4. Restaurants

The Lemongrass

365 S Grady Way,Ste A, Renton, WA, 98057
  • (425) 228-2000
  • Store is closed

The Lemongrass Menu

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  • Jeff N.

    Okay, I really like the look of this place but just because a restaurant looks good, it doesn't mean that the food is great. The food here is okay but not great. I thought I would try the rice wrapped rolls and I liked the presentation, but I felt something was missing inside. I also did not like the dipping sauce due to the constancy being a bit too runny. As far as the entrees, we both had the vermicelli bowls. I had the pork bowl and he had the chicken. I thought the meat was done well but I felt the vegetables weren't of the best quality. I prefer a better selection of greens in my vermicelli bowls and more of them. I also had some issues with the person who was serving us. I felt he was preoccupied and really didn't pay very much attention to our table. He was more interested with some other customers who he checked on multiple times but couldn't be bothered with our table. I really wanted to like this place.

    (3)

  • Park S.

    One star was for the waiter, who was friendly; just did not remember my soda, until half way through meal when I reminded him. The food was unlike any other Vietnamese food, I had ever eaten before. The spring rolls - yuck!!! Greasy, over fried, plain awful. The Pho was tasteless. I tried giving some flavor to it with hot sauce, soy sauce, hoisin sauce..nothing. Don't waste your money going there.

    (1)

  • Jenni B.

    This is one of my favorite local restaurants. No other Vietnamese food can beat it! The wait staff is incredibly friendly though can become overwhelmed when the restaurant gets busy, especially around lunch time when all the local businesses come over. I've NEVER had anything that I didn't like but their best dishes are: chicken pho, spring rolls, sweet and sour shrimp, mango salad and noodle bowls. The lunch and dinner menus do have different prices so if that's a deterrent then make sure to go around lunch time.

    (5)

  • Holly V.

    I really like the food here. It's really good. I think this is a great place to come get Vietnamese food if your in the Renton area.

    (4)

  • Et E.

    Just OK. Spring rolls looked good but lacked in the ingredients that would make them tasty. The curry chicken was plentyful with chicken but sauce was just OK. The tofu dish was uninspiring. Probably won't go back here again.

    (3)

  • Yuen Tung P.

    We stopped by Lemongrass for the first time ever, and we waited at the door for about 5 minutes before the waiter saw us and told us to sit where ever we want. We sat there for about 10 minutes before we got our water and another 15 minutes before we got our food. (We were the only people there). There was no refill on water and we had to track the guy down to pay our bill. 0 star for service but 2 stars for the delicious banh canh. :)

    (2)

  • Angela F.

    I am rarely disappointed with the food here. The broth for the pho is great and the portion sizes are good. Friendly staff but service is hit or miss as they seem to get flustered around lunch time; which is why I usually order by phone and then pick up. Overall, better than average.

    (4)

  • Lora T.

    They have great food and generous portions. I appreciate all of their options for vegetarians. The server was polite. It was a calm atmosphere.

    (5)

  • Jason D.

    My wife and I like eating here quite a bit. The food is tasty and the prices are reasonable. I usually get the rick stick noodle with pork; it's fantastic. Weirdly, all their table tops are also sticky, no matter where you sit. Rather odd. Maybe it's an overall "sticky" theme. :-) The vermicelli noodle dishes are good, though they use the fatter noodles which result in a weird slimy spaghetti-like experience. This type of noodle is the norm here though, as I've eaten at half a dozen places and they all use the thicker noodle. Only found one place in Bellevue that uses the skinny noodle, which is what I think tastes best and is the norm where I come from. Fast, friendly service. Good prices, good food. I always come back!

    (4)

  • MyAnne K.

    My local go-to place for one of my favorite noodle soup dishes. Hu tieu my tho!! Clear bean thread noodles combined with pork, shrimp, and fried shrimp cake in a light seafood based broth. This dish is then topped with fresh ingredients like chives, cilantro, bean sprouts and lime. All of my favorite things in a bowl. Quick friendly service. Decent beef/chicken rice dishes. Clean with a nice ambience.

