Nam Viet Restaurant

I love Phở, so when I was told this was «the best Vietnamese place in the area,» I wanted to give it a shot.
However, there is a big different from being a good Vietnamese place, and having over the moon amazing Phở.
The Phở was sub par. I got the large #17 and didn’t even get halfway through without getting bored with it.
I wasn’t impressed at all.
Our party also had the Garden Rolls, which were also disappointing. The greens inside were browning, the pork looked a little questionable, and I have never been to a Vietnamese restaurant where they don’t cut their rolls.
On another note, I did hear another party tell the waiter that some sauce they were having was amazing! Perhaps Nam Viet has wonderful other dishes, just not amazing Phở.

With 3.5 stars given here & being close by, I thouht tha I would get a @ least a descent Vietnamese meal while in DC. I’m not Vietnamese, but Asian, & have had my share of VN cuisine to be considered an afficianaio. There were 5 of us, each ordered a bowl of Phở, & grilled pork chops, VN spring rolls to share. What was served were essentially Soba noodles in soup, instead of rice noodles that’s traditionally use in Phở. The beef was way too over cooked. Pork chops were sliced too thick, over cooked & spring roll wraps were too thick, the use of ingredients within was not authentic. In all, what was served was woefully inadequate imitation VN food that I am so familiar with, on par with the Chop Suey of old.
By-​the-​way, there was a line on the bill for tip, AFTER an 18% gratiuity was already added to the bill. Caveat emptor.

I have been st Nam Viet for almost thirty years. I love this food. Never had a bad experience. Consistently great experience, until last night. My friend went in and got seated while I looked for parking. It took 15 minutes to get seated after I came in. Finally got waited on after alerting the waiter. They had 2 waiters and ⁴⁄₅ tables. We ordered the sampler appetizer. It comes with several different things as all yummy. Shrimp toast is one, first time I had it was here. So good, but this time. I looked like a large piece of garlic bread with something dry hard and dirty on it. It was flat about an inch. I don’t know what it was. As the waiter walked by I asked him about it his response was «that’s the way it is» and shrugged and looked bored. The shrimp toast was bad enough but his I don’t care attitude was the problem. They always had great staff before. Was family in the past, I think don’t know about now. The good except for shrimp toast was great. Lemon grass beef on stick with jasmine noodles. Sooo good. In the summer they have outside seating that is nice also. Good family dining experience.

A Vietnamese friend took me here and we have been back 4 – 5 times. Food & service are very good in a quiet atmosphere, unlike the Vietnamese restaurants at Eden Center.
I would highly recommend it and I will certainly be going back!!!
An added attraction is that the prices are very reasonable woo woo!

Good, but I’ve had better. Like any other phở restaurant they were very quick, we hardly waited at all which is good. Unfortunately I feel like they use a lot of msg to make up for the lack of flavor they don’t have in their soup, and they really skimp out on the portions they give you, like hardly and noodles or garnishes for that matter.
As for their service, it was good, very attentive and nice.

I’m a huge fan of Vietnamese iced coffee and I get them all the time. Just went in to get one to go and was shocked at the price. $ 4.79 for a just ok viet iced coffee is a crime.

I grew up in a community influenced by Vietnam and have spent a significant amount of time in Asia but never really «liked» Vietnamese food. This changed after eating at Nam Viet!
The food is wonderful and the owner/​chef creates the menu using the recipes that were passed down to her by her mother decades ago in Vietnam. My personal favorite is the soft shell crabs, which unfortunately, is a summertime special only.
Additionally, the restaurant is a huge supporter of military veterans and POWs. If you want to support a truly «local business» and not another overly priced chain, then come to Nam Viet. You won’t be disappointed.

First time here and we all enjoyed our food. I had the chicken phở (pretty good) and I think it was the #61, chicken, beef, and shrimp, w/​noodles — it reminded me of a pad Thai but didn’t have enough flavor.
We will definitely be back!

I love the food here! I am vegetarian and get number 49. I usually order to-​go and just pick it up. You get better service when you tip.

Tasty standard Vietnamese dishes. I have no idea whether it is authentic and don’t care. I can walk there in a few minutes, carry out comes out quickly and tastes good.
Unlike my memories of the one in DC on Conn Ave in CP, the folks here are friendly.

