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Hands hold two banh mi over pavement
The banh mi from Ba Le is one of Boston’s very best sandwiches
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Where to Eat Vietnamese Food in Dorchester

Go to Fields Corner and snack on pho, fried sea bass, and duck salad, and sip on fruit shakes and Vietnamese coffee

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The banh mi from Ba Le is one of Boston’s very best sandwiches
| Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Dorchester is home to a vibrant Vietnamese community and, as such, a number of excellent Vietnamese restaurants, especially — but not limited to — where Dorchester Avenue and Adams Street converge near Fields Corner. Here are 11 of the best Vietnamese restaurants in the area, including some longstanding icons and some newcomers, serving pho, banh mi, and lots more.

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Bạn Tôi

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One of the newest additions to the neighborhood, Bạn Tôi opened its doors in June 2019 and is serving up dishes such as grilled squid, chicken with rice, jackfruit salad, and snails with corn. The newcomer is a close neighbor to one of Dorchester’s oldest and most beloved Vietnamese restaurants, Ba Le (see below.)

A dish of grilled boar with a spicy dipping sauce and greens
Heo rung nuong at Bạn Tôi
Bạn Tôi/Facebook

This combination take-out restaurant and market was at the vanguard of Dorchester’s then-burgeoning Vietnamese food scene three decades ago. Everything is good, but Ba Le is best known for its grilled beef banh mi, and that’s what you should eat there.

Hands hold two banh mi over pavement
Banh mi from Ba Le
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

King Do Baguette & Bakery

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King Do is also a combination restaurant and market. Go for Vietnamese coffee in the morning — sweetened with condensed milk — and grab a banh mi (the pate and pork meat loaf is the play here) or some pho for lunch.

A dish of fried Vietnamese food with greens
King Do Baguette & Bakery
King Do Baguette & Bakery/Facebook

Phở Lê

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As the name may suggest, Phở Lê is one of the absolute best spots for pho in and around Boston. Don’t miss other treats, however, such as the oven-roasted catfish, the mango salad, beef seven ways, or the duck and bamboo noodle soup. The menu hops around multiple regions of Vietnam and also offers extensive vegetarian options.

Phở Hòa

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Phở Hòa has been doing its thing on Dorchester Avenue since 1992. Yes, the pho — and especially the pho hai san, which is served with shrimp, squid, and fish cakes — is excellent and worthy of your hard-earned dough. But don’t miss the sweet and sour soup with catfish or the wok-seared pepper steak.

A big white bowl of a Vietnamese soup containing slices of beef, greens, and more. The broth is tinged red with chile oil.
Bun bo Hue at Phở Hòa
Phở Hòa/Official Site

Phở 2000 Restaurant

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The eponymous dish is served with sliced rare steak, brisket, beef flank, tendon, and tripe, and it is exceptional. Don’t skip Phở 2000’s seafood menu, though — especially the whole fried striped bass, which is served with a spicy, sweet, and sour sauce.

Saigon Chicken House

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The steamed chicken with rice and vegetables and the crispy fried chicken with fried rice are the orders at Saigon Chicken House, which opened in 2018.

A Vietnamese beef and egg dish is served in a cow-shaped cast iron pan
Beef Napoleon at Saigon Chicken House
Saigon Chicken House/Facebook

Chau Bakery

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Chau Bakery is the place for freshly baked bread — and barbecue beef banh mi served on that very same freshly baked bread.

Hien Vuong Restaurant

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The bun tom nuong bi is the move at Hien Vuong. Vermicelli noodles come served with various vegetables, charbroiled shrimp, and shredded pork. This Dorchester Avenue spot also serves up a seriously good bowl of pho.

Saigon Seafood Restaurant

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The drink game at Saigon Seafood Restaurant is strong, starting with the Vietnamese-style coffee and ending with the various fruit shakes (try the pineapple.) Stick to seafood here because that’s what this Adams Street restaurant does best: Try the spicy salt and pepper squid — and clams grilled with scallions and peanuts, too.