    (4)

  • Vannesa N.

    Food is good, nothing great. Service is mediocre. They either take too long or forget even when it's not busy. The few times I visited with a friend one of us would have to wait for our order and the wait was long enough where the other guest is pretty much finished their meal by the time the second guest gets theirs.

    (2)

  • Kevin V.

    It's average Vietnamese food at best who's trying real hard to be some what high end. Asian food is not high end so just stop with it. Focus on making your dish more savory because it's a hot mess at the moment. My word for this place is "meh"

    (3)

  • Michael G.

    Watery pho, watery tamarind soup. I wouldn't even call either soup. More like water with some spices. No development. No time. I always wondered why I've never been here, as many times as I've passed it. The server was nice but completely understaffed. Ironically, the gin martini was basically all gin. Not enough to get me drunk enough to not notice the food lacking. I took about 4 total bites before just sending the tamarind soup back.

    (1)

  • Peter H.

    Average and kind of overpriced for Vietnamese food. Our family had 5 different dishes and each one was a bit off. Food service was spotty and uneven. The dining room was uncomfortably warm. Great Viet restaurants seem to be hard to find in Renton.

    (3)

  • Curtis L.

    This was the worst dining experience I've had all year. Let me try to explain myself. Today, I took my family for Mother's Day and quickly found out that it was a mistake. We started our meal with fried egg rolls; they hit the spot. We waited a while longer and started on our entrees. My family ordered two bowls of noodles and a vermicelli-like salad. I, myself, ordered grilled short ribs (kalbi) and rice. When the short ribs were brought to our table, I cut a piece to find that the meat was at room temperature. The dish must have been sitting for pick up until my family's dishes were ready. I asked the waiter to re-heat the dish...he very politely obliged. Up until this point, our Mother's Day lunch was going "well"--conversating and just being together was enough to bridge over my request for them to fix my dish. What broke the camels back was when the dish returned and had a whole peanut hidden with the meat. **For most, this wouldn't have been an issue, but I am deathly allergic to peanuts** I notified the waiter in hopes of being issued a new dish or at least removing the item from our bill, but the response I received was less welcoming. I was asked if I ordered the dish with peanuts...no. He followed up by saying sorry for the inconvenience. Wow...okay. As the peanut had been cooked with the meat, I ended up not being able to eat my dish. In addition, my throat became irritated, the first sign of my nut allergy. For the remainder of the lunch and day, my family was focused on making sure I was okay vs. celebrating my mother who deserved to have a stress free day. Please be careful when visiting this restaurant. I understand that Asian restaurants cook with nuts, and respectively, I choose my dish with that in mind. Having chose the short ribs, I thought I would be safe...but I was very wrong. I will never be returning to this restaurant for their lack of attention to detail. I do not want to risk ending up in the hospital. It makes me question the other things that they miss...cleanliness? Sanitization?

    (1)

  • Samaria B.

    Worse pho EVER! the broth had no flavor to it at all. I felt like maybe they ran out and just added the water to look fuller. I was so disappointed. Also our table was so sticky. I don't think they clean the tables often. It took way too long to get our food. We ordered pho it shouldn't take 20min!! Also the noodles were cut.... I'm a grown woman I don't need my noodles cut. The one good thing about this place was the sprite. I mean how can you mess that up it comes from a machine.

    (1)

  • Cindy N.

    It was my first time here. I can't give this place 4 or 5 stars because of the food. The meat they served today was dried, it was probably a day old. And no desserts menu at a vietnamese restaurant? ??

    (3)

  • Tiffany O.

    Very nice environment. Super friendly and attentive staff. Pho is def lacking is the flavor dept. Mango/Tofu salad and the 5 spice chicken are a fan fav tho. There is a 5 spice chicken soup, but with soups not being there strong point, I'd stick to the dry version.