My friend and I came to Nam Viet for a lunch date. This family-​owned & operated restaurant, which has 2 locations (Arlington and in DC), has been around since ’86. The menu offers appetizers (garden rolls, spring rolls, fried squid and scallops, lemon peel chicken, etc.), salads, soups, grilled entrees (grilled chicken, shrimp, pork on skewer, etc.), fried rice, sauteed entrees (stir-​fried noodles), vegetarian options, chef specials, fall & winter dinner specials, and desserts. We started off with #2, the Nam-​Viet Crispy Spring Rolls (these came with 2 deep-​fried crispy rolls that were filled with minced pork, chicken, crabmeat, carrots, and vermicelli, served on a bed of romanice lettuce, and a cup of Nuoc Mam (homemade fish sauce) — these were quite delicious — even though it was slightly greasy, I loved how crispy and flavorful it was, with the delicious dippings of their homemade fish sauce. For our entrees, my friend had #18, which was the Nam-​Viet Hue Spicy Beef Noodle Soup (aka, the Bun Bo Hue; this tasted like phở, but with a very subtle kick (but not at all spicy as stated), filled with thick round rice noodles, eye round beef slices, and a plate of sprouts, basil, and jalapenos) — she thought that this was just okay, but thought it would have been spicier. I had #40, which was the Nam-​Viet Grilled Combo with Rice Vermicelli — this came with a side of fresh salad with mint, rice vermicelli, and skewers of lemongrass beef, grilled pork, grilled chicken, and grilled shrimp, with a cup of their homemade fish sauce with some sweet hint to it. I really enjoyed this, as it’s great for anyone who is a little indecisive about which meat to choose — why not try all 4?! The side of salad was quite fresh and the rice vermicelli plentiful; out of the 4 meats, I really liked the grilled pork and the chicken the best; the shrimp was pretty okay, but the beef was a little less flavorful than I thought it would be. I definitely loved the grill marks on them meats! Don’t forget to ask for extra sauce, if you’re a sauce monster like me! Our server was Mr. Thien, and he was oh-​so-​sweet and checked up on us regularly! :D Definitely a solid Vietnamese restaurant, I’ll definitely be back to try out their other menu items: D
+#2 Nam-​Viet Crispy Spring Rolls
+#40 Nam-​Viet Grilled Combo with Rice Vermicelli
+Nuoc Mam (homemade fish sauce)
+ask for Mr. Thien: D
+free 2-​hour parking on 13^th St

Such a good restaurant, a hidden gem in crowded Clarendon that you’d miss if you weren’t looking for it. The waiter we had was wonderful and we asked him to bring us his favorite dishes. We were not disappointed! I will definitely be coming back.

Nam Viet is popular choice among my friends for group dinners. I begrudgingly go with some small hope that I’ll have a better experience, but I have not been impressed by the service/​food yet.
Pros: Nam Viet is good for groups and conveniently located near the Clarendon metro. Food is decent and comes out quickly.
Cons: The food lacks flavor and is a overpriced compared to other Vietnamese restaurants. It definitely attracts the typical Clarendon crowd and I rarely see any Asian patrons which is pretty indicative of the restaurant’s overall quality. When I’m ready to order, the owner (without fail) will suggest the «special of the night» which happens to be the most expensive item on the menu. Then, he’ll suggest an appetizer since the portions are apparently not filling enough on its own. I’m pretty sure he’s trying to rack up my bill with these expensive/​unwanted items…
On this night, I ordered the fried spring rolls and large beef phở (1 of 3 phở options on the menu). The spring rolls were dripping in oil and I used all my napkins wiping oil off my face with each bite. I hoped the broth from the phở would help me digest the oil, but the MSG in it made me feel sleepy and gross. The portion for a large phở is pretty small (about the size of a regular at Phở 75 for $ 3 more).
All in all, I do not enjoy eating at Nam Viet. I paid my $ 18.00 bill and will not return…

Came here this past Sunday cause it was freezing cold! Makes you want some phở in this kind of weather. Picked Nam Viet out because of it’s proximity to the metro, literally a block away! I’ll give it to them in terms of convenience.
Once you turn the onto its street, you notice that there is just the one restaurant on the block, and it happens to be next to a building being built. On top of the restaurant you see a sign that states that they are open and not associated with the construction. Seems like an odd sign, and leads one to believe that this place does not get a lot of traffic, cause by the pesky construction outside. Well my friends this is not the case…
Once I got inside, noticed the dated décor, which is typical of many Asian restaurants. My gf and I were promptly seated right next to this Asian lady who was sitting alone and to the other side of her was a white couple. Seems like the place caters to an ethnically diverse crowd.
We received menus immediately and two glasses of water. The water had random white particles floating in it, looks like crushed up noodles or the leftover stuff at the bottom of your rice cooker after you cook a pot of rice and soak it in water to clean.
We asked for new waters, which were clean this time around.
Looking through the menu, there weren’t really many options for phở, though there was a section for noodle soups. Only 1 option of phở existed. There are two options, a small and a large. We asked how big the large was, and the waiter responded by telling us it was cup sized for $ 5.35… Pretty ridiculous.
I ordered the phở # 17 and my gf ordered the Saigon Pork and Shrimp Clear Noodle Soup #16. We both got larges.
The order came relatively quickly. The soup was lukewarm… Whatever… As usual I tasted a few spoonfuls of phở broth. It was sweet and yet very bland. Instantly I felt the dryness in my throat that comes from MSG. It explains why the broth was so sweet… With our noodle soups came some wilted basil and been sprouts.
I finished my noodles in 3 bites. Imagine making a mold of the top of a McDonald’s hamburger bun and filling it with noodles. Yes it was literally 3 bites worth of noodles. We got there at 12:30 and finished eating by 12:40…
I said I was still hungry, and my gf said she was full. Then I took it the extra step and said well after I go pee, since it was all water I’ll be starving. Guess who was starving first after about 30 minutes. I’ll give you a hint, it was not someone named Kent.
All in all this was not the worst phở I ever had, but definitely the smallest portion and therefore the most expensive it you go by a unit price or some type of metric to compare. Yes I went there.

