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Shrimp spring roll from 9 Roses

New Orleans’s Essential Vietnamese Restaurants

From New Orleans East to the West Bank, there is no shortage of excellent Vietnamese cuisine in New Orleans

by Beth D'Addono and Eater Staff Updated Jan 28, 2022, 4:15pm CST

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Shrimp spring roll from 9 Roses

| Nine Roses Restaurant

by Beth D'Addono and Eater Staff Updated Jan 28, 2022, 4:15pm CST

Thanks to the Vietnamese community that has made New Orleans home since the mid 1970s, the city has a thriving restaurant scene, one that’s gotten bigger and better in the last decade. It used to be seekers of the cuisine had to go to New Orleans East or the West Bank to sample lemon-grassed scented bao and pho fragrant with star anise and cardamom. Now mom and pop shops are everywhere, from Uptown to Mid City to the French Quarter. Lovers of this clean herb-fueled cuisine couldn’t be happier.

Here are Eater’s picks for New Orleans’s 16 essential Vietnamese restaurants, arranged geographically.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.

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Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically.

Banh Mi Boys (Multiple Locations)

Although it looks like part of a gas station (actually it’s just next door), Banh Mi Boys on Airline Highway is worth the drive — and now there’s a second location right on Magazine Street. The menu ranges from straight up Vietnamese specials like spring rolls, vermicelli plates and banh mi to a mash up of Cajun, Korean and local flavors — try the bulgogi beef banh mi, the Asian wings and the darn good soft shell crab po-boy. Owner Peter Nguyen cares and it shows.

5001 Airline Dr, Metairie, LA 70001

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A banh mi filled with charred beef, carrots, white onions, and cilantro sits on a wood slab. — Pho Spice Beef Rib Banh Mi from Banh Mi Boys

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Singleton's Mini Mart

Singleton’s is a typical corner store, family run, located a few minutes from Tulane and Loyola. The family happens to be Vietnamese, which means the fried egg rolls are homemade, the pho (only offered Saturdays) is super, and the banh mi po-boys rock. The “usual” po-boys are also good, from fried oysters to roast beef.

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7446 Garfield St #3635, New Orleans, LA 70118

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Ba Chi Canteen

The menu at this Maple street gem is a kick: bacos (bao meets taco), gyoza nachos, kimchi fries, green tea Kit-Kat cheesecake — the mash-ups never stop. Insanely good, cheap, and friendly, Ba Hi Canteen is a winner.

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7900 Maple St, New Orleans, LA 70118

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A white dish containing dumplings topped with chilis, soy sauce, and cilantro — A special Ba Chi Canteen calls the “steamed beggar’s purse” with chili soy

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Rolls-N-Bowls

Consider heading to this Old Metairie cafe for happy hour, when spring rolls are half off and they are spot-on good. Located on a busy section of Metairie Road, Rolls-N-Bowls specializes in two things: spring rolls of all flavors and steaming bowls of pho on the quick and cheap. The tasty bowls are crammed with vegetables, nice and fresh. Bubble tea is here, one of few spots in town.

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605 Metairie Rd, Metairie, LA 70005

Rolls-N-Bowls

Also featured in:

Where to Eat Pho in New Orleans This Winter

Mint Modern Vietnamese

Mint Modern Vietnamese doesn’t follow any rules when it comes to Vietnamese food. There’s a banh mi burger (which also happens to be one of the city’s greatest burgers) and banh mi stuffed with everything from fried soft shell crab to french fries and mushrooms. A meat lover’s option combines barbecue pork, pate, Vietnamese ham and meatballs. This contemporary spot has a full bar, table service, and a playful menu.

5100 Freret St, New Orleans, LA 70115

A bright green sign hangs outside a restaurant reading “Mint Modern Vietnamese Bistro & Bar” — Mint Modern

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Le's Baguette Banh Mi Cafe

Serving breakfast from 11 a.m. every day but Tuesday, Le’s is yet another family-owned Viet cafe that exceeds expectations. Fans appreciate spring rolls, steamed buns filled with lemongrass chicken, banh mi sandwiches, and steaming pho. Worth noting: Le’s Baguette gets its bread from Dong Phuong bakery in New Orleans East.

