The Sacramento region’s most underrated Vietnamese restaurants, as chosen by readers

Sacramento County is home to the eighth-most Vietnamese immigrants in the United States, according to the Migration Policy Institute — and at least eight slept-on restaurants spinning bánh mì, pho and more.

The Sacramento Bee’s readers nominated this octet of local Vietnamese restaurants as the region’s most underrated, from Little Saigon’s wealth of flavors to suburban gems in Elk Grove, Carmichael and Citrus Heights.

Which under-heralded restaurant is the region’s best? Vote for your favorite at the bottom, and nominate the Sacramento region’s most underrated Italian restaurant to see it featured in an upcoming article.

Com Tam Dat Thanh: Broken rice plates (com tam) served with barbecued pork, chicken or beef are the specialty at this Stockridge Plaza restaurant, which opened in 2016 near the Fruitridge Road/Stockton Boulevard intersection.

5035 Fruitridge Road, Sacramento; (916) 758-5775.

Kim’s Restaurant: A snug, budget-friendly downtown lunch option half a block from César Chávez Plaza, Kim’s airy bánh mì, nourishing pho and on-the-go shrimp spring rolls have long satiated state workers.

1008 J St., Sacramento; (916) 448-8922.

Origami Asian Grill: Scott Ostrander and Paul DiPierro’s pan-Asian East Sacramento restaurant asks customers to assemble their ideal bánh mì, rice bowl, ramen or noodle salad from a Chipotle-style assembly line of ingredients.

4801 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento; (916) 400-3075.

Pho ABC: Noodle soups rule at this Citrus Heights and Folsom concept — beef or vegetarian pho, yes, but also bún riêu filled with shrimp and crab or mì vịt with roast duck.

7811 Greenback Lane, Citrus Heights; (916) 721-0206 | 602 E. Bidwell St., Folsom; (916) 817-8588.

Pho Basil: A well-lit concept in Calvine Corner shopping center that opened last July, Pho Basil wows from appetizers such as the crispy taro seafood salad through soups, rice plates, stir-fries and vermicelli bowls.

8457 Elk Grove Florin Road, Suite 100, Elk Grove; (916) 829-7238.

Pho House: Vietnamese classics such as bún bò cay, a spicy beef soup native to Bạc Liêu in southern Vietnam, shine alongside Chinese counterparts in this Carmichael Oaks shopping center pho spot.

6436 Fair Oaks Blvd., Carmichael; (916) 993-9986.

Pho Momma: A boba shop and pho joint that opened in 2022 in a La Riviera strip mall, Pho Momma whips up a wide range of dishes including San Francisco-inspired garlic noodles, coconut curry vermicelli and a dozen types of spring rolls.

9555 Folsom Blvd., Suite A, Sacramento; (916) 898-2192.

Saigon Corner: Humble digs, counter service and long bánh mì (try with grilled chicken, char siu or Spam and eggs for something different) await customers at this restaurant in South Natomas’ Stone Creek shopping center, which opened in 2019.

1589 W. El Camino Ave., Suite 101, Sacramento; (916) 900-8425.

This story was originally published May 31, 2024 at 5:00 AM.