Best Phở in the area! Great customer service!

**** 3 ½****
Nam Viet is probably one of the nicer phở places that I’ve been to in the area in terms of service. Everyone was really friendly and attentive from start to finish. We were greeted and seated immediately when we arrived. You also immediately notice the pictures of dignitaries on the walls. But let’s be honest, I came here for the food.
Nam Viet serves Vietnemese cuisine. We ordered cha go (fried spring rolls) as our starters and phở as our main dishes. For phở, they only have beef or chicken and they keep the beef fairly tame (no tendon, tongue, etc). My fiancé chose chicken and I chose the beef. The phở was pretty good, the broth was surprisingly flavorful. They also bring out sprouts, jalepenos, and lime for your phở. I missed the Thai basil though, but that’s more of my personal preference.
It’s located in Clarendon so it’s a good and affordable option to have when out in Clarendon. They also bring out warm towels for you at the end of your meal, which I thought was a surprising a nice touch.

Incredibly good, incredibly affordable… and somehow never crowded?!
Indeed, I’ve long been a fan of several of the Falls Church Vietnamese joints. Now that my office has relocated to Arlington, Nam Viet «aka Phở 79» has become one of my favorite lunch and go-​to spots; during the work week. Not because of the ambiance, not because of convenience… but simply put the FOOD. This is the best Phở in the area, in my opinion… and I have eaten at several Vietnamese places in the area including some of the well-​known Vietnamese diners at the Eden Center, Viet House, Phở DC and many others to the «Best Phở Crown!» Of all them, Nam Viet serves up the best fare, made with the freshest ingredients and flavor from the first bite to the last.
Here’s the run down:
AMBIEANCE
There is none. It is a bit outdated but somehow and in some way… it works! Old décor and drab seating with lots of those vine plants that your mama used to break-​off from family members/​friends/​neighbors houses and regrow them in the home. It’s draped everywhere over the windows and seating area. Sorry… Reminiscing. Back to the review at hand. LOL
SERVICE
Top-​notch and humble. The servers are very nice, attentive and accommodating to special requests that deviate from the menu.
FOOD
Appetizer — The Crispy Roll. OMG! The best crispy roll on this planet. A must have. Full of Shrimp, Chicken, Pork and Veggies. Very delicate, with a crispy-​crunch that sound off like «Rice Krispies» with each bite.
Dish#1 — Yellow Noodle Soup w/​Pork and Shrimp. Hands down one of the best broth and flavors to experience. Hot, steamy, and full of noodles and meat. Will not disappoint and is — ‘Intro to Phở 101′ Friendly! Pairs exceptionally well on a chilly day with some Siracha.
Dish #2 — While they do have Phở on the menu, that’s definitely a back-​burner item at Nam Viet, so I instead looked at the rest of the menu items. I also ordered and opted for the Combination Stir-​Fry with Mixed Vegetables & Chicken, Shrimp and Beef! Yup, you heard right. Three meats! All rolled into one dish. A flavorful stir-​fry sauce combination with crispy, fresh vegetables and a pummel of meat… served over egg noodles. I was quite pleased with this dish, the meats were nicely seasoned, the egg noodles were nice and crisp, and the overall result was a knock-​out combination of both tangy and sweet flavors I’m used to from Vietnamese food. Perfect for «meat-​heads» and «meat-​a-​holics» like myself. And, in my famous words… It was «Hittin’ & Stickin!»
PRICE
Cheap. An awesome alternative to the ever-so…expensive dining experiences to be had in the Arlington/​Clarendon area.
HEALTH RATING
A+ — Low Fat/​Carb Diet Friendly, Paleo agreeable, and the perfect choice for the health-​conscious and vegetarian crowd.
Overall, a nice and pleasant Vietnamese dinner. No frills… But, good and affordable food.

I am a definite fan of Nam Viet in Clarendon. The food was supurb, price was right, and frankly they make some really good phở!
I stumbled in here while wandering around Clarendon today, and came to dine in solo. Service was top notch and food was brought out promptly. I added some extra cilantro and lime to boost the already flavorful dish. It made it a little sweeter versus savory. Usually I eat phở on a cold day when the weather isn’t so nice out, but I am happy I changed my tune, and rolled in when I did.

Wonderful surprise – Family owned attentively cared for service and food
Superior Vietnamese quality cooking
The chicken noodles soup enjoyed a wonderful scent– when they say it is a small bowl it is indeed small
Fried Quail never seen in Viet restaurant before was tender perfectly cooked — could not tell it was fried — more of a roast
Almost ate too much with the blue collar pork fried rice — that alone could feed an army
The chef owner recommended his homemade flan — probably the freshest I’ve ever had – since it was just made — he makes a fresh each day

I had the chicken phở and I thought it was photastic. I came with a couple of Vietnamese friends who gave the place their stamp of approval.