Ánh Hồng Restaurant

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Ánh Hồng offers a variety of combinations that serve two people, but diners can also order a la carte. Start with the rare beef in lime juice salad, and then move onto the seafood menu. You can’t miss with the squid sauteed with scallions, the salted jumbo shrimp, or the steamed whole sea bass with ginger and scallions.

Bạn Tôi

One of the newest additions to the neighborhood, Bạn Tôi opened its doors in June 2019 and is serving up dishes such as grilled squid, chicken with rice, jackfruit salad, and snails with corn. The newcomer is a close neighbor to one of Dorchester’s oldest and most beloved Vietnamese restaurants, Ba Le (see below.)

A dish of grilled boar with a spicy dipping sauce and greens
Heo rung nuong at Bạn Tôi
Bạn Tôi/Facebook

Ba Le

This combination take-out restaurant and market was at the vanguard of Dorchester’s then-burgeoning Vietnamese food scene three decades ago. Everything is good, but Ba Le is best known for its grilled beef banh mi, and that’s what you should eat there.

Hands hold two banh mi over pavement
Banh mi from Ba Le
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

King Do Baguette & Bakery

King Do is also a combination restaurant and market. Go for Vietnamese coffee in the morning — sweetened with condensed milk — and grab a banh mi (the pate and pork meat loaf is the play here) or some pho for lunch.

A dish of fried Vietnamese food with greens
King Do Baguette & Bakery
King Do Baguette & Bakery/Facebook

Phở Lê

As the name may suggest, Phở Lê is one of the absolute best spots for pho in and around Boston. Don’t miss other treats, however, such as the oven-roasted catfish, the mango salad, beef seven ways, or the duck and bamboo noodle soup. The menu hops around multiple regions of Vietnam and also offers extensive vegetarian options.

Phở Hòa

Phở Hòa has been doing its thing on Dorchester Avenue since 1992. Yes, the pho — and especially the pho hai san, which is served with shrimp, squid, and fish cakes — is excellent and worthy of your hard-earned dough. But don’t miss the sweet and sour soup with catfish or the wok-seared pepper steak.

A big white bowl of a Vietnamese soup containing slices of beef, greens, and more. The broth is tinged red with chile oil.
Bun bo Hue at Phở Hòa
Phở Hòa/Official Site

Phở 2000 Restaurant

The eponymous dish is served with sliced rare steak, brisket, beef flank, tendon, and tripe, and it is exceptional. Don’t skip Phở 2000’s seafood menu, though — especially the whole fried striped bass, which is served with a spicy, sweet, and sour sauce.

Saigon Chicken House

The steamed chicken with rice and vegetables and the crispy fried chicken with fried rice are the orders at Saigon Chicken House, which opened in 2018.

A Vietnamese beef and egg dish is served in a cow-shaped cast iron pan
Beef Napoleon at Saigon Chicken House
Saigon Chicken House/Facebook

Chau Bakery

Chau Bakery is the place for freshly baked bread — and barbecue beef banh mi served on that very same freshly baked bread.

Hien Vuong Restaurant

The bun tom nuong bi is the move at Hien Vuong. Vermicelli noodles come served with various vegetables, charbroiled shrimp, and shredded pork. This Dorchester Avenue spot also serves up a seriously good bowl of pho.

Saigon Seafood Restaurant

The drink game at Saigon Seafood Restaurant is strong, starting with the Vietnamese-style coffee and ending with the various fruit shakes (try the pineapple.) Stick to seafood here because that’s what this Adams Street restaurant does best: Try the spicy salt and pepper squid — and clams grilled with scallions and peanuts, too.

Ánh Hồng Restaurant

Ánh Hồng offers a variety of combinations that serve two people, but diners can also order a la carte. Start with the rare beef in lime juice salad, and then move onto the seafood menu. You can’t miss with the squid sauteed with scallions, the salted jumbo shrimp, or the steamed whole sea bass with ginger and scallions.

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