Cadao Express

Went out to Ca Dao Express after hearing so many positive reviews, and while I can see why people enjoy it, the food didn’t quite live up to the hype for me. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad by any means, but it also wasn’t as mindblowing as I was expecting. My friends and I started with the shrimp and pork spring rolls to share. They were good; your typical fresh spring rolls, nothing particularly memorable but still enjoyable. I ordered the combination pho. They didn’t have fish sauce or chili oil at the table, so I had to ask for some, but even after adding those to the broth, it still felt like something was missing from it. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the flavor just didn’t fully come together for me. That said, it did come with a generous amount of different cuts of meat, which I appreciated. I also ordered the traditional bánh mì, and that was easily my favorite thing we had. The bread was great, the fillings were flavorful, and I’d definitely come back just for that. The pad Thai was pretty solid too. I appreciated that the noodles weren’t overcooked or clumped together. Flavor wise, it had a nice balance of sweet and salty with just the right squeeze of lime. The bún bò Huế was also good, although I felt it came with a little too much meat and not quite enough noodles. The biggest disappointment for me was the bánh canh cua (crab udon). It was very bland and lacked flavor, even after adding the green sauce it came with. My friend even tried adjusting it with extra fish sauce and chili oil, but it still didn’t really come alive. Maybe it’s just not suited to my palate. Overall, I’m not bashing this place at all. The service was excellent. The server was friendly, attentive, and went above and beyond so I’d definitely come back and try out other menu items.

Party of 3, we ordered 1) grilled pork vermacelli bowl, 2) grilled pork banh mi, 3) two steak and brisket pho. Their banh mi is the best I've had in the area. …

We were at a pop up event nearby and saw this pho place and decided to try it out. I got the pho combination. The broth was lighter on the other side. Not too bad. I had worse and bland pho before. And this doesn't compare to the worst ones I eaten. It's doable. The meats and everything in the pho was good. My husband got their Bún bò Huế and he loved it. And he's a big critic on Bún bò Huế. We got also their pork and shrimp spring rolled. Loved it and love how the sauce was warm! The warm sauce surprised us, but the surprised made it even better 😎 If you eaten at most Vietnamese restaurants, you know they do have chili oil. But you have to ask for it. Nothing too hard to do. I added it to my pho and it was delicious. Service is a bit slow since I think there's only one guy who does everything in the front and helps in the back. But he is efficient and very kind! If we're ever in the area again, we will definitely come back for more and try their other good they have!

I ordered a bun mi sandwich special that has chicken, steak with all the vegetables that they put in a bun mi sandwich. I was impressed with the fact that the bun was toasted so it was a little warm and full of meat and the vegetable. The …

I got the special banh Mi plate and it was absolutely delicious. The pate and egg really tied it all together. It brought me back to when I lived in Vietnam on the coast. Good flavor, good ingredients.