Ben Tre for a large celebration dinner and they were able to accommodate almost 20 people. We sat at the bar-style communal table that ran down the length of the restaurant. Every dish that came out was fresh and tasty! Delicious food with good quality ingredients. -Summer Roll - fresh and light -Shrimp Papaya - refreshing and addictive -Fried Prawns - large and succulent -Claypot Chicken - hot and comforting -5 Spice Chicken & Garlic Noodles - well-seasoned chicken & yummy garlic noodles I'll have to go back to try the pho.

    (4)

  • Bernice L.

    My family decided to try the new Ben Tre at Millbrae. It didn't disappoint! I've eaten here 3x and its consistent. I love the Spring rolls... always fresh. The peanut dipping sauce is extra yummy. I've tried the combo plates and the portions are big and they do not scrimp on veggies and meat. The Vietnamese coffee is extra good too... The staff is friendly and fast. They don't smile a lot though, must work on that I think. So all in all... I'd keep coming back here for the grub:)

    (4)

  • Roslyn R.

    Very tasty food, and the service was fine. I was at Ben Tre about 3 in the afternoon; there are several restaurants close by, but most of them weren't open at that hour. Thanks, Ben Tre, you were just what I needed. Nice atmosphere!

    (5)

  • YaYa S.

    Updating foods tried -- the Bun Bo Hue -- was very very mediocre. I don't think this is one of their specialties because the flavor was severely lacking. It kinda just tasted like pho with some spicy sauce added. I ended up adding a lot of random other things to increase the flavor. I would not recommend getting that here.

    (3)

  • Chris C.

    Very clean establishment. Food was good. We had the papaya salad and the fried squab. We're coming back to try more!

    (4)

  • Mika D.

    I like coming here for lunch on the days when I want to eat some bun thit cha gio or a small bowl of pho; it's so close to my work! I've also had their five spiced chicken as well. So bomb!

    (5)

  • lori l.

    This is my first impression of Ben Tre. Walked in around 2:30 on Sunday, the place was packed, but no waiting line. I added my name to the list and sat to wait. Another couple came in and a waiter went directly to them and asked how many? I said we were next, my name is on the list. He walks away, clears a table, throws the menus on it and just jesters us to sit. Not a single word out of him. Hmmmmm, not a good way to start. I will say our waitress was very nice. It was our first time there, and she explained the menu to us. We ordered combo rice plates. I got bbq pork with imperial egg roll and clear noodles. When it came out, the portion was HUGE! Very impressive. I liked the egg roll and noodles alot. but the grilled meat was very well done. It was like it sat on the side of the grill and kept cooking and cooking. My husband's pork chop was the same way. I will try Ben Tre again but next time I want to try the pho.

    (3)

  • Andrew L.

    Food deserves ****. Service ***. So far three and half stars

    (4)

  • Menalynne P.

    The food takes forever here. The workers do not look happy so prepare for not so great customer service. Their location off of Grand Ave. in South City is way better, only downside is that it's really small in South City. Anyways, the pho of course taste good and their garlic noodles is okay.

    (2)

  • George C.

    Awesome food, great service, large portions of fresh cooked food. This was our first visit here and will definitely be back. I had the 5 spice chicken with rice. It came with a nice salad, fried egg, and shredded pork for $8.95. I loved every bite. My wife had the 5 Spice Chicken with Pho soup that was too large to put a dent in. We took half home. It was fantastic. This will certainly become a go to place for us. I think it's the best place in Millbrae.

    (5)

  • Elaine C.

    I love this place! The restaurant is well lit, the food is great. I'll go here again and again. One thing about the pho- it's a little on the bland side. All the other dishes are excellent, though.

    (4)

  • Jerpina W.

    Always a favorite spot of mine. Vietnamese crepe, Pho Ga, and Vegetarian selections are on point!

    (4)

  • Hen A.

    vietnamese addition to millbrae...few restaurant changes in past life...inheriting contemporary clean interiors from past failures..ramen to crab to vietnamese...order of fried quail $nine and spring rolls $six...standard spring rolls in look, size, portion, dip and taste...finding the fried mini-poultry the least liking...having had quail in many variations...finding fried leaving quite the lingering gamey hard bite...lime, salt and pepper dip not helping mask...taking the combination rice plate with bbq chicken, fried chicken wings and fried egg roll for about $nine...bbq chicken quite dry...few feathers plucked before biting fried wings...egg rolls poor...bad choice for self...sampling finding better value in five spice chicken pho $nine...simple pho ga noodle bowl...half a five spice chicken cooked and seasoned well...five spice chicken is good...the $twelve-fifty garlic noodle is quite large...fat galic noodles and mound of your meat choice...high on the pricing side in comparison, but large...bun rieu and pho variations the favorite...

    (4)

  • Christine M.

    the reviews for the other ben tre were pretty good, and we had no place in mind so we decided to go here. grand opening and slightly packed. we sat at the "bar" area. ordered the egg rolls- it was like $8? for 4 rolls, some vermicelli noodles and salad...i'm not a fan of their nuoc mam (fish sauce), not enough flavor. got the banh xeo cuz we were craving it and i saw that my friend liked the one at the other location, so we tried it...it was crispy, and had shrimp and daikon i think, but eh, kinda flat. guess you always stuff it more at home yourself. ordered the garlic noodles with shaking (shanking?) beef. it was ok, noodles we could have made better, beef wasn't chewy then we ordered bun rieu, which you could totally skip, my mom makes it better. it lacked flavor again, had lots of meat and toppings but just didnt do it for us. service was fast, the room was kinda too squished together. and there was a korean guy working there, now that is weird! maybe we shall stick to pho but bf says no to coming back. mediocore

    (3)

  • Kevin S.

    Bun Bo Hue here is pretty darn good. Service is fast , however owner looks like he's mad at the world 24/7. Waitress is pretty . What else can you ask for?

    (4)

  • B D.

    Well to me the portions are big not shaddy on the beef great service even with my 3 year old, but my kid loved it!!! Will def try more cant wait to go back!!!

    (5)

  • R M.

    This is a small, family-run restaurant on El Camino that features Vietnamese cuisine. The menu has pictures and the staff is very helpful at guiding you through the various choices. Be prepared, Ben Tre is always busy so you may have to wait for a table. The wait is worth it... I have had numerous dishes here over the many times I visited and all were very good. The service is quick, prices are more than reasonable and the staff is attentive. As others pointed out, it does get loud when the restaurant is full, but that's part of the ambiance. I like Ben Tre a lot and highly recommend it.

    (4)

  • Chris T.

    I've been to the one in South San Francisco a couple times since it's right by my workplace but I like this new location better. It's a lot nicer and more upscale than the other one. The food is good and the presentation is lovely. You get a lot for what you pay for. I haven't been disappointed yet. I've had the pho and the pork chop rice plate and have no complaints.

    (4)

  • Kevin C.

    After getting off work a co-worker and i headed over to this location around 5pm and got street parking (can definitely be more difficult later on in the evening). Only a couple of people sitting down at the time and we got to pick our seats. They have a bunch of LCD screens and the one at the door shows off pictures of their food. I ordered #30. Imperial Rolls, Shrimp & BBQ Pork Vermicelli and it was really good. Food was quick and service and pricing was the same as other pho places (except for the specialty items which cost more). My friend got the shaken beef and said it was really good. I like that they have crab on the menu and my try it next time (they even said you could bring in your own and they would prepare it for you). Will definitely be back or i may try the south san francisco location.

    (5)

  • Adel B.

    The servings are pretty generous and the food overall is good. The best part actually is their Vietnamese coffee- that was awesome!

    (4)

  • John K.

    The food here is quite good, and the interior is newer than their SSF location. Fast service and resonable prices. Portions are large as well.

    (3)

  • Robert S.

    This place sucks. I order Shrimp Garlic Noodle and Imperial roll. Service was ok amount of food good. Garlic noodle did not taste like garlic. No flavor in the noodle. It look like toss garlic on top of the noodle. And imperial roll was nasty. If you know about cooking do not waste your time here.

    (2)

  • hugh l.

    I have tried their other location on Grand before and remembered the Pho was good so i decided to give this location a try for lunch today. The Location is New and modern. They have 3 large screen TV's to watch while eating. Service is friendly and prompt. I ordered the Special Pho. I dont remember it tasting the same as the other location but it was still good. I'm pretty picky with my Pho because we used to own a pho restaurant before but this one past the test. There menu is pretty extensive and i will be back to try the other dishes.

    (4)

  • Jen K.

    My husband loves this place because they have a good variety of non-pho items, but I felt the vietnamese crepe was rather greasy and I didn't think the five-spice chicken was all that flavorful or tender. Next time I'll have to try the pho despite the lukewarm reviews. Service was friendly though.

    (3)

  • Carol N.

    Tasty, large portions of Vietnamese food. Clean restaurant, too.

    (5)

  • Michael G.

    Excellent Pho and Bun. Nice leisurely atmosphere and comfortable seating too.

    (4)

  • Joy L.

    Their foods are overall so awesome! Best Vietnamese restaurant in San Bruno!

    (5)

  • Ryan D.

    Very good Pho. Some of the bad reviews must be from picky/ snobby eaters when it comes to Pho. Service was very good and food was great. Broth was good, meat was excellent and so were the noodles. Highly suggest getting the garlic noodles and adding them into the Pho!

    (5)

  • Irene U.

    i had a bun bo hue craving and came here. it did not satisfy my craving. the noodles were not fresh and instead of it being long enough for me to slurp it, it was in tiny pieces. not good. and the meat was fatty. and they didn't give me the veggie salad that usually comes with bbh at other places. their service is really good though. one of the younger waiter was really good about refilling our water. (and their water didn't taste like it came from the sewer, which is always a plus) sorry milbrae, but your viet food is nothing compared to the food in san jose.or maybe i just havent found a good place yet. if you know of any around this area, let me know!

    (3)

  • Sarah B.

    Ben Tre is clean and bright inside, so it gets points for that. However, the Pho is very bland. I once tried the mixed vegetables and tofu rice dish, and the sauce was too sweet and sort of off tasting.

    (2)

  • Karin R.

    First time here with their grand opening. Large portions. The server forgot my chicken broth but another person brought it when I asked. Shrimp cake is too greasy. I'll still come back and try their pho.

    (3)

  • Lisa L.

    My husband and I like this location better than the Ben Tre in South SF. Decor is better, place is roomier. Even portions were bigger (at least for the five spice chicken over rice). We love their five-spice chicken. Tomato crab and pork soup was good, although I didn't really care for the cubes of pig blood. Yellow rice in clay pot is excellent. I would even call their prices cheap.

    (4)

  • René A.

    First time in this restaurant and I LOVED IT!! We had tea, they took our order and it was ready quickly and I loved the dish I got, so 5 stars for this place very good food, nice restaurant and great service

    (5)

  • Julia L.

    The pho is OK, a little on the sweeter side but the meat is tender and they give you plenty of fresh herbs and noodles. Also worth trying: the five spice chicken, spring rolls, banh xeo and my husbands favorite: bun tom thit nuong.

    (4)

  • Ashton L.

    glad to see new restaurant open. But the meat used in Pho was not fresh at all. WIll NOT visit again

    (1)

  • Magnus T.

    I love the beef stew soup. I wife and I repeatedly go here.

    (5)

  • Mike K.

    Definitely worth checking out this new location. Lots of vegetarian options which is great.

    (5)

  • I C.

    Sunday lunch. Very fast service. Food is good. The clay pot with shrimp and rice is tasty. The tomato and crab soup vermicelli is a bit bland but you can add fish sauce on your own. Generally satisfied. Definitely will return.

    (4)

  • Quan T.

    Walking in, we really liked the ambiance: very nice wooden chairs and lovely Vietnamese wall paintings. There's also a bar with plentiful bottles of liquor on the shelves which is rare in a Vietnamese restaurant. It was our first time so we went for the usual to compare to other places; the Spring rolls were very refreshing; my hubby had "Ben Tre yellow rice w chicken" (5 spice chicken in yellow rice) which was yummy! I had the egg roll, grilled pork, shrimp vermicelli bowl which had a nice grilled flavor. We came back and I had the Pho with rare beef and beef balls and he had the Lemongrass chicken over rice. The Pho soup is pretty complex which is a nice change for the Peninsula. The chicken needed more lemongrass flavor but was nicely grilled. Authentic tastes will definitely bring us back. It's nice to see family style options here as well. The staff checked in on us which is a plus for an Asian restaurant.

    (4)

  • Tiffany W.

    I give them 3.75* for its food. I ordered a beef pho and a salad roll. I like the food better than the SSF location, which I've been to numerous times (although one person mentioned the SSF location is better). The high bar chairs make it seem interesting. As another yelper mentioned one of the waiter was very annoying because as i was eating my salad roll, he came back to see if i was done, but i had one more roll on the plate which he didn't initially see so he coudlnt' take the plate away. Then he was a few feet behind me standing there to see if i was done w/ the 'appetizer' yet again but i was working on the pho. AND he was doing this when it wasn't even busy!! (5pm on a Monday). But overall the food is fine. The price is a little higher than some of SF's pho joints as someone mentioned, but heck, it's supply/demand--this is Millbrae....ppl don't go to western restaurants and complain a specific restaurant is pricier than its counterparts.....

    (3)

  • Tony Z.

    The food is really good here. Finally, a high quality Vietnamese restaurant in the Burlingame/Millbrea area.

    (4)

  • Mel V.

    L-O-V-E! I was a regular at the SSF location and I am so happy that they are now in Millbrae. Same fantastic quality food. Service was fantastic! Garlic noodles with 5-spice chicken is new to the menu and my new favorite. Planning on trying all garlic noodle entrees. Also ordered Catfish claypot and pork chop with rice combo plate. We left very, very full with lots of leftovers. If you haven't been to Ben Tre ... run don't walk! Get there quick - YUMMY!

    (5)

  • Clair C.

    We've been going to the one in SSF location for years, so we were surprised and happy to see one open here. I would say the food is good, family style, same as the one in SSF or similar to Vietnamese restaurant in FC. If you are in a mood for pho, I think this is one of the better ones in Millbrae. We had pho, spring rolls, and catfish dishes. Spring roll was ok, catfish was good, just wished the portions were tad bigger. I have only been there a couple of times so far, but both times it seems they were popular.

    (4)

  • Jessica L.

    When I first walked in, I thought Ben Tre would become one of the restaurants that I would go to regularly. The atmosphere was nice - clean, friendly waiters/waitresses, and not crowded when I went. I decided to try one of their "customer favorites" (I think that's what it was called) which was the five spice chicken over garlic noodle. My parents ordered the catfish dish and the beef noodle soup. The food came out very quickly, and my five spice chicken dish was HUGE. There was so much noodle and the chicken piece was gigantic haha. The chicken was pretty good, tender BUT near the bone it was still bloody....I was getting paranoid that i'd catch salmonella! The noodles became increasingly salty as I kept eating it. They were also very oily. Everything was a bit too heavily spiced/marinated but I think that's just the way Vietnamese food is, cause my relatives always heavily marinate their food too. Well my mom said she has had better beef noodle soup elsewhere, and that the soup tasted like there was a lot of msg. However, my dad enjoyed his catfish dish ;] Anyway, after halfway through our meal, the room became smokey-ish too! so maybe better ventilation? ALL IN ALL, this place isn't bad, but I've had better Vietnamese food elsewhere. (like SAIGON CITY in San Mateo :] )

    (3)

  • Bob P.

    The waitstaff are very friendly, the atmosphere is nice and the prices are very reasonable. I ordered the pho tai and was very pleased with the broth, noodles and tender meat. All in all, I would come back here while travelling through town again.

    (4)

  • Mark G.

