Van’s Vietnamese Restaurant

The flank steak phở is incredible. Every time I get it I have too much food to bring home.
It is a great atmosphere for groups– the servers are very accommodating with splitting the bill in any fashion you choose.
The summer rolls are delicious. As are the fried pork and shrimp rolls for appetizers.
It is awesome that you can make your phở as spicy as you like. The plethora of fixings from jalapeños to mint leaves to bean sprouts and lime wedges, it truly feels like you are eating authentic Vietnamese cuisine. (Although I’ve never been to Vietnam so this is my ignorant American side showing itself).
We’ve taken out of town friends and family here. Everyone loves it. Try something new and give Van’s a shot. You won’t be disappointed.

Vans serves the best Vietnamese food that I’ve ever had! Their vegetarian dishes are superb and the servings are very generous.

This is our go-​to Vietnamese restaurant in Albany. Even before Mai Lin’s tossed in it’s overpriced towel, we preferred Van’s. From a straightforward Phở, to a killer crispy boneless duck, or a rich and flavorful curry, this place has it. The portions are very generous, and the wait staff is attentive and good humored. Always. Honestly.
I’ve also had a large party here (I’m talking 25 or so people). The event went off w/​o a hitch. Food was all prepared well and brought to the table in a well ordered way so that everyone could eat together. Very well managed kitchen.
Van’s has been around for many years. It is family owned and run, and the quality is unwavering. The ambience leaves a bit to be desired, but if you want a well presented and tasty Vietnamese dinner, you won’t find better in the capital region.

Van’s is decent for what it is, a rare Vietnamese restaurant in the Upstate’s. The portions are enormous– I wish I came with a large group of people to eat family-​style. The prices are a little high for what I’m accustomed to paying for Vietnamese food, but if you consider the platter as a family-​style dish, it makes sense for the area.
I was very excited to see Banh Xeo on their menu. Watching Anthony Bourdain eat this for breakfast while traveling in Vietnam gave me the itch to search for this dish. Have only found a place in Queens and one in Brooklyn that serves this. Other restaurant owners in Asian areas have told me «our customers don’t know about this dish and don’t know how to eat it, plus– it’s also very cheap to make at home.» So they don’t have it on their menus. Van’s options (also have chicken, beef, besides the traditional seafood crêpe) gave me a bit of hope.
The Banh Xeo ($ 19.99) that came was HUGE, about a 8″-10″ piece. With about a pound of juicy chicken breast, mounds of string beans, and button mushrooms (not traditional sliced shitake unfortunately). There were nice large chunks of pickled daikon and carrots, lots of cilantro, thinly sliced cucumbers, but only 1 large red lettuce leaf to wrap the Banh Xeo in to eat. There wasn’t any mint, holy basil, or Nuoc Cham dipping sauce that came with it either. I was impressed at first sight, but then quickly realized the chicken stir fry inside was sitting in a cup of water sauce (the sauce being very mild, maybe a splash of soy, fish sauce, and pepper). Pretty much the bottom of my crêpe was sogged up, I EVEN asked for a small bowl to pour the water out of my plate, and an extra plate to put my raw veggies on, fearing the sogginess creeping up. I also noticed that the crêpe, although nicely crunchy (rice flour, coconut milk, light beer, tumeric batter), but slowly wilting from the steam and water of the stir fry & pretty flavorless. I cut up the pickled daikon and carrots into slimmer pieces and made my Banh Xeo lettuce cup and was alright eating it. There just wasn’t so much contrast in texture, sweet and sour flavors, and crunchy and soft. Or maybe there was, but I was too distracted about keeping my food from sogging up. There were odd rice bits stuck to the inside of the crêpe and I wonder if the chef was pounding his out rice flour to make more– originally the waiter had to check on this order because he said that they sold 5 entrees already and wasn’t sure if they had enough batter.
Friend got the Pork Chop and Rice ($ 15.99) and it was also huge portion, with 3 pork chops and Vietnamese crushed white rice, cucumber slices, the pickles, sprigs of cilantro. The pork chops had a nice lemongrass marinated flavor, stronger flavor towards the edges of the chops & less in the middle. Maybe an extra hour of marinating would help, however hey were grilled perfectly– highly recommended. I borrowed the Nuoc Cham sauce that came with this dish for my Banh Xeo– excellent sauce, pour it on your rice!
Service was friendly with waiters constantly filling water glasses. HOWEVER, agreeing with other reviews, the wait for food is EXTREMELY LONG. They definitely need an extra cook. We went on a Saturday night at 6:30pm and the place was packed with couples and large families (probably sick of Thanksgiving leftovers). I watched 2 couples come in, one even sitting down at their little «bar» and both leave 10 minutes later. We waited at least 30 minutes for our food– these dishes are mostly grilled or stir-​fried, I don’t know what’s up with the wait.
The restaurant is a large room, noise control is an issue, it’s gets way too loud. It’s a clean space and I would probably try their food again (during pay week). A lot of people had little plastic stands of circular rice wrappers on their table. After asking the waiter which dish they were for, he said the Summer Rolls. Super Fresh! make-​your-​own Summer Rolls at your table?! Then why even the longer wait for food?
Things I’d like to try: Summer Rolls, Phở (although it’ll hurt to pay $ 9 for normally $ 5 bowl of Phở), Van’s special duck or roast chicken