    (3)

  • Vinh T.

    The food is quite tasty and ambient is nice. Price is reasonable. I am glad that Renton has this authentic Vietnamese cuisine place. I actually came here with my colleagues for lunch, and had the Ha Noi bun dish. I was impressed with it. My wife and I went there for lunch the very next day. She had yellow noodle dish and liked it very much. So did I with the Banh Xeo. The reason I gave it 4, instead of 5 stars, is the time to get your food can be long...15 minutes or more. So if you plan to go to lunch during business hours, give yourself some extra time.

    (4)

  • Cherise F.

    Friendly nice staff. Bun was good but the shrimp had a bbq sauce on them which I was not expecting. The sauce got all over the noodles and ruined the flavor of the bun for me. I think it would be much better with out the bbq sauce.

    (3)

  • Phong D.

    The rice cakes was exceptional. Remind me of back in Nam. One of the few place around town that have great Vietnamese cuisines.

    (4)

  • Rebecca H.

    I absolutely love this spot and gravitate here regularly when I want Vietnamese food. The food has always been top notch and the severs are super friendly.

    (5)

  • Amanda N.

    The service was good & friendly. I tried the bbq quails and it was good. The bun bo hue wasn't spicy at all which was disappointing since it's suppose to be spicy hot

    (3)

  • Gabi S.

    I LOVE this place! We get the combination firepot everytime. It is a huge boiling pot of pork broth with raw seafood, tofu, beef, pork, and veggies around it. You cook it yourself on the table. It's a lot of food (4 ppl easily) and only $26.

    (4)

  • Jake M.

    The inside was all new and clean, and my server was nice. there were a few staff congregating by the bar when i walked in and one even had a laptop sitting on the bar. my food arrived pretty fast and the spiciness was spot on to what i was looking for, i found the food to be a tad salty tho.

    (3)

  • Nina D.

    I was craving for soup because it was a very cold blustery night in Renton. I was looking for either the Bun Mang Vit or Bun Rieu. Walked in and the waitress was fine at first but then she took forever to come back to our table to take our order after we already tried to flag her down. We asked for a high chair which never came - we had to ask her 2 more times and the other waiter 2 more times for a total of 4 times before we finally had a high chair brought over. The food took an insanely long time to come to us and the table next to us got their food before us even though we were there way before they had arrived. Food was okay but nothing memorable to write home about. Service was terrible - I don't blame the servers since they were severely understaffed but the waitress looked exasperated with us every time we asked for something. And we definitely were not being difficult patrons either. I asked for a spoon for my soup and she looked at me like I was crazy. Needless to say, I will not be coming back here again. Need to work on your server's attitudes and food needs work.

    (1)

  • Brian M.

    I travel quite a bit and always hit up Pho spots. I was pretty disappointed here. The broth was just a flavorless grease water like they made this with a pho base and don't boil their own bones. I couldn't taste a trace of star anise and the noodles were over cooked. Also, the eye of round steak is usually put in raw and cooks in the soup. They clearly cook it well done before putting it in the soup.

    (2)

  • Mike G.

    Ordered the Mongolian Beef. It was "ok" not the best. I wouldn't order it again. Service was fair as well. I'd try somewhere else next time.

    (3)

  • Ashley M.

    Pretty good pho however for pho to be truly good you should be able to reheat it and this pho you cannot. I have visited a few times though for the pho and hot and ready it is good. Plus they have other options on the menu that seem they maybe fresh and good tasting

    (3)

  • Monkey T.

    Monkey been here twice and both times, put off reviewing. Food's good. This last time, the SIUSIU CHICKEN RICE POT blew Monkey away and just couldn't get enough. BUN BEO is good and so with the TAMARIND SOUP w/CATFISH. Service is okay, though they tend to forget us after food has arrived. Nice decor. Clean place, plenty of parking.