    I am a regular customer here. I love the food. But I have to slap them with a negative review. Yelp says they accept credit cards. I called in an order for spring rolls. The order totaled just under eight dollars. When I get to the restaurant, there is a sign on the register that says "minimum $12 credit card purchase." Nowhere on yelp does it say that. The sign goes on to say that they pay thousands of dollars in fees every month for credit card purchases. Hey, that's the cost of doing business. You either accept credit cards or you don't. The older man at the counter refused to give me my food, and literally walked away. I waited for a couple minutes and he didn't come back, so I turned and walked out without my food. That has to be some of the worst customer service I've ever experienced. You have lost me as a customer over four dollars. Was it worth it?

    (1)

  • Diana H.

    This location and the SSF location is actually not even that far from each other. You can take El Camino Real down and not have to get on the freeway. The Millbrae also tends to be less crowded, which is a plus when you want to get your soupy fix on but don't want to wait for what seems like forever. I've been on a serious hunt for Bun Rieu and I can safely say I can stop hunting in the city for the closest thing to homemade tomato crab soupy goodness. The broth is very rich with just the right amount of tomato to crab flavor. Spritz some lime and your bowl is a golden orange sunset. I've also had their Pho Ga and it was alright, nothing too special. A little bland IMO but sometimes you need that when you're sick or recovering from late night festivities. My friend loves the Bun Bo Hue and I agree, its pretty delicious but very lemongrass heavy. So if that's what you're into, then BBH it's perfect for you. Ben Tre is my new favorite go to spot for weekend recovery mornings. Plus parking is free on the weekends.

    (4)

  • Sabrina P.

    I've been back to Ben Tre a few more times, this location and the one in San Mateo. The first time I came here the food wasn't great, but the other times have been really good. Love the soup and the rice plate! I'm glad I gave it another try because the other pho places in this area are kind of weak. So sad nothing is open in Millbrae passed 10pm.

    (5)

  • Ryan C.

    If you have been to the original location in South San Francisco then you know that the food is amazing, but the size of the shop and parking are often a challenge. This location in Millbrea is a much larger location and cleaner than the original. Parking is still a little bit of a challenge, but overall a much better experience. I believe that the prices are a little higher than SSF, but who can complain when you are getting #21, the pho with 5 spice chicken for $9.25 What did I learn today? You can pick up friends from SFO, on a layover, and bring them back after eating all inside of 2 hours.

    (4)

  • Terry L.

    Great place - 5 spice chicken recommended.

    (5)

  • Pauline W.

    Overall not bad. Bún bò hu is not spicy enough. The soup is a bit oily. The best part is the peanut sauce. Chè ba màu is tasty . If you like coconut you will love it ! The 5 spice chicken surprised me . It was not dry at all! I'll try their 5 spice chicken garlic noodle next time.

    (4)

  • Wanugee N.

    Ben Tre in Millbrae is a spin off from the popular Vietnamese restaurant on Grand Avenue in South City. This space is on the clustered MillbRae China Row, predominantly Chinese owned establishments on the frontage road off El Camino. They have about 10 tables for 4 or 6 on the left, a bar and TV for onesey twoseys on the right, and a long communal table down the middle. I ordered Pho Tai Nam. It was huge, the size of most place's large, for $7.95. Fresh noodles, fresh meat, and very fresh condiments of Basil, Cilantro, green pepper slices and bean sprouts. The broth was very good, and the twist in the Pho was 3 onions: green, yellow and red slices. This joint has a wait after 6:30, so come early or come late!

    (4)

  • Carl H.

    Another BAM Review COME HERE! 5 Stars with Ben Tre. 5 spiced grilled chicken with crispy skin! Killed it! Don't miss this gem. Parking next door. We did the Pho...broth good, but could go with a little more flavor. Service awesome!

    (5)

  • Maria S.

    When you decide to have dinner with the family, and that extended family can run anywhere from party of 5-25, it's good to have places like Ben Tre that can not only handle the large group, but also serve you quickly. I love the food at the SSF one, and this one is just as good if not better. I love that the tables here are not as crowded. The yellow rice with bbq chicken is a nice meal if you aren't going with their tummy filling hot pho. While their broths are tasty, sometimes they aren't as rich on some days as other days. I love their combination plates which you can easily share with someone. I love their spring rolls. My dad ordered a young coconut - just remember to ask them to split it for you after you drink the juice so you can get the meat. Makes a great dessert. Just remember that they are pretty fast paced, so you will likely be seated quickly, served quickly, and expected to move on quickly. With the popularity, I get it, but I wish the pace was just slightly slower so we could spend more time socializing as well as eating. Truly an A-OK place. 3.5 stars.

    (4)

  • Cynthia P.

    Service is eh!? But it's a good place to get Vietnamese in this area. I used to live in San Jose therefor I am picky, but this place has great pho and their garlic noodles are amazing. Just be prepared to bring mints. Also there Vietnamese coffee is great!!!!

    (4)

  • Y. T.

    My all time favorite restaurant to get Pho. Despite the long waits during lunch and dinner, the food is craaaazy good. Plus the staff seats you quick and cleans up all the dirty tables asap so the waiting here shouldn't be too much of a problem :) Whenever I come here, I usually go for the Five Spiced Chicken or the BBQ Shrimp that comes with Pho. The chicken and shrimp are both marinated, seasoned, and barbecued to perfection. They also give you generous fresh toppings for your bowl of soup (cilantro, basils, bean sprouts, jalepenos, and lemons) All for $9.25. QUALITY AND QUANTITY FOR CHEAP BABYYY The menu is quite extensive and versatile and the waiters here would happily make any requests you have work. Thai Tea here is also a must get. Thank me later!

    (5)

  • Huy V.

    While there are a lot of food options on this particular stretch of Milbrae, I think this is the only Vietnamese one. Its a pretty standard noodle soup and combo rice plate restaurant. The interior was really clean and gave me confidence that the food was also. Like other vietnamese restaurants, the portions are generous and cheap and familiar. This is basically the only show in town for this type of place so I expect it will last for awhile. Its not particularly noteworthy in the spectrum of Vietnamese dining but it's very solid when you want a reliably satisfying meal. Personally I like to get a pork rice plate combo to-go so I can enjoy eating this at home after work. Theres always enough to pack for lunch tomorrow the next day.

    (4)

  • Kevin S.

    Came here, hella bad service! Server, said any where you want. We sat down. I looked at the menu, for a 5 minutes... I was ready to order a appetizer cause I'm hungry! So there's like what? 4 people working in the front. Guess how many customers? Only like 5 total. And there's 4 freakin servers/bussers whatever, il jus say the the people front of the house. So I raised my hand, a server saw me..... But he went to another table, I'm like? Wtf? I'm like ok? Then another server/whoever that was walk by and gave a table the check. When he walked by I said hello, were ready to order, but he didn't hear us. Wtf again? So. I also work at a restaurant and got experience. Restaurants rules: 1. Sit your customers. 2. Come back in 2 mins and say hello how are you? Any questions? Would you like to order any drinks or start any appetizers? 3. Come back in another 3 mins, ask them if they're ready to order they're entree, or ask of they need help/questions. 4. Pay attention to the customers!!!! You have 4 people on floor, You have less then 7 seated tables And you guys aren't busy!!!!!!! Wtf thanks for ruining my experience. Service sucked!

    (1)

  • Caroline S.

    We stopped in for a Sunday late lunch and there were still 5 groups ahead of us! The line moved quickly though and we were seated in about ten minutes. I thought the service was great. We got our waters right away, the food came out quickly and the servers seemed busy but nice. I had the #30 spicy lemongrass beef soup which had a nice heat more from the lemongrass than the chills. My husband had the pork rice plate with delicious glass noodles. We also enjoyed the shrimp spring rolls. I'd love to go back and try the #1 garlic noodles!

    (5)

  • Dani K.

    This place is my go to Vietnamese food restaurant. The prices are what you expect at a Vietnamese restaurant and the food is delicious. The garlic noodles are amazing and the Pho is so fresh.

    (4)

  • Fong L.

    2nd time here. Ordered bun bob hue again. Outside of San Jose so few have the zhu hong. Didn't order 5 spice chicken this time. The quail is very good though had better. Service friendly and having big screen tv is a plus to watch a game. They heard wrong order for my sis but quickly corrected it. Definite fusion place. The pho ga is like Atkins style, lean white meat no gizzards and skinless. I don't order that u less it's 100% Viet.

    (4)

  • Kat P.

    DO NOT GO HERE. TURN AROUND AND WALK AWAY. I wish I could give them 0 stars. I am disgusted by this experience today. I never leave reviews but I honestly think this place is WAYYY OVERRATED and I feel the need to warn anyone who is thinking about coming here. My friend found something on her lettuce of her 32a vermicelli dish. She put the lettuce on a napkin and oh my goodness A LITTLE TRANSPARENT WORM/MAGGOT looking creature hopped out of it. she showed the workers and they simply just took the napkin away like it was no big deal . That was the most disgusting thing I have ever heard of. Another annoying thing about this place was that it has a $12 minimum for credit cards. No one should even have to pay after seeing that in their food but my friend being too patient of a person just paid it off and left. What a waste of money. Seriously, SAVE YOURSELF!!

    (1)

  • Rigoberto C.

    The bun bo hue its my shit but should be spicier the fresh shrimp spring rolls are bomb too

    (4)

  • Jessica Y.

    I think I really want to give these guys 3 stars for the food, and mainly just the spring rolls, but ended up giving them 4 because they're just so sweet and I just feel bad if I gave them a lower rating. But yeah, if you order the spring rolls (the clear ones, not the fried ones), there is only shrimp in it and no pork. I don't remember if the menu clearly delineated that there will be no pork, but I think it's pretty standard to have it there(?!)-- so yes, you can tell I was pretty disappointed. The pho is alright. I do like the rare beef in it. The tendons and tripe were alright.

    (4)

  • Shalom F.

    Agree with other reviews that the food tastes good (hope they didn't add anything consumers wouldn't want). They "look" like they taste good too. I thought the garlic noodles taste a bit greasy? We weren't given the fresh basil for Pho b/c the herb was not delivered yet for the day even though it was almost noon. With Pho, it looked like a chuck of cold uncooked noodle was dumped into the bowl which quickly cool the soup. I ordered the soup to enjoy the warm soup... When I asked for a bit more of the soup to warm up the dish, we found out @ the check-out that we were charged $1 for it. My health-conscious family warned me not to eat bean sprouts b/c they heard most of them have been "bleached" to look cleaner, whiter? So either people grow them in their home or they avoid consuming them. I don't know where they get that info & if anyone knows about it please share. The visitor next to me tried the ice coffee but thought it was too strong & too sweet which made me hesitate to try it since I was not a coffee drinker. She took most of it home to add more warm water, the way she preferred. I was glad to find they opened early @ 10 am. Parking could be difficult unless you could avoid meal rush hours.

    (3)

  • Linda L.

    Ordered to go here since it was busy. Order came out in 15 minutes then I took it home to eat. Came home to find out I'm missing the two things I paid for. ($23-24 dollars worth). My husband had tipped him.and the guy refuse to take care of the issue over the phone and forced me to drive back there to get my money back. Won't be returning that's for sure

    (1)

  • Matt V.

    Delicious food and very friendly staff...and a LOT of them. This place was PACKED when I went there, although the wait times weren't too bad. I only ordered take out, but it was quick and very tasty. Thank you!

    (5)

  • Vik G.

    It's hard to find a great Vietnamese place in the bay that isn't in San Jose. So I was skeptical when I first considered going here but they did exceed my expectations. It's pretty crazy busy during lunch time, so expect to wait awhile if you get there by 12 to 1ish. I've already been here several times with my gf and it's definitely one of our go to places in Millbrae if we're not sure where to eat. Service is pretty quick, it's just the wait that isn't. I do notice that the servers sometimes give some parties tea and some parties aren't even offered any tea. So if you want tea, just state it. Items we have ordered: Nem Nuong Cuon - $6.95, which is around the usual price for nem nuong rolls. The bbq pork has a nice flavor to it, however I still prefer nem nuong cuons in San Jose since the pork sausages are huge and long, not cut into thin slices. Also the nem nuong cuons in San Jose has a nice sweet orange sauce, while Ben Tre's is just peanut sauce. The Ben tre nem nuong cuon also lacks that crispy eggroll skin crunch. Not bad, but not the best. Bun Rieu - $8.15, It was actually my first time trying bun rieu when I had it here at Ben Tre. I gotta say that the soup was nice and hot, definitely a nice tomato and crab flavor to it. Overall I enjoyed it, so if you are bored of pho or bun bo hue, definitely try it. 5 Spice Chicken w/ Pho - $8.95,yes I was hard on their nem nuong cuon but their 5 spice chicken is one of the best I've ever had! The meat isn't too dry, has a nice crispy, and definitely taste that 5 spice. It's served with a nice side of pho noodles, or rice. I highly recommend this one to all the indecisive foodies out there. Ben Tre Rice Platter Special COMBO - $8.95, customizable and makes it feel like you've spent your money and decision wisely. You get to choose your choice of meat with a side of two items! A very smart system instead of setting dozens of different rice plate combo items individually. Spicy Beef Stew Noodle Soup - $8.25, it's hot hot HOT! Literally, it's quite spicy and the soup comes very hot, so take your time. I'm a spicy food lover and the spice gave me bit of a kick. They are also very generous with the beef, just look at the picture I posted! High recommended to anyone that enjoys spicy food. Ben Tre Appetizer Combination - $11.75, Meh tried it once and I don't feel like it's worth the price but that's just me. On the bright side, it is a nice sampler item for two people. This item comes with imperial rolls, spring rolls, bbq meat balls, and crispy shrimp with vermicelli noodles. If you know what type of appetizer or sides you like then no need to order this combo, however it gives a nice variety. Fried Banana w/ Ice Cream - $4.75, Fried banana and ice cream is always enjoyable so easy win. Overall Ben Tre is one of my few favorite restaurants in Millbrae since that there really aren't that many good ones. I will keep coming back occasionally until I get reasons not to.

    (4)

  • Jessika V.

    Five stars for great food. I always call ahead for takeout; so I can't really review their service. The people are always really friendly when I walk in, and my food is always ready by the time they say. I've tried a few different kinds of pho, egg rolls, garlic noodles with shrimp, and a couple other things. Everything is always really good and keeps me coming back.

    (5)

  • My L.

    Excellent food, price and portion. Will be our Vietnamese restaurant go to in Peninsula area.

    (5)

  • Albert L.

    There are several things that I like about Ben Tre: 1) The freshness and quality of their ingredients. It's no gourmet restaurant, but their ingredients are noticeably better than other Vietnamese restaurants in the Peninsula. 2) It's value! If you're hungry, then this is the place. The portion sizes are huge. And you can also easily leave there paying about $10 and that's including tax and tip. 3) There's a lot variety from soup noodles to cold noodles to rice dishes. There's something for everybody...yes, I mean the vegetarians too. But there's something that I've been getting every time I go recently. I call it the Blackjack Special. It's #21 on the menu...the regular pho (vermicelli noodle soup) with a side of Five Spice Chicken. It's a small size pho and a quarter chicken. I highly recommend it. If you go, I recommended anything that's BBQ. If you like bun (vermicelli cold noodles), then #30. It comes with a BBQ meat of choice and shrimp, plus egg rolls. You can't go wrong. A lot of people likes the original location in SSF (10 mins away), but I prefer this location. It's much cleaner, better seating and the staff is friendlier. That's not to say the SSF is not friendly. There are plenty of good Vietnamese restaurants in the Bay Area so I would never say Ben Tre is a destination restaurant. But if you're ever in Millbrae and you're looking for a cheap eat, then this place is it.

    (4)

  • james o.

