4. Restaurants

VN Grill

1085 E Brokaw Rd,Ste 20, San Jose, CA, 95131
  • (408) 441-7900
  • Store is closed

VN Grill Menu

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  • Kristina A.

    Just what I've been looking for in my neighborhood: fresh, delicious, yet simple. It's like Chipotle for Asian cuisine. You choose your carbs, meat, sauce and voilà. Healthy goodness in a bowl. The price is very reasonable at under 10 bucks and the portions are enormous. I'll be returning again and again!

    (5)

  • Joanne D.

    This place is OK. "Asian Chipotle".. Customer service was a plus. But everything else was just o-k.

    (3)

  • Steven S.

    Great food that's both tasty and healthy. Very easy to order like chipotle. I usually get beef and shrimp over rice noodles with everything if I'm in the mood for surf n turf or chicken and brown rice. The pork sliders are awesome as well. Very clean and well run establishment

    (5)

  • Michael L.

    This is like the Asian answer to Chipotle. Pick your carb (noodle, rice,...), pick your meat, pick your veggies, then pick your sauce. Very fresh and tasty.

    (4)

  • Jonathan N.

    Great service plus tasty Vietnamese rice and noodle bowls. The restaurant has nice, modern decor. The only downfall I can see is there is limited seating. Other than that, It's another great eatery in the Brokaw shopping area.

    (4)

  • Jann R.

    food is great. staff are awesome n friendly. im here 2-3x a week. hopefully they make some kind of frequent buyer card or something soon. haha chicken and beef are both good. shrimp portions are relatively smaller but understandable since market price of shrimp is much more expensive very happy about the bowl size as it can fill me up even when im hungry after a workout.

    (5)

  • Sabrina R.

    Ok this place deserves an updated review. Came here when they first opened and I recently went back like I promised. I ordered the same thing as the first time and it was completely different..In a good way! No ice cold noodles no added cilantro that I didn't ask for and the pork was hot! The food came out quick and of course we ordered the pork sliders..so delicious and simple. I ordered the homemade lemonade and you can tell it's homemade because it tasted different. Pretty good. We got the salted plum drink on the house. .I'm not a fan..However this one was good. The person helping us was probably a manager and/or owner and he was nice. Him and the bf hit it off talking about football and whatever guys talk about. .I'm a basketball fan:D. I'm not going to lie..I got a little jealous the bf was paying more attention to him than me. Jk. But he really made us feel comfortable not just customers bringing in business. This visit was a complete 180 from the first time. Good job vn grill! You deserve the stars

    (5)

  • Ann D.

    I love the food here but seating is scarce and prices are okay. Will definitely come back.

    (4)

  • Michelle N.

    I was expecting a more Asian Fusion type of menu, seeing as the category this was placed under is "American" and the interior/menu design was very modern. Past reviewers called it the Vietnamese Chipotle and I think this is a very accurate description for it because they basically are little Vietnamese burrito bowls. If you've had bun thit nuong or com thit nuong, this is basically what it is but ordered and served in a more Americanized way. Although the rice bowls aren't extraordinary, they do satisfy a craving for your standard Vietnamese rice plate with generous portions. I think what's great about this place is that it tries to target a more American crowd all the while maintaining the authentic Vietnamese taste. I went with my dad and sister and we all left satisfied. The owner also hooked my dad up with a free Vietnamese coffee (normally $2.95). He was very accommodating and asked us how the food was and made sure we were taken care of. All the other workers were great as well :) I also had the pulled pork sliders, which was pulled pork sandwiched between a hawaiian bun and had the standard banh mi veggies in there. It was delicious! It's a little far from my house, but I would stop by again if I were ever in the area. I hope they decide to expand the menu and add something to make it worth the drive. I have a crazy suggestion: Different types of sliders! Initially I misread the menu and thought the pulled pork sliders were pork belly sliders with fat chunks of pork belly in them and just thinking about that fictional product of my foodie imagination is making my mouth water :P And since you already have sliders, why not throw in some crazy Vietnamese take of gourmet fries? Anyway, what is already on the menu is great! Go give them a try and be an early adopter, they haven't even been open a whole week yet!

    (4)

  • Peter X.

    where tradition meets modern traditional viet food that has a modern presentation. the place is clean and decorations are well thought out. That TV the on the wall is 65". Somehow the wall is so big it dwarfs the TV. Seemingly a 50 something inch until the owner told the the actual size. Watched the final 4 (Gators vs Huskies) today. Awesome game. Food: I ordered noodles with pork + tofu ($2 extra). Yummy in deed. Portion may be small for me. However, i'm a big eater. So this would be good for most people. Highly recommend.

    (5)

  • Roberto M.

    My gf brought me here after all the good things she had heard about this place. I really like the menu it's simple but you can get all types of combinations. The food was very good, cashier was super nice and polite. The reason I'm giving this place 3/5 starts is my gf found a strand of hair in her food, and also didn't get my order right either. I asked for brown rice but instead I got the noodles. The staff gave us some free egg rolls for the inconvenience.

    (3)

  • Sergeant D.

    What an unpleasant experience I had here. I admit, based on the yelp reviews, my expectations were pretty high. First of all, the portions are ridiculously small. I ordered the beef & noodle bowl, and it was about 25% bigger than your average side salad. Second, they've apparently started cutting corners on their ingredients. About half of the pieces of beef were too grissly to even chew. I had to spit them out into my napkin. If this doesn't constitute crappy food, I don't know what does. I won't be going back here. There are too many other good restaurants in this shopping center to waste any more $$ and time on this place.

    (1)

  • - GhettoNinja -.

    I have to agree with the low raters on this one. I hesitated in coming to an asian wanna-be-fusion of any kind simply because of lack in food quality. Anyways, after contemplating what to eat, we decided to give it a try. The only thing I like about the palce is the decor and maybe the service. As for the food, it is way too bland for my taste. I don't want to disrepect the people that give this place high rating, but they must have some bad taste. Most of you non asian folks think anything asian is good including (fortune cookie). For freshness I give this place 5 stars but I can marinate the meat better. As for the fish sauce? What fish sauce? It is so water down because the food is catered toward non-vietnamese folks. Anyways, at least I gave this place a try.

    (2)

  • Jonathan L.

    Solid place for lunch, its an Asian chipotle. Like a lot of other places that have been cropping up (spice kit in palo alto), you choose your veggies and meat and sauce. Ive been having cravings for lemongrass chicken and just veggies, and this place has pretty decent portions. The chicken is good, fish sauce isnt too strong, and everyone weems genuinely happy here. Its in the shopping center with the five guys in it, and the entrance is next to chipotle and subway. Also, like chipotle, they let you order double meat if you have a bigger appetite. Double portion lemongrass chicken comes out to about 10 bucks.

    (4)

  • Ryan G.

    Love their food. Everything on the menu is awesome. Always fresh and from the farmers market. Their staff there is so cool. My most go to lunch restaurant.

    (5)

  • Lana C.

    This place is great for a quick bite to eat for lunch. I suggest you get here early because the parking lot is crazy busy during the work week from 12-2. My favorite dish is the VN pork, with half salad, half vermicelli (for lower carbs) all veggies and VN sauce. The pork has a great favor and grilled to perfection, you get a good size portion of meat. The sauce isn't so salty either which I prefer. I've tried the chicken and shrimp too but always go back to the pork. The mini shrimp rolls are a tasty treat too. Service is always fast and they accept phone orders.

    (4)

  • B N.

    If you want a healthy lunch or even dinner, VN Grill is the place! I had the Vn pork signature salad. My meal was awesome! The meat is very lean, not too much fat like other Asian places. You can tell that this place has high quality meat. I love the fact that they give you high quality paper bowls instead of those cheap styrofoam bowls. Not only that, the place is super clean! I will definitely come back here.

    (5)

  • Shane S.

    I've had nothing less than an awesome experience here pork sliders are incredible on top of the bowls I would recommend this place to everyone I know.for a great foodie experience.(must try)!

    (4)

  • S M.

    Owners friendly something refreshingly healthy and filling.

    (5)

  • Beth V.

    Quick, fresh, and delicious are all words that should be used when describing Vn Grill. From the rice/noodle bowls to the pork sliders, the menu items are all fresh and made right when you order. You can feel and hear the snap of fresh vegetables in your bowl, you can savor the flavors of their many sauces, and your tastebuds will thank you for the flavor in their just-squeezed inventive lemonades. The only draw back is that as more and more people begin to discover this hidden gem, the lines will get longer and longer. Ah, but dear reader, it's worth the wait.

    (5)

  • M C.

    I recommend this place for a healthy, fresh lunch. Great mix of flavors. Try the sesame dressing! Clean and friendly service a plus.

    (4)

  • cay c.

    love love love love this place!!! my family and i eat here at least once a week. the food tastes fresh and great portions. i don't eat rice/noodles so it was great to have the veggie option for the base. i'm tired of getting weird looks when i order food at asian restaurants and ask for no rice/extra veg. i always get the VN pork with the seasme dressing. the lemonade is really good too. has a little touch of salt to balance out the sweetness.

    (5)

  • Jon B.

    We love this place and come here at least once a week. Their food is light and fresh.

    (5)

  • Joel F.

    Delicious, healthy, filling and inexpensive. As I type this, I'm here at VN Grill for the second time today - it's that delicious. Don't forget to snag a pork slider - they're divine!

    (5)

  • Justin W.

    Cheap, fast and GOOD. Come here for a quick lunch or dinner and get your vermicelli fill on! The lemongrass chicken vermicelli was not over saturated with grease and had the right amount of lemongrass flavor. If you feel like there isn't enough flavor, throw on some of VN Grill's specialty sauces. Although I only tried their fish sauce, it added that extra oomph to make it a great dish. Their other sauces sounded promising and will surely be used next time. If you're looking for a quick meal without wanting a really heavy dish, this is your spot. Great vibe and good food.

    (4)

  • Veronica V.

    This place is yummy and healthy. I love their chicken and fresh veggie toss bowls with brown rice. If your hungry definitely give this place a try. At first, I wasn't sure about the place since it was new but I am so glad we walked in an gave it a try. My whole family loves this place. We go a few times a month. The only complaint is from my teenage son. He wishes there was a bigger size. Dont forget to try their fresh shrimp spring rolls. They are tiny bites of fresh heavens. Their customer service rocks!! They remember your face and what you like. Alot of places out there forget how to treat customers. The service alone makes you want to come back. 5 stars is definitely deserved.

    (5)

  • Debbie H.

    Excellent flavor, fresh, 1 salad bowl is plenty, the extra sauce in bottles is helpful, it took awhile to get our order though worth it

    (5)

  • Peter Y.

    Tried this spot for the first time today. We had an order of spring rolls and salad with the lemongrass chicken. The concept is similar chipotle where you pick the starch or greens. I appreciated how clean the back and front of the house was and impressed the the freshness of their ingredients. I will definitely come back as this will serve as a great healthy option for lunch or dinner.

    (4)

  • stephen g.

    Love the food the workers are GREAT!!!! SIMPLE AND Enviromentaly responsible!!! Love it!!!

    (5)

  • Kelly G.

    This has become one of my favorite lunch places during the week. I love asian food but I also love eating healthy, which is sometimes hard to come by. I've only ever gotten the rice bowls. I'm a fan of the chicken, but not so much the beef. I felt the beef was way too tough and flavorless. Stick to chicken, or maybe the pork (haven't tried it yet). I love all the veggies you can put in it too. I always get the steamed veggies, which costs an extra $.95 They do charge for to-go orders (25 cents), which I find silly. They give you a large obnoxious bag to put your food in. Totally unnecesarry. They put stay-in orders in the same type of bowl, so sounds like there's a simple solution here that wouldn't require a $.25 charge. This is just a small pet peeve of mine though :)

    (4)

  • Kamal S.

    A must go place. A simple food made great with love. Great people behind the counter too.

    (5)

  • Alyssa M.

    Came in and ordered food for my mom. It was my first time here so I was unsure on how to order but the menu seemed very simplistic so I wasn't too lost. Doui? Or deewee? I apologize if I butcher your name, was very kind in assisting me and helping me order. The Vietnamese iced coffee sweetened with condense milk was strong and good! The shrimp spring rolls tasted pre-made or frozen bc the rice paper was hard in areas, not something I would suggest ordering. What I really enjoyed here were the bowls. The lime soy sauce was delicious. Ordered a bow with chicken and everything on it. I was tempted to add the wok veggies for about a dollar more but I didn't. Everything tastes fresh in the bowl which I liked. Definitely a place I would come back too and recommend to others. Came in during lunch time and the place seemed very popular, can't wait to go back again!