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5529, 4607 Dryades St, New Orleans, LA 70115

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A steamed bun filled with fried oysters, coleslaw, and aioli — Fried oyster steamed buns

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Magasin Vietnamese Cafe

New Orleans native Kim Nguyen’s Magazine hot spot helped kicked off a contemporary Vietnamese boom in 2012. Magasin has a sleek, comfortable interior and serves polished pho at affordable prices, at the second location in the Warehouse District, Magasin Kitchen, (611 O’Keefe Avenue) as well.

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4201 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

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Also featured in:

Where to Eat Pho in New Orleans This Winter

Pho Tau Bay Restaurant

Pho Tau Bay is a family affair, with roots that reach back to Saigon in the 60s, when the family patriarch owned restaurants there. Spiced beef stew is a specialty here, served over rice noodles or warm French bread, but all the usual suspects are represented on the menu. Lots of good vegetarian dishes, a bonus.

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1565 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112

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Pho Noi Viet

Simply delicious Vietnamese food is the standard at Pho Noi Viet on Magazine. There’s a vegan pho option, but the rare beef brisket is tough to miss. Lemongrass chicken, shaken beef, and plump banh mi sandwiches all served in no time at all, with a smile.

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2005 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130

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The yellow interior of a restaurant with a left wall lined with two-top tables and a right wall lined with four-top tables. — The interior of Pho Noi Viet

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Lilly's Café

This sweet and cozy Vietnamese cafe in the Lower Garden District has been a longtime lunch favorite, with quick and friendly service. The rich pho broth simmered for eight hours puts it at the top of the city’s crowded pho list.

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1813 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130

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Thanh Thanh

Situated in the heart of Old Gretna steps from the river, Thanh Thanh serves something to please every palate. Avocado toast? Yep. Omelets, sure. Buttermilk fried chicken with truffle fries — uh, sure. But the Vietnamese fare is the real deal, from the crispy filled crepes to the banh mi.

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131 Huey P Long Ave, Gretna, LA 70053

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Pho from Thanh Thanh

Also featured in:

Where to Eat Pho in New Orleans This Winter

Tan Dinh

The menu at Tan Dinh is vast, just one reason this Gretna eatery is such a hot spot. Try the rice paper-wrapped or fried spring rolls filled with shrimp or pork, anything with lemongrass tofu, flavored rice bowls, and tangy vegetable-forward vermicelli bowls. There’s also Korean style barbecued ribs served with kimchi and a nice line up Vietnamese beer.

1705 Lafayette St, Gretna, LA 70053

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A white bowl holds rice noodles topped with shrimp, greens, crumbled peanuts and cilantro — Shrimp vermicelli bowl from Tan Dinh

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9 Roses Restaurant

The huge and newly renovated original restaurant on the West Bank delivers awesome Vietnamese specialties and Chinese food alike, but it’s the crispy spring rolls, vermicelli bowls, and lemongrass tofu that bring us in. There’s a solid vegan menu, too.

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1100 Stephens St, Gretna, LA 70053

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Ba Mien Restaurant

One of the go-tos in New Orleans East, Ba Mien is a typical strip mall joint with a menu that delivers traditional Vietnamese flavors and lots of options. There’s tripe in some pho — which isn’t always offered — and banh cuon, or steamed rice flour rolls (think feather-light Vietnamese manicotti), stuffed with grilled pork, a Saigon specialty.

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13235 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70129

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Ba Mien Restaurant on Chef Menteur Hwy

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Dong Phuong

Dong Phuong won a James Beard America’s Classics Award in 2018, and deservedly so. Revered for its fresh bread delivered to restaurants all over the city and its King Cakes during Carnival season, Dong Phuong was one of the first to offer banh mi sandwiches when it opened in 1982. Still drawing crowds in the morning and at lunch, the restaurant and bakery deserves a visit.

14207 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70129

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A red brick standalone restaurant with a beige roof with a parking lot in front — Dong Phuong Bakery

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Phở NOLA

For a strip small, Pho NOLA’s space on Transcontinental Drive is spacious, light, and airy, with a nice L-shaped bar for post-work dining. It’s a favorite for its vast menu of boba and special teas as much as for banh mi, pho, and other noodle soups,

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3320 Transcontinental Dr, Metairie, LA 70006

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Phở Bang Restaurant

Along the same highway as Ba Mien in New Orleans is the quiet Pho Bang, flying under the radar but not to be overlooked. Try the cold bun salad and ultra meaty house pho featuring tripe, flank, brisket, ‘navel’ and tendon.