    #21. Pho noodle soup w/ 5spice chiken over garlic noodles #22. Pho noodle soup w/ bbq pork The go to spot w/ great service.

    (5)

  • Michelle L.

    Great pho.....great service even though it was super busy. These guys are good!

    (5)

  • Chris C.

    My family and I enjoyed this place for dinner. The restaurant had a nice atmosphere with a plethora of tv screens and a nice selection of alcohol at the bar. What I ordered: Fresh Spring Rolls: The spring rolls are surprisingly good and they were tightly wrapped with beef, shrimp, and noodles. These spring rolls are on the better side in the Bay Area. 5-spice Chicken with Vermicelli: The noodles and vegetables were of similar quality compared to other Vietnamese places in the area. The highlight of the dish was definitely the chicken. The chicken was very tender and marinated well. The meat really stood out to me. Overall the restaurant was good but parking is hard to find for dinner. The only gripe that I really had with this restaurant was the service. I don't know if it was because of dinner but we waited around 15 minutes to get a menu and a glass of water after we were seated. Other than that, my family enjoyed the meal and I would consider going back because the food was very good.

    (4)

  • Joyce P.

    Ben Tre! The best vietnamese restaurant in Milbrae! You have to order their five spice chicken with garlic noodle! Service is super fast , friendly and food is really fresh and hella tasty! Sorry, my only to-go spot for Pho is Ben Tre, any other place can lick it! =P

    (5)

  • Samantha C.

    FIVE STARS FOR THE FIVE-SPICE CHICKEN. The chicken is sooo tender and flavorful. For the most bang for your buck, I recommend getting one of the pho/vermicelli + chicken combos for ~$8 (versus the chicken + garlic noodles for $12). I've also tried the Papaya Salad w/ Shrimp ($9). It was okay, but I would not order it again because there isn't any special about it. I really wanted a five-spice chicken salad, but that's not on the menu :( Service is super duper fast. We got our food in ~7 minutes!

    (4)

  • Lynn K.

    Found a maggot looking bug crawling in my vermicelli bowl today. They offered me another dish so I kindly chose something cheaper in price, but they still gave me the bill charging me for the vermicelli dish--Which I basically left untouched aside from 3 bites prior to discovering the crawling critter. I didn't tip obviously, but I was quite appalled that they didn't offer to have me pay for the cheap salty tofu appetizer instead of the bug dish. To state plainly, service was senseless and disappointing. I won't eat here again not because of the bug, but because of the ridiculous service.

    (1)

  • Shelly W.

    I love Ben Tre and I much prefer this location over the SSF location! Even though it's further from my work and home, I would gladly drive an extra 10 minutes here. Now, onto business...their food! All I can say is YUM. I've tried their beef carpaccio, garlic noodles, five spice chicken and their pho. One of my new favorites are replacing whatever pho soup with clear noodles instead of rice noodles! The clear noodles are a bit chewier but the noodles pair well with the fishcake and fish balls. In terms of favorites, my go to choices are usually the five spice chicken with garlic noodles or the pho ha (chicken noodle soup) which I may never get sick of. The five spice chicken if you haven't seen in their other reviews are definitely something to talk about. The chicken is moist, flavorful, and cooked perfectly every time I've ordered it. The pho ga is more of a staple soup whenever it's cold or I'm feeling under the weather. Seating here can get full pretty quickly. I often see lines and names that are waiting to be checked off the list. Service is good, all staff are pretty attentive and overall, a pleasant experience, always. See you soon Ben Tre! :)

    (5)

  • Gina G.

    My bf and I frequent this restaurant often because it's close to home and the pho here is always satisfying. I prefer this location to the one on Grand Ave. because it's a little bigger and actually clean. I don't venture too off from the menu besides order pho or vermicelli bowls and either the fresh shrimp spring rolls or fried egg rolls if we're hungry enough for appetizers. The bean sprouts are always fresh and crispy (yes, I've had browning soggy bean sprouts before) and they always provide a lot of mint, cilantro and jalapeño slices which I love dumping into my soup. The hoisin sauce and sriracha is always available on the table. Broth in the pho is flavorful and not oily. The service is always quick even if most of the tables are full and even when we have to put ourselves on the waiting list, it goes by fast. I most importantly don't have to worry about "thumb soup" here...you know when the server comes out of the kitchen to bring out your pho with damn near half of their thumb dipped into your broth....gag. They're especially busy during dinner time and sometimes it's hard to wave down a server, but not a big deal. There are a few TVs around the restaurant so you won't have to worry about missing a game during dinner. There is street parking and a lot close by, but they're always filled so you might just have to wait til someone is coming out of their spot.

    (4)

  • jon s.

    Phenominal meal: grilled beef spring rolls, papaya salad, 5 spice chicken with garlic noodles, shaking beef (I'm still shaking in wonderment), short ribs with more of their cant stop eating noodles and green beans with sautéed onions.... And Saigon beers. Just woke up and Ready to go back for more.

    (5)

  • N. T.

    Ordered noodle pho with no cilantro. Get there to pick up, I double check there's no cilantro- there is. I give them my card to pay-$12 minimum. I leave to go find the nearest atm, get back to get my food- get home, I open the bag and its noodles and broth... Where's my veggies? Every pho order comes with lime, basil, sprouts, etc and I'm stuck with noodle and broth..? Very disappointing first experience. Definitely be going back to my usual spot.

    (2)

  • Mama Marisa L.

    Took mother in law and family for Mother's Day dinner (waited for a abou 30 minutes) - chicken and garlic noodle was so yummy. It is a definite "go back" place to ea.

    (4)

  • Min L.

    A solid pho restaurant that always hits the spot. The spring rolls (with BBQ pork) are always on point and the chicken pho broth is clean and exactly what I'm craving. Happy I'm so close to this gem.

    (4)

  • Austin C.

    My wife really likes their crab pho, but you have to request the blood if you want it. I haven't found their pho to be all that and like other ones in SF better so I usually get a rice plate when I go. It's reasonably priced I guess and I just go to appease the wife and her crab pho with blood obsession when it comes up. Other than that I don't think there is anything special about this place. I did get a Thai iced tea the other day and there was a bunch of black pieces floating in it, I can only assume it's because they use real tea and it's off the filter. Still tasted fine. Their rice for the rice plate was super clumped together...not sure if that means the rice is older or what but like I said...nothing special just convenient and better than the pho here in Burlingame.

    (3)

  • Paul V.

    Went here on my way to SFO airport. Finding a spot to park was problematic since the city parking was used for Saturday farmers' market. Restaurant was also packed. Service was prompt & efficient. The goi cuon (spring rolls) did not have any pork but lot of rice vermicelli filler. I did not taste any mint either. But the ingredients were fresh and the sauce was good. The 5-spice chicken w/ rice dish was good. Very flavorful. Well seasoned. The skin of the chicken was lightly crunchy and savory. Good on my tongue, bad for my cholesterol. Next time I am within reasonable distance of this restaurant, I will stop by. ---------- Another flight out of SFO, another visit to this restaurant. Again, I ordered the 5-spice garlic chicken with rice (instead of noodles). Just as good as the previous visit. Good consistency. To properly review a restaurant, one must sample other dishes. I should, but didn't. Maybe next time (wait, that was what I said to myself last time I was here).

    (4)

  • Devesh S.

    Solid pho, cha gio, and bun. Best outside of San Jose in my opinion. Not too much MSG either, unlike many of the Vietnamese places in SF.

    (5)

  • Doug R.

    If you go to a pho restaurant and order anything but pho, you're doing yourself a disservice. I noticed some bad reviews by folks who ordered other dishes. My advice? Don't. I got to ding them really hard for their spring rolls, they have become good to really clear miss. Service has also gotten a lot better than some of the bad reviews in 2012 when I think they were really learning the ropes. It's been the same folks this whole time, and shoot - they know who I am I think. I haven't been disappointed. Go to Ben Tre. Order the pho. Enjoy!

    (4)

  • Jessica F.

    I loved this so much. My new go place on the way to SFO. I liked the area and the servers were very friendly. Great iced coffee too.

    (5)

  • N.N. R.

    Screw this place and the rude RUDE man who is in charge. I frequent the SSF location and that place is WAY better than this one... I called in to order some vegetarian pho and asked that they add broccoli and mushrooms. I stopped by 10 minutes later to pick up my order, only to notice that my vegetarian pho contains potatoes, fried tofu and carrots (ummm ok?) and I asked where the broccoli and mushrooms were. The RUDE ASS gentleman says they are with the noodles. I open the noodles and there is just a bunch of greens on top of the noodles. He snapped at me and said, "you don't like it, don't take it, dont take it". I nicely said no, I just want to know where the rest is? He said, "in there, in there". Sure as shit, come home, no mushrooms, no broccoli ... But of course, I was charged. I will NEVER ever give this place business again. TERRIBLE service, you don't even get what you pay for. What a bunch of assholes.

    (1)

  • Yuanjun L.

    Glad they opened one here! i love how big and clean this store is. However, i do feel the quality at ssf is slightly better. will come again!

    (4)

  • Sophia Y.

    I've been to a ton of pho places and every single time, I'll get the exact same thing - pho with rare steak and brisket. But I kept seeing the 5 spices chicken raved by yelpers and was excited when i saw a compromise - the 5 spices chicken with a bowl of pho! The pho was good. Broth was flavorful. The chicken was pretty good. It was moist and tender and had a good amounto of spices. They give you half a chicken! Such a good deal for what you're paying for! Overall, it felt weird to branch out from my usual pho+meat, but I have to admit that the chicken was good. At least I was still able to have a side of noodles, because the broth is always my favorite part!

    (4)

  • Farrah N.

    I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to Vietnamase food so I wasn't expecting much when I tried Ben Tre when they opened a couple years ago. Boy, was I surprised at my first slurp. Everything here is amazing. Their pho, their vermicelli, appetizers. Flavors, portions, and fresh ingredients are all very much on point. There isn't something that sticks out in particular and boy their menu is so extensive! Sure, there are better places around, but you can count on quality and well-priced Vietnamese staples at a convenient location. Parking may be a bit tricky around downtown Burlingame, but otherwise, do not hesitate to give Ben Tre a chance. Definitely not your average pho joint!

    (5)

  • Lissette O.

    I like the pho plenty of noodles my kids love it and also the garlic noddles with chicken good atmosphere very clean and the staff is very friendly

    (5)

  • Lana D.

    The portions here are always very generous, and the Pho has good flavor. Unfortunately the noodles are usually stuck in a cold round ball.

    (4)

  • Ash C.

    The pho is not very flavorful and the garlic noodles are mediocre. Food overall is three stars. The service is really poor which is why I gave them one star.

    (1)

  • Kenny L.

    Recently ordered: Rice plate combo chicken with shrimp cake and egg + garlic noodle and shaking beef combo If you're coming on a weekend, make sure you come by 12pm on the dot or expect a wait cuz they're really popular and the restaurant is a medium size. Usually I order pho due to being hungover on sundays but i'm so glad i wasnt! The chicken here is so good on that rice plate. Shaking beef was nice and tender and the garlic noodles were really good. They were nice and garlicky but not overpowering where your burps will smell bad all day. I'll be back for more shaking beef!

    (4)

  • Mary S.

    This location is by far the best one, feel cleaner than the ssf but the food here is always good. My fav is the five spice chicken with pho

    (4)

  • Mila B.

    The pho is PHOnominal. Really flavorful broth and no skimping on the noodles but you still might need extra! Would have been 5 stars but the customer service is a hit or miss. The first time I went, the waiter was timely in taking our orders. This most recent time, it took a while for them to come to us and they also forgot to bring out one of orders until we notified them. All in all, good food and nice atmosphere and would pho sure come back again!!!

    (4)

  • Sam K.

    I am definitely a fan of Ben Tre. Huge portions with affordable prices... what more could I ask for? I tried out the garlic noodles with beef and I couldn't finish it... I'm a guy with a huge appetite! Next time I go to Ben Tre I'm definitely trying out the shaking beef salad. Highly recommended by my friends. This place does have a wait during peak hours - so come early and have a great meal here.

    (4)

  • Lily P.

    Open late and has amazing combos. The only place where you get a side dish of chicken and a pho for under $10. The portions are huge and people come in until the very end. The food is good (maybe not the BEST PHO ever) but I really like their bbq meats, and just the 5 spice chicken dish. Their garlic noodles are also quite good. The good comes out very fast and the menu is pretty extensive. Try it out if you are in the area!!

    (4)

  • Vipul B.

    Fantastic place for pho. I tried the everything beef pho and it was very good. Service was fast and there is ample of parking around. Good weekend lunch spot.

    (5)

  • Vince H.

    This place is always packed, and for good reason. Came here at 5:30, thinking to myself, "Coming in during early bird special time means that I will have my pick of the best seat in the house! I will be King!" Too bad everyone else thought the same thing. Did not get to choose my seat, I got the next table open. I was not King. I was, however, full when I left. Portions are plentiful Service is quick Get the spice chicken, garlic noodle. I ate that like a King in my assigned table. Don't get the Catfish unless you like it really really sweet.

    (4)

  • Leah F.

    This is my favorite place to get 5-spiced chicken and garlic noodles where the portion is big (I always bring home leftovers), the food comes out quickly, it is decent in price and tastes so good! While I've definitely have had tastier chicken and noodles, I still enjoy coming to Ben Tre. The pho is good too as is their imperial rolls. I think my only issue is the parking! I would circle the block a couple times before I found somewhere to park, even though there is a large lot and many spaces. The fast service and satisfying food keeps me coming back.

    (4)

  • Cat C.

    My friend and I had plans for take out and drinks at my apartment. We decided to make the trek to Ben Tre since she was craving Vietnamese and said that their garlic noodles were good. I was surprised at how much BT charges for them though. Her tofu garlic noodles were over $10 & my five spice chicken garlic noodles were around $12. The portions are huge but don't justify the price, but I guess they can charge that much since unlike SF which has quite a few places selling this, the Peninsula doesn't. My noodles weren't garlicky at all. Sad to say, I didn't have garlic stank breath at all that night! The five spice chicken had some crispness to it but didn't have that much flavor. The noodles were served with some lettuce and carrots which I guess were meant to eat separate. I noticed that they don't serve it with fish sauce like other places do. The dish wasn't horrible but I expected a little better. No way does it compare to Perilla in SF's garlic noodle & Five Spice Chicken for about $3-4 less.

    (2)

  • Elaine Y.

    This location is way better than the one in south city in my opinion... But why do I feel this way? Namely, because they don't skimp on the dishes. My family came for a birthday dinner and tried to make it family style, it was a very interesting experience having to pass plates backwards and forward, but I was very pleased to get to try a lot of different dishes...all of which were delicious! Started our meal off with the shrimp spring rolls and a green papaya salad. The salad was awesome, it was crisp and fresh and not overly acidic/tart. The spring rolls were okay, I kind of expected the shrimp to be charred a bit, they were just kind of halved then rolled with lettuce and rice noodles - really bland without any sauce. For entrees, we tried a variety of their garlic noodle plates. Those noodles are on point, they definitely do not skimp on the garlic. The five spice chicken was really good - crispy skin on the outside, tender juicy meat inside. Our two other versions were alright - the BBQ shrimp had a good amount of shrimp unlike the shaking beef which had more onions than anything else. At least the beef was melt in your mouth tender. By far my favorite dish was the special yellow rice - yum! It was sort of like a claypot. We also ordered a few other "regular" dishes like vermicelli dishes ("bun") and rice plates...equally good.

    (4)

  • Rebecca T.