The husband and I used to come to Van’s fairly often before we bought a house in the ‘burbs and became culinary hermits. But, sometimes I get tired of cooking, so we ventured out a couple weeks ago for an old favorite. Unfortunately, we noticed a couple significant changes since our last visit.
First, none of the old familiar faces were there. I’m not sure if there’s been a change in management, or perhaps just staff changes, but that was a little disappointing from a former regular’s perspective. Service was attentive and they seemed to have more people working at one time, so that was good. The husband gets antsy if things move too slowly (which is why we previously opted to eat here on slower weeknights rather than busy weekends), but the service this time may have been a tad too rushed for my liking.
We noticed immediately that the dining room was pretty packed for a weeknight compared to years past. When our plates came, it made sense. The portions were HUGE, so I’m guessing the mass of patrons were here seeking some bang for their buck. The plates here were always generous, but… like… my chicken vermicelli dish probably provided a full pound of meat atop a huge mound of noodles. Seriously. I know I’m American, but jeez… You don’t have to rub it in.
I took more than half the plate home, and in total, I got three solid meals out of this one dinner. Tres. Trois. Three (3).
So, while the quality of the food was still good, the atmosphere here has changed a bit. If you’re looking for a quick in-​and-​out sitdown dinner with portions that will feed your family for days, come to Van’s. I’m not in a big hurry to come back, but I do still have a soft spot for this place.

FRAUDULENT business practice! MANDATORY TIPS! Came here to eat dinner with my husband and parents. Food was mediocre at best. But what pissed me off and the reason why they deserve 0 star is that when I came to pay, the bill was $ 56. I gave her $ 60 and before I even said anything, the lady owner said there’s a mandatory 15% tip so your bill is actually another $ 8. I was like what? There’s a mandatory tip? Though I normally give 15−18% tips at most restaurants anyway, I don’t appreciate anyone telling me that it’s mandatory that I leave a tip. Tips are given to show your appreciation if your waiter does a good job. It is not part of the cost of the bill to be automatically charged. I will never ever come back to this restaurant, fraudulent business practice by a greedy owner trying to rip off customers.

Van’s is like a maybe… sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not. Tonight i ordered the special Banh Bo Hue… the soup noodle arrived and my husband and i looked at each other with utter confusion. what the bleep is that? Bowl? Check. Round noodles? Check. Beef slices? Checked. Some greens? Yeah, why not. WHERE IS THE REST OF THE STUFF?! where are the pork knuckle, pork slices, semi-​circle pieces of that Vietnamese spam thing? I don’t care about pork blood, so I’ll let that one slide. Darn it the soup was not even spicy. It was lukewarm. Arrg.
Van’s got 2 measly stars tonight. Their only redeeming grace was that the beef phở my hubby ordered was on par… his soup was piping hot. Since when are we rating restaurants «good» for what they r supposed to do? I gave them these 2 stars with grinding teeth.