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932 Westbank Expy, Gretna, LA 70053

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Banh Mi Boys (Multiple Locations)

5001 Airline Dr, Metairie, LA 70001

A banh mi filled with charred beef, carrots, white onions, and cilantro sits on a wood slab. — Pho Spice Beef Rib Banh Mi from Banh Mi Boys

Although it looks like part of a gas station (actually it’s just next door), Banh Mi Boys on Airline Highway is worth the drive — and now there’s a second location right on Magazine Street. The menu ranges from straight up Vietnamese specials like spring rolls, vermicelli plates and banh mi to a mash up of Cajun, Korean and local flavors — try the bulgogi beef banh mi, the Asian wings and the darn good soft shell crab po-boy. Owner Peter Nguyen cares and it shows.

5001 Airline Dr, Metairie, LA 70001

Visit Website

A banh mi filled with charred beef, carrots, white onions, and cilantro sits on a wood slab. — Pho Spice Beef Rib Banh Mi from Banh Mi Boys

Singleton's Mini Mart

7446 Garfield St #3635, New Orleans, LA 70118

Singleton’s is a typical corner store, family run, located a few minutes from Tulane and Loyola. The family happens to be Vietnamese, which means the fried egg rolls are homemade, the pho (only offered Saturdays) is super, and the banh mi po-boys rock. The “usual” po-boys are also good, from fried oysters to roast beef.

Open in Google Maps

7446 Garfield St #3635, New Orleans, LA 70118

Visit Website

Ba Chi Canteen

7900 Maple St, New Orleans, LA 70118

A white dish containing dumplings topped with chilis, soy sauce, and cilantro — A special Ba Chi Canteen calls the “steamed beggar’s purse” with chili soy

The menu at this Maple street gem is a kick: bacos (bao meets taco), gyoza nachos, kimchi fries, green tea Kit-Kat cheesecake — the mash-ups never stop. Insanely good, cheap, and friendly, Ba Hi Canteen is a winner.

Open in Google Maps

7900 Maple St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Visit Website

A white dish containing dumplings topped with chilis, soy sauce, and cilantro — A special Ba Chi Canteen calls the “steamed beggar’s purse” with chili soy

Rolls-N-Bowls

605 Metairie Rd, Metairie, LA 70005

Rolls-N-Bowls

Consider heading to this Old Metairie cafe for happy hour, when spring rolls are half off and they are spot-on good. Located on a busy section of Metairie Road, Rolls-N-Bowls specializes in two things: spring rolls of all flavors and steaming bowls of pho on the quick and cheap. The tasty bowls are crammed with vegetables, nice and fresh. Bubble tea is here, one of few spots in town.

Open in Google Maps

605 Metairie Rd, Metairie, LA 70005

Rolls-N-Bowls

Mint Modern Vietnamese

5100 Freret St, New Orleans, LA 70115

A bright green sign hangs outside a restaurant reading “Mint Modern Vietnamese Bistro & Bar” — Mint Modern

Mint Modern Vietnamese doesn’t follow any rules when it comes to Vietnamese food. There’s a banh mi burger (which also happens to be one of the city’s greatest burgers) and banh mi stuffed with everything from fried soft shell crab to french fries and mushrooms. A meat lover’s option combines barbecue pork, pate, Vietnamese ham and meatballs. This contemporary spot has a full bar, table service, and a playful menu.

5100 Freret St, New Orleans, LA 70115

A bright green sign hangs outside a restaurant reading “Mint Modern Vietnamese Bistro & Bar” — Mint Modern

Le's Baguette Banh Mi Cafe

5529, 4607 Dryades St, New Orleans, LA 70115

A steamed bun filled with fried oysters, coleslaw, and aioli — Fried oyster steamed buns

Serving breakfast from 11 a.m. every day but Tuesday, Le’s is yet another family-owned Viet cafe that exceeds expectations. Fans appreciate spring rolls, steamed buns filled with lemongrass chicken, banh mi sandwiches, and steaming pho. Worth noting: Le’s Baguette gets its bread from Dong Phuong bakery in New Orleans East.