    Came on Monday around noon and they weren't super packed yet. My friend and I were told to sit at the bar, no other options. Service here is extremely slow. From getting menus, putting in our order, receiving water, and paying the bill, it all took so much longer than it needed to. I ordered a #15 and although they give a bigger portion here, their broth is a little bit more bland. I prefer the South San Francisco location because even though they are busier, they are still able to provide great service and don't make it seem like I'm inconveniencing them.

    (3)

  • Katie S.

    The Pho Ga chicken noodle soup and spring rolls were delicious! Very tasty food and good jasmine tea. I would highly recommend for dinner with a group of friends or for a date.

    (5)

  • Andrew C.

    This is my go to spot for vietnamese food in the peninsula. Clean, large, air conditioned. Order the garlic noodles with five spiced chicken if you're feeling like a heavier meal, or a large bowl of pho to satisfy your pho craving. I've been here quite a few times and haven't been disappointed with anything that I've ordered. Solid vietnamese restaurant.

    (4)

  • Tiffany C.

    I feel like this place is good sometimes, and just ok at others. I would really want to give them 3.5 stars, but yelp won't let me... Usually their pho bowls and rice/rice noodle BBQ plates are solid. The garlic noodles however aren't the best. There is never enough garlic and it tends to be a bit bland. One time we told them and sent it back, and when they brought it back to us it just seemed like there was a lot of burnt minced garlic on top of it...I don't think I'll be ordering the garlic noodles again any time soon...The catfish bowl is a bit pricey for a small portion which tends to be a bit salty. I think overall my advice would be to go for their pho bowls or the rice plates with BBQ or five spice chicken. The restaurant tends to be pretty busy and they have lines during dinner time, so they're doing pretty well. We often times end up sharing tables with people, so they really pack the people in. On busy days, it is difficult to get seating if you have a large party.

    (3)

  • Nabil N.

    Have been coming to Ben Tre for a while for the Pho. I prefer the chicken Pho. Restaurant always seems to be kept nice and clean. The food quality and flavors are always consistent. I like the Millbrae one a lot more than South San Francisco location.

    (4)

  • MissChelle C.

    I came here for the first time today and ordered the 5 spice chicken with salad instead of rice. Oh em gee... The chicken was so moist and flavorful! I can't wait to go back. This is definitely my new go-to spot in Millbrae! :]

    (5)

  • Liv H.

    Delicious food and courteous service. First time here, and definitely going to keep coming back!

    (5)

  • Deena H.

    THEY FINALLY CHANGED THEIR PHO NOODLES and hands down, because of that, this is now my new favorite place to get in my pho fix! Everything in my previous review still stands---the soup is flavorful, large portions, they give a lot of cilantro and basil and don't Jew out on that. I just never really liked the noodles they used but recently that has changed and now I'm in love with the pho pho! I have a new favorite there, I believe it's number 24 or 27...it's the beef stew noodle soup, NOT BBH. Oh. My. World. As a taiwanese chick, I always crave beef noodle soup...it's like my personal comfort food. And the beef stew noodle soup here reminds me so much of the taiwanese one. It's so rich, so flavorful and they give you large bits of meat. And you know it's been stewing long because the meat just falls apart and melts away. I was a little hesitant getting this at first because I've had bad experiences with restaurants making this stew really thick and goopy. This was not like that though. It was just like a brothy soup. Perfect perfect perfect! That's what I ordered the last three times I came. SO DELICIOUS, must try! (3)

    (5)

  • Alison N.

    I got take-out from here today and I must say this is probably one of my new favorite Viet places. Very satisfied. My only gripe is the parking sitch in this area is kinda bad. Right off El Camino, but it's a one-way and kinda hairy. Other than that, I would say fast service, I walked in and out! The restaurant itself looked clean and had a lot of people eating, so def a good sign! I ordered an order of beef pho and seafood pho, both were good. I would say the beef broth was tasty and flavorful, and tasted real. The seafood pho was good as well, but beef was def better. I also ordered the sampler, per everyone's suggestions. I enjoyed the shrimp spring rolls and the fried shrimp. I thought the imperial rolls were okay, I've had better. All in all, pleasant experience and I agree that this place is worth trying! Happy eating (or slurping, I should say)!

    (4)

  • Melissa T.

    Best pho in the Peninsula! We have tried several other pho restaurants in the area and Ben Tre 2 is by far our favorite. The pho broth is rich & the portion sizes are perfect. I especially appreciate how the summer rolls do not have pork in them (my boyfriend is a Pescetarian) so we can enjoy them together, without him having to pull out the pork bits. The place can get super packed (always a good sign!) so be sure to come when you have some patience stocked up. Sign your name on the clipboard just inside the door to ensure you are put on the waiting list. The location of the restaurant is very nice, but the best part is the prices are very reasonable and you can fill yourselves up for about $25 for two people (that usually includes a beer, or an appetizer). If ever you find yourself craving some awesome Vietnamese and find yourself in the SSF/Millbrae area, give Ben Tre 2 a shot!

    (5)

  • Christian H.

    OMG I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! I've been pretty much coming here every week to get my fix. It just always brightens up my day. The staff is GREAT. Especially now that they are recognizing me. All the food is good but I always stick with my favorite, the Pho with a side of 5 spice chicken. It's incredibly good. Seriously, if you haven't tried Ben Tre (in Millbrae) I highly suggest coming in, you won't regret it =)

    (5)

  • Erica A.

    Definitely at the top of the list of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants. The servers are all super friendly, and they really make you feel at home! I came in yesterday for lunch with a friend, and we had a great experience. The servers are attentive and everyone is super friendly! They gave great recommendations based on my preferences. We had spring rolls, green papaya salad with shrimp, and garlic noodles with five spice chicken. The fresh lemonade is delicious as well as the 3 colored drink. In my opinion, the chicken with garlic noodles comes with enough food for 3 people. My friend and I shared it, and we still had a whole bunch left over! It was absolutely delicious, but we could not finish the entire plate for the life of us. We were stuffed. The atmosphere is very warm and inviting, and the food is delicious. No complaints from Erica!

    (5)

  • T T.

    Only one word can describe how the food tastes here: CRAP!! Never had good food here but the service is decent. Came here with my family after I had the sniffles and football practice. Kinda expensive for the quality of the goods. If you want good soup or pho, go to the Ben Tre in SSF or try HD Chinese Yunnan Noodle

    (1)

  • Elizabeth A.

    This place is really good if you're getting bun or any hot rice or noodle dishes; however, their pho is pretty standard and uninspired. Don't get me wrong, it was perfectly adequate, but compared to their other food it was not as impressive - fairly clear broth (even the beef version), needed a lot of plum and spicy sauce added for "oomph," and the veggie version had one piece of broccoli and the rest was bok choy. Also it comes with cilantro instead of basil, FYI. Excellent place for entrees, not the best for pho.

    (4)

  • Rebecca K.

    Would've given it 5 stars but they didn't answer the phone when I tried to call for a take out order. However that is my only complaint. The place was packed to the gills which is always a good sign, it means they're doing something right. So maybe they were just too busy to grab the phone? Dropped by to pick up lunch and ordered the Cha Gio (Imperial Rolls, #3), and the Bun Rieu (Pork & Crab Noodle Soup, #34) and a Cafe Sua Da (Vietnamese Iced Coffee w/ Condensed Milk). Everything hit the mark to satisfy the craving...it was obviously too much food for me but my son enjoyed the leftovers. The eggrolls were nice and crispy, not too oily like some can be and the filling was seasoned just right and the accompanying nuoc mam (dipping sauce) was the perfect bright clean tasting compliment. The soup was exactly what I was looking for, the broth was rich and hearty from the crab paste and tomatoes. The Tofu was browned first which gave it that nice exterior and creamy center. And of course the star of the show the meat was succulent and delicious. If you've never tried this soup please do! I fully reccomend this place, it was totally worth waiting the few extra minutes to go in and order as opposed to calling ahead.

    (4)

  • B P.

    Found the pho broth to be very flavorful as compared to other Peninsula Vietnamese spots. Served very quickly, clean restaurant, and very good value when comparing the large portion size to the price. 5 stars seems a little too high but 4 seems to do it a disservice so I'll go with 5.

    (5)

  • Bryant C.

    An upgrade from the other pho restaurants in Millbrae, Ben Tre 2 comes in sporting a faux fancy Asian fusion vibe (a much cleaner feel than the other pho restaurants) and very solid food. I usually get the five spice chicken which is very good, but this particular time I got the large deluxe pho with an extra order of garlic noodles. Ben Tre has always had one of my favorite pho broths and this extension did not disappoint. Broth packed with flavor with a nice bit of fattiness to it. I like the extra kick from sriracha and lime in the broth, but it's all a preference. Noodles are solid (kinda both uses of the word). They were served slightly uncooked and I spent a good minute or two just trying to separate them as they slowly cooked in my broth. The meats are standard with their meatball coming out as the star of the show. It had the most inherent flavor and had a nice firm texture. I totally forgot to ask for my raw meat on the side so maybe that's why I didn't like the brisket as much. Overall, very good pho. Garlic noodles were usually much better than the ones I had this time. Still good, but it was lacking the amount of garlic they usually put in and slightly lacking on their sauce. This is now my go-to close by pho place unless I'm in a rush. They can sometimes get really packed as most decent restaurants in downtown Millbrae.

    (4)

  • Arnel L.

    Shaking Beef - oh yeah! Add Shrimp - now we're talking Garlic noodles - damn straight! Spring rolls - why not? Mooch some chicken off my kids plate - better believe it! Side of plain pho - over the top now. Food coma, food coma, food coma I love this place. So many things left to try, but hard to steer away from the garlic noodles. Mind you, I like Thanh Long garlic noodles better, but Ben Tre's Garlic noodles are great nonetheless. I wish I had room in my belly to try the rest of the menu. Until next time!

    (5)

  • Elliott N.

    Accessibility (Parking / Wait Time) 1/1 Star: parking is ok, some times it's not easy but I normally find a spot. No wait. _____ Service (Waiter / Cleanness / Ambiance) 1/1 Star: normal service. Nice big TV. Clean. _____ Taste (0=Not Edible / 1=Edible / 2=Good (average) / 3=Must Try!) 3/3 Stars: there BBQ Pho is a MUST TRY! _____ Overall Experience 5/5 Stars _____ Last Words I wish more places serve BBQ Pho.

    (5)

  • Charisa N.

    I wasted my appetite here. Their food is flavorless - PLAIN! Why is this place so packed? We ordered a few dishes including their "famous" garlic noodles with shaking beef. It tasted like boiled noodles with oil. Shaking beef is a popular Vietnamese dish served with a vinaigrette. Their shaking beef was very tender, but had no vinaigrette and needed salt. I am surprised at the number of consistent reviews on how great this place is. Some things just can't be explained. The bill came out to be $40 for two people. What a rip. Until never again Ben Tre.

    (1)

  • LT T.

    Our trek through the bay area again we stopped to get Vietanmese food. Pho broth was fair. I tried the famous 5 spices chicken. Portion was generous and tasty. My daughter pho was ok. Would have like to rat 3.5

    (3)

  • Kitty K.

    Came here because I just got off work and this was the closest Vietnamese restaurant to meet a friend. I've never been a real fan of Ben Tre as it's just ok food and overpriced. This location is more clean than the SSF location and more spacious as well (not by much). Still gets busy very quickly and parking in this area is always difficult (it's only a couple of doors down from Cheung Hing). Our Order: Goi Cuon (Fresh Spring Roll): ($5.95) Shrimp, Rice Vermicelli, Lettuce, Bean Sprouts, and Mint wrapped in Rice Paper Com Ga Quay Chao (5 Spice Chicken):($11.75) Baked Chicken, marinated in Lemon Grass & rich Herb Sauce over Ben Tre Mama Special Yellow-Rice (+$1.50) Bun Cha Gio, Bo: ($8.50) BBQ Beef and Imperial Rolls over Vermicelli, Bean Spouts, Shredded Lettuce, Cucumber, Crushed Peanuts. Served with house fish sauce Cafe Sua Nong: ($3) Vietnamese Coffee The sauce that comes with the goi cuon is predominantly peanut butter so if you don't like peanut butter or are allergic: Don't eat it. The rolls were very simple. Nothing spectacular. I normally don't every order spring rolls since I can make them easy at home, but my friend wanted them. The Com Ga Quay Chao tasted the same: crispy skin and tender chicken. At least that part is consistent. Strong Cafe Sua Nong but of course it's barely 8 oz so not worth the $3. I just really needed the caffeine. You can read my review of a few other dishes here: yelp.com/biz/ben-tre-vie… I like this location better because the employees are nicer and very prompt.

    (3)

  • Edwin R.

    I am spoiled when it comes to Vietnamese food. I grew up having them so available and sometimes I get kinda picky. It's hard to find a really good authentic Vietnamese food particularly if you have had the good ones from "SOCAL" Orange County (Westminster, CA) or they call it "OC" -- over there - they are cheap and with all the competition - you never go wrong eating at most of the restaurants -- and having traveled to Vietnam several times especially when I visit my folks from Manila - .... man the food in Saigon is out of this world! But up here in NORCAL - well - it's getting better. San Jose is my hangout for eating good Vietnamese food. I think for the most part - most of them are good too! With that said - Ben Tre comes close to what I am use to. Their Crab soup is really good. Their Bun Xiao is not bad either. But their SHAKEN BEEF with GARLIC NOODLES - now that one - is a must try and I highly recommend. They use filet Mignon and cook it medium rare which is out of this world. The staff here are super nice too and consistent. I have been here several times and service has always been good. They do get busy so I do recommend RSVP for dinner especially if you have a large group. Till next time.... Cheers!

    (4)

  • Non D.

    good, really busy. took 30 min to get soup. good quality though

    (3)

  • Kyle H.

    I'm new to the bay and have been searching for a great pho place in South City and this is the place! So far I've been here 4 times within the past 3 weeks. I love the number 15 pho and 27 the beef stew pho. The price is cheap and the quality of the food is great. The portion is also good because you get a lot for the price. The atmosphere is very nice and clean. The waitresses are fast and friendly. This place is amazing.

    (5)

  • Victoria T.

    I visited the other Ben Tre location in South San Francisco back in October. I'll tell you right off the bat that I like this location much better. It's bigger than the overcrowded one in SSF, and simply having more space between tables easily makes this one more comfortable. It has a much nicer atmosphere, with green walls adorned with paintings of Vietnamese scenes like girls in nong lá (Vietnamese straw hats). In addition to the many tables for 2-6, there's a full bar and high red and white countertop tables alongside it. The menu is exactly the same as the SSF location, but this time I opted for my usual beef pho. (I ordered the popular five-spice chicken with pho during my first Ben Tre visit, and was not impressed.) A small pho tai nam was $7.25. The pho came out quickly and oh, was it a good decision to come here! After a long day of work, what could be better for replenishing your electrolytes? The broth, a beautiful deep brown, was light and tasty, with very little oil. The meat was tender and flavorful. It made me forget all about my lackluster chicken pho experience. I do like the atmosphere here though. It was clean, the service met expectations, the portion was big, and of course, one of the Vietnamese ladies working there was behind the bar having a conversation on the phone in noisy Vietnamese. Definitely homestyle cuisine! Rating Breakdown: Taste (12/14): Broth flavor- 4/5 Noodle & meat quality- 5/5 Garnish selection- 1/2 Portion size- 2/2 Restaurant (13/16): Service- 4/5 Cleanliness- 4/5 Atmosphere- 3/4 Speed of arrival- 2/2 Total: 25/30 Find more of my phoventures at phoacrossamerica.com

    (5)

  • Kathryn Y.

    I discovered this place recently and I am definitely a fan. I love their garlic noodlies and BBQ chicken plate. Definitely going back.

    (4)

  • Steve J.

