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When many people think of Vietnamese food, their mind goes straight to pho. While the famous noodle soup is beloved worldwide, don’t be afraid to venture into other soups. Fragrant lemongrass, bold heat, and deeply umami-rich await you.
Furthermore, look at other entrees beyond banh mi and spring (or summer) rolls. Keep an eye out for crispy sizzling crepes known as banh xeo and com tam rice plates.
Here’s our guide to some of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Tucson.
Banhdicted specializes in banh mi, juice, smoothies, and milk tea. In addition the standard varieties, they also offer a Cajun shrimp banh mi and a breakfast banh mi with eggs and pork belly.
They currently have three locations:
This no-frills restaurant has no web presence or social media for its Tucson location (the other is in Mesa), but they carry a wider range of Vietnamese entrees than most other Tucson restaurants.
The massive com tam thuan kieu 10 mon platter features the namesake broken rice with a variety of toppings including shredded pork skin, steamed egg, a pork chop, bean curd skin with shrimp, shrimp paste, a meatball, a pork egg roll, a shrimp egg roll, Chinese sausage, and charbroiled shrimp.
Dao’s (or would it be Dao’s Tai Pan’s?) has two locations:
While the offer boba, Chinese and Thai dishes, stick to their Vietnamese entrees and noodle soups.
While the name has sushi first and their menu is primarily Japanese, they feature a surprisingly complex pho broth. Just don’t come here seeking other Vietnamese dishes.
Although their menu has a mixture of dishes from around Asia, they recently changed owners with the team behind Nhu Lan Vietnamese. As a result, their Vietnamese options have expanded.
For a complex seafood and tomato broth and rice noodles, order the bun rieu, which includes shrimp paste, pork, and tofu.
Ha Long Bay’s northeast proximity makes it a convenient stop after a hike at Sabino Canyon or Mount Lemmon. Recharge with a bowl of noodle soup.
Their Hue spicy beef soup has rice noodles in a broth with some funk from shrimp paste, balanced with fragrant lemongrass, and adorned with sliced brisket and beef meatballs.
With toy planes hanging from the ceiling and physics equations on the wall, the décor screams Newton rather than pho. However, the menu doesn’t have any apples falling from a tree. Instead, order some classic pho.
To indulge, order the giant short rib or opulent lobster tail pho.
Located at the Boxyard, Nhu Lan offers banh mi, appetizers, and a selection of Chinese stir fries. They also have a food truck; keep up with the Stories on their Instagram page to know where they park.
Adventurous eaters should order the spicy bun bo hue complete with a cube of soft tofu-like coagulated pork blood and a tender but slightly chewy tendon-filled pork hock.
For something different yet familiar, order the bo kho, a Vietnamese riff on beef stew fragrant with lemongrass.
Pho Ngan offers the standard pho and banh mi, but check out the sleeper hits.
Banh xeo, a savory rice flour crepe, come stuffed with sautéed shrimp, pork and bean sprouts, and arrive with lettuce and mint for wrapping.
The canh ga chien nuoc mam are bone-in chicken wings glazed in caramelized fish sauce, served with white rice, cucumber, and tomatoes.
A Tucson staple since 2000, Miss Saigon recently opened a sleek downtown location complete with a bar.
For something outside of the usual pho, try the mi dac biet kho, which includes sauced egg noodles with broiled shrimp, imitation crab, squid, and pork slices with fresh herbs and chicken broth on the side.
Miss Saigon has three locations:
While Cafe Thang has a limited amount of food options with pandan waffles, pastries, and spring rolls, it offers a range of specialty Vietnamese drinks beyond the ubiquitous Vietnamese iced coffee.
For something harder to find elsewhere in Tucson, order the salted cream coffee or egg cream coffee.