    (4)

  • Michael C.

    Free woked veggies because their credit card machine broke! Awesome customer experience!

    (5)

  • Gabriel N.

    A Vietnamese-styled Chipotle...next to an actual Chipotle! If you have never been to a Chipotle, good for you. There's better Mexican styled food than that, but I digress... The way Chipotle works is that you choose a base, meat, veggies and then sauces. Vn Grill is no different. Base - Vermicelli (Rice noodle), rice, brown rice or salad Meat - Beef, pork, chicken, tofu or shrimp Veggies - Lots of veggies!!! Wok tossed veggies at ~$1 extra. Sauces (pick up to 2) - Fish sauce, lime soy, tamarind or sesame ($0.50 extra) As you can see, there are many, many combinations that you can make. I, however, am a simple person. On two different occasions, I got brown rice, all the veggies and lime soy dressing. The only thing I changed up was the meat. I tried both the beef and the chicken. I prefer the beef over the chicken because it's made kalbi (KBBQ) style!! It's perfectly marinated and they are generous with the portions as well. That's not to say, however, that the chicken was bad. The chicken was fresh and cooked perfectly. The employees here are really nice. They called me by name after I ordered. The place is very well kept. They normally play sport games here, so I find myself watching the Warriors as I eat. Prices range from $6-9 depending on the meat Overall, solid and healthy place to go eat! 4/5!

    (4)

  • Ann M.

    Almost reminds me of a Vietnamese chipotle. It seems that they Americanized the dish a bit to suit a wider audience! It's located in a very nice plaza with a decent amount of parking and the staff here seem to be quite friendly. They also seem pretty close because some people came into the kitchen all fancy like and everyone was chatting together, it was cute. Looked like they all have a good relationship! I love Vietnamese vermicelli bowls and come here when my friends and I want to split up in the plaza and get our own food. It's decently priced and pretty yummy to me! And decently portioned. I'm kind of iffy about the egg rolls as sides -- $2 for 5 small egg rolls. I'm just iffy because I'm used to bigger ones in the bowl but in retrospect it's not thaaaat bad. Will come again sometime when I'm in the area.

    (4)

  • Joe M.

    When I used to work at the Brokaw plaza, this was my everyday favorite lunch spot. I could always rely on having an affordable and healthy meal 100% of the time. To the star board! +2 Stars for the food. AMAZING. No matter which combo you get, it always taste fresh, healthy, but most importantly delicious! Similar style to Chipotle when it comes to choosing exactly what you want in your bowl. Wide variety of carbs, proteins, and veggies. +1 Star for the cleanliness. Always clean and a very nice environment to eat and enjoy your food in. TV is almost always on ESPN, which is another plus. +2 Stars for Staff! Duy and his wife are always helpful and always greet with a genuine smile and really care about their customers. The customer service here is flawless and I walk out of here with a smile of my face and a happy tummy. The ONLY con I could see is they are closed on Sunday's.. Because if I'm craving VN grill on a Sunday I know I can't have it. It's that good.

    (5)

  • Christine N.

    This place looks clean when you walk in and there's a huge menu on top telling you how to order. I got the brown rice with chicken and all veggies except for shallots. You get the option of 2 sauces and I got VN sauce and lime soy vinaigrette. I was expecting a lot of flavor when the bowl came because it looked so good with all the veggies. It was so bland. Even after pouring the sauces in, it tasted the same before and after. Their sauces are very diluted so you don't taste much. Meh, I think there are better options in that plaza than this place.

    (2)

  • Katia K.

    This place deserves a 4.5 stars! Such a fun restaurant, clean environment and super fresh ingredients. Great service and great quality food. You pick what type of Bowl you'd like: White rice, Brown rice, Rice noodles, or salad. Then meat choice. * We tried the kalbi beef & pork & shrimp. They were good! I recommend these. * We also got VN pork sliders (2 for $4.50) super delicious!!! Hit the spot and I wish I could have more. * Nori Fries- yummy and crunchy sweetness, loved these and the dipping sauce it came with. I think these aren't on their permanent menu, they were on a flyer on the counter. The reason I didn't give it 5/5 was because it was on the pricier side for Vietnamese type food. Each bowl was about $9 and weren't over flowing with veggies or meat, as I usually prefer. We'll definitely be coming back when we're in the area! I recommend this place to everyone.

    (4)

  • melisa r.

    This place rocks!!!!! I really really live tho bowls so worth the price chicken was soooo yummy and it's like a ban mi just in a bowl super heathy too

    (5)

  • Jennie D.

    Not your authentic Vietnamese vermicelli hole in the wall joint but it's modern fresh and light yet still flavorful menu still have is coming back!!! We always get the bbq pork, veggies and white noodles. Vn or tamarind fish sauce is similar but they are still so so good! Excellent customer service, clean modern decor and love their mission - traditional yet modern, natural ingredients. You can order online as well!

    (5)

  • James W.

    Loved it! The cashier lady was super nice and helped me decide what to get. The meat was very delicious and the atmosphere was chill. Definitely would recommend! It's like a chipotle but viet style! And I recommend the pork sliders! Sooooo good!

    (4)

  • Michael C.

    Vietnamese Chipotle! We were originally going to 5 Guys, but as I was sick, consuming a greasy burger wasn't high on my priority. I was also just curious to what else was in this shopping center, and once the smell of Vietnamese grilled meat hit me, I changed the course of lunch forever. Also, from a personal preference, I miss Tampa Bay Vietnamese. I know, the South Bay is the largest community of Vietnamese outside of Vietnam, and the Pho out here is vastly superior, but I miss places like Pho Quyen, where I could gorge on delicious grilled pork and spring rolls over broken rice (or rice vermicelli) and for a while could even get Bi. So getting something close to that experience has been a big goal for me, and I got very close today. You choose your base: white rice, brown rice, rice noodles or salad. I went with white rice. You choose your protein: pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu. I went with pork. You choose your veggies: I'm not going to list them out, but you have the option to order them all, and I did. You choose your sauce: fish sauce, lime soy, tamarind, or sesame. I of course went with with sauce and splashed a bit of tamarind. Note: you get the bottles with your meal to add as much or little as you want. Also they have sriracha bottles everywhere for that need. Then you either order drinks and sides, or just wait for your food. They grill everything fresh, which means it does take a few minutes to get your food, but that is definitely preferable to big steamer trays of meat. Also who doesn't love the smell of grilling meat? I went with a seasonal lemonade passion fruit, which was refreshing and delicious. I also got a side of the mini shrimp egg rolls which were surprisingly good. Looking forward to making this a monthly spot with my lunch group, but will have to make sure I bridge away from the delicious pork. TIP: regardless of whether you order in or out, get a lid. That way after you add your sauces and egg rolls, you can shake everything together.

    (4)

  • Ryan J.

    The Vietnamese version of Chipotle! If you've been to Chipotle, but are craving some Vietnamese food then you won't be a stranger to this place. You start by picking the base of your bowl (Rice noodles, white/brown rice, or salad. Then you pick the meat (pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu). Now select your veggies ( I usually get them all!) Lastly, choose up to 2 sauces (fish sauce, lime soy vinaigrette, tamarind vinaigrette, or sesame dressing. It's as simple as that! They put all of these ingredients of your choice in a bowl and have the sauce on the side so you can add as much flavor as you want. The galbi style beef was delicious and perfectly cooked! It costs a little bit more, but it's super worth it since they add so much! The staff was very friendly and patient with me since I was a first timer. I am impressed by the food and the service and I will definitely be coming back for lunch. Keep it up!

    (4)

  • Kiana D.

    Love this place! At the end of the meal I'm usually not overly-food coma mood, just the right amount! It's like a chipotle feel type of place. Just pick what you want and they toss it in a bowl for you!

    (5)

  • Denise L.

    Heard so much about this place, but they close on Sundays when I'm usually in the area. Finally got to go on a Friday evening, it's quaint and clean, and even have the communal tables like Chipotle. Yes, it's a Vietnamese style of Chipotle. Pick your carbs (noodles, white or brown rice) your protein (I went with their pork), endless veggies (ranging from bean sprouts to basil) and then your sauce. Based on reviews, I went with the VN sauce (fish sauce) mixed with the lime soy vinegarette. The mini siracha bottles are to die for at the counter too! Food came out quickly, and love how they put your sauce in a plastic bottle on the side. The noodles were a bit undercooked for my taste, but the meat was grilled perfectly. Lots of flavor. The jalapenos are hot! Had to take them all out! Their mini shrimp egg rolls are tasty as well! For $8-$10 this place is tasty, cheap, and healthy!

    (4)

  • Jacob J.

    Quality of ingredients were low but they had an authentic recipe. Some good quick food but I can only see people eating here who aren't exposed to good Vietnamese food. Sea salt Vietnamese coffee was interesting, but could have been better. Nothing was very fresh or extremely tasteful; only cooked right. Portions of ingredients were good but it tastes cheap. Even carts in Vietnam on the side of the road have better quality and a much better recipe, but what can you do? All aside, it's good that Vietnamese food is getting more exposure and ease to newcomers. People shouldn't forget to enjoy the best of the cuisine and it's tradition, however, if they're into food culture.

    (2)

  • Fred L.

    I ordered pickup; cashier was prompt and the neighbourhood/restaurant was very well kept. Food was average; nothing special but not bad either. Good enough for my recommendation, but nothing to be wowed by.

    (3)

  • Louisa T.

    Such a healthy meal, that you can customize- I love it. It does feel like Chipotle in that you can choose your base, your meat, toppings and sauce. I've tried their pork and chicken before with rice vermicelli, most of the toppings and the VN and Tamarind Sauce. With just one sauce choice I felt like it was good enough, but they do allow you to order 2. In addition to that, they make a killer slider. It's hard to just get the bowl without throwing in an order of pork sliders (2 in one order). Price here is also quite reasonable with good service.

    (4)

  • Jason W.

    We were already running late for a dinner when my wife decided we would bring spring rolls. Stopped by VN Grill. I didn't know she was going to order a whole tray, so it took a while to make... here I am, already late, sitting in the parking lot, and waited about 20+ minutes for my wife to come out. To say I was stressed was putting it lightly. The rolls themselves were VERY good. Just the right size - big enough to feel substantive when you bite, not too small that you don't feel you got your money's worth, not packed so dense that you feel like you're eating a sausage, but not so flimsy and empty that you feel like you got ripped off. Really, this review should be four stars, but I really don't like being stressed out like that.

    (3)

  • Mike Y.

    OK Vietnamese food in a modern deco environment. You are first presented with the choices like Chipotle. Then you sit down and wait for the food. The food itself is good but definitely not special at all. The space is modern and comfortable.

    (4)

  • Edward W.

    When I first walked in, I thought this place was quite similar to Asian Box in Mountain View. Pick a meat, pick a carb, pick your veggies, and pick your sauces. The difference is that this place gives it a Vietnamese spin to it. I ordered a chicken rice bowl with a side of mini shrimp eggrolls, which were about the size of a pinky and really delicious. The chicken rice bowl came with a lots of chicken, and a decent amount of everything else. I liked that they leave all the sauces on the side and you can add as much or as little as you want. I tried both the fish sauce and tamarind vinaigrette, and they mixed well together. There were also several large TVs playing football, so this might be a great place to chill.

    (4)

  • Danny L.

    A very nice establishment by the owners of VN Grill. This might be one of my new favorite spots to eat at now! Here is how it works: 1) Choose your carbs. (White/brown rice, rice noodles, or salad bowl) 2) Choose your protein. (VN pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, or to-fu-que) 3) Choose your veggie. 4) Pick your sauce. (VN sauce, lime soy vinaigrette, tamarind vinaigrette, or seasame dressing) I tried the VN pork with rice noodles with all the veggies and for the sauce I choose the tamarind and vn sauce. I did not feel heavy at all after finishing a bowl of vermicelli. On top of that, the service was great also. I believe the guy who rang me up is the owner of VN Grill. I will definitely be back!

    (5)

  • Jerry T.