    This is my go-to place for good Vietnamese good for good prices. It's a small place but it's kept clean and it's always busy. I almost always get the deluxe pho. It's so good! Comes with a good portion of rare beef, tripe, tendons and beef balls. The brother is always hot and tasty. I know it's not usually a good idea to get pho to go but I like this pho so much that I do anyways. It's still a big portion and they still give you everything that you get in the restaurant to put in the soup. Really really good pho!

    (4)

  • Bonita K.

    I really like their...seating? It's very communal and really seats more customers at once than their South City location, just as a comparison. The pho is always good; quick and good. I always get tempted to order a rice plate, but their pho is too good to turn down. Too good.

    (4)

  • Mike T.

    Terrible customer service. Will not take reservation for 5 but they will take reservation for 6. What if I reserve for 6 and show up 5 only, are you going to refuse service ? So stupid. They just lost my business. Good job. Lousy customer service = loss business

    (2)

  • Christine Z.

    Great, fresh, Vietnamese food. We started with the appetizer platter, which had about 6 or so different items on it...fantastic!! For our main course, I had the 5 Spice Chicken with Garlic noodles and my BF had Short Ribs on garlic noodles. Both were delicious, and the portions were large. (so I have leftovers for tomorrow) The wait staff were all very attentive and friendly, and checked on us several times during our meal even though the restaurant was very busy. We will absolutely be back!!

    (4)

  • Eli G.

    I like this spot for Pho! Decent prices, Great portions! and Tasty Pho & Broth, with good quality meat, and perfect noodles! Clean, okkkk service, and nice spot with bar seating and tvs! My go to pho spot on peninsula, surpassing Mama's in san mateo, which used to be my 1st choice.

    (4)

  • Eyemimo S.

    I've been going to Ben Tre very often recently. Their portion and quality of food provide an excellent value. It shows how they are always busy with customers. What I love the most from this place is their spring roll. I can feel the freshness of their spring roll unlike most of other Vietnamese restaurant I've been. Glad that I found a go-to Vietnamese restaurant that can really satisfy my appetite. Keep up your quality, Ben Tre!

    (5)

  • Rachel W.

    Love Ben Tre! Favorite place to get vietnamese food. The food is amazing and the customer service is excellent. Love the pho and five spice chicken. It's delicious! Highly recommend coming here with friends or family.

    (5)

  • Jason J.

    great food, fun clean atmosphere, good service, modern decor as opposed to most asian restaurants...we will be going back. liked that they have several flat screen tvs with sports...

    (4)

  • Mark L.

    Im a regular here, although theres plenty of other pho places near I still come here. This place is the place I go for Vietnamese food since theres a whole variety of selection and not just pho. If you're craving Pho, it may be slightly pricy here and I wouldn't say is the very best, but is still good. The space is cozy and the workers are always very friendly. Either come early, or as my boyfriend and I usually go there late. Now what makes this place so good, there are a few dishes that I love at this place. First off the carpaccio as an appetizer is delicious, raw beef served with fish sauce. Next the Bun Rieu is something that you won't find in many places. I use to grow up eating this and it does bring back memories. Bon Bo is what I order if I want something hearty and I love the tender carrots. Lastly the next dish is the clay pot catfish or other meat if you like. It is so good, its sweet and caramelized. All these dishes are so delicious. So in the end I would say, don't come here for Pho, come here for their other Vietnamese specialty dishes. The Pho is good but I love to mix and match dishes, and Vietnamese food isn't only about Pho.

    (4)

  • Ken N.

    Got a flight to catch so I will keep this brief and concise. I ate here twice over the course of this weekend visit. Anything not pho is quite good, particularly the five spiced chicken. The pho itself is meh, a consequence of a flat broth without any real robustness or depth in flavor. They have an army of waitstaff, it seems like, all of whom must be blind as they will ignore you unless you flag them down with neon colored batons.

    (3)

  • Josh L.

    Usually have been eating in Millbrae after picking up my wife from SFO. Decided to try Ben Tre and it was very good. My kids loved the spring rolls and garlic noodles. The spring rolls were prepared very well and some of the best I have had in the area. Had the normal Bun Vermicelli bowl and it was super flavorful. Pretty busy for a Friday evening. Nice modern layout with a lot of LCD TV's on. Would highly recommend if you need something reasonable, filling and quick.

    (4)

  • Kin C.

    This place has the worst service I've been to. Sat down for over 5 mins and no one person came by to ask if we wanted anything to drink or if we were ready to order. Looked around and no one responded even though they weren't busy. This place sucks. I wouldn't recommend this place at all. I honestly would give them a no star but I can't.

    (1)

  • Matt B.

    All around the best pho in the area and everything else on the menu is amazing. You have to try the BenTre spring rolls theyre fresh spring rolls with fried spring rolls insude.... what. Im never disappointed.

    (5)

  • Sheena P.

    The people here are really friendly. Always welcoming with a personable smile. They seem fast paced while serving their customers but none the less always willing to fulfill any kind of accommodations!

    (4)

  • Marc H.

    First time having Pho and it was delicious :D

    (5)

  • Peter L.

    Wow this was a great plate of food. The staff was attentive and timely. We were a party of six and everyone loved their entree from the crepe to the noodle plates all came with lots of fresh herbs and tasty meats! Highly recommend! Great find!

    (5)

  • Angela D.

    My go to Vietnamese spot!! Esp since the weather is colder I love me some Pho! I like how they let me sub noodles in my Pho for bok choy. Parking is difficult at times but just circle around and pray to the parking gods!

    (4)

  • Nancy L.

    I will try this place again, one day but on the day I frequented this place at 2:30 in the afternoon, it was just okay. Plenty of people in the restaurant but food was just okay. Not deserving of the hype but maybe it's an off day. Staff is not super friendly but friendly enough and typical of an asian restaurant.

    (3)

  • Mike L.

    The tables aren't greasy and slick, the menus aren't tattered and worn, and the spoons and chopsticks hardly look stained and used. Who says tasty Vietnamese food can only be found at dirty restaurants?! Having tried a number of dishes at Ben Tre, just about everything I've tried has been pretty solid (except for one). - #2 Spring Rolls...( yelp.com/biz_photos/T2xi… ) They're pretty standard, but they were still good and tasted fresh. I really liked how the mint leaves weren't super heavy either. - #3 Imperial Rolls...( yelp.com/biz_photos/T2xi… ) The imperial rolls at PPQ in SF are still the best, but these aren't too shabby. The rolls are slightly bigger than most places, and the filling is pretty meaty. - #17 Pho Tai Bo Vien (Rare Steak and Beef Balls)...( yelp.com/biz_photos/T2xi… ) There was a good ratio of meat to noodles, but I especially liked their broth. The soup is flavorful without being overly rich and fatty, and it didn't leave me with that MSG aftertaste. - #22 Pho Thit/Bo Nuong (BBQ Beef or Pork with a Bowl of Plain Pho)...( yelp.com/biz_photos/T2xi… ) I've only seen this option offered at a few places, and Ben Tre's had the best balance of the two parts. The pho is pretty straightforward, but the BBQ Pork was great - a good amount of big, tender pieces of meat. - #35 Bun Rieu (Tomato and Crab Pho)...( yelp.com/biz_photos/T2xi… ) Pretty good overall, but Hoa Ky's a few blocks over is better. Nothing wrong wrong with this one, and I liked that the soup wasn't too oily, but Hoa Ky's had a little more meat and fash cake thrown in. - #29 Bun Cha Gio Thit/Bo Nuong (Imperial Rolls and BBQ Pork or Beef Vermicelli)...( yelp.com/biz_photos/T2xi… ) It wasn't particularly unique, but it was better than I had expected (I don't order vermicelli bowls that often). The meat was juicy, the imperial rolls were tasty, and the veggies were pretty fresh. All around solid. - Garlic Noodles with Five Spice Chicken The one I didn't like. It's pricey ($12.50, although it's a large portion) and instead of a buttery, garlic flavor, the noodles tasted more like burnt garlic. Points for including whole pieces of chicken, but it was hard to differentiate the bits of fried garlic from the mined up pieces of bone. Beyond the great food and clean tables, even the service here is pretty good - so friendly! It was even more awesome how they had their flat screen TV's tuned into the Giants playoff games. Pho and a Giants WIN = a good meal to me!

    (4)

  • Gus I.

    Ben Tre is definitely a restaurant to go to. Great food, inexpensive, and very homey. Seating is hardcore so you might share a table with someone, but I actually like it--meeting new people through food is one of the most amazing things that could happen! Happy this is near me, only problem is they're closed on Tuesday, and that's one of my days off. Oh. GARLIC. NOODLES. I could slurp that stuff all day!

    (5)

  • Yvonne D.

    Can get very crowded at lunch. Service is hit or miss at best. But the food is exceptional. I especially like the Shaking Beef with Garlic Noodles. Unless you have a big appetite be sure to ask for a togo container. You will not be disappointed.

    (4)

  • Edward N.

    Food is okay. Nothing too special. We asked for a chicken pho with no onions. The server confirmed and still brought it with onions. The grilled chicken was overly salty. And it might be just me, but it's kind of rude to bring out the check before we were even half way done with our meal. Ambiance is nice. New and trendy. And they have a tv at the bar.

    (3)

  • vindy f.

    The best beef balls I've ever had in California. Super friendly servers. Nice place to have a meal.

    (5)

  • Djengee V.

    Went inside, friendly server asked what i wanted. Gave my order, paid & waited for 5 min. Perfect! No long wait & very fast! Next time i will call in my order. Parking is hard to find but i got lucky so i decided to go inside. Good job!

    (4)

  • Shin T.

    First, I wasn't seated by the staff although I wrote my name on the board. I had to sit myself. Then next to the register is full of left over from people's table. Very gross to sit next too. Then after I ordered 30 sec here is my order! Fast good right? No, the noodle were piled and wait for the hot soup to drop in that's it. While experience is bad, and not worth my money.

    (1)

  • Angela L.

    I came here a few weeks ago by myself for lunch as I work a few blocks away and my friends had recommend it. I ordered the original pho, small size and it was surprisingly filing! I also ordered a che (3 jelly dessert) as my pho (~$8) was not enough to satisfy their "$10 minimum for credit card" rule. I would have probably made a stink about this as I learned from a customer at another establishment that it is illegal to enforce a minimum, but I had already embarrassed myself by asking a patron who was walking by for a menu, to which he said "sorry I don't work here, but I will get you some napkins" to which I began to reply "Oh, I actually asked for a menu.." but stopped as it was highly irrelevant. But, I digress.. Come for the pho! It is tasty and satisfying and comes with fresh garnishes. The restaurant is also very clean and the waiters/ waitresses are really nice. The ambiance is fairly casual, and I was comfortable enough eating all by my lonesome. I will return for the raved about five spice chicken pho (and compare it to the one at Perilla!)

    (4)

  • Darius A.

    The Garlic Noodles with shrimp are amazing. I don't really care for Pho but when somebody says lets go to Ben Tre my mouth starts to water for their garlic noodles. There can be a wait sometimes but usually never longer then 15 minutes.

    (5)

  • Alexis Y.

    Good food for a good price. Ordered to go and the food was ready very quickly. We asked what the place is known for and they said that they truly recommend the items on their menu that are pictured as being the best that they make. I personally would recommend the pho with a side of five spice chicken. You get a large bowl of pho with incredibly moist and delicious chicken(and a HUGE portion!). The fresh spring rolls and shrimp on sugarcane are delicious appetizers. The special yellow rice in Claypot was flavorful and filling. The BBQ short ribs with rice was cooking perfectly. Not the best Vietnamese that I've had but definitely close

    (4)

  • Anny P.

    4.5 stars I was just about to give up looking for good Vietnamese food in the Peninsula. Growing up in Little Saigon in the South Bay, it was all cheap delicious eats. This comes in pretty close. A co-worker told be about how great this place was, but as skeptical as I was, it was finals week and I was too brainfried to cook. We went with the #15 Combination Pho (Ben Tre Pho?) and the 5 Spice Chicken over Garlic Noodles. How was it? Actually, pretty good. Not up to OMG WOW hype, but the flavors and price were good. $22.00 for dinner for two. Serving size can feed two people per entree. We took just under half of the chicken and garlic noodles home. Yay lunch tomorrow! Oh, and complimentary hot tea. Perfect for cool night. Service was so-so, ambiance is nice, but neither is super important for me. $10.00 card minimum. Charges for containers, box, and sauce (to deter people from asking?) Parking can be tricky nearby, but there's more pockets of parking around the corner or up the street a bit. Overall, I would definitely return, especially since it's down the street from work. First time I came by, they were closed. What restaurant closes on Tuesday?? I guess I was just mad because I had to go across the street for Vietnamese and it wasn't as great...

    (4)

  • Brian W.

    Amazing! 5-spice chicken is incredible!

    (5)

  • Brooke B.

    So tasty and cheap what's not to love? Fantastic hangover/cold recovery/anytime food.

    (5)

  • Erick L.

    This vietnamese resto has become one of my fav restoz in the bay area...i love their pho soups and crabs and shrimp over fried rice or garlic noodles. Whenever i crave for some pho I go here! if you come during lunch or dinner it's usually packed. You sign up and wait. It usually doesn't go up to 30 mins. The beef pho is very delish and i like how the soup is dark brown like bone narrow soup. Some pho restaurants i've been to their soup is like water and lack of flavor. Ben Tre, personally, might be the best Vietnamese resto in the area.

    (5)

  • Marian K.

    You need to have your mind set for "be seated, rushed to order, eat fast, rapid cleaning, and get out of there" before walking in. This was my experience yesterday. We were seated in no time. Server came to take our order immediately even we had asked for more time. Food was served very fast. As we were eating, servers were cleaning even plates had food in it. The bill was presented before everyone had finished his food. During the course of eating, we did not have time to drink our tea and/or water with ease. No one in my party enjoyed the food. The Five Spice chicken was not seasoned enough. It tasted kind of nothing. The spring roll was over fried with loaded grease( actually it might be left over from the day before). We were rushed. Ben Tre is not a restaurant. They should say they are a FAST FOOD eatery if they can maintain the same quality of food.

    (1)

  • E T.

    3.5 over 5 Stars Food was good. Crowded on New Year's Day. Was able to get a seat by the bar. The only bad thing about this place is the services. Some guy working at the bar kept sneezing and coughing while customers are eating. He was clearly disgusting!! He was doing some graphics for the owner behind the bar. The vegetarian selection was tasty. When holla at the man behind the bar (could be the owner) he didn't acknowledge and ignored my gesture. I mean I get it... you're boss and not the waiter but f*ck. Shouldn't you tell your crew to bring the bill instead ignoring it?!!! With this sorta attitude you wouldn't last, if you're in big city like LA. Thank goodness you operate your restaurant in the suburb of Millbrae.

    (3)

  • Phuong V.

    My mom's family is originally from Ben Tre (a village in Vietnam) and we were waiting for the perfect schedule to finally eat here. We are originally from east bay so it was a bit of a drive. We arrived and parking was a bit cramped. There are many restaurant venues and it was a Sunday... go figure. When we arrived, the thing I like most is how the have a separate menu of their popular dishes. This makes it easy when choosing a dish. Their popular dishes were a bit americanized and fusion-ish. There weren't many authentic "Ben Tre" dishes but a combination of vietnamese food in general. Garlic Noodles with Five Spice Chicken: Garlic noodles were a little oily, the chicken was moist & flavorful but I shouldn't mixing my own fish sauce. Bo Luc Lac: Extremely tender beef, but again the special mama rice was so bland. Bun Bo Hue: (Ironic cus this is a Hue dish) This was probably one of their better dishes. There were a lot of noodles and variety of beef strips and meat. The waiter gave us the wrong condiments, instead of the shredded cabbage and rau ram, he gave us the condiments for pho. Bo Tai Chanh My favorite!! I loved this dish, I like the how the thinly sliced onions, rau ram and crushed peanuts mixed so perfectly well with the raw beef. The portions are great. They serve each dish on a huge plater with big portions of rice, noodles, meat, veggies. But I did not find anything special about this place, the bill threw me off a lot. It was about 80 for a family of 5. The service is very mediocre. I had to ask 3 times for a straw and I thought It was kinda odd that they were refilling napkins and sauces at our table while we were eating. From what I know, it something you do when the tables are bused.