Amazing! This place is amazing. You HAVE to have the phở but everything here is great. Service is kind of annoying but easily overlooked when it’s time to eat. Parking is just okay and if you have to park far, then you might want to apply for a conceal carry permit.

In the mood for some Phở, I checked their new hours, and saw that they were open on Sundays 12 – 9. I arrived with my wife at 12:10, and joined a young man that stated that he’s been waiting there for the past half hour. At about 12:20, hungry, we gave up waiting, and left the young man waiting alone. I tried calling the phone number, but it lead to their answering machine, which stated that their new hours are in fact 12 – 9. It’s hard for me to convey the disappointment and frustration I felt waiting outside the closed establishment.

Amazing portion sizes. Plenty of options for vegetarians. Highly recommended. Moderate ambience

First time at Van’s and we were not disappointed! It was a welcomed change from your average hole-​in-​the-​wall Vietnamese restaurants… the atmosphere was nice, the service was friendly, and it was clean with cloth tabletops and napkins. Whoa
We had summer rolls, chicken salad (which I’ve been on a quest to find since I’ve first had Vietnamese in Ohio), flank phở and my son had meatball phở. Everything was well flavored and very tasty. The portion sizes were average to large. It was a bit on the pricier side for Vietnamese, but well worth it. The location is a tad sketchy. Just be aware of your surroundings.
5 stars all around. Can’t wait to go back again!

I think I’ve just had the best phở I’ve ever tasted. Crispy fried spring rolls with a few pickled carrots and daikon was delicious too. Cam on!

To satisfy my Vietnamese food craving I goto Van’s for Phở (noodle soup) for a heart and soul warming feel during Albany’s frigid winter times and light and refreshing summer rolls during the warmer weather. Whenever it is, I find their food to be delicious enough to say its worth parking right in front of the restaurant (paying 25 cents per 15mins at the meter).
On multiple occasions I have ordered the Phở and I think highly of the broth they serve. Yes, the bean sprouts, basil, or cilantro may sometimes be slightly wilted but if you ask for more you will be brought some more. You can even ask not to have any cilantro as a matter of fact if you’re like me (I just can’t). The condiments including basil, bean spouts, lime, hoisin and sriracha sauce are all served on a side plate so you can adjust to your palate’s desire. My favorite Phở of all time is the Phở Dac Biet: rice noodle soup with beef meatballs, flank steak, and brisket. I like the combination here and I think that’s why it is so special! I’ve also favorited all of the dishes featuring lemongrass. It’s something about the aroma of the lemongrass that makes the meat extra tasty. You cannot skip the fried spring rolls or the summer rolls that are great to start with paired with the fish sauce or peanut sauce. The other menu items like Viet curry, BBQ, and salads are also frequently favorited amongst my companions. There are a variety of vegetarian dishes as well.
I only wish that they would incorporate some lunch specials or deals that differentiate their lunch and dinner more. I’ll be back for more as it has been quite phở-​nomenal!

Their Bahn Mi should totally be called a Van Mi, missed marketing opportunity there.
It’s been a long time since I ate here, and I’ll have to put that right soon. This was actually one of the first Bahn Mis I ever ate, and it’s wonderful to see that the place has not only survived, it has thrived, with over 200 glowing reviews, now including mine.
I don’t remember loving the Bahn Mi, but it was good, if a little pricy compared to others (at the time it seemed so).
I’m looking forward to next time I’m in Albany, giving it another try to see how it compares to my favourite Bahn Mis in NYC and SF.