    Love this place for a quick healthy meal. It is the Chipotle of Vietnamese food. Very simple ordering, just pick what you want in a bowl and order it. You'll be eating in about 5 minutes from ordering. I usually double the meat to make the bowl heartier. The nori fries were a too sweet for my taste and the pork slider was ok.

    (5)

  • Jennifer W.

    VN Grill is located in the shopping plaza or should I say food plaza? haha...located near Chipotle, 5 guys, or Pieology. Friends took me here for lunch one day because they loved how fresh and organic it was. Yes, they had frequent it many times...what's the rave? Gosh, the menu is simple, but delicious! I had the rice noodles, beef, with lettuce, with their special sauce. Special sauce was recommended by my friends. Surprisingly, it was really fresh, light, and good! Vn Grill gives the sauce on the side, so you can put however much you want in your bowl. They do have vegetarian options. Instead of adding meat, they can add tofu instead. Instead of fish sauce, they have other sauces too. So, don't fret, vegetarians! I might take my parents here one day when they come and visit me again! *** You can order online, pay online too! Pick it up for lunch. It does get crazy during lunch hours. ***

    (5)

  • Michelle M.

    INSIDE: clean, organized tables. Setup like a Chipotle or Pieology where you line up on the side you walk in against the wall, order in steps, then move to the side to wait for your food to be ready. FOOD: straight forward options either noodles or rice, pick your meat, veggies, and sauces. Definitely a clean home cooked healthy taste to the food. I'm glad they have Thai iced tea because that's my favorite Asian drink. Pretty fast service too. PRICES: seem reasonable to me and you can choose all the ingredients you want. Guy at the register has been the same the few times I've been here. Nice guy.

    (4)

  • Rachel B.

    I didn't really understand the concept of a food desert until I moved downtown and realized just how difficult it could be to get some healthy food on the go without eating at Subway. There aren't many options that are truly healthy, so I was glad to see fellow Yelpers check in at this place and tip me off to try it. VN Grill offers a good selection of customizable meat, starch, veggie, and sauce options. As my mid-life I'm-turning-30-so-must-eat-healthy crisis had kicked in, I opted for the salad, chicken, all the veggies, and some sauces on the side. I was happy to find that although I did miss the starch in this meal, the salad was still adequate in filling me up and was still quite tasty with a dash of a few of the sauces. I'm excited to go back and try more combinations. When I'm feeling naughty I'll hit the rice and I'm sure it'll be an excellent treat.

    (4)

  • Thao-My H.

    Thank you VN Grill for providing us with amazing chicken and tofu party trays for our Summer National Conference! Everyone really enjoyed the fresh and healthy taste of VN Grill. I would personally like to thank Duy for being patient with me and being so kind over the phone. He was very accommodating to our dietary restrictions. I'm so happy to have had VN Grill cater food for us. VN Grill is nice introduction to those unfamiliar to Vietnamese food. Amazing food and amazing service! Definitely, coming back for more! Also, their traditional iced Vietnamese coffee is on point.

    (5)

  • Tara S.

    Quick, healthy, delicious, Vegan and GF. What more do you want me to say?? will go back again and again since it very close by for me ;-) Don't forget to try their Sesame sauce for additional .50 cent.Its worth it

    (4)

  • Mark F.

    What a great concept, pick your starch, pick your meat, pick your veggies, pick your sauce, stuff your face! My good Yelp buddy Janet O took me here and I was happier than a pig in slop! I love Vietnamese food and this takes the guess work out of it for me, you just tell them what you want and they make your perfect meal every time. I had the VN pork with noodles, most of the veggies, the grilled veggies (lightly grilled and still very crunchy cabbage, broccoli, and carrots, yum)(extra$) and both the VN fish sauce and sesame sauce. It was killer, I destroyed an entire bowl but didn't feel to guilty. The food is fresh, healthy, and just the right portion size. I will definitely be back!

    (4)

  • Lincy H.

    Like everyone else said, this is like a Vietnamese Chipotle for vermicelli bowls. You pick your base, your meat, your veggies, and your sauce. I think it would be cooler if they had everything out on display though, just for presentation points. During lunch time, it gets pretty packed, but since service is fast and straightforward, we only had to wait a minute or so to snag a table to sit at. I got the rice noodle, VN sauce (fish sauce), tamarind vinaigrette sauce (tangy sauce), pork, and all vegetables. The fish sauce is not as strong as the ones they use at typical pho restaurants, which might be healthier, haha. The pork meat was delicious! It was perfectly grilled, tender and not hard to chew. Service was great. The guy who helped us was very warm, welcoming, and helpful. Happy customer over here!

    (4)

  • Janet O.

    Wow! I love their fast approach to feeding you! So simple and uncomplicated process. Step 1 choose your starch. I chose brown rice. Step 2 choose your protein. I chose pork. Step 3 choose your veggies. I under ordered and chose only cilantro and basil. Next time I will add probably all? Step 4 sauce it up! I chose their fish sauce. Its not what you think. Its light and practically doesn't smell. Warning. My steps might be out of order. But you get the idea. I can only speak about my pork meat. But oh man! It rocked my taste buds. It catapulted me to be inspired to come back here again. Really! It's so damn tasty Im still thinking about it. The portions are really excellent. Brown rice perfectly cooked. But all that and they're fast too? Wow! Did i say fast? Total lag time between ordering was a mere 5-10 minutes. Great location. Clean. Knowledgeable and courteous staff. Cant wait to try the rest of their dishes. But I'm going to get re-acquainted with my pork dish again soon!

    (4)

  • Nguyen L.

    It took me awhile to give this place a try but I'm glad I did. My reluctance was that I thought I'd be disappointed by another Americanized Asian type of restaurant. Their menu is a Chipotle style of orders. Pick what you want and they'll put it together. The only difference is that you don't get to see them make it in front of you. I ordered the Noodles, Lemongrass chicken and all the veggies. When you pick the sauces they give you a bottle so you can add it yourself to the bowl. I choose the VN sauce (fish sauce) and the Tamarind Vinaigrette. They also have bottles of Sriracha and Chili if you want to spice it up! The ingredients were fresh, the chicken was very flavorful and didn't have the overpowering taste of lemongrass. I felt like they gave me a good ratio of noodles to chicken to veggies. I left feeling very satisfied and yet not heavy. I look forward to trying what else they have to offer. I won't be too be quick to judge before I eat it!

    (4)

  • Hanna Y.

    Need something quick and healthy? Get your vermaccelli in a bowl to go. Our go-to dinner place on a week night when I don't feel like cooking and it's close by. You can order online or by phone. But they mess up the sauces once in a while or there would be things missing in one bowl. But it's fresh and you can't go wrong. Beef and shrimp are my usual choices. Parking can be a little hard to find. Might have to loop around once or twice but people are always leaving from the other stores that are in the same plaza.

    (4)

  • Rob C.

    another great "Asian Box" style quick meal, large bowl fresh and reasonable price. I recommend the beef 'kalbi style' sliced meat over the grilled pork, which was drier with less flavor. went with all the toppings -- would like more crispy shallots, also poured more of the VN fish sauce than the lime soy. pickled veggies, lettuce, mint, etc works, but modernized compared to traditional bun thit nuong. still makes for a great quick meal.

    (4)

  • Dheeraj N.

    I visit this location a lot but never knew of this place. Ordered a chicken over brown rice with all veggies. And mini shrimp rolls. Everything was really good, it's a variation from regular food that I eat.

    (5)

  • Jenny Q.

    Efficient, healthy, and tasty! What more could I ask for? Janet O took me here and I started feeling a little hangry on our way over after sitting through The Hobbit. It's nestled in Brokaw Commons and we found parking easily. The setup reminds me of Asian Box. I like how the cashier referred to me by name multiple times after I ordered. I chose white rice, Vn pork, Vn sauce and all the veggies excluding jalapeno, peanuts, and bean sprouts. Grabbed a seat at one of the communal tables and only took about 5 min to get my food. The tender, well-marinated pork really hit the spot and veggies added a nice variety of textures. Vn sauce (fish sauce) complements it well with its light umami flavor. Janet told me that she gets hers without veggies so that they include more meat and after comparing her bowl to mine, I think I will do the same next time. I'm not a huge fan of raw veggies. Wok-tossed veggies are an extra 95 cents. I'm glad we resisted the temptation to get popcorn at the movies and saved our stomachs for Vn! I'd love to try their grilled pork sliders and mini shrimp eggrolls in the future. Cám on, Janet! :)

    (4)

  • Becky M.

    I think I'm most fascinated by the concept of this restaurant. This is a modern play off of the traditional Vietnamese dishes, I would most closely describe it as a Vietnamese Chipotle. You first choose a carb (white/brown rice, rice noodles, or salad), then a type of vietnamese grilled protein (chicken, pork, short ribs), veggies, then a sauce all in a bowl. The prices are super fair too; around $6-9 for the main entrees, ~$4 for spring rolls, and ~$2 for eggrolls - although not too comparable, this is cheaper than most traditional Vietnamese restaurants. As a person who often prefers the taste of fresh and light flavors, this place is quite a solid fall back option for when I can't decide on something new to try.

    (4)

  • Nancy N.

    EDIT as of 7/24/14: I just tried the pork slider for the first time and it is ahhhhhhhMAZING! The flavors are so good. Tastes like a pulled pork Vietnamese sandwich on a Hawaiian roll! All their produce is also sourced from the local farmers market (whenever possible and seasonally dictated). ++ **************************************************­************************************ I know my fellow Vietnamese people might not agree with my rating, but hear me out! My first visit: "Meh, this does NOT taste authentic. What is all the hype about?" Second visit: "Hmmm....interesting. Satisfying yet I don't feel heavy and weighed down like I usually do after a bowl of vermicelli." Third visit: "My new guilt-free healthy(ish) Vietnamese food!" Being Vietnamese, I was highly critical of this place during my first visit. To me, it didn't taste authentic (i.e. moist and oily). But after repeated visits (I'm not even kidding, they know me by name now because I come in multiple times a week :X) I have really started to appreciate VN Grill's vision. - Flexible ordering (Chipotle style): Choose rice, noodles, or salad. Then choose protein, veggies, and desired sauce. Regardless of rice, noodles, or salad your price is determined based on which protein you choose. - Less carbs, more protein. They really pile on the meat here! I always find myself needing more vermicelli because I have so much leftover meat. - Extremely friendly owners I usually like to get the beef or shrimp with rice noodles (vermicelli), a cucumber mint lemonade (so refreshing!), and if I'm feeling extra fatty that day I'll also get an order of spring rolls too (don't judge me). Closed on Sundays. And parking sucks especially during lunch time since there are so many businesses and it shares the same parking with City Sports, so come early for lunch or swing by for dinner instead. If only they had some kind of rewards systems or loyalty card, I'd probably have a couple free meals by now. X_x

    (5)

  • Foodie For Life L.

    Food was ok, there was no love put into cooking it he ingredients. With the amazing reviews I was hoping for better. The soy lime sauce that we liked the best needed to be thicker to actually stick to the food instead of sinking right to the bottom. The up charged sesame sauce was disgusting honestly. Spring rolls were ok and we found the wrapping to be thick and hard to bite through. Wish I would have gone to eat elsewhere. : /

    (2)

  • Viet N.

    VN Grill is another variation of the Vietnamese Chipotle, and potential competitor of Eat Viet in the Santa Clara/Milpitas area. Unlike Eat Viet, they didn't mess up on the amount of marinade/sauce on my order! I ordered the To-fu-que with lime soy vinaigrette on brown rice and all veggies possible ($6.95). (The lime soy vinaigrette was recommended by the guy at the front, Dewey, and it was spot on!) While they do put the vinaigrette in the bowl already when they serve it to you, they also bring out a bottle of the sauce in case you want more, which I definitely liked. Overall, everything tasted really fresh, light, and for $6.95, I can't complain too much! I also got a Vietnamese coffee for $2.95, and you can't really go wrong there either, especially if you are already used to the bitterness of it. I will come again!

    (4)

  • Johnson N.

    Yesterday was my first time here at Vn Grill, came here with a co-worker after the lunch rush, if there was any (1pm). I ordered the lemongrass chicken, brwn rice and load of vegetables. It was alright. The place is modern, oddly modern though. The food... was okay. Being vietnamese, I have a very strong taste when it comes to vietnamese food. I just don't get this place, flavorwise. Probably, will never come back.