    (3)

  • Dave N.

    Ben Tre is the best pho place we've had on the peninsula. Consistently good food.

    (5)

  • Anna Y.

    So I took my boyfriend here for dinner on Monday night. It was cold so I thought it would be a good time for some Pho'. We got there around 8 pm which is a peak-time for dinner but we got seated right away. We ordered a few things: Fresh spring rolls - it was ok; tasted like spring rolls. Nothing too special about it. I had a large 5-spice Grilled Chicken soup - WOWZA. The chicken was so tasty (even though it's a bit too greasy for my liking). It was very, very good! The broth of the pho was extremely delicious. I'll be fine without noodles and just the broth alone. (It was that good) The boyfriend had the beef rice platter with egg. The beef was also tasty; he ate the whole plate. And he finished half of my pho! I have been to the one in San Mateo but never been to this location. Fast service, clean, good food and most of all.. reasonable. Pretty damn good dinner for 2 just for $30. You should give it a try! IT IS GOOOOODD!!

    (5)

  • Claire D.

    Went here due to a lot of great reviews. The food is okay but overall the quality of ingredients in general left something more to be desired, for sure.... bun rieu - "crab noodle" - there was no taste of crab or crab flavor in the soft meatballs. the meatballs smelled slightly of dog food... sorry but it did. I was hungry but half way into it I had to stop. imperial rolls - low quality filling and was just okay. I wish the quality and flavors could have been a bit more spot on. salt and pepper shrimp - not crispy and lacking the usual delicious flavor I am used to getting in this dish. The service was probably the best part but I'll try others in SF instead.

    (2)

  • Michael W.

    Short Story: A decent Vietnamese restaurant in Millbrae. Long Story: I came here with a friend after a 49ers game as I took Bart and CalTran. I ate here for dinner and the food and prices were pretty good. In addition, the portions were sizable too. We got seated promptly at the bar as the rest of the restaurant was full. I ordered the short ribs and it was really good. Full disclosure I was pretty hungry too. The service was pretty average which means you have to flag someone down. The décor and ambiance was alright for the area. Not too shabby. Verdict: I'll be back when I am in that area.

    (4)

  • Tiffany L.

    Came here last night (Fri) at around 6:00p and got seated right away. We had the Cat Fish in Claypot, Vegetarian Claypot, and Salt and Pepper Squid. Our favorite were the Vegetarian Claypot (tofu, pineapple and mushroom) followed by Salt and Pepper Squid (which doesn't look great but taste pretty good) and finally the Cat Fish in Claypot (was just ok ... not better than Seabass in Claypot over at Saigon City in San Mateo). It's a decent place that gets crazy busy. As we're spoiled by Saigon City, we thought this place's prices are a bit high for what you get.

    (3)

  • Tasha H.

    I was staying across the street at Fairfield Inn. Here on a business trip and the location was perfect. Right across the street. I tried the Garlic chicken which everyone raved about and it was ok. The chicken was good and tasty but the garlic noodles was boring and not very tasty. Maybe just that night? Not sure but I won't have the chance to try it again since I don't live in the area. On another note, the person that takes the orders or answers the phone has such a heavy accent that I couldn't understand his directions to the restaurant so i used Google maps to get there.

    (2)

  • Ann A.

    I love Bun Bo Hue. I saw yelp review 4 stars so I expect they cook Bun Bo Hue in diff pot, diff soup. I came and disappointed. They used the same soup of PHO and mix with SA TE so became Bun Bo Hue. Dame , taste terrible. The Bun Bo Hue taste like PHO, all the meat taste pho. Dame , the worse lunch ever. One star give it to the waiter because he is nice otherwise no star at all.

    (1)

  • James T.

    This place has good pho. Soup is good and when the soup is good...the rest of it is generally good. The beef was perfect, came rare when served. The 5 spiced chicken was 5 stars. It was very tasty. The spring rolls were fresh and yummy. The vegetables on the side were not completely fresh, but who cares. I ate them anyways and they were still good.

    (5)

  • Kimberly F.

    I love Ben Tre! I'm so glad they have a location close to home (I first tried their SSF location which was by work). I love the bun rieu (I get this 90% of the time) - portions are generous, broth is flavorful and hot, and it comes packed with a lot of ingredients. On occasions that I'm not up for bun rieu, I'll get their combo rice plates. For the most part, they are also tasty, but can be oily and a little too salty. My fiance loves the garlic noodle plates - his go to is the shaking beef with garlic noodles. It's a little on the pricier side but the meat is cooked well, and the garlic noodles are heavenly (except you'll have garlic breath for a while!). Service can definitely be spotty - they've forgotten orders before, or food has taken a while to come (people who came after us who ordered similar things got theirs before we did), but nothing terrible.

    (4)

  • Jessica C.

    I am pretty confident our search for a delicious, generous, and well priced Vietnamese restaurant in the Burlingame/Millbrae area has started and ended with Ben Tre! - I am thoroughly in love with the garlic noodles. They aren't too buttery and are perfectly al dente, but sometimes there are too many big chunks of garlic on the noodles, maybe mince it a little more? - The meat dish + separate bowl of pho noodle soup for $8.95 combination is the best thing that has ever happened to me in a Vietnamese restaurant. I am constantly agonizing over whether to get a meat entrée OR a bowl of pho but here you can have BOTH for the price of one. The portion of meat was surprisingly huge (4 large pieces of tender and flavorful five spice chicken), and the pho has flavorful broth, and chewy noodles. - Awesome large portions, and the veggies on the side are fresh and the place is very clean. But why the super hard wooden chairs punishing our butts? Why? - Fast and excellent service.

    (5)

  • Crystal A.

    Love it here but I don't eat a lot so I had a lot of leftovers which frankly I don't mind bcuz it was soooo good!!! They dine in, take out, and they cater! Definitely recommend it!! Don't think about it just do it!! Ps they do take reservations... Sometimes!

    (4)

  • Stephanie G.

    Wonderful food. .Can't get enough!! #31 is my favorite!!

    (5)

  • Kolby T.

    The atmosphere was good. Food was great. I had the Ben Tre Pho, 5 spice chicken, and fried rice. All of them were great. The service was about like most asian places, rushed and impersonal.

    (5)

  • Kelso M.

    best broth out of any pho place ive been to and they serve it HOT! a word to the wise: get there later on in the day and the broth will be much better. otherwise if you get there early, you get all the oil that was sitting on top of the broth and its not as good. the bun rieu is really good too. so is the five spice chicken. the cafe sua da is okay, but if you're a coffee snob like me, go across the street to la petit camille. their coffee is leaps and bounds better.

    (5)

  • Cat K.

    This is absolutely my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the Bay Area and since I love Vietnamese food I've eaten at some of the highest end (Slanted Door) as well as a bunch of delicious dives (in SJ and in SF in the Tenderloin & beyond - both areas with strong Vietnamese communities). At Ben Tre the food is consistently delicious - all the friends and family I have introduced to this restaurant continue to eat there & rave about the food. The lemongrass pork is always delicious and the 5-spice chicken served with Pho is an incredible deal. I've been to both locations (since the Millbrae location is closed on Tuesdays (because there have been days I just have a craving that can't be satisfied by anything but Ben Tre!) I have to say that the Millbrae location is definitely much better than the SSF location. Something about the grill at the Millbrae location is just better - the skin on the chicken is crispier and the pork has a very delicious flame grilled flavor and texture. As in most Vietnamese restaurants - the food is prepared and served very quickly in both locations - which is great when you are starving. I guarantee you won't be disappointed with Ben Tre (Milbrae location)!

    (5)

  • Sonny V.

    We've eaten here several dozen times now and have been waiting to write a review. The short of it is that the food is 4-stars, service is 4-stars, and the location is 5 stars. Basically, this is as good as it gets for Vietnamese food without having to go to San Jose so we're going to round up to 5 stars for that sole reason. Okay the run down on food: The pho is decent. On the world stage (Westminster, San Jose, Pho Hoa in HCMC), we're talking a 7. Which is solid, especially for SF where one is to expect over-priced, heavily marketed, mediocre Vietnamese food. Bun bo hue is also surprisingly decent for a non-bun bo hue specialized place like Bun Bo An Nam in San Jose. Another 7. The bo luc lac + garlic noodles dish - an awesome creation and a regular favorite. I'd give it another 7 or even higher but because of the generally lower than expected meat quality that I'd normally expect from bo luc lac (I grew up with mom making it with real filet mignon), I have to down-grade it to a 6. And that's mostly because the garlic noodles are so good. I know it's weird that a place like this would have garlic noodles as a top dish which on its own is a 9 BTW. Bo kho + my/hu tieu is pretty good - 7. I would have made the broth a bit thicker and more savory but you know it's pretty good. And the meat quality is quite good - I usually ask for them to jsut skip the tendon and grisel-y meat and they usually comply 70% of the time. Thit nuong + rice or noodles is okay. 6 - alas we have to go to San Jose (Com Tam Dat Thanh) or the mothership (Com Tam Tran Quy Cap in Westminster) to get to a 9. Meat quality isn't great. Marinade is okay. Grill quality is so-so. Lack of variety of com tam toppings - but what do you expect from a non-com tam specialized place? Look it's hard to make crazy good Com tam thit nuong what can I say otherwise everyone would be making 9's. Cha gio (fried spring rolls) - they're okay. A 6 when universally rated. Has a bit much of non-meat filling for my tastes but you know it delivers. Dau hu xao - I think it's dish #77 - pretty solid for you vegetarians. An 8. The basil they put in at first is a little overwhelming but it's a cool "innovation" and I really like it. My go-to-dish often times even though I'm not a veggie. I wish it was a dollar cheaper given that it IS tofu. I dunno. Canh chua + fish or shrimp - okay this is the star. Totally well-deserved 8, almost a 9. It's pretty big - good enough for 4 people. And this is coming from someone who doesn't really eat much seafood. But they use real bac ha (sorry I don't know what this is called in English) instead of just celery which is the cop out. But they DO use some celery which is what knocks it down to an 8. But I get it bac ha is not cheap so you substitute. The broth is excellent though a tad tad bit sweet - I would reduce the sugar used by 10%. Anyway it's so good we almost always get this when there's a group of 4 or more. Ga nuong roti +pho - grilled chicken. Yes you heard me write. Before you ask why in the world anyone would order grilled chicken (with bones no less) at a place like this, let me just say this - it's crazy good. A 9. That's right baby - a 9 and they're not even in Westminster. This is one of their top dishes - it's basically mu vi huong (5-spice rub), *sigh* yes it's Chinese but it's super good. It's amazing with the garlic noodles or on the bed of greens w/ the pho (with no meat). This is one of their signature dishes that you won't find at other Vietnamese places. Because it's not really a Vietnamese dish. Thit kho to - claypot stewed meat - it's normally a 6 because they make it a little watery. Look the point of thit kho is that it's supposed to be carmelized right? Well they don't do a great job at it. Maybe it's a Chinese influence thing. So what you do is no matter what they get you (even when you ask them to carmelize it a lot), you send it back to be carmelized more and they bring it back so, sometimes still not enough. I wouldn't send it back a second time lest risk some saliva. Anyway, when it comes back a second time it's usually an 8. World class. The canned pineapples in it are a nice touch (not normal in traditional cuisine but that's okay - it's an improvement for sure). So we almost always order this. They encourage ordering this with the canh chua and I would too. Both incredibly flavorful (almsot overpoweringly so if you're not used to it but basically two of their anchor dishes. Look the food is solid and you don't have to go all the way down to San Jose what can I say? I also live like a block away and try to limit myself to eating here only twice a week so I don't really have an option of giving a rating any lower than 5 stars and you know what, in reality they really do deserve the 5 stars and is the skyscraper in Vietnamese food from San Mateo up to the Presidio. Yeah you heard me - the best Vietnamese place in the Bay area north of San Mateo.

    (5)

  • Angela K.

    This happens to be the closest place to home for a decent selection of Vietnamese food. The food is definitely good. But that doesn't make up for their lack of customer service skills. I frequent this place hoping that maybe each time the service will improve. It never fails though, and I think tonight tops it. We were seated right away, only to share the table with another couple - awkward. They gave us a couple of minutes to look at the menu, then the waiter came and wanted our orders. Luckily we already knew what we wanted. When they brought our food, they dropped our plates on the table, not gently placing them down. We were almost done with our soups before someone passed us and we had to flag him down for a coke. Not once did they check on us to see if we needed anything. Then once we were all done with our meals, we sat there, looking around, waiting for someone to come by. Then I saw the waiter bring our neighbors (who we shared the table with) a to-go box. As I raise my hand and stared at the waiter walking away, I think to myself "I know he sees me"...so I yell "Excuse me!" He finally looks at me, I'm thinking to myself 'Yes! I get eye contact this time.' I said to him "May I get a to-go box also? And the check please." He walks away. I think he heard me. He brought a box and the check, dropped it on our table, then walked away. Yes, I gave him a crappy tip, $2 on a $45 bill. He deserved ZERO. We won't be coming back. I'll drive a distance for better service.

    (1)

  • Kyla C.

    Wow! This Resturant is awesome! I had the Vegan Pho.... Yum! My husband had the chicken pho.... They brought out the juiciest pieces of chicken! We also each started off with an appetizer.... I had the tofu rolls, he had the classic fresh roll with shrimp....both we fantastic! The prices are super reasonable and the portions very large! Highly recommend!

    (5)

  • Ashley D.

    The food here is consistently good and its definitely what keeps me coming back. The broth of their pho is so rich and flavorful! Service is hit or miss. Some days its pretty good and attentive (mostly when they're less busy). Then other days you have to ask 3 different servers before you can get a side of onions.

    (3)

  • Jennylyn U.

    Good pho, even better garlic noodles! Get the Vietnamese iced coffee, too! Place is clean, just a little cramped because of all of the chairs and the space is a little tight. Overall, good Vietnamese food.

    (4)

  • Sunny S.

    A little while ago, I met a friend from yoga class here. She is Vietnamese, speaks the language fluently, and therefore has the inside track on quality Vietnamese establishments on the peninsula. And FYI, there is no shortage of Vietnamese restaurants in our hood, so it's good to know what's what. I enjoyed this place quite a bit. We started with the Goi Cuon (spring rolls), which were fresh, crisp, and served with a spicy peanut sauce. We then shared the Com Ga Quay Chao (5 Spice Chicken), served with garlic noodles (on special). The chicken was still on the bone, and it was zesty and flavorsome. My favorite part of the dish, however, was the garlic noodles. They seemed simple enough, but they were so yummy and delicious. Another great part of the Com Ga Quay Chao was that you could easily take it home and make three meals out of it. The portion was extremely generous! We had to wait a little bit long for the check, but no biggie. The service is fast, the wait isn't too long, the food is good.

    (4)

  • Camille B.

    A coworker and I came into Ben Tre El Camino after seeing that the line was out the door at the Grand Ave. location. Thankfully we were able to find parking a block down from the restaurant at about 12:15 on a Friday. We were surprised at the size and decor, since it was a lot larger than in South City with regular and bar style seating. There is also a bar with a number of beers aligned along the wall. I ordered my usual combo rice plate w porkchops, a fried egg, and fish cakes. My coworker ordered pho. We had no complaints and would definitely come back. Hopefully not too many people find out about the new location and flock to San Bruno - I definitely don't miss the crowd!