    (3)

  • Jessica N.

    This restaurant is really underrated. I'm surprised. The food is excellent. It was pretty authentic compared to food my family has prepared and food I've eaten in Da Nang. The restaurant is clean. The waiters were very polite and accommodating. I've had banh xeo, vermicelli bowl, salad rolls, and beef pho. I would eat it all a second time, gladly. The banh xeo was my favorite.

    (5)

  • Stacey P.

    I have been finding myself at Lemongrass more frequently, and I haven't been disappointed. The decor is marvelous. The waterfall wall they have in the entry is a great touch, the colors are all complimentary, the ambiance is relaxed. It doesn't feel like you're in a strip mall. I have only been here for dinner and it has never been busy. I am always immediately greeted, immediately seated, and service tends to be quick. The first time I went I became quite irritated because the server only would address my male friend, and a couple of workers were sitting outside smoking by the open door. Nothing like cigarette smoke to ruin a meal's ambiance. Luckily that didn't happen the other two times we went here. They have a full bar and serve a variety of cocktails. Their sweet and sour shrimp is a perfect portion size for me, but maybe a little small for someone else.

    (3)

  • Jeff F.

    The service does suck and I wont return. Take out was OK, but 3 or 4 visits of unattentive and slow service doesnt make up for standard pho. The large pho was really a medium, and skimpy on the meats. Last visit had a 20 minute wait just for pho. The Lemongrass restaurant is pho-king bad.

    (1)

  • Chantelle I.

    I love the pork spring rolls and short ribs! Service is good I come here enough where they remember my order now!

    (4)

  • Drew S.

    OMG first and last time eating here. Our usual Thai place was closed ( it was a sunday) so we thought we would give this a place a try for takeout. We ordered a ginger garlic chicken, mongolian beef and fried rice. The chicken tasted like it was freezer dried chicken and there was no hint of ginger in the sauce. The mongolian beef was super runny and again the beef tasted really old. The fried rice was nothing more than rice with a bag of frozen vegetables added. carrots, peas and corn. gross. Nothing tasted fresh and all the ingredients seemed really poor quality. Safeway has better fried rice than this place. We had a few bites of each dish and ended up tossing the rest, it was that gross. I called the the next day to politely voice my concern. Who ever answered was borderline rude. Save your time, money and taste buds and go elsewhere.

    (1)

  • Tam P.

    I really like to eat Vietnam dishes because I'm Vietnamese and I've tried a lot of delicious dishes in Vietnam. That's why I went to The Lemongrass Restaurant in Renton, WA many times to enjoy the food. The place was clean, and cool. There were some Vietnam style ornaments and a wall with waterfall in there, and it made the restaurant look more beautiful and relaxed. I usually eat Pho, grilled pork chops with broken rice, Vietnamese Tamarind soup, Thai Tamarind hot & sour soup, Lotus root salad, Tamarind prawns satay, Grilled pork noodle bowl, Ha Noi vermicelli rice noodle platter, BBQ quails, Vietnamese Crepe, Steamed rice cakes, Sweet & sour shrimps, Lemon garlic beef, and these dishes taste really good. The service is good and friendly. The waiters are usually enthusiastic and polite, they often smile and bring me stuff that I need and they are willing to re-heat the food whenever I ask for. Pho at this restaurant is OK but the broth is not delicious, it's not like being boiled with the bones, and I think there's just have some spices in it. My favorite dish is Vietnamese Crepe cause it taste very delicious. The restaurant also has a bar and they serve cocktails and wines. The cocktails are also OK. Overall, this restaurant is good, they serve a variety of Vietnam dishes that I like. I usually eat Pho at this restaurant because I love Pho, the broth is not delicious, but they cook Pho better than others restaurants that I've tried. However, I think the prices at this restaurant are quite high.

    (3)

  • Samantha C.