    (3)

  • Danreb V.

    I don't know why people are calling places like Pieology a Pizza Chipotle or V'n Grill a Vietnamese Chipotle. Y'all gotta understand that it's its own category of restaurant now! DIY! (Do It Yourself). Rant aside, I have Vietnamese food quite often. I have pho and banh mi at least once a week, so you can imagine my surprise when I came here. It was like having a Vietnamese sandwich without the banh mi... or pho without broth! And how was it? Great. I decided I wanted to try this place out after a rather testing arms workout, and while I felt embarrassed because I almost dropped my tray, I couldn't get over how fresh every everything tasted. I guess it gets its comparison to Chipotle because it's fresh ingredients in a bowl. The difference here is instead of choices of salsa and cheese, it's just rice, veggies, and a meat. They also give you this amazing house soy sauce, and according to the waiter, it's good for you. You can drench as much of the soy sauce (and Sriracha) as you want in your bowl to give it more flavor. If I were to compare the style to anything, it would probably be Korean bibimbap, without anything sizzling. Just fresh food drenched in whatever sauce. I'll definitely be back.

    (3)

  • Nilo A.

    I wish I still lived in SJ because I just got a random craving for VN Grill. Very delicious, healthy food! I would mix it up a lot so don't have any specific combination to recommend, but along with the main food, I'd definitely recommend the pork slider and the VN coffee, which is freakin amazing! Me and my friends were kinda addicted to that coffee haha. Other than that, the employees are super nice and I always have a more than pleasant experience going there. I would recommend to get the OrderAhead app, as it can get pretty busy at times, especially during lunch. And using the app is easy and convenient.

    (5)

  • Andrew D.

    This place is awesome! I have lunch here once a week. I love being able to choose different combinations and customize what I want. Everything I've had is delicious and leaves you feeling satisfied but healthy. Staff is very friendly and the place has a nice atmosphere for a little place. Hope they open more locations.

    (5)

  • Denise L.

    "V N Grill cuisine, you're unforgettable, Fine, fresh, fierce, you got it unlocked Local tasty food that got you comin' back Ohhhh ohhhh, ohhhh ohhhh." -- to the tune of Katy Perry's 'California Girls' Fresh and delicious! Yes, it's not completely authentic Vietnamese food, but that's not the point. VN Grill uses fresh, local ingredients and it sure shows in the taste. The one and only #1 South Bay Slumdog invited me here for lunch, and I'm sure glad he did. FOOD: -------- The **Grilled Pork Sliders** are the bomb diggity. They're loaded with tender meat that contain so much flavor. Those sweet buns make such a difference -- Hawaiian rolls are a great take on the slider. Definitely a must order! We had the *Shrimp Spring Rolls** which comes with 4 pieces and is perfect for 2 people to share. These came with tasty peanut sauce and were very fresh. Since I grew up eating **Vermicelli Noodles with BBQ Pork** I had to give them a try. This is a more modern type of cuisine so I was not expecting the traditional dish, but it was still very similar -- meaning it was delicious! SERVICE/AMBIANCE: -------------------------- Service is very friendly and helpful when explaining the menu. You can build your own dish, which can be overwhelming to the first-timer since there are so many options, but the staff can assist you. The place is basic, clean, and bright. Lunch hour on weekdays can be super crowded, so if you want to avoid the rush you should come after 1 pm. TIP: You can order online from their website ( vngrill.com ) or use the mobile app so you can take your food to go!

    (4)

  • Andrew W.

    Cheap, cheerful, and fresh.

    (4)

  • Shells M.

    My love's dad actually told us about this place and I after working so diligently at the gym I decided to nosh out and thankfully found this thru yelp! So I ventured here and immediately this place reminds me of an Asian Chipotle- pretty cool. My host I believe his name was Vien? He was chill, I told him this was my first time here and he helped me pick out the food bowls based on customer favorites. I ordered the brown rice bowl with grilled pork and VN sauce and got my honey the beef with noodle and everything bowl. I also ordered a pork slider to go and went down the street for some ice tea. I am so happy I went here on the rainy night because this is some serious health yet comfort food. The slider was on POINT and delicious and I was full so I ended up sharing my brown rice bowl with my mom who loved this and will most definitely want me to pick this up for her. Everything tasted fresh and is a pretty hefty size. My honey loved his bowl as well and appreciated that I went here because the food is legitimately good and fresh! I do regret going down that damn street and getting ice tea, I plan on returning soon for more sliders, a bowl and Thai ice tea and I want to try the cucumber lemonade oh and the spring rolls! ........this is why I lift people. So I can eat! Overall will return, it's fresh food ranging from $9-15 per person which is really not bad considering it comes with a decent amount.

    (5)

  • Shalini B.

    This place is delicious! All the meats are good, but my favorite is the pork with the noodles and sesame dressing. The food is fresh and healthy!

    (5)

  • Katrina T.

    I heart this place! I could eat here every day! I like that it is street style food and the portions are big. Usually street style food has such small portions and is a little over priced, so I was happy that VN grill offers more! I got 2 bowls: Noodles plus chicken and the lime soy sauce and the other with beef and I forgot the other sauce. Basically their meat is juicy, not oily and super fresh! I don't feel bad eating out here after the gym.

    (5)

  • Carole Y.

    My friends and I were looking for a healthier dinner option and someone suggested Vn Grill. This place is fairly new and small. The ordering system is a bit like Chipotle or Pieology. You choose your choice of 'carbs', or you can pick salad. Then you pick a meat (tofu for vegetarians), toppings, and sauce(s). I ordered the rice noodles with lemongrass chicken, all the toppings, and the VN sauce and tamarind sauce. I forget all the toppings they have, but they included things like: cucumbers, bean sprouts, lettuce, basil, cilantro, carrots, and peanuts. I was actually quite impressed and pleased with my order! Everything tasted really light and fresh. Definitely not a heavy meal at all, if that's what you're looking for. The sauces were really good. I ended up sampling all the sauces, but the VN and tamarind were definitely my favorite. Overall, a good solid choice for when you want lighter, healthier fare.

    (4)

  • Joel B.

    Good thing is... There's NEVER a long line here. Tried this in April of 2015, and simply loved it. It's a bowl of vermicelli (and rice if you want it) It's basically a Customizable bowl of vermicelli with delicious and healthy sauces. I got the chicken with peanut and VN sauce and vermicelli noodles. (-1) they really skimp you on the meat My friend had ordered the fried eggrolls, they didn't seem like the best but at least they were fresh. --------------------------------------------------­------------------------------ This place ended with a four stars because nothing else had made me deduct anything from it's rating. I like it here. YELP!

    (4)

  • Bryson L.

    Similar to the Bay Area chain, Asian Box, but more feels more solely influenced by Vietnamese food. The food here is generally health conscious which is a good plus. However, I would say that their sauces fall short, they're pretty watery and don't add much to the meal itself. But the ingredients are always fresh with a variety of topping options. I've only tried the beef here, but the quality is slightly under that of Asian Box, though still very good. The toppings are also not bad here, though Asian Box does have them beat here as well unfortunately. The lemonade here is nice with a variety of fruit flavors, they are a bit on the sweet side (I had to add water to mines). Vn Grill is still a great place with healthy, quick meals and definitely worth checking out!

    (3)

  • Meryl P.

    Such a fan. Such a fan. Such a fan. I kept repeating this to myself after my boyfriend and I tried this place out recently. Literally after every bite, I got happier knowing that this place existed. Yes, it's like a Chipotle, where you choose the rice/noodles/salad then the protein and then all the toppings! Customer service on point! They were so nice and very helpful with recommendations and what flavor combos worked the best. The food itself - winner winner! Fresh flavors and ingredients. I highly recommend trying this place out and can't wait to return to try the Nori Fries!

    (5)

  • Kimberly Y.

    I thought Vn Grill was going to be like a Mongolian BBQ, but it was just like a Vietnamese Chipotle! except without the bar, so you order at the counter and they're pretty fast. The options are actually pretty simple, even though it looks like there's a decent amount on the menu. The lemon grass chicken and fish sauce were delicious! I just wish I had ordered more toppings. I only got the wok-cooked veggies, which were just broccoli and cabbage. The meal could've been much more flavorful if I had ordered more! I guess that's my fault. I'm not a huge sauce person, but I love my Asian sauces. And thank goodness, because it's honestly pretty plain without the sauce. I love that they give you a whole bottle of the sauce for you to squeeze at your pleasure. I went Friday for lunch, and there seemed to be just enough seating for everyone. I didn't really notice the atmosphere, and the cashiers were nice and patient for us first-timers. I didn't realize they call your name since they never asked--they just pluck it off your credit card!

    (4)

  • Deep S.

    VN Grill is the new hot spot in San Jose if you're into fresh, healthy, and modern VN food! I love the setup up from the TVs on the wall, to the crafty 4 step menu, and a rustic urban decor/seating. Definitely a place where all the cool kids want to go to get their grub a dub dub on....so I decided to invite that cool SB Yelper Denise L. to peep this place out with me! ~~~What's good~~~ Grilled Pork Sliders - these were yum yum in the tum tum, on that Sweet Hawaiian roll, fresh cucumbers, and the pork was o so juicy...Must Have Item...MUUUUUUSSSSST!!! Vermicelli noodles with BBQ pork - pretty good and on point if you are looking for your Vermicelli fix! Shrimp Spring Rolls - Got an order of 4 and we downed those like there was no tomorrow, don't forget to dip it in the peanut sauce yo!?! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am definitely going to be back here to try other items on the menu. Next on my hit list Tofu Spring Rolls and Chicken Rice Noodle Bowl. ~~~Quick Notes~~~ *It gets pretty crowded from 11:30am-1pm weekdays and it might be hard to find a seat so plan your lunch break accordingly. *They are closed Sunday :( *Tables are small so for large parties you will have to connect the tables.

    (4)

  • Allen C.

    Came to the shopping center looking for some grub. On our way to a different restaurant, we saw Vn Grill and decided to check it out instead. I'm glad we did! This is an eco-conscious company and the food tasted very fresh. Here's the way to order: you first pick your base (white/brown rice, rice noodles or salad), then you pick your protein (pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu). All are cooked in a different marinade. Next, you need some fiber. Lots of veggie choices here. Finally, you pick your sauce(s). I chose white rice, chicken (lemongrass), lettuce, basil, peanuts with sesame dressing. The food came out quickly but it needed a little mixing to get all the different ingredients in each bite. After that, I thought my bowl was really nice. My Thai iced tea was on the milky side but it wasn't bad. The cafeteria style is not my favorite. I'm not a fan of communal seating and the benches and chairs are not comfortable. Even so, I will definitely come back. I just might get it to go next time.

    (4)

  • Angelica T.

    My go to for a light lunch. It feels refreshing like a salad, but you can choose to add some rice or rice noodles for an equally filling meal. I'm partial to the shrimp bowl with VN sauce because their grilled shrimp doesn't taste like the ones from a freezer pack! Also be sure to treat yourself to one of their drink specials from time to time :) their cucumber mint tastes like summer in a cup!

    (5)

  • Steph F.

    This place is like the chipotle of Vietnamese food. Interesting how there is already a Chipotle at this plaza and Pieology (the Chipotle of pizza) too! Lots if options for folks here. Ken L. and I were originally going to go to Pieology but opted to go here instead due to the long line. I'm glad we were able to try this place for the first time since we heard so much about it from friends. Here's how you order: 1. Pick white rice, brown rice, rice noodles, or salad. 2. Choice of meat, shrimp, or tofu. 3. What type of fresh veggies (all or a select few) our the option to pay more for stir fried veggies. 4. Pick your sauce: VN sauce, lime soy vinaigrette, Tamarind vinaigrette, or sesame dressing for an added charge. They also have spring rolls, pork belly buns, egg rolls, Vietnamese coffee, and fresh lemonade. Ken L. had the VN Pork with brown rice, fresh veggies, and VN sauce while I had the rice noodles soy glazed tofu, and lime soy vinaigrette. The food comes out quickly here and everything looked very fresh. The sauce seemed a little watered down so I ended up having to use more than I usually do for more taste. Other than that, I enjoyed the flavor of the tofu and the amount of fresh veggies given. You are given a bottle of the sauce so you can add as much as you want and share with others at your table. Over all, the food and portion size was decent, service was great, and they use environmentally comparable foodware. This is another great option to eat when you're in this area.

