Nam Giao

We stopped here on our way through Houston and I’m so glad we did! Everything was fresh and tasted amazing. Everything on the menu was different from the Vietnamese restaurants I’ve been to, this was more authentic. We had the Bahn beo to start and we should have ordered more because they were so delicious. I asked for no shrimp because most in my family don’t like it and they were fine with that. We also got the Ban Xeo with chicken and pork in it, and it was so good! The other two dishes we got were the rice platter with grilled flank steak and the crunchy pork spring rolls. The steak was so tender and flavorful, both were amazing. The fish sauce they give you was delicious and not fishy tasting at all. Our waitress Sandy was so attentive and sweet. She taught us how to eat everything and which sauces went with what. I wish we lived nearby, I’d be a regular ! Parking was abundant and easy, it’s a no frills place but still nice

Came with my family and we really enjoyed our time. We don’t care much for service/atmosphere mucu but if you do, the service is fine. Waiters will come by when they have time to check in and maybe when you call them. The restaurant definitely isn’t the cleanest. The floors are sticky and there is some food from previous customers. The tables are wiped down and I’m overall comfortable eating there. THE FOOD 10/10 - We ordered banh beo, banh bot loc, cha hue, banh ram it, cha oc, and got the salted kumquat juice. We loved all of the food. The nuoc mam is definitely sweet but that’s how my family likes it. The kumquat juice is so so good, I want to learn how to make my own salted kumquat preserve. Would definitely come again for the food we tried today.

Service at Nam Giao is pretty basic. The waitresses were quick and accurate but that's really it. Don't expect a nice greeting or even a smile throughout your time there. The atmosphere is definitely below par. The restaurant honestly looks like it's on its last legs. Dirty floors and walls, the table we had was quite sticky, and the cash register looked like it was from another century. The menus were also printed on regular paper and was full of stains. Card payments are accepted on orders of $10 or higher. The food can honestly be a hit or miss. We were able to sample many of the items in the menu. Ban Beo Chen - 5/5! These mini rice pancakes are the signature dish of this restaurant. Well seasoned, affordable, and delicious! Banh Nam - 4/5. The pork and shrimp rice cakes are wrapped in banana leaves and are fragrant and delicious. The only downside is the cake itself being quite thin. Banh Hoi Tom Nuong - 2/5. We very much regret ordering this dish. The rice vermicelli is basic, something that you can easily buy fresh at any Asian market. The shrimps were simply god awful. They were so overcooked that they had the texture of a stale twizzler. DO NOT recommend. Com Hen - 4/5. The rice with baby clams was very well executed. Full of flavor and the clam broth was delicious! Bun Bo Hue - 3/5. Just the typical bun bo hue found at most Viet restaurants. Considering all the competition in Chinatown, we've definitely had better elsewhere. This dish was borderline average. Banh Canh Tom Cua - 2/5. The Vietnamese Udon with crab and shrimp meat was NOT good. It was bland and had a weird texture. If anyone wants authentic Vietnamese Udon, your money is better spent at "Banh Canh Tom Cua" on Bellaire and Cook. Their execution of the dish is SO MUCH better. To end it all, we found an insect in our water glass 🤮 We're guessing it came from the ice tray by the cash register. While this wasn't the worst thing that could happen, imagine the cleanliness of the kitchen if there are bugs flying all over the ice 🤔 Nam Giao is very well known in the Viet community. While some of the items were good, it is clear that this restaurant has lowered their standards recently. This has made our whole experience quite disappointing.

Great authentic Vietnamese food. The server is super friendly and helpful to guide you on what to order or explain or recommend the dishes. I come here at least once a week. I highly recommend the Bahn Xeo and the small plates are Bahn Beo, and the Vietnamese coffee is a must!!!

This is my third time coming here and this is the spot I take my friends and family if they want authentic Vietnamese food. I’ve ordered the following: Banh Beo Banh Bot Loc La Bam Ram It Banh Qual Vac Ban Xeo Don Tan Nem Nuong Even though there are so many Vietnamese restaurants in the Houston area, there’s not a lot of spots that serve Bahn Beo. However, this is Nam Giao’s specialty and honestly, all the other dishes I had here were fantastic too! I love how the Bahn Beo has both chewy/soft texture from the steamed rice cake as well as crunchy textures from the toppings. As for the interior, there’s a good number of seats and the service is relatively fast. If you’re looking for Vietnamese food other than your usual pho/banh mi, give Nam Giao a try!