Open in Google Maps

5529, 4607 Dryades St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Visit Website

A steamed bun filled with fried oysters, coleslaw, and aioli — Fried oyster steamed buns

Magasin Vietnamese Cafe

4201 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

New Orleans native Kim Nguyen’s Magazine hot spot helped kicked off a contemporary Vietnamese boom in 2012. Magasin has a sleek, comfortable interior and serves polished pho at affordable prices, at the second location in the Warehouse District, Magasin Kitchen, (611 O’Keefe Avenue) as well.

Open in Google Maps

4201 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Visit Website

Pho Tau Bay Restaurant

1565 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112

Pho Tau Bay is a family affair, with roots that reach back to Saigon in the 60s, when the family patriarch owned restaurants there. Spiced beef stew is a specialty here, served over rice noodles or warm French bread, but all the usual suspects are represented on the menu. Lots of good vegetarian dishes, a bonus.

Open in Google Maps

1565 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112

Visit Website

Pho Noi Viet

2005 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130

The yellow interior of a restaurant with a left wall lined with two-top tables and a right wall lined with four-top tables. — The interior of Pho Noi Viet

Simply delicious Vietnamese food is the standard at Pho Noi Viet on Magazine. There’s a vegan pho option, but the rare beef brisket is tough to miss. Lemongrass chicken, shaken beef, and plump banh mi sandwiches all served in no time at all, with a smile.

Open in Google Maps

2005 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

The yellow interior of a restaurant with a left wall lined with two-top tables and a right wall lined with four-top tables. — The interior of Pho Noi Viet

Lilly's Café

1813 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130

This sweet and cozy Vietnamese cafe in the Lower Garden District has been a longtime lunch favorite, with quick and friendly service. The rich pho broth simmered for eight hours puts it at the top of the city’s crowded pho list.

Open in Google Maps

1813 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Thanh Thanh

131 Huey P Long Ave, Gretna, LA 70053

Pho from Thanh Thanh

Situated in the heart of Old Gretna steps from the river, Thanh Thanh serves something to please every palate. Avocado toast? Yep. Omelets, sure. Buttermilk fried chicken with truffle fries — uh, sure. But the Vietnamese fare is the real deal, from the crispy filled crepes to the banh mi.

Open in Google Maps

131 Huey P Long Ave, Gretna, LA 70053

Visit Website

Pho from Thanh Thanh

Tan Dinh

1705 Lafayette St, Gretna, LA 70053

A white bowl holds rice noodles topped with shrimp, greens, crumbled peanuts and cilantro — Shrimp vermicelli bowl from Tan Dinh

The menu at Tan Dinh is vast, just one reason this Gretna eatery is such a hot spot. Try the rice paper-wrapped or fried spring rolls filled with shrimp or pork, anything with lemongrass tofu, flavored rice bowls, and tangy vegetable-forward vermicelli bowls. There’s also Korean style barbecued ribs served with kimchi and a nice line up Vietnamese beer.

1705 Lafayette St, Gretna, LA 70053

Visit Website

A white bowl holds rice noodles topped with shrimp, greens, crumbled peanuts and cilantro — Shrimp vermicelli bowl from Tan Dinh

9 Roses Restaurant

1100 Stephens St, Gretna, LA 70053

The huge and newly renovated original restaurant on the West Bank delivers awesome Vietnamese specialties and Chinese food alike, but it’s the crispy spring rolls, vermicelli bowls, and lemongrass tofu that bring us in. There’s a solid vegan menu, too.

Open in Google Maps

1100 Stephens St, Gretna, LA 70053

Visit Website

Ba Mien Restaurant

13235 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70129

Ba Mien Restaurant on Chef Menteur Hwy

One of the go-tos in New Orleans East, Ba Mien is a typical strip mall joint with a menu that delivers traditional Vietnamese flavors and lots of options. There’s tripe in some pho — which isn’t always offered — and banh cuon, or steamed rice flour rolls (think feather-light Vietnamese manicotti), stuffed with grilled pork, a Saigon specialty.

Open in Google Maps

13235 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70129

Visit Website