Cafe 79 Vietnamese Kitchen

Came for the first time. Atmosphere was nice. Tried the Egg Rolls, Garlic Chicken Wings, Bo Kho (beef stew), Rice with Grilled Pork Chop, and the Cafe Phin. Loved the wings!!! Everything else was very tasty! Wish I took more pictures to share. Will definitely be back!

My favorite Vietnamese restaurant near my home has changed! I came here because the reviews were good, and it was a success. The entrance looks small and cute, but the inside is bigger than I expected. The interior is clean, and all the staff are friendly. I went on a weekday before 12pm, so it wasn’t busy at first. But right at 12, a lot of people came in and the place quickly became full. I recommend coming a bit early. But note that there isn’t a lot of space. We ordered a small beef pho, grilled pork vermicelli, and added a side banh mi. The side banh mi was only $2, and I wondered why it was so cheap, but it’s just the bread. Still, the bread was warm and soft. I split it open and put the grilled pork and veggies from the vermicelli inside, and it was really good. Since the vermicelli didn’t have a lot of noodles, the side banh mi helped. We also ordered the fresh spring rolls pork/shrimp. I really liked it because the rice paper wasn’t dry at all—it was soft and chewy. It was also nice that it had both shrimp and pork. I liked everything so much that I also ordered a grilled pork banh mi to-go on the way home. The only small downside was that the beef pho was just okay (not amazing), and the broth wasn’t very hot, so it cooled down fast. But other than that, the food came out quickly, the place was clean, and I was very satisfied overall.

Cafe 79 is our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the East Seattle area. There are a few parking spaces in front of and around the area but they can be crowded usually. There is also an outdoor shopping mall with a large parking lot across the street so you can also park there if a short walk is acceptable. The restaurant is small and cozy with a few small tables. I think most of the servers are Vietnamese and they are all friendly and happy to explain the menu if you are not familiar with Vietnamese food. They have a variety of options ranging from the classic Pho, vermicelli to sandwiches. Our favorites are the Nha Trang roll for appetizers, Bun Bo Hue, and Bo Ne. The Nha Trang roll is delicious with a mixed of different flavors. It also pairs well with the peanut sauce. I recommend adding a bit of chili paste to the sauce if you like it a but spicy. Their Bun Bo Hue is cooked in a unique way from Da Nang, a city in Vietnam, that I cannot find it anywhere else in Seattle yet. And Bo Ne is one of the signature dishes in Vietnam that is a variant of beef steaks. Cafe 79 is a decent restaurant that I highly recommend it if you live on the Eastside and want to try Vietnamese food differently and don’t want to drive very far north or south.

Overall, the food was pretty good and the pho was solid. My main issue is the pricing. The specialty pho was around $20, which feels a bit expensive for a bowl of pho. I think something closer to $17 would be more reasonable for the portion and quality.

I’ve been coming to Cafe 79 regularly and have even recommended it to a few friends. Unfortunately, I was really disappointed during my visit today. The prices have continued to increase, but the portions seem to be getting much smaller. The bánh mì I ordered looked like it had shrunk by at least a third compared to before. I’ve also noticed that they has been getting busier lately, especially on weekends, which often means a wait. Today I waited about 30 minutes, and receiving a small portion after that wait was quite frustrating. I used to really enjoy coming here, so it’s disappointing to see the quality and value going in this direction.