    Real authentic and good Vietnamese food. I ordered the Bành canh (shrimp and crab with tapioca noodle soup) which I don't really find at many Vietnamese restaurants and it's the best. The broth is thick and the food comes out FAST, fresh and hot! You guys got to try it if you love soup.

    (5)

  • Rachel S.

    FINALLY, a good pho restaurant in Renton! After living in Seattle and then moving to Renton, I was surprised at how nasty all the pho was here since there seems to be a pho restaurant on every corner...i all but gave up! Luckily, I decided to try one more, and i'm so glad i did! This is the pho i remember from living downtown, and then i learned they also have a location on capitol hill...no wonder! i had also eaten there several times :) The wait staff is friendly and they always remember me and my order. My new favorite restaurant :)

    (5)

  • Jerome B.

    This restaurant is situated close to Grady Way--across the street from the Park and Ride. The ambiance is nice and mellow during the evenings. The waiter was very pleasant. I came with my mom and my godmother. We shared a fresh roll which had lettuce, shrimp and rice noodle--it was really good and fresh! We also shared the mango salad which was delicious! It also had tofu in it which had a nice crunch I had the lemongrass chicken, which was pretty good. Really hot and sizzling when it came out. But one thing that I was disappointed in was that it did not come with rice--you had to purchase the rice on the side. Overall this place was pretty good, and they also had Thai Iced Tea which i thought was odd because it was a vietnamese restaurant

    (4)

  • Lee D.

    I stumbled upon this place while waiting for my car to be serviced down the road. At first glance, the place was fancier than most Vietnamese restaurants in Renton and that left me with an unsure feeling. I ordered grilled pork chops with broken rice and wow, I was surprised! The food was great and so was the serving size. The plate came with a small salad, sliced shrimp ball, shredded pork, broken rice and 2 perfectly cooked pork chops. The price was higher than other places, about $12. Great place that I will visit again!

    (4)

  • Jenny K.

    Good, fast and cheap :) Got the glass noodle soup. Had chicken, glass noodles, and black mushrooms. Served with sprouts, limes, jalapeños, and hot sauce. Broth was perfectly seasoned, noodles were cooked just right, and the dish came out within ten minutes of ordering it. I'll be back soon!

    (4)

  • Sabrina F.

    Based on other reviews, this place is either a hit or miss for people. I came here on a Friday night since genki sushi was pretty full and it was just right next door. I went with my family and we were greeted right away. The waiters were very nice and made conversation with us. The food wasn't anything special, but not bad. The grilled shrimp we ordered was AMAZING. But overall, I'm giving four stars for the good service :)

    (4)

  • Michelle M.

    Excellent pho which is what we both had. Started off with spring rolls, also great, overall an awesome experience. One issue the original dinner I ordered they didn't have...? No problem the tofu pho I had was yummy!!

    (4)

  • Jacqueline T.

    I don't know why the reviews are really low for this place. I give it a strong 3. Maybe I ordered everything right? But my beef satay was good, by deep fried egg roll was delicious!! (i'm craving for more), and my mango salad was delicious! All types of tangy and sour mixed into one. I went for dinner.. so yes it was a bit dark.I think the wait staff might have read some yelp reviews.. regarding the horrible wait time, and horrible service.. so the young fellow i had.. tried really hard, and was super smiley. He did almost everything right.. except he never came back to refill our waters. I think he the mentality of.. do everything right the first time, so you don't have to go back. haha.. but I give him credit for everything else right he did ;D I'd come back for lunch! Slightly more affordable, and brighter :D mmmmm spring rolllssssss.. wait for me!

    (3)

  • Viet N.