I’ve been here twice and both times, I have been very pleased with the food and service. I’ve only had 3 items from the menu, but they’re really good. I tried the phở, banh xeo, and appetizer mussels. The phở is probably the best that I’ve had in a long time. The broth is delicious and flavorful. They give you a decent amount of noodles and meat. The banh xeo (basically a crêpe filled with veggies and chicken or shrimp) is HUGE. It was a little soupier than I’ve had in the past, but again, the broth that came with it was really good. This is a little more expensive, but for the amount of food you’re getting, it’s definitely worth getting with 2 or more people. The appetizer mussels are to die for. It is by far my favorite dish that I’ve had here. I normally don’t like mussels, but the sauce really makes this dish. The sauce has lemon grass and coconut milk in it and is really delicious.
A few things to note though… There’s only one server, so when it gets busy, it can get kind of crazy. The server though, she’s a rockstar. She does everything. I give props to her. There is one cook, the owner. He cooks for everybody and it’s made to order. So again, if it’s busy, your food will come out a little bit slower.
Overall, the food is good and you should go eat at Van’s.

Growing up in NJ, my experience with Vietnamese food ranges from my travels to Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. Some restaurants in NYC and Philadelphia inherited authentic flavors. In Vietnam, a bowl of phở costs $ 1. In NYC, a bowl costs $ 9.
In Van’s case, we’re talking middle of the spectrum. Food at Van’s caters to American palettes and flavors. For example, a mixed Phở usually includes tripe and tendon. At VAn’s you can add tripe for an additional $ 3, but no tendon. This adds up to an $ 12 bowl of phở that costs $ 9 at NYC or $ 8Philly (including tendon and tripe).
Spring rolls taste fine. Fresh but you need to select shrimp, pork, or vegetarian. Normally, the rolls come with pork, vermicelli, cucumber and shrimp. Overall, not sure where the 3+ stars come from, but 2 stars are plenty.
Once served, the Phở, rolls, and coffee taste OK. Experienced better tastes at lower costs.

It’s hard for me to ever give 5 stars. This place earned every one of them. The wait staff is great. On top of everything and polite, funny as well.
The Phở, what I came for, was the best I’ve ever had. The best. I’ve eaten Phở in just about every state and a few other countries. This place has it going on. The pork and shrimp rolls are no slouch either.
Thanks Unilocalers that have come before me and let me know this place was worth it.

Love this place. We go frequently as it’s authentic, consistently good, and offers promt service.
Specifically, the Phở is amazing. Clear, flavorful broth, served will all the fixings (bean sprouts, basil, jalapeños, and sauces). Springrolls are always a good bet here and served will great fish sauce. The noodle dishes are also great — savory, spicy, and sweet options are all available.
As for take-​out, they’ll wrap everything up so nothing gets soggy. I love ordering phở with an extra side of broth — one of my favorite things to get here.

Close your eyes, inhale the steam rising from your generous bowl of phở, take that first tentative sip, and you’d think you were in a Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco or New York. (More likely SF, since the flavors seem a bit brighter on the west coast.)
This is an excellent bowl of phở, from the perspective of someone who has never been to Vietnam but has many many renditions across the United States (and once worked on a marketing project for Rodale Press who proclaimed it a splendid health food). The broth is key. Van’s has a deep beef flavor from long cooking and a generous amount of ingredients, with a sweet char from the spices. The noodles were just right, neither stiff nor gummy, and the other components well-​proportioned.
I got the three meat combo for $ 9.99, which combines beef brisket, beef flank steak and meatballs (these were really interesting, with a tang I don’t often encounter). It’s a satisfying one-​dish meal, and only slightly more than you’d pay in a city with much higher real estate costs.
But, 4 stars rather than 5 for the unavailability of tendon and tripe. This is not an oddball complaint. These two ingredients add to the texture complexity and they’re on the menu at any metropolitan restaurant that serves phở. I don’t know about tendon, but leaf tripe is available precooked at Asian Market. All they’d have to do is slice it into the hot soup. Give us our tripe and then we will be totally content, Van’s.

Let’s see, Super Bowl 49 at a hotel or Van’s Vietnamese. My stomach wins so Van’s it is. As everyone’s saying the ambience could use help but the food is great and the service is quick and friendly. Don’t be worried if there’s hardly any other patrons. You’ll get the same great food any day of the week except Monday.
I tried the avocado smoothie with just a lil sweet and it was yum, the fresh summer rolls with shrimp were bangin, and the phở with flank steak and all the fixins was perfect.
They jussssssssst need to work on the ambience to be 5 stars.