    (4)

  • David W.

    Love this place! Simply put, it's the Vietnamese version of Chipotle! Value for money, and I would come here more often for lunch if it were closer. This is definitely my new go-to place after getting gas at Costco up the block. You only get to choose 2 sauces. Tried the VN fish sauce and Lime Soy. You can cheat and get the other one at the sauce return station...=P That's how I tried the Tamarind sauce and fell in love with it! Will be back!

    (5)

  • Olivia C.

    VN Grill is Chipotle-style Vietnamese restaurant, great for lunch or a light dinner. It's one of my favorite places in North/East San Jose for a quick, healthy meal. Your order comes in a bowl. From there, it is as follows: 1. Pick your base: white rice, brown rice, rice noodles, or salad 2. Pick your protein: pork, beef, chicken, shrimp, or tofu (this determines the price of your order) 3. Pick your toppings: there is a BEVY of options including shallots, peanuts, cilantro, lettuce, cucumbers, basil, mint, bean sprouts, and jalapeno and some extra-cost add-ons (my favorites include the shallots and the add-on of veggies) 4. Pick your sauce: choose from 4 types (but really, you can get all of them!) Super quick and simple! You can also order sides like egg rolls and drinks like Vietnamese coffee. The food is definitely NOT authentic Viet food, but it does the trick if you are looking for something on the healthier side. The place itself is bright, modern, and trendy. It's located conveniently in the brand-new City Sports plaza with Five Guys, Chipotle, Yogurtland, etc. Parking is sometimes difficult to find (you might have to walk a ways), but I've always been lucky.

    (4)

  • Hang T.

    Traditionally modern . . . Great and accurate slogan! My sister suggested we come here because she knows the owners. Nice place for lunch located in a new plaza. I would describe this place exactly like what it says on the window. It is traditional Vietnamese food, yet they added a very modern twist to it by allowing the customer to pick out what they wanted on their meal (Chipotle style). Pick your meat, your carbs, your toppings, and your sauce. Easy as that. After you order, they bring your meal out to you. You have a minimum of four choices per category so there are a great number of combinations. Love it that they have brown rice for the health conscious and that the sauces can be mixed together for a different taste! The food tastes and looks authentic. I ordered the BBQ pork with rice noodles. The port was a little overcooked though, but no biggie. I was very surprised considering the concept, but I'm glad they were able to keep the integrity of the food and yet still be new and fresh. My only suggestion for them is to possible change the sauces. The sauces are bland in my opinion. I had to add a lot of chili sauce to get it the way I like it. Prices are good. About the same as what you would get at another Viet restaurant. Another plus is that they are very into protecting the environment so bowls and utensils are made out of recyclable or compostable materials.

    (4)

  • Leah M.

    Love this place! Food is light and fresh and the workers are always warm and welcoming

    (5)

  • Megan P.

    Okay maybe it was a funk because I went back a third time and tried the tofu with brown rice and toasted sesame dressing. It was delicious and a good healthy lunch option. They also have a nice variety of beverages and the staff is super friendly.

    (5)

  • Daniel T.

    Visits: 5+ Rating: 5* Services: always Excellent Dishes: Chicken, Pork & Shrimp with Noodles, Rice & Brown Rice with All veggies. Tried every combination of Carbs with Proteins with every sauce. Always all veggies. Easily now my favorite quick lunch spot or a quick dinner plate to go. Wifey also craves this place & I have to do a pick up. Not so bad since its close to work. She's over at Stanford Hospital, so good Asian food is hard to find there. I love the basic concept here. Pick your grain, pick your protein, pick your greens & then the sauce. Done. You get a good amount of rice or noodles (Thanks for having brown rice! My number one choice.). A good amount of marinated lean pork, chicken or shrimp. And an excellent amount of greens. I always get all veggies. It's almost like getting a full salad with your bowl. All the nutrients you need for a nutritious well balanced meal. My fav is the grilled shrimp. Reminds me of BBQ shrimp since it has a slight char & has that char smoky flavor. Very impressed.

    (5)

  • Ronald C.

    I like this place a lot even though I have to preface it with the fact that I barely know anything about this type of food. This place is basically a chipotle salad bowl with "vietnamese" ingredients. I come here fairly regularly because it seems relatively healthy. You tell them exactly what should go inside your bowl. Who cares if this place is a knock off of chipotle. The place is clean inside and the food is good. Should you be driving an hour to try this place? No, but they do a good job if you are in the mood for this kind of stuff.

    (5)

  • Yenkai H.

    Great restaurant with excellent staff. I went here for the first time today after the gym and the bowl was very delicious. I ordered white rice, beef, and all the veggies with the VN sauce. The meat portion was large and overall the bowl was filling. The nice lady who took my order even offered a water cup without me asking! I will definitely be back after my gym sessions.

    (5)

  • Julia C.

    Chipotle for Vietnamese food. Clean. Quick. and easy to order. my go-to lunch date place.

    (5)

  • Michelle V.

    A Vietnamese restaurant and Chipotle decided to get married, have a baby and named it VN Gril. ;) This clever, clean and modern grub spot is located in a huge shopping center that has many other great food options in it (including Chipotle!). There's also a City Sports gym right there and I'm quite thankful I don't go to this City Sports location cuz I'd be gaining back all the calories I burned right after my workout with the many restaurants they have (or get Quest Bar wasted over at Active Nutrition right next door to VN Grill and Fish's Wild). You basically order your food and pick up at the front once they call your number. But the way the food is made is pretty much like Chipotle. I ordered a Chicken Lemongrass Vermicelli Bowl with Brown Rice versus the Vietnamese vermicelli and topped with Tamarind Sauce (apparently their Original Vietnamese fish sauce is more on the lighter side so it doesn't scare off those who aren't use to the smell and taste of Vietnamese fish sauce...weak!). Haha! I must admit, I clean off every noodle and piece of lettuce in my bowl. It was DELICIOUS! Totally tasted like a very authentic bowl of bún (Vietnamese vermicelli) minus the actual bún. The brown rice I had was the sticky type of rice that I really enjoy since it feels more dense. I like foods that keep me SATISFIED and this bowl totally did it. I would definitely love to come back here soon for another "clean meal". (Only reason why I didn't give them 5 stars was because we decided to sit near the entrance where they had this long booth and one of the staff members from the back kept coming up to our table to excuse himself for having to grab stock supplies from underneath the booth seat we were sitting at...kinda weird. I suggest they try to find a better way of stocking their supplies where it doesn't interrupt their customers experience.)

    (4)

  • Omi Y.

    Like chipotle but Vietnamese style... Got rice noodles, beef, everything except cilantro, vn sauce and tamarind sauce....delicious!

    (4)

  • Robert A.

    Good food and it's yummy. However the prices for extra meat are definitely not worth it. I ordered a pork and asked for extra pork. It was 3 dollars and it didn't feel like it was any more than it usually was. So that was a pretty big disappointment especially for 12 dollars after tax. Not sure I'll go here I think chipotle has more value

    (3)

  • Ethan S.

    Very friendly greeting as I walked in; woman behind the counter gave me excellent advice on what to get and could tell it was my first time. Ended up nabbing tofu with noodles, soy-chili sauce, and a Vietnamese iced coffee. All delicious! Big bonus points for insisting on mostly compostable packaging.

    (4)

  • Andrew G.

    The shrimp spring rolls are excellent and pork sliders are to die for. I will be coming here again.

    (5)

  • Cynthia L.

    I have recently enjoyed coming here A LOT since it provides a healthier alternative to all the other food I eat. I like to order the brown rice with VN pork, all the veggies, and the VN sauce. I am in love with their VN sauce. It is absolutely delicious. The service is always friendly and you don't even have to ask for a water cup! I especially love that you can go in and out within like 30 minutes and they have a TV usually playing sports so you can watch while you eat. I haven't experienced anything bad here and I would definitely recommend it to a friend!

    (5)

  • Richard H.

    Usually I have a great experience when the male manager is working; great customer service, always friendly and eager to assist. Yesterday I utilized the online order third party site I am always encouraged to use to order a pick up for myself and a first time VN Griller. I have to say that I had one of the worst experiences I have had in a long time. If a business is going to use third party service as the only means to place a pick up order they should be open and willing to assisting the customer with any issue that might occur. Although my bowl was prepared fine, my colleague did not get the first time experience I had talked up from previous visits. While ordering, connection was lost at some point when placing the order and it didn't refresh to reflect my updated order of Beef Bowl with add on Shrimp, consequently ending in me not only accidentally getting a double Shrimp Bowl but paying more than anticipated. When I spoke to the women at the register regarding the error, she responded with, "Is this your name? ____?" (I confirmed) "Well it was your fault since you placed the order and we don't change them so it was your mistake." Realizing the truth in this I agree it was my name and the error was on my end and I was only hoping for some understanding since it was my first time using the OrderAhead service that THEY provide on the website. All I got was, "Sorry once the order is placed we can't do anything since you are the one who orders it." Along with the horrible customer service received by who I believe to be the female co-manger, my order was inaccurate resulting in having to hand pick onions out of the bowl. Needless to say I will not be ordering online or in person any time soon. Disappointing how the same customer service standards are not shared throughout management.

    (2)

  • Kat D.

    The "Asian Chipotle".... oh how I love you. Tried this place out for the 1st time this week with a girlfriend and instantly fell in love with the place. I loved the food so much that I had to bring my boyfriend in with me the following day. Both visits I ordered the shrimp bowl + brown rice & ALL the veggies with the VN sauce. I also ordered a side of shrimp spring rolls with the yummy peanut sauce. This place is fairly small and seating is somewhat limited. There are 3 long tables with stools for people to sit on..so on busy days you may be forced to sit next to strangers. There's also a HUGE flat screen TV mounted on the wall. They usually have it on the sports channel -yay!- or u can request to have it switched to another channel. I'm really happy they opened this place up. It's close to home & I'll definitely be coming back!

    (5)

  • Kyle Y.

    Think Chipotle but for Asian fusion. I like the concept of picking a protein. It felt like being on The Bachelor, deciding between Chicken, Pork , Shrimp or Beef. next comes selecting between Rice or noodle and the assortment of veggies. The food was fresh and the flavor of the chicken shone through. Being able to pour on as much vinaigrette as you want is beneficial in the overall taste. The seating inside is minimal and I'm not a fan of communal style tables as was the case here. I keep my ish on the DL and someone right next to me being able to hear my conversation is something I'm not down with. At under $10 for a bowl, I will return here in the future and pick a different protein.

    (4)

  • Pat M.

    I love this place. Fresh veggies and tasteful protein aka chicken. Everything here is pretty good and I love the customer service. Very nice staff and the place is well kept. An awesome tv is set up on the wall to keep up with sports. Want a good meal after the gym?! Come here!

    (5)

  • Allen C.

    I'm at the point now where VN Grill is what I eat for dinner 50% of the week.. what a sad life I live.. zzz. It's just too close and convenient for me so I've been on a VN routine recently. It's really close to Chipotle, Five Guys, and Pieology... I really like those places also.. but it's just way too unhealthy to eat so often. That's where VN Grill comes in. It's made of fresh ingredients and not oily/fatty and at the same time it's pretty tasty also! I usually get the bowl w/ rice noodles, chicken, and everything (except Mint/Bean Sprouts/Basil) and it's great every time!

    (5)

  • R L.

    Great fresh healthy environmentally friendly not to mention delicious food. The Kalbi beef was tender and flavorful. The sesame dressing is creamily awesome for 50 cents more. And you can have all the veggies in the bowl.

    (5)

  • Jan P.

    Delicious, fresh Vietnamese food. Order it Chipotle-style at the counter (not so much a food line as food is made in the open kitchen). Food portions are generous given the pricing and the food quality is fabulous. My favorites are the chicken and pork (both extremely tender and flavorful) over the rice noodles. The grilled vegetables are pretty good too but keep in mind it's mostly cabbage with some broccoli (a little pricey to add). The sauces aren't really strong but the sweetness of the fish sauce here pairs really well with the food. A must for lunch if in the area and good takeout for dinner. Oh, and all biodegradable/recyclable food storage and utensils!

    (4)

  • Jeanie L.