    Despite the low rating and negative reviews, I decided to be fair and at least give this restaurant a try. Granted it is clean and well decorated, I was not there to eat "cleanliness" or "decor." I was there because I was hungry for authentic Vietnamese food. To my dismay, this restaurant totally missed the mark when they claim they offered a "taste of Vietnam," as their restaurant name suggests. If THAT is what Vietnam tastes like, then I guess Vietnam tastes less than mediocre and uninspired. Let me elaborate..... PRICE: Terribly Overpriced!! When the menu lists Vietnamese food items at a ridiculous price point, you can't help but wonder why. It the food THAT amazing? No sane Vietnamese person would pay those kind of prices for that kind of food. I guess that is the problem here. I am Vietnamese. I grew up eating plenty of good Vietnamese food. I know what it should taste like and what it should generally cost. INSIDER TIP: When you go to a Vietnamese restaurant and realize that there are no other Vietnamese patrons eating at the restaurant, chances are the food is not good. On our trip, the majority of the diners were non-Asian. I don't blame them. Most of them didn't grow up with that kind of food, so they aren't too critical. However, if you enjoy good Vietnamese food.....STAY AWAY!! You will end up eating the flavorless essence of Vietnamese food. SERVICE: Just fine. Nothing bad. Nothing exceptional. FOOD: Not disgusting....but FAR from good, or even mediocre. Closer to bad than good! - We ordered the "Goi Cuon Nem Nuong" (pork spring rolls).....it was very disappointing. The $6 price point left a bad taste as well. Who the hell charges $6 for flavorless "nem nuong" spring rolls. Not even Brodard (best nem nuong spring rolls on the west coast) charges that!!!! It would be slightly tolerable if it actually tasted good. But, it was bad. The dipping sauce was horrible too. It was toooooooooo salty. -- We also ordered the "Rare beef salad"......this was the BIGGEST disappointment of our meal. The waitress brought out the plate and announced, "here's your rare beef salad!" I take one look at the plate and immediately rolled my eyes. WHERE WAS THE RARE BEEF? This plate was completely cooked beef on a bed of romaine lettuce, onions and tomatoes. There was steam coming from the beef. What kind of rare beef salad has only cooked beef? That was ridiculous! Aside from it being mislabeled, it was sooooooo not worth the $11 we wasted on it. Looks more like $2 worth of cooked beef slices on a plate of salad. How insulting! - We tried their "Mi Quang" (special yellow noodles with rice crackers). Wow.....where was the flavor? The broth was bland. The rice cracker was not crispy. Would I go here again?! No thanks! There are plenty other options nearby that serve delicious and authentic Vietnamese food at a much more reasonable price. DO NOT EAT HERE if you like good Vietnamese food. EAT HERE only if you are forced to and you life depended on it. And always remember, if you don't see Vietnamese people eating in a Vietnamese restaurant....run! Run away as fast as you can! Chances are, if the Vietnamese food is not good enough for a Vietnamese, what makes you think it is good enough for you!!!??

    (1)

  • Theo W.

    Food was not bad, as expected. But today they deserve 5 stars for the great service from our waiter, LONG. He's both courteous and attentive. Way to go young man!

    (5)

  • Yuki T.

    Yah... So... Pho Hoa down the street is better. This place is slow and service sucks. Not attentive and their food isnt anything special.

    (1)

  • Michael K.

    Prior to going, I was told that the service would be ridiculously slow and the food would be average. I'm kinda glad, because in my experience, neither was true. We arrived 45 minutes after they opened and were seated immediately, our food was on the table within 10 minutes, and everything was quite good. It wasn't *spectacular* but it was good and the portion was big and I left super full. I had curry chicken and egg rolls and I enjoyed both, and the few bites I have of the lemongrass chicken was good too. All in all, i'm glad this place is right by where I work so I have another option for lunch out of the office!

    (4)

  • Sonya L.

    I just started a new job in Renton, so I'm trying to explore the area for new restaurants. Lemongrass is nearby, so I drove over to pick up some shrimp salad rolls. The staff was friendly, my food was ready when I arrived (w/in 5 mins!), and the prices were cheaper than some of the restaurants near my house in Ballard. The salad rolls