    (4)

  • Max D.

    Best Vietnamese. Period. I've had damn near everything on the menu and it's ALL good. Enough said.

    (5)

  • Michael W.

    Best viet restaurant in Bay Area. It may be noisy,but it serves some fresh pho that can't be beat!

    (5)

  • Alois V.

    Authentic and delicious, some of the best Vietnamese food Ive had outside of Hanoi or Saigon (or Westminister for that matter). My first time there I ordered the basic rare beef pho. Pho-king-a it was awesome. Delicate and subtle, I could smell the star anise before the bowl made it in front of me. It was served with a bounty of fresh herbs and sprouts. Second time there (just two days later) I ordered the Bun Bo Hue. Spicy and flavorful, I broke into a sweat it was so good. This place is insane.

    (5)

  • Rob C.

    3.5 maybe. 5 spice chicken with garlic noodles -- requires mixing of the fish sauce otherwise noodles a little dry, also chicken flavor is good but can be dried out without sauce. large portions, makes you thirsty. 31. bun cha gio thit nuong fairly standard and decent but would like pickled veggies (i.e cucumber) and more BBQ pork caramelization, chicken was nicely charred. great menu variety here. new location in San Mateo to fill the peninsula void between SJ and SF.

    (4)

  • Julie W.

    Yes, this is a solid 4 star Vietnamese eatery, it took only one try for me to get hooked. All my family members had been raving about Ben Tre, I was the last one to eat here (very unusual). Came for lunch yesterday at 1:30pm, took a while to find parking, the place was packed; luckily the wait was short. They offer a lot of choices, everything looked interesting from the photoed menu. We settled on papaya salad with prawns, house special pho and a rice plate with pork chop and 5 spice chicken. The salad came quickly, it was tasty and refreshing, a good start. Soon after we got our main courses, I was very impressed with the flavor of the broth and texture of noodles of my pho, they were perfect and perfect. There were also ample amount of protein in the bowl, very satisfying. Hubby was happy with his rice plate, he enjoyed the egg roll fried crispy both the pork and chicken were marinated with great flavors. Excellent food, we'd love to come back again and again.

    (4)

  • Kevin S.

    food is good here. highly recommended

    (5)

  • Ada H.

    I always eat here after work. Omg... Bun rieu and bun bo hue here is soo gooooooooodddd. Can never go wrong with those two. Everything else to me is just alright. Great place to get that pho cravings satisfied

    (5)

  • Cara B.

    Good Vietnamese food for a good price. The menu was huge and had a lot of Vietnamese dishes I'd never had. My pho was good. The meat wasn't super fatty but I've had better broth. My friend got the chicken pho and it was great. They give you the chicken on the side. It was cooked perfectly and was seasoned very well. The price was great. A large bowl of pho was less than $8. Good service. Overall a good experience.

    (4)

  • Anthony M.

    Wow! Truly delicious garlic noodle and Five Spice chicken. Cool ambient with the red bar. Outstanding flavor, meal felt fresh, clean, and non greasy.

    (5)

  • Stephanie J.

    The best noodles I ever had... The place is near to my office... I been there 3times a week.. I love it!

    (5)

  • Rhea M.

    4.3 stars I must say, this place is a really hopping joint. Doesn't matter what time you go, it is busy. There are so many Vietnamese places between my house and here (or the SSF location), but once you have Ben Tre, you want Ben Tre. Why? 1. Service is quick, friendly and clean 2. Wide variety of food including combo options 3. Prices are average 4. But then you get a WHOLE bunch of food, so then prices seem cheap! 5. ... and most importantly, DELICIOUS! Just do it, no hesitation, you will leave with a smile on your face and a food baby.

    (4)

  • Natalia M.

    I got the need stew and it was amazing! Very flavorful with big chunks of meat. And you can not beat the price! Back next week for sure! :)

    (5)

  • FoodJunkie S.

    We ordered the pork& crab noodle soup, beef papaya salad, chicken pho, spring rolls, and garlic noodles with chicken. Every dish was delic and they served rather generous portions. Big plus for us: we went with our 17 month old - totally baby friendly and clean! And we saw at least 4 other families with babies on a Sat. afternoon. It's probably one of the better Vietnamese restaurants on the peninsula: north of PA, south of SSF. We use to frequent another Vietnamese joint in San Mateo, but we'll be driving 10 more mins to come back again soon!

    (4)

  • T L.

    This place is amazballz. My fiancé and I have been here now 4x. We stop by anytime we are in San Fran. The spring rolls are killer, both shrimp and pork. Soups on point. Check it out you won't be disappointed

    (5)

  • Nate S.

    I was very impressed. Food was very fast but super delicious. The five spice chicken was perfect. Very succulent, not spicy, but very flavorful with the right amount of crispy. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because my girlfriend had the veggie pho and said it was salty. I was impressed though and left with a full stomach.

    (4)

  • Lawrence L.

    Finally, a restaurant that has the potential to stay around! This location has been home to a few short lived restaurants that I wanted to be good, but was pretty disappointed. Ben Tre, on the other hand, is just as they advertise: good authentic "Vietnamese Homestyle Cuisine"... I came in with a group of 8, and they were able to seat us in about about 5 minutes. We started with some fresh spring rolls, and imperial rolls (both were good)... I ordered the deluxe pho #16 (basically everything you can imagine in pho - good broth, and chewy noodles - hit the spot), my wife had the beef stew noodle soup (she really enjoyed it), my kids split a large bowl of rare beef pho (they devoured it), our friends ordered a grilled chicken dish and pho as well (they were happy campers). Service was friendly, and the place was super clean. Several flat panel screens showing V-Pop, Luke Nguyen's Vitenam, Football, and some Vietnamese soaps... They did a good job utilizing the space with a long central table in the middle, and tables on the side. Will be back for sure...

    (4)

  • Suwito S.

    Ordered short rib lunch combination. It was pretty good. Unfortunately they do not accept credit card for any orders under $10.00. My order was $9.80. Really?

    (3)

  • Rosita J.

    Yummy pho ga! It's cleaner than the location in South San Francisco, and not as cramped and stuffy. Most of the employees are friendly, except for one chick with short hair that has an attitude. This is my go to pho spot for sure!

    (4)

  • Jessica C.

    One of my usual pho places! This place is always consistent and consistency is key! The workers are always very nice and food always comes out promptly. I think my boyfriend comes here so often one of the guys remembers him everytime he comes in. I can not really say much negatives about this place except my mom thinks it can get quite noisy.

    (4)

  • Eric Y.

    3 - Stars... No decimal and no rounding! Why? All Rave? or? Background: The original location of this place used to be owned by another restaurant called "Trapper Crab Shack". I'm awfully glad that Crab Shack WAHH-NAH-BEE closed down. Reason? Well I was there for a private party once and the owner was smoking inside the restaurant while we were preparing food. Anyways, it was replaced back Ben Tre! Pre-Review: I don't know a lot about Ben Tre. But I do know that I pass by their original place (South San Francisco, Grant St), couple times! I never walked in to try because it was always packed during lunch hr. My usual hit spot was the Korean Restaurant next door. When Crab Shack closed, I was extremely excited about this new Viet Restaurant and the whole Garlic Noodle fantasy stories. Decoration + Ambiance: New decor! New TV! Some new furnishing! CLEAN! TV was showing Vietnamese Music Videos which had a scent of Korean Pop Culture. Nothing much to talk about here since it looked very nice! Food + Menu: Well, most of you may know of the Garlic Noodle craves. I went here knowing that I would at least order one or two of these. So, we decided on the following; Shaking Beef Garlic Noodles, Five Space Garlic Noodles, Pho Noodles (#15, forgot the whole name), Combo Rice Plate (Beef RIbs + Chicken Wings & Spring Rolls)... The presence of the food showed up wonderfully! But did it taste as it looks? Well, let's start with the Pho! Beef Pho with the Rare Beef slices showed up in a huge portion. The bowl of Pho was not hot! I always loved my pho to be hot as I slurp my way through it. But the problem arise when I realized that after sinking the rare beef under the warm soup base for 5 mins, it was still rare pink! Definitely would have been better if the bowl of soup was hot! The taste of the pho was pretty good, nothing surprising or crazy! Combo Rice Plate (Beef RIbs + Chicken Wings & Spring Rolls)... Just as "so-so" as the pho! Didn't please me at all. Why not? Well I was just at a Japanese restaurant this afternoon. I happened to order BBQ Beef Ribs w/ Kimchi Ramen. The Beef Ribs that I had at the Japanese restaurant was pretty much marinated the same way as this one. But? The beef here was definitely warmed up and reheated! It was dry and not tender. Definitely not fresh off the BBQ grill! Same for the Chicken Wings. Food was moderately warm! Didn't smoke w/ the fresh, "I WANT TO KILL THIS PLATE" kind of smell! Okay, now the long awaited! Garlic Noodles! "Boring!!" And here's why! I've had Garlic Noodles here in Millbrae! La Patite Camille on El Camino near Millbrae Ave corner has Garlic Noodles as well. The Garlic Noodles over there can open a can of woop ass! La Patite noodles are fresh with "buttery + deep fresh garlic" taste! Also, it's the same as Ben Tre because they serve "Five Spice" and "Shrimp" version! I'm sure you can ask for specials like Shaking Beef as well! Oh on the side note, Garlic Noodles are much cheaper at La Patite than at Ben Tre. Now back to Ben Tre's Garlic Noodles! Failed because there was little Garlic taste. There wasn't the fresh buttery smell! Also, The noodles weren't even warm! The Beef and the Chicken were warm, but the noodles were barely warm! Felt like they have a huge portions of Garlic Noodles pre-cooked and tossed on the side. Probably just microwave then throw the meat portion on top! It definitely did not trigger my taste buds! As for the meat, "shaking beef" was tender but some of it was a bit salty and overwhelmed with marinated sauce! Had to use noodles to balance the taste... Suggestions + Improvements: Definitely need to up a couple notches on the warmth of the food! I like the pho to be hot! I want the noodles to be warm or hot! I think the main reason why the taste of the food was okay was because of the temperature! Beef Rib quality wasn't up to par. Definitely more chewy than normal! I wish to have fresh grilled ribs! 20% Discount for first week? Good marketing or bad marketing? Human nature will always remember that 20% at the beginning. If the discount is not there anymore, will customers still buy up to the normal menu priced? Perhaps it would be better for discount during slow hrs (happy hr). Not sure if I would order Shaking Beef Garlic Noodles @ $15 without the 20%. Just saying! Service was decent, but would be better if it was faster! I know the owner will read this as he/she has already posted their own review! Hope to see some improvements! I will be back and I wish to edit my review with a higher rating because it's Millbrae's new gem. ~Side Note!~ This is the only Vietnamese restaurant in Millbrae that did not have a hint of Chinese background! There wasn't a single waiter that spoke Cantonese or Mandarin! So, definitely a true Vietnamese owner! Chicken Pho You on the block behind has nothing on this place if Ben Tre does some nice improvements! Ben Tre also has more choices compared to Chicken Pho

    (3)

  • Chuck N.

    Possibly the best service and slightly unique vietnamese food there is in the north bay. Get the famous chicken and pho combo $8.25 or so, it's awesome.

    (5)

  • Michelle W.

    A little pricey because it's Millbrae. Parking is tricky sometimes because there are so many local restaurants. This place gets packed quickly on the weekends and dinner time. However, it's a reliable place for bun rieu if I don't feel like driving to Kim Son. If you want the shrimp paste, you have to ask for it. Portions are plentiful and the soup is delish.

    (4)

  • Eva E.

    My favorite pho place in the pennisula. 5 stars for #21: Five spice chicken with pho. I also tried the catfish claypot bun rieu and spring rolls and they are all delish. I come here once a week to get #21 and it never dissapoint. This is the only place I know that serves grilled chicken with a side of noodle soup. Also, tried their South San Francisco location, but for some reason the Milbrae location taste so much better.

    (5)

  • James F.

    Great service, nice smiles and I felt welcome. Had Ice Milk coffee, BBQ pork rolls and Shaken beef with Garlic noodles. It was all perfect, fresh, hot and appetizing. Really good place!!

    (5)

  • Brianne W.

    Best Vietnamese place in the Bay Area. 5 spice chicken with pho on the side!!! Soooo good!!

    (5)

  • Sam K.

    Probably the best Vietnamese food I've ever had. Wife and I both had Pho with five spice chicken combo. Pho was rich in taste, chicken flavorful and juicy. Spring rolls were also good in that the outside was not dried out like some places. Enjoyed it. Will go again when I travel up north.

    (5)

  • Shakeel T.

    Same owner, Lovely person, Food is just as awesome as the South San Francisco Location. This one is a little bigger, so better chance of getting a Table :)

    (5)

  • Alex T.

    This place is so good. A little pricier than an average vietnamese restaurant but the food was great, portions were generous, and the service was fast which was perfect because I was starving after bay to breakers.

    (4)

  • Ian J.

    This place is so-pho-king good! Tried this place on a whim and it does not disappoint. The rare beef pho is excellent! The 5 spice chicken with garlic noodle is pretty great too. Best hangover food. 100% vibes

    (5)

  • Stephen F.

    I've made several stops here now, and feel I can offer a decent review. The beef pho is actually pretty good compared to the stuff I get in SF. (I never go to San Jose, so I can't compare the two). Once I even sampled the bbq pork rice combo plate. Not bad either! Good sized portions too. Prices are above average. I guess the rent is high in Millbrae, just like in SF. They make a decent ice coffee and three color drink too. Here is where Ben Tre sets itself apart from the noodle places in SF: more of the staff (not all) speak English like a native. Second, the restaurant is clean and pleasant. A nice touch is the trio of wide screens showing V-pop music and a Vietnamese cooking show, which I guess they run continuously. .

    (4)

  • Sabina H.

    Not bad for Millbrae.

    (3)

  • Shadi K.

    its a good place to stop for dinner! location is perfect and food is great, service is fast, like too fast to be true, but who doesnt want their plate is 2 minutes ! The guy made a mistake with the bill but then he corrected it after we notified him.

    (4)

  • Todd S.

    This place was hopping for a reason; nice clean Vietnamese, large portions, fast service. Went here when overnighting at an airport hotel and was super pleased. Try the crepe!

    (4)

  • G L.

    Food is tasty, fast and inexpensive

    (5)

  • Kayla S.

    Great food, but lacks in efficient service. The atmosphere is fun and the seating is mostly bar stools. The food is with great presentation and tastes as good as it looks. I've ordered the #16 before and the #21 with the five spice chicken and it's phenomenal.

    (4)

  • Robert P.

    Great place. Shaking beef!

    (4)

  • Don C.

    The food and the service were pretty good. The food and tea were hot, and our group enjoyed it. The price is a few dollars more per dish than the usual Vietnamese places that we go to, but it was a welcomed change of taste and atmosphere.

    (4)

  • Miku O.

    The pho was not what I had expected and it was just okay, The service was fast

    (3)

  • Nam H.

    I'm Vietnamese and am pretty picky about my Vietnamese food. Nothing ever beats home-cooked meals, but this places definitely comes close. It has a decent amount of your traditional dishes (read: more than just Pho). The place is kept very clean and so is the food. The servers are very nice and the food comes out very quickly. My girlfriend loves the bun rieu, and I agree that it's the best in the bay. I usually rotate been the bun, com tam, pho, and bun rieu dishes, and they all are satisfying when I'm craving Vietnamese food. I definitely prefer this location to the south san francisco one.

    (4)

  • spamela l.