    ANOTHER VARIATION OF A TASTY CUISINE! Feeling hungry one night, my BF and I ventured out to Brokaw Commons in the North Valley area of San Jose. This shopping center opened up over two years ago and since that time, has filled every retail space with an assortment of nice businesses. We overlooked Vn Grill and headed to another dining establishment. It was only when we had dinner with another Yelp couple that we learned that Vn Grill is definitely worth the visit. A couple of nights later, we found ourselves back at Brokaw Commons to prove our Yelp friends' right! Yes, we loved it too! Ordering is easy. If you've ever tried Dish 'n Dash and Pieology, it's very similar to that ordering method. Step 1. Let's Get Started: choose one...white rice, rice noodles, brown rice or salad Step 2. Make It Tasty: choose one...Vn Pork, Chicken, Beef, Shrimp or To-fu-que Step 3. Eat Your Veggies: choose all or pick your favorites...lettuce, cucumber, basil, crispy shallots, scallion oil, bean sprout, mint, cilantro, pickled carrots & daikon, jalapeño, peanuts and wok tossed veggies ($.95 extra) Step 4. Finish...Get Saucy: choose up to two...Vn Sauce (signature fish sauce), Lime Soy Vinaigrette (citrus and soy blend), Tamarind Vinaigrette (tangy and delightful) & Sesame Dressing (toasty, creamy; $.50) My made to order meal consisted of: white rice, Vn Pork and all the veggies (with the jalapeños on the side). So that we could sample the 3 main sauces, I ordered the Vn Sauce and the Tamarind Vinaigrette. My BF ordered the Lime Soy Vinaigrette. The sauces are super delicious and they're all made in-house; my favorite is the Tamarind Vinaigrette, however, they are all very light and flavorful. Because they are not overdone with sodium, I didn't feel bad for dousing my bowl with a lot of the sauce. Everything was fresh and delicious! What gives this place an added plus is that their meats are naturally raised and they use local organic produce whenever possible. The freshness is evident in their drinks as well. They serve house made lemonade in seasonal flavors; I had the Cucumber Mint. It was so thirst-quenching, as the tiny bits of cucumber and mint floated in the cold, sensational suspension. Thanks Yelp...and Yelp friends, for another great find!

    (4)

  • Nha H.

    I always ordered food online to go. Their food is extremely good and it's healthy for you. You should go here to eat if you are looking for some healthy food.

    (5)

  • Keith H.

    One of my favorite restaurants around. It is very good value. The pulled pork sliders are really awesome with a little siracha. I like beef and shrimp combo bowl with noodles and all the veggies. makes a perfect less than $15 meal.

    (5)

  • Adam D.

    One evening, undecided where we were going to have dinner, but knew we were having Yogurtland for desert, we decided to drive over to the plaza were our desert awaited us. We drove down the parking lot looking for something new, if all possible, and to our surprise we spotted Vn Grill. The bright sign sure made it attractive. We went from uncertain to excited in milliseconds. We entered the restaurant and it was immediately obvious how to order the dish of choice. The large menu was organized into four basic steps: 1. Let's get started (white rice, brown rice, rice noodles or salad), 2. Make it tasty (VN pork, chicken, beef, shrimp or To-fu-que), 3. Eat your veggies (lettuce, cucumber, bean sprout, mint, basil, cilantro, crispy shallots, pickled carrots & daikon, jalapeño, wok tossed veggies and scallion oil), 4. Get saucy (VN sauce, Lime soy vinaigrette, tamarind vinaigrette or sesame dressing). I chose the brown rice, VN pork, all of the fresh veggies garnished with sesame dressing. The combinations are endless, and should appeal to just about anyone's palate or dietary needs. The meat was perfectly grilled and seasoned, on top of vibrant and crunchy fresh veggies. The rice was equally tasty with perfect consistency. The dressing was served on the side, which is my preference; I was able to use the amount of sauce I desire, which is minimal. I snarfed the bowl down with pleasure. We also ordered the Mini Shrimp Egg Rolls, what a treat they were; so tiny, crunchy and full of shrimp taste. The inside was similar to restaurants of this style, very practical with a fresh decor. The ambiance was nothing to rave about, but the food was. The service was outstanding, the ordering process was effortless and effective with the four basic steps. Once ready, they called out our name and made sure everything was to our liking. I am so please that I discovered this place, almost by accident. I will be back for sure and I would urge that you give this place a try if in the area.

    (4)

  • Kaye T.

    Customer service isn't up to par. I would've given this place 5 stars if the people didn't look so miserable behind the counter. Hahaha. Anyway! I've avoided eating red meat for about a week and a half, and have been looking for new places that served mostly seafood and salad.. and remembered seeing VN Grill while I was walking through the plaza before. I quickly drove to this place (parking was a nightmare). I ordered rice noodles, shrimp, all veggies and tamarind dressing. I must say, for a vegetarian dish, this definitely satisfied my every need! Bomb, bomb, bomb is all I can say! Even amount of ingredients for suchhhh a cheap price. If you're looking for a quick place to eat clean and healthy, this is definitely a go-to!!

    (4)

  • Shantiel P.

    Delicious!!!! There salad bowls are the way to go and the tofu que . The VM pork is amazing as well!!! The pork sliders are my fat girl craving!! They are definitely worth the try if you haven't already. I would also recommend the mini shrimp rolls too .

    (4)

  • John M.

    Sorry but this is a white washed fast food version of Vietnamese food. If you like your food to have real Vietnamese flavor and enjoy fish sauce as a seasoning avoid this place. the stuff they have stand in place of fish sauce is watery garbage. I got the pork noodle bowl and it was remarkably bland. my co-worker got the lemongrass chicken bowl and there was not a wisp of lemongrass flavor to be found... pretty much plain chicken over noodles and veg... skip this joint and go to the many fine Vietnamese establishments in the area for some real flavor.

    (2)

  • Wayne H.

    Friendly customer service, decent portions, and good customization options for your meal. The quality and taste of the food is solid, and price is reasonable for the amount of food they give you. Like the other restaurants in this plaza (Pieology, Five Guys, Chipotle), VN Grill allows for a lot of customization for its bowls. You can pick a meat (like chicken, pork, beef, tofu), a carb (white or brown rice, rice noodles), and a selection of veggies and two of their four sauces. Their recommendation is to get all the vegetables, which is also my recommendation - the veggies are fresh and there's a good variety if you pick them all. The sauces come on the side, so you can monitor how much you want to add to your food, or to not add it if you taste it and decide you don't like it. Definitely try the sesame dressing, but if you're not sure what dressings you want, the cashier and the workers are more than happy to give you suggestions to what goes well with the meat you chose.

    (4)

  • Ee Vonn Y.

    Chipotle, meet your Vietnamese counterpart next door! I have grown to love build-your-own meal establishments and Vn Grill is no different with its variety of delicious fresh ingredients. I ordered the Vn pork salad with all the vegetables, VN sauce, and lime soy vinaigrette. I can't tell which flavor I liked more except that they were both delicious by the time they mixed together and pooled at the bottom of the bowl. The bowls are large and the wait time for your food is short. You have to sit down and wait for a bit, but the tastiness isn't far from your grasp. You can see the people in the kitchen prepare your food so there's no secret about how the ingredients are kept. The table and chair furniture are hip and appeal to the youth so your grandparents may not appreciate the box shaped architecture. Although $8 for a salad might not be ideal, they give you plenty of meat and you'll be left feeling satisfied rather than comatose.

    (4)

  • Arienne J.

    I love this family-owned custom food business! It's like Asian chipotle! We are regulars here, coming here at least every couple weeks. The owners are super nice and really like to converse with their customers. Their food is flavorful but fresh and healthy!

    (5)

  • Rob P.

    I took a long walk from Bay 101 for dinner, and ended up at Vn Grill due to Yelp recommendations. The food was good but I wasn't blown away like some people. Then again, I have just been to Vietnam and know how awesome and cheap Vietnamese food can be there. Staff was very friendly here, though, so I'll round up to 4 stars. It was good, but I'm not running back to have it again.

    (4)

  • Vincent N.

    It's always nice to see restaurants breaking cultural barriers. It's a fun twist on the Vietnamese Classic vermicelli. I had order the grilled pork and beef noodle bowl. My dish was surprisingly good and it didn't try to take away from the complicated Vietnamese taste palette to make it more suited to westerners. The meat was well season and tender a lot better then other Vietnamese spots on the east side. The different sauces and vinegars lets you play with your prefer taste. Their ngouc mam was good but I wish they had a spicy option other than adding it to the bowl itself. Their lemonade-cucumber was really good and I highly recommend it.

    (4)

  • Steve Y.

    Around 4:50, I was starving from being a couch potato and decide the time was now! Time to go get my munch on~ After consulting with Dr. Yelp, I found this place. My first impressions after I entered was like this place sorta feels like a Chiptole except red? A bit more hip too. Anyways food wise, you just gotta pick whatcha want like at Chiptole. Choose either rice/noodle/salad then meat then veggies and finally sauce. So I ended up choosing rice noodles, vn pork, all veggies and then the sesame sauce plus a VN coffee. Thoughts? Vn rice noodle bowl 8/10 Solid taste, nice flavoring contrast between the sweet savory sauce with the veggie. You can really taste the mint leaves. Imma try the other sauces next time. Vn coffee 7/10 This was a bit more bitter than my usual cup from like lees, but still good. Worth revisit? Yes

    (4)

  • Ashley L.

    Been wanting to try this place for a while now to see what the hype is all about and finally got to try this out for lunch. This place is like a Vietnamese Chipotle and the service was fairly quick. Pick your carb, pick your mean, and pick what kind of veggies and sauce you want in your bowl. I had brown rice, pork, and all the veggies and the fish sauce. The meat was tasty, but not the best I've had. The fish sauce was just okay. The food overall was okay, but of course you can get better if you go to an actual Vietnamese restaurant. Good place to go for a quick meal.

    (3)

  • Anthony N.

    Watch out, folks. The modern Vietnamese BIY (Build-It-Yourself) space just got a whole lot more exciting. Or at least, for all the restaurant geeks out there. It's like "Chipotle + Vietnamese cuisine". Yep, that's a killer healthy combination that's hard to beat. With dishes like brown rice topped with tofu and a whole lot of amazing sauces, your taste buds will be dancing until the very last bite. To top that off, service is amazing and quick. The place is spotless despite the afternoon lunch mob. Don't miss their homemade lemonades. There's plenty of flavors to choose from, all refreshingly good for a hot San Jose day.

    (4)

  • Jenn N.

    It's like a chipotle for Vietnamese food cuz you pick your carbs, your meat, veggies, sauce, etc. I love that they have the option for brown rice cuz most Viet restaurants do not. Fresh ingredients, good flavor, and I feel healthy eating it - sooo why not?

    (5)

  • Cathy N.

    What a brilliant idea! Finally found a place that serves super quick and healthy viet food that still tastes delicious! Vn Grill is a Vietnamese version of Chipotle...has the same concept where you order at the counter, pick between noodles, rice, or salad, then choose your type of meat or shrimp or tofu, which veggies you want, and which sauce to top everything off. Then voila! A yummy bowl of goodness that came out fresh and fast! They have a variety of options for each step to choose from, all their meats are free of hormones, they use organic veggies, and the sauces are all home-made. Love it! I had their lemongrass grilled chicken with salad topped with all the veggies and a lime soy vinaigrette sauce. Very tasty and light lunch :)

    (5)

  • Anh H.

    Good, i am very very happy to come here.

    (5)

  • Francesca L.

    The first time I saw the sign for this place, I thought it said Vu Grill. When I went inside, I learned that it's actually VN Grill...as in Vietnam Grill. VN Grill has a "build your own" concept similar to Chipotle and Pieology in the same complex. You get to build your own bowl starting by picking if you want white rice, brown rice, rice noodles, or salad. Then you decide if you want pork, chicken, shrimp, beef, or tofu added to your bowl. After that, you get to choose veggies. Some of the vegetable choices are lettuce, cucumber, and bean sprout. Then finally, you can pick up to 2 sauces (on the side). Choices include fish sauce, vinaigrettes, and sesame dressing. If you don't feel like eating a bowl with any of this stuff, then you can get sliders, spring rolls, or other small items. I ended up making a chicken bowl with rice noodles and practically all the vegetables. I also chose fish sauce and a lime soy vinaigrette to accompany my dish. My creation tasted good and very fresh. I felt healthy eating it. I had a good experience eating the bowl but unfortunately, I wasn't given one of the sauces I requested and the food was a bit pricy... I also like the environment of VN Grill. It has a lot of wood and cool decorations...like a bike made out of wood hanging from a wall. The place is very clean and has a pretty modern feel. Employees are friendly as well. I think this new business is a nice addition to the area.

