Oakland's 5 best spots to score cheap Vietnamese fare

Oakland's 5 best spots to score cheap Vietnamese fareVientian Café. | Photo: Maya W./Yelp
Hoodline
Published on May 21, 2019

Looking to satisfy your appetite for Vietnamese fare?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best affordable Vietnamese restaurants around Oakland, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to satisfy your cravings.

1. Banh Mi Ba Le

Photo: John k./Yelp

Topping the list is Banh Mi Ba Le. Located at 1909 International Blvd., the Vietnamese spot, which offers coffee, tea and sandwiches, is the most popular inexpensive Vietnamese restaurant in Oakland, boasting 4.5 stars out of 1,003 reviews on Yelp.

The menu has more than 20 sandwich options, with standouts like shredded pork, lemongrass chicken and dried, salted pork with pate. (Check out the full menu here.)

2. Vientian Café

Photo: maya w./Yelp

Next up is Allendale's Vientian Café, situated at 3801 Allendale Ave. (between 39th and 38th avenues). With four stars out of 886 reviews on Yelp, the cafe, Vietnamese and Thai spot has proven to be a local favorite for those looking for a budget-friendly option.

The menu ranges from snacks like the angel wings, fish cake and nam kao (deep-fried rice mixed with ground pork, coconut, ground peanut, fermented pork, cilantro and green onion, mixed in a special sauce) to noodle soup and full meals like the kung phad kanar (stir-fried broccoli and shrimp). This spot also offers a variety of vegetarian options.

(Here's the full menu.)

3. Vien Huong Restaurant

Photo: ann s./Yelp

Chinatown's Vien Huong Restaurant, located at 712 Franklin St. (between 7th St. and Eighth Street), is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the budget-friendly Chinese and Vietnamese spot, which offers noodles and more, four stars out of 832 reviews.

This spot offers soup, noodle and rice dishes. Yelpers recommend ordering the fried fishcakes to start, then finishing with the beef stew with the wide noodles; the chow jew ho fun with ground pork, ho fun noodles, fishballs, shrimp, meatballs, fishcakes and sliced chicken in broth; or the chow jew rice noodle soup. 

(Take a look at the menu here.)

4. Mom's Bun Mi

Photo: art s./Yelp

Mom's Bun Mi, a Vietnamese spot that offers sandwiches, coffee and tea and more in Rancho San Antonio, is another much-loved, budget-friendly go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 192 Yelp reviews. Head over to 1400 14th Ave., Suite A (between Marin Way and 15th Avenue.) to see for yourself.

Popular sandwich options include pork belly, roast pork and curry chicken. Yelpers also recommend the lemongrass beef over rice, as well as the shrimp pork spring rolls. (Explore the menu here.)

5. Pho Vy Vietnamese Cuisine

Photo: anita w./Yelp

Over in Merritt, check out Pho Vy Vietnamese Cuisine, which has earned 4.5 stars out of 175 reviews on Yelp. Dig in at the Vietnamese spot, which offers noodles and soup, by heading over to 401 International Blvd.

Its large menu offers pho, rice plates, rice porridge and stir fry dishes. Try the beef stew (the restaurant's signature dish), the Tai pho (beef noodle soup with rare steak) or the spicy claypot catfish (bite-sized fillets of fish simmered in caramel sauce.)

(Take a look at the full menu.)

This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.