    Great place, fast service and clean yummy food! I was pleasantly surprised by this place and had not even heard of it when my girlfriend took me - I will certainly return! I ordered the vermicelli noodles with BBQ pork and imperial rolls - very very good. Their servings per plate may not be as much as other vietnamese restaurants, but they use fresh, high quality ingredients. Enjoy!!

    (4)

  • Krystal O.

    This place is semi-new in Millbrae and I'm glad that it's doing pretty well since that place and restaurants that are usually there always go out of business. The decor is pretty interesting.. semi modern, lots of colors (I believe). As for the food - well I mean, who doesn't love pho? I hear their garlic noodle dishes are bomb.com so I probably need to try it next time because all I've tried here is their pho. Giving this place 5 stars because I have yet to have anything to complain about.

    (5)

  • Fred L.

    Garlic Noodle is awesome!

    (4)

  • Linda T.

    Yummy! Definetly a place to check out in Millbrae. This is not your typical Vietnamese restaurant. Food is superb especially their garlic noodles with five spice chicken, very delicious. It's as close to home cooking as you can get when it comes to Ben Tre. The service was great and efficient. Great ambiance, great seating and decor is fabulously well decorated. A Plus is that they serve Vietnamese beer = gotta try it!

    (5)

  • Mabel L.

    Got the bun rieu and salted plum soda. They were both ehhh. The broth was not as tasty as La Petite Camille's. The soda was more sweet than salty..not like the ones I have had. There are definitely more small tables than big tables, along with a long communal table in the middle. Probably will just come back for the appetizer specials and the cat fish clay pot...but definitely not for bun rieu.

    (3)

  • Mary Ann B.

    Love the decor and the tables. The owner is so friendly and we've known her since pho Saigon and Ben tre in ssf. This location is more spacious and nicely decored compared to the other locations. I love her hospitality and the food is über delicious! I love their rice plates because it is a bounty for just one person. The five spice chicken over rice was so delicious. Also their #35 Bun bo hue is really good! Spicy and flavorful. The staff are actually more attentive here than the other locations as well. So what makes this place better than the ssf location? This one closes at 10 but they still take in people 9:59pm... HAHA today after training muay thai we were hungry and it was already 9:30. We headed to the SSF location off Grand Ave. and apparently they close at 9:30. So we called the other location to ask what time they closed and to let them know we were on our way. 9:50pm we arrived and they took us in and seated us. We ordered after 10pm and they still happily served us. As I turned around from my chair to check out the place I seen a familiar face and waved joyfully. She immediately recognized me too, but beat me on greeting me. She was so happy to see us and we talked a little. I congratulated her on her new location and how well kept, clean, and updated the place looks. At the end of our meal we all greeted her goodnight, but she also gave us all a handful of candy to the four of us. I gave her a big hug because she is so genuinely nice and caring. I appreciate owners who remember their customers, especially when they go out of their way to make us feel at home. Definitely will be coming back to this location again!

    (5)

  • Martina B.

    This place is a GO TO casual restaurant. I like the service even though some of them BARELY speak English. It gets frustrating when they just stare at you, because they have no idea what you said or they don't know why you don't understand why you don't understand them. They are WAY NICE though! They are very kind and hardworking. I'm sure that I saw someone pick their nose when I was looking into the kitchen boiling the pho up. I swear on my life I saw it. It didn't bother me too much after a while because I realized that it was going to get boiled and I will never really know if his nose was wet or whatever. Overall, awesome SPRING ROLLS.

    (4)

  • Gerald C.

    Seems to be a solid Vietnamese restaurant. Most restaurants' chicken I find to be a bit hard or overcooked, but the 5 spice chicken here was superb! As was the catfish clay pot! Soft and smooth, and strongly seasoned. Noodles with beef was also good. I'll have to try the pho some time.

    (4)

  • Jerry H.

    Ben Tre has good vietnamese food. I'm sooo used to the TL joints but times are a changing and we don't do lunch in the TL anymore. I had their $12.50 Five spice chicken over garlic noodles and shared a $8.75 fried rice. The food is solid. The combo fried rice needed more texture. Too soft. My chicken was dry. All in all, good meal, not great.

    (4)

  • Alex K.

    Good, clean, Pho. I was super satisfied. Nothing out of this world, nothing wrong either. Now it's my go to Pho place for Millbrae.

    (4)

  • Rocio O.

    Pho is probably the best i've ever had. It hits the spot every time. It's my fav. place to go for some yummy caldito, yes! that's spanish for soup. Good, no! I mean great. I can't wait to go back with my GF's!

    (4)

  • Joe B.

    We dropped by right around 11am to eat before our flight out (airport is 10 minutes away). We ordered a few different dishes but my review is for the beef stew with pho noodles which was delicious due to the hearty complex soup broth. A little on the greasy side though and the meat was not fall of tender otherwise it would have been perfect 5 stars Service was friendly and accommodating and place is clean. A great place given the proximity and alternative dining if you don't want the airport isle food.

    (4)

  • Karen C.

    I saw someone mention that Ben Tre served great spring rolls on here and that was pretty much the deciding factor for me. I came for lunch and ordered the shrimp garlic noodles, chicken wonton pho, shrimp/pork vermicelli, appetizer platter (spring roll, fried spring roll, fish balls, deep fried shrimp, and a shrimp bamboo), and the vegetarian egg crepe. Overall the food was fine, nothing spectacular. The spring rolls were fine. I wouldn't go crazy over them. Wontons in my pho were old and HORRIBLE. I actually had to spit it out because I didn't want risking a stomach ache. My mom thought I was being ridiculous and tried it herself. She had the same reaction. I've never seen her spit anything out at a restaurant before. The meat was really dark and hard. You could just tell it was really old and bad meat. The service was on and off. I had to ask twice for pretty much everything other than the dishes ordered. Our drinks didn't come until mid-meal after I asked multiple times. One of the servers kept forgetting things and the other wasn't friendly. Each time we needed something or needed to remind them of something we had asked for, it took a while to wave down a server. The restaurant was busy but it wasn't packed. There were 3 servers around; I thought the tables could have been covered better. If I was craving pho I'd probably go to Hoa Ky, the next street over. This place does have more options then your standard pho restaurant but it's definitely pricer and for no good reason I can justify... except maybe cause they have a LCD screen at the front?

    (2)

  • Jan L.

    My whole family was looking for some new taste of food and experience. As we are driving along looking for some new place to have a great lunch we have noticed this small beautiful pack place so we ended up trying this one out of curiosity. And indeed, it was a new taste of food and experience, I don't know any of the food served but it taste great and little bit spicy, a very good blend of herbs or spices I think. However the famous yellow rice was a bit oily though and I don't know if it's meant to be that way. Overall we enjoy and we had so much fun - what a great lunch and experience

    (3)

  • Wilson T.

    I can smell their ventilation exhaust from Magnolia Ave. I can't comment on the spring rolls, but the bbq pork vermicelli, rare steak pho, and five spice chicken is extremely flavorful. It is exactly as you expect when you can smell their cooking blocks away, and I'm serious about the exhaust. Early in the morning you can occasionally smell the pho two-three blocks away!

    (4)

  • Kim T.

    THIS PLACE IS GOOD! ... Now i know where to go too when i miss my mom's home cooking. Oh, there garlic crab and garlic noodle is gooood and not as expensive as PPQ. Service was good. Overall experience ... GOOD .. will for sure come back. Oh also, it's a bit pricey but so worth it. So far the food i tried was catfish that was in a claypot and garlic crab & noodle .. .. all was soo good & delicious

    (4)

  • Rose F.

    We had an early dinner here the other night. The restaurant was empty. We usually go to the So SF location, but we were in the area and thought we give the place try. The food and service was very good. This location was roomy and has more tables than So. SF. The place doesn't have its own parking lot, but there's plenty of free street and public parking.

    (4)

  • Bob P.

    Great food...end of story! But, if you need more, then ambience was very cool. Lots of folk, very diverse group, fast paced/occasionally a bit crazed, but all fun. Severs were very nice despite being over-worked a bit ("who's on first?"). Not a sit down, romantic place at all. Just great food, fun buzz, and super friendly! Love it. We'll be back!

    (5)

  • Elaine C.

    I have been to the Ben Tre in South San Francisco. I think the food is about the same here. I am not too WOW of the food here. I find that the rice plate dish was kind of small. However, I enjoyed their appetizer shrimp rolls. It's the best ! I would come back if I am around the area. It's just another typical Vietnamese restaurant. Their waiter service was very attentive though.

    (3)

  • N S.

    Excited to see another Vietnamese place in Millbrae. I'm going to pick it apart simply because i see room for improvement and a couple things that are no brain-ers that no restaurant should ever do... When we came in we were promptly seated, given some nice jasmine teat, and began to look over the menu. Sat by Girl #1 Being that we have Viet food very frequently we were excited over some new items that aren't at our normal go-to place. We immediately noticed that the prices are about 1 dollar or more than our normal place. We took our time an studied the menu. This must have made our server think that we were uncomfortable or unfamiliar with Viet cuisine. ( get to that in a sec) The menu is a bit confusing in that it's in the middle of - Let's design it to look cool and trendy, pack a bunch of info on it, but keep the cost down- I think they need to go one way or the other. either make it a paper cheap menu or take Thai Stick's menu down the street and copy it. Order given to Guy #1 After about 10 mins or so we ordered the spring rolls... we weren't ready to order anything else.and asked for a couple more mins. The rolls came out quick and we started eating them while still decided on what to order as mains. We also asked for water. When we were half done with the rolls our server approached us to take our order... now i'll be a bit picky here but this is how i see it... we were both literally mid bit and chewing on our food when he walked up... and just stood there... not for long because we knew what he wanted... but he should have asked in passing if we were ready... we both had to quickly finish our bites/talked with our mouths full to give our order. The wifey got 5-spice chicken and i got Bun Cha. The food came out quick and hot, and when it arrived at our table is when i decided to make sure i write a review... This is why i thought maybe just perhaps... our waiter thought we were uncomfortable... as he put our food in front of us he PRECEDED TO TELL US HOW TO EAT IT. "this sauce, you put in here" etc etc... oh no... oh no you did not just tell me how to eat the food i ordered... you did this because i'm white (Greek :D) didn't you... you think i have no idea what i'm doing because my wife takes her time to order... You think i have NEVER eaten Vietnamese food before... you might even think i'm a tourist... So if i own lets say a hamburger joint... and i see Asian people walk in and they order a cheese-burger.. when i give it to them i should say... "so you pick it up in your hands and take bite out of it" Can you imagine? you never ever ever tell people how to eat... they are buying the food... they get to eat it however they want... they are paying for it... NOW... if i had asked you how to eat it... then by all means educate me... This ruined whatever good was left in my experience. If not for this insulting mishap i'd give them a 3/5. The wifey enjoyed her 5-spice chicken... minus that id had bones intact... our regular place removes the bones. My Bun Cha was okay... the noodles were actually overcooked and a bit mushy. We both noticed that the fish sauce was very very mild... so much so that i thought perhaps they watered it down in the back... because after all we might be newbie white tourists.... plates were removed and check given by guy #3.... Check was brought back by girl #1... whats with the THREE different servers all the time.... we never got our water... As we were leaving I turned to say thank you to only see backs of people... i waited for a couple seconds to get eye contact and said thanks... So in summery... Don't ask people to talk to you if their mouths are full... If you bother to ask me if i want something to drink... please bother to bring me what i told you i wanted... NEVER TELL PEOPLE HOW TO EAT! is this not food service 101? Here's a little work around... i'll educate you... if you think your patron may not have a clue at what they are doing... you simply ask them.. "any questions" you can do this many times... I'm fine with a large work staff... but at least have the same person handle my check.. and credit card... /end rant

    (1)

  • Charlie D.

    Definitely worth it! Reasonable prices and portions are a really good size. I ordered the papaya salad with beef. It was huge! Def not your average skimp salad. Also they have a combo meal with meat and pho soup... For those of you who are indecisive like me:)

    (5)

  • Radio R.

    Best Vietnamese in the area! Amazing, fresh, hot, every time.

    (5)

  • Kelly N.

    Ahhh I was so excited to try this place out since I love Viet food, oh yeshhhh cuz I am so Viet and it's alost 5 mins away from my bf's house I got banh xeo and my bf got 17. It wasn't as good as what I expected, it's way too thick and I can't bare see any meat in it (huge disappointed) when I paid more than $8 for it (which is only around $6.50 in South Bay and way betaaaa). My bf's pho wasn't that good either, it's kinda tateless We will come back another time when we are too lazy for a drive out so next time!!!

    (3)

  • Carla D.

    We went to Ben Tre last night and surprise, it was the opening night! I was hoping it would open soon because I really like the other location in SSF, and so when I saw it open I thought we should try it out --- just turned out to be their opening night. Great job Ben Tre!!! All the food was super yummy, the service was smooth, efficient and friendly, and the decor is super hip. I'm sure this restaurant will be a hit. Actually, it already looks like it's a hit because it was packed on the first night. We didn't end up getting the garlic noodles, but now I regret that because it looks like there was a plate of garlic noodles with crab on just about every table in the place. Must be fantastic! Our food was pretty awesome (5 spice chicken, vietnamese crepe, beef stew), but the noodles appear to be something to look forward to the next time we're there. PS: Thank you to being welcoming also to non-Asians. Looks like we might have been the only entirely non-Asian family in the place, and we were made to feel right at home. Thank you!

    (5)

  • Brian C.

    We've eaten here several times now. They have quick service and I would say their menu is a step up from your typical "mom and pop" pho place. I usually get their Shrimp Papaya Salad. I've had their Pho too - pretty good if you ask me. We've been to the South San Francisco one on Grand also - the one that kindly asks you to not use AMEX because of the higher CC fee (SO GHETTO to post this to your customers). Anyways, overall the experience is good. The idea that there are Pho places out there with less expensive and more delicious pho has crossed my mind but it's not like the pho here is whack or anything like that...

    (4)

  • Travis Y.

    The portions are pretty decent size for the price. The food was good, as well. Plus, the food came out quickly. I had the following foods: Meat, cooked in lemon juice Five spIce chicken with garlic noodle- pretty good House fried rice- okay. Nothing special Combo appetizer- came with a couple different skewers and rolls. It was pretty tasty. Id go here again

    (4)

  • Roger A.

    My first experience cemented how I felt about this place. We had a going away party and we actually had more people than seats reserved. So they let us take another table.. and it was busy. The staff was friendly. The food price was moderate But the food was great and proportional, so worth it. The place was nice with alot of space. Bathroom was clean! Service was great. It was a good choice to check this place out.

    (4)

  • David Z.

    Tried it for lunch recently and it was great. I had vermicelli noodles with BBQ pork and veggies and it was super tasty. The decor is clean and the service was excellent too. I'll be back whenever I am near SFO and need some good Vietnamese food.

    (4)

  • Alice C.

    Despite hearing mixed reviews about this place, I wanted to see for myself. I really tried to like it, but the bf and I just couldn't. Food: We started off with fresh spring rolls and they were fine. However, the peanut sauce just didn't do it for us. The bf described it as peanut butter right from the jar. Although he was over exaggerating, but it was pretty thick. When my order of bun rieu came out, it was was not hot like I expected. It was semi warm and and the broth was bland. The bf's bowl of pho was decent, but he's had better. Service: Ok, but not the greatest. We had to ask for the garnishes for our soup. You figure they would bring it over, but we had to ask for it. They probably just forgot, so I can look past that. The waiters don't come to you unless you flag them down. When we asked for the check, they gave us the wrong one. Maybe they were having a bad day, but the restaurant was not even busy. Price: I don't mind paying a buck or two more for quality food, but for what it is, it was not worth it. We will be sticking with our original pho spot Hoa Ky.

    (2)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :10:00 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Ben Tre Vietnamese Homestyle Cuisine

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