    (4)

  • Sabrina D.

    I finally got the chance to try out VN grill; I got there around 11:30 am so they were just opened. I ordered VN pork with rice noodles and all veggies w/ tamarind and VN fish sauce PROS: the meat is juicy and flavorful. The portion size is perfect; I get full half way lulz but it's so good I'll finish. Lots of veggie!! Seems healthy because nothing is greasy which is a plus in my book! Even the sauces are light but adds just enough flavor. Great way to hit your macros if you care haha. Oh and their mini shrimp egg rolls (5 for $2) are pretty tasty and not overly greasy!! Cons: the meat and meal weren't warm to my liking... It was rather chilled: not hot and not cold and not warm. I took it to go (+$0.25) and heated it up at home, not too big of a deal Will definitely come back. I'll ask to make sure the meat is warm/hot next time lol

    (4)

  • Tina T.

    Like pretty much all the food joints in the area, Vn Grill is a "pick your own ingredients" type of place. I ordered a brown rice bowl with lemon grass chicken with all the veggies (except the wok vegetables, scallion oil and peanuts) and a side of Vn Sauce, which is just watered down fish sauce. I don't mind the watered down-ness, I actually prefer it that way in order to cut down the calories. The outcome was pretty delicious and I was actually full for hours. But then again, brown rice usually does that to me. I noticed that a lot of the bad ratings are people complaining about non legit vietnamese food but think about it... it's Viet food marketed in a Chipotle style way. Their concept is "fresh and healthy." You wouldn't rate Chipotle low because it's "not real Mexican food" would you?

    (4)

  • Miss M.

    This place is VERY SIMILAR to Asian Box located in Mountain View and Palo Alto except bigger portions and friendly staff. Also comparable to Chipotle as you build your own bowl with your choice of macros :). The veggies are fresh and crisp, they give a good amount of meat just as they do with your carbs. I like how they have the sauces on the side so that way you can actually put how much you want in your bowl. The spring rolls were fresh and delicious and pretty healthy. Overall this place was a great post workout meal and I definitely would be coming back for more.

    (5)

  • Trishamar G.

    Delicious food and good service! I love it! :-)

    (5)

  • Helen W.

    Is a spring roll still called a spring roll if its all stuck together and falls apart when you're eating it??! And why did the girl who placed three orders after me get her order first?? I only ordered a order of spring rolls!!! Going back to Lee's sandwich to fulfill my spring rolls cravings!!

    (1)

  • Lefti S.

    I came to this place by chance. I walked in it was quite busy but not crazy busy so I could find a place to sit. The menu is very simple so ordering is not a problem. You pick a rice bowl or noodles. Then you pick a meat, chicken, pork, etc. Then you pick your veggies and a sauce. I picked white rice with grilled chicken, all veggies minus jalapenos. I added a bottle of the aloe drink and just cost me a little over $10. The food came out fast, it was fresh and tasted very good. The guy taking my order was very friendly and a lady that came from the kitchen was also very friendly. The atmosphere of the place was nice. I even met a customer that I would like to meet again. Pros -fast service -new clean place -fresh food Cons -none I would come back and recommend this place.

    (5)

  • Bob H.

    Really good. Great food, fresh veggies, real nice people. I've had both the pork with rice noodles and the sliders and will be back for both.

    (5)

  • Alan A.

    Ask for the "AJ SPECIAL" AKA mini eggrolls with a side of rice, on point, on the go easy meal

    (5)

  • Tommy H.

    The lemonade was very pleasing, make your own bowl. fairly unique, I like how you build your bowl from the bottom up, they even have a choice of salad. reminiscent of street food i have had, it is worth a look.

    (3)

  • Vivian D.

    I am Vietnamese so I am particularly picky of Vietnamese places. However, this place is great! Everything is so fresh and tasty! I always get the pork rice noodle bowl with mostly all the veggies. The fish sauce however is very bland so I have to add a lot to my bowl. Also, I would skip the egg rolls. They are super small and it doesn't taste that great.

    (4)

  • Jan E.

    My friend checked in here on Facebook and said it was like a Vietnamese Chipotle or something. I was definitely intrigued and convinced my husband we should try this place and to my surprise he liked it! We came in hella confused and starred at the menu for a minute or two and followed the guide. I ordered a pork noodle plate and my husband ordered a beef (galbi style) rice plate. You get to choose up to two sauces. We tried all three and liked each one. Next you have the option to add what veggies you want. We also ordered the homemade lemonade, egg rolls, and spring rolls. Our total was close to $30. The wait for the food wasn't too bad considering there were other people before us who were also waiting for their food. We got our food and we pretty much liked everything and finished everything except for the lemonade.... Either we came on a bad day where the lemonade wasn't good...or it just ain't good. We had a hard time finishing it. It wasn't worth the $2.95 or however much it cost. The food was good though. I liked the spring rolls. I could have passed on the egg rolls though. I was very happy with my noodle plate cuz I am more of a noodle person than a rice person. Overall, the prices aren't TOO TOO bad. If you get the lemonade and appetizers it adds up. But if you don't then $20 is enough to feed two people. Everything was good except they messed up on one of our orders. One of the plates were suppose to be a rice plate but they gave us another noodle plate so we had to wait for them to remake it. That was the only con and the nasty lemonade. But overall, we likey and will definitely come back. The best part is that the food feels really healthy. As we were eating we noticed it started to get busy so this place is probably a hot spot!

    (4)

  • Joe K.

    Didn't know what to expect when I first walked in. The owner/guy at register was super friendly and very helpful for menu suggestions. Ingredients are really fresh. Good healthy & filling option to other fast foods for a reasonable price.

    (5)

  • A C.

    Chipotle style vietnamese food, choose your own toppings and they make your wrap. Clean store, multitasking employees making sandwiches and also cashiering like in some subways. Good healthy alternative to fast food.

    (4)

  • Maynard M.

    Something about eating here vs the likes of pho Mai or pho Kim long. Oh yeah it's the cleanliness that you'll never find at pho Mai or pho Kim long. Don't get me wrong, I love those places but at VN they're a little bit more friendlier with their customer service and would go above and beyond to make sure their customer leaves happy. As a case in point, the owners today gave away spring rolls and egg rolls to us because our order took more than 25 minutes. They really didn't have to give us free food but as good business owners, they felt they needed to do what was right. It was valentines night and the owner didn't expect or plan for them to be busy. He thought that patrons would opt more of a fine dining elsewhere. Because of that and the delicious/healthy food, I'll be coming here more often. Extra points for brown rice, veggies and the flavorful sauces. The owners have a good formula here with their simple and unique flavors with outstanding customer service. On top of that, the place is clean.

    (5)

  • Dang L.

    Came here a month ago. Like the idea of ordering what you like. Of course I got everything. Ordered the shrimp vermicelli bowl. Just wished it was bigger but portion not bad. I like the tamarind sauce. It's great that they have options for vegetarians/vegans. Lemonade also tasted fresh. Will go back again.

    (4)

  • tre f.

    Very nice concept, you get to put together your own dish and get the taste you want. Customer service was good. Their sauces were good. All their meats came out tasting good and tender. I had the pork with lettuce and rice noodles with their VN sauce. The VN sauce made the pork pretty tasty, and everything tasted fresh. My wife had shrimp with sesame dressing over rice. The sesame dressing was very good. A little sweet flavor was perfect for the shrimp. Next time i'll try the sesame dressing on whatever I get.

    (5)

  • Sam M.

    Wow, am I glad I found this place! It's kind of like Chipotle in terms of how the ordering works, but for Vietnamese street food cuisine instead of burritos. The Vietnamese coffee with sea salt cream is ridiculous btw. Nothing is supposed to taste that good.

    (5)

  • Ngan H.

    This place serves Vietnamese style grilled pork, beef, chicken, or tofu. You can pick rice or vermicelli as base and customize what kind of vegetables you want to add in - like 5 Guys style. I applauded their creativity but it doesn't have any other quality to outshine itself from the other stores around. The line to take orders were long during lunch hours because there was only 1 cashier ( the owner, I think). I saw 3 people left the line and go to subway instead because they can't wait another 10 minutes to order if they only have 30mins lunch. I got a rice and kalki beef style. I style but it was quiet hard to eat because they put the rice in a bowl (normally, served on a plate in other Vietnamese restaurants). The vermicelli in a bow was fine because it's easier to pick up with chopsticks. However, imagine how you have to dig through a layer of meat, veggies, then to the rice on a small spoon wouldn't be so efficient. I hope they consider serving rice on a plate rather than in a bowl. The price for a kalbi rice bowl was $9.80 with tax included was decent because VN grill is located in a very busy and crowded area so I gave it some slack for its price considering the rental space. It was worth a try but I would come back only if my friends/coworkers request to go here.

    (3)

  • Steven T.

    Foods pretty good. Can't expect it being 100% authentic for an Americanized restaurant. I had the steak, the meat was very chewy.

    (3)

  • Holly D.

    I just love VN Grill! The menu is simple, the food is super fresh and very satisfying! I love the VN sauce and VN Pork over rice noodles. In addition to the awesome food is the equally awesome staff. Super friendly and always smiling. I highly recommend VN Grill!

    (5)

  • Tom S.

    Having being part Vietnamese myself, I'll support any entrepreneurial attempt to streamline Vietnamese cuisine in the direction of American consumption. I ordered the VN pork with rice noodles (Also known as Bun Thit Nuong) and opt in for the fish sauce. The food was good, it didn't surprise me as I've had this tons before but it definitely got the job done. I liked how you guys had Sriracha and sambal on the counters for the customers. The fish sauce is more on the sweet side, less pungent if you will. It seems filtered and almost identical to basically water. This is a good thing in my opinion for this kind of restaurant. Fish sauce can be initially repulsive to people who are new to this cuisine, so having the fish sauce like this can be comforting. Here's a few issues I experienced with this place: The price-to-portion ratio is terrible. I've been told that you guys support local organic produce and use high quality ingredients, but it's simply not worth it if your PTP ratio is really off and the taste isn't something to write home about. Try doing partial organic produce, but really try to keep your costs low at this point. There was simply not enough bun in my order and the meal went by too fast. In other words, I felt the portion was way too small for what I paid. I thought I've never say this - The overall seating layout is a little awkward. It has this slight kick of a small coffee shop style to it, but when you're eating this kind of food you want something more sturdy or secure. It's kind of hard to wipe down the tables too. The grey wall on the right-hand side of the restaurant is too blank. Try painting a mission statement here, that way you can tell your story to your customers which will make it feel more inviting. Your bathroom design is beautiful though, probably my favorite bathroom in that entire plaza. Maybe it cost too much, but having a soda fountain here would be awesome. I feel like providing a soda fountain would break away from the traditional ways of having Vietnamese food and comforts the general audience you are trying to appeal towards. If you think about it, many Vietnamese restaurants do not have soda fountains that people can participate in. Back in my restaurant days, Pepsi leases out their soda fountain machines for free, but you have to subscribe to their soda packages. Coke charged for both the machine and the syrups, so double check. Since this plaza is known for having assembly line food ordering like Chipotle and Pieology where you look at the ingredients of what you want and the employees assemble your meal together, I strongly feel that this is something you guys should have looked into. People love Chipotle-style restaurants because they can see delicious ingredients in front of their faces when they're ordering and it actually locks an order down more securely. You have to ask yourself, how many times have you had customers come into your restaurant for the very first time, looked at the menu, then decided to walk out? Restaurants similar to Chipotle have lower occurrences of this because customers walk in, briefly look at the menu, but look at the long line of people ordering their food behind the windows and become intrigued. They line up as well and order the food, even if there was a slightest bit of doubt in their mind to eat there. I really like what this restaurant is doing, but if you're going to stick it to the likes of venerable Pho Kim Long or try to generate your own kind of market here - it's going to be an uphill battle for sure. Focus on securing a loyal customer platform, but in doing so - work on a gimmick that makes your restaurant successful and worthy to come back to. You've either got to market yourself predominantly traditional or predominantly modern. Being perfectly both does not allow you to enjoy the best of both worlds. In fact, an analogy I would use is Honda's CR-Z car. Honda tried to make a fast hybrid but ended up with a slow-ass car with terrible MPG's for a hybrid. Best of both worlds? Perhaps not. I'm really pulling for you guys, I hope you guys are a huge hit in the future!

    (4)

  • Sandy Q.

    I've noticed a lot of restaurants in this area for a while now. Since we were in the neighborhood, I decided to have lunch here with my family this past Saturday. We ordered the mini eggrolls, 2 grilled pork with rice vermicelli (sesame dressing & their original dressing) and 1 lemongrass chicken with rice (original dressing). For $2, we received 5 mini eggrolls, which was good, but so tiny. The grilled pork was good, but the sauces lacked flavor. The original dressing was their homemade fish sauce which didn't even taste like water-downed fish sauce. It tasted more like water. The chicken in the rice dish lacked lemongrass flavor but it was moist. Service was good. You basically just order at the cashier's section and pick up your order when they call your name (just like Chipotle). What I hate about this place is that it's communal tables. Anyone can sit next to you in the same table. Also, they have a bench table that's slightly higher than the other tables, which makes it awkward to get up from your table to when your turn around, these people are literally in your face. I believe they designed it this way so that people sitting on those high tables can see the tv. I also didn't like that it was a unisex bathroom. I always get nervous when I go to public restrooms. Overall, this is a decent place to get some fast Vietnamese dishes but it's not a place that I would make a special trip to.

    (3)

  • Chris H.

    Wow, this place is fantastic. Fast, friendly service and very high quality food. I had the rice noodles with VN pork, VN sauce, and all the veggies. This is not your standard noodle bowl. The shallots, mint, and basil give it a unique flavor and the pork was perfectly grilled and not too fatty.

    (5)

  • Danah L.

    Love love the rice noodle bowls! I use to get it at a pho restaurant, but due to bad service, I stopped eating there & couldn't find a place to replace the noodle bowls I use to get from the "other" place, until I found this place. The owners, Cindy & Dewy, are SUPER nice & really care about their customers. I have been here 3 times & Cindy always greets me by my name with a smile. The menu is very simple, but many things to choose from. The beef is very good & not over cooked. The VN sauce is a great pair to the beef. There is a hint of fish sauce, but not too over powering. Their house lemonade & Vietnamese coffee are really good too. Over all the food is great, but the service is even better! My family & I will definitely be visiting this place a few times a month.

    (5)

  • Elias V.

    I had the shrimp with rice noodles and all the veggies. When the food was served the shrimps were already cold. Additionally the portions are very small, but the shrimp tasted really good.

    (3)

  • Tran T.

    Came here for the first time since I've been passing by it & seeing good reviews online. I really like the concept of this place. It's like Chipotle or Pieology, you get to choose what you're adding into your bowl. They have good service also. I ordered the beef w/ noodles & my friend ordered the pork w/ rice. I tried both beef & pork and felt that it just tasted okay. It definitely could have had more flavor. Both meats came out not hot, not warm... but COLD! Very disappointing. Tried the shrimp eggrolls which are smaller than my fingers. It was okay. A nice side I guess. Had the spring rolls and boy do they suck. I ordered the housemade lemonade and it was the best!! I can't believe how great it was. It's lemonade with their seasoned fruit. When I went, it was passionfruit. I came here expecting more. Nothing stood out enough for me. I do not recommend this place and I would not be coming back. I must say, the housemade lemonade is definitely a must try though! =))

    (2)

  • Mahesh S.

    Visit the place at least 2 to 3 times a week. Fresh, healthy and tasty. Reasonably priced. Friendly staff as well.

    (5)

  • Kara L.

    I was looking for something different and healthy. And this place hit the spot! I had the noodles in my shrimp bowl, so with that and the veggies I ended up with something very similar to pho, but without the broth. Delicious!

    (5)

  • Sam K.

    Food was delicious and tasted very fresh. The gentleman at the register, who I got the impression might be the owner, was friendly, helpful, and knew the ingredients of the food and was able to help me avoid soy. Their Vietnamese coffee was delicious, and they had an interesting salted cream twist on it. This is by far the healthiest and most fresh Vietnamese food I have ever had. VN Grill will definitely be on my go-to list.

    (5)

  • Pearl C.

    Delicious ¡ all the food is great. The beef bowl is my favorite. Thee service is quick and awesome.

    (5)

  • Jazz T.

    I always pass by this place on my way home from work and decided to try it out. At first I came in and was hoping for a larger selection of Vietnamese food but now a days you know folks like to keep it simple. They had the basics there like the spring rolls, egg rolls, rice bowls and vermicelli. I got the rice bowl with beef. The rice bowl could have had a little more rice but I got HELLA beef instead which was COOOO! The beef was tender and juicy. Not too salty and not too bland. I enjoyed my rice bowl. Customer service was on point. Everyone was polite and courteous. The owner or maybe the owners wife thanked me for stopping by as I was walking out. Overall, I think I would come back again. I saw the spring rolls with shrimp, mushrooms and tofu on the menu that I plan on trying next time!

    (4)

  • Beebeelove T.

    Vn Grill is like a breath of fresh air! I have long complained that there are no eateries with healthy options beside salad in that area and Vn Grill does it for me. I've tried the bowls with all of the different proteins, including the Tofu (which by the way comes from San Jose Tofu, yay!), the Spring Rolls, the VN Salads and they are all super delicious and have super fresh ingredients. A nice addition is that they use 100% recyclable and/or compostable packaging. The owners are so friendly, they make you feel like they've known you forever. Go now!

    (5)

  • Jenn D.

    Truth be told, I was a little skeptical. Vietnamese food with a Chipotle method?? No way! There are too many components to making a Vietnamese dish. Plus, how do I know what sauce to put in my bowl of food?? I ended up ordering brown rice with beef, all the veggies and the cashier person said that he'll bring out all the different sauces for us to try (I went with my fam). There is A LOT more beef in the bowl than you think! But the rice was made well, and the beef was cooked to perfection! I enjoyed the sesame dressing the most. It was delicious!

    (5)

  • Shannon T.

    The brown rice mixed with those veggies were simply refreshing. I really loved how the beef was marinated, but I feel that the beef was not fresh, it was rubbery. I liked the VN sauce, not too sweet and the special chili sauce, sour and not so spicy. However, after you eat, your mouth will feel dry like the sahara dessert! Better get em' water to re-hydrate.

    (3)

  • Alen S.

    Shrimp fried egg rolls is on point so is the pork bowl definitely a place i would refer anyone to try out....customer service is a 10 star rating for me place makes you feel like family humbled employees

    (5)

  • Perry C.

    My second time here. Have to say pleasantly surprised the first time, that's why I'm back. Food is good, clean kitchen, staff are friendly and the price is right.

    (5)

  • JennandDarren M.

    Like most of the reviews say, we thought the food here was fresh, fairly healthy, and delicious. Some of the drawbacks (compared to other Vietnamese restaurants which serve similar cuisine) is that there are not a ton of choices, and the prices are higher. But it's still a good place if you're looking for light Vietnamese food.

    (4)

  • Helen H.

    You get a decent portion of meat in your bowl. The grilled pork is well seasoned and pretty good. The sauce is not strong, but you get two selections with your order to mix. The style of ordering is sort of like a Vietnames version of Chipotle. This is a yummy light lunch if you are looking for something familiar.

    (4)

  • Chris C.

    A great alternative to MSG-filled Asian eateries in the area. They use local organic produce and no GMO ingredients. I ordered the lemongrass chicken bowl over brown rice and combo veggies with home made passion fruit lemonade. Impressive! I'll be back, I only work 2 miles away from here.

    (4)

  • M.R. P.

    This place is amazing!!! The meat is seasoned so perfectly and the ingredients are really fresh. My favorite item is the shrimp rice bowl and if you like vegetables, just order it with everything. The owner and his wife are always in the kitchen or at the cash register and they're super friendly. Very fresh, fast, and healthy. Make sure you order a coffee to go on the way out. I have cravings for that stuff. I highly recommend this place!

    (5)

  • Summer D.

    Good restaurant concept, kind of reminded me of a Chipotle style restaurant, but with an Asian flair. The food was fun, fresh, & delicious. I loved the rice noodles and the kalbi style beef. Follow their recommendation of getting ALL of the vegetables. You won't be disappointed.

    (4)

  • Hungie N.

    Food taste really good but... Not enough for the advertising price ...... The meat is like 30% of the bowl.................

    (3)

  • P T.

    Everything I tried is excellent and fresh. The mini egg rolls are packed with flavors and the spring rolls are fresh. I like the pork, beef and chicken bowls. The sauces are all very good. Kind of a fast food style restaurant but surprisingly great and imo, better than the Zagat rated fancy vietnamese restaurants in downtown San Jose. They also tell you where they get their meats from and use compostable bowls and green utensils. Extra points!

    (5)

  • Gary D.

    This place is alright, it is a vietnamese fusion restaurant taking traditional vietnamese flavors and modernizing them. I ordered the pork sliders and 2 of them costs $4.50! That is absurd considering how minuscule they are. The slider consisted of pork, pâté, siracha, cucumber, pickled veggies, and parsley. The flavors went well together, but for the price I would steer away from this place next time. Their food is overpriced and there are plenty of other places to eat (pieology,5guys,chipotle,subway) that give you more bang for your buck and actually fill you up.

    (3)

  • Jaymie L.

    Just had a late lunch here. We tried the chicken, the shrimp, shrimp rolls, mini egg rolls and the pork sliders. We had all the veggies and the vn sauce, sesame sauce and the tamarind sauce. Everything was so fresh and healthy tasting, we will definitely be back regularly, especially after the holidays! If you are looking for healthy food choices, this is the spot. It was so refreshing to have less sodium and less fat.

    (5)

  • N G.

    I finally tried this place and it is soooo good ! Thats all I can say. The food was filling tasty and all around good. I tried the pork, all veggies and rice noodles with vn sauce. Loved it

    (5)

  • Gregory P.

    First time here and overly impressed. Its basically a chipotle for Vietnamese food. The quality of the groceries are high and the taste is phenomenal. One TV to watch and drinks are limited.

    (5)

  • Alexia N.

    The grilled pork noodles are so yummy and healthy. They have really good sauces for different dishes or you can combine the sauces which result in a really good sauce. The tofu with rice is so yummy with the tangerine and soy sauces.

    (5)

  • Heather L.

    I can't help but say I LOVE this place. A little to much? Nope. The only thing I don't enjoy is they give me a little too much chicken when I order which is okay for some people who can eat a lot. Other than that its delicious! Not to mention there is no MSG and its all organic which is perfect for me. The owner is very kind and generous! Since he saw me as a regular today, he gave me FREE shrimp rolls I believe those are what they're called? But I was so happy. And I've notice since he's so kind, he I always see the customers say goodbye to him before they leave. I recommend this place to almost everyone!!

    (4)

  • Nancy W.

    Light, healthy, and fresh. Americanized Vietnamese grilled meat (or tofu) on your choice of rice, rice noodle, brown rice, or salad with your choice of four sauces. There's the traditional fish sauce dialed down a notch or two, sesame, tamarind vinaigrette, or lime soy vinaigrette. I had the rice noodle and grilled lemongrass chicken with sesame dressing. It was refreshing. The noodle was a bit too cold (icy cold). I wished it was warmed up at least to room temp. It's nice to have a choice other than fish sauce for the vermicelli bowl. Can't wait to try the other sauces. I also had their homemade lemonade which for today was passion fruit. That was yummy! What would have made this even better would be dessert.

    (5)

  • Alex L.

    Healthy and fresh! Love this place. The VN sauce is very unique and tasted so good! Compare to Asian Box, this place is much better

    (5)

  • Ann B.

    Picked up food to go last night for dinner. What we ordered: Rice noodles, pork, all veggies (including wok tossed veggies +.95) except jalapeños, VN sauce - wok tossed veggies were a nice addition Rice noodles, shrimp, all free veggies except jalapeños, VN sauce: had 6 shrimp, they were tender and not over cooked at all. All of the ingredients tasted fresh and flavorful. We would definitely go back and try the pork sliders, egg roles, coffee and house made lemonade. VN grill is an awesome addition to our neighborhood.

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : No
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Dogs Allowed : No
    Waiter Service : No
    Caters : Yes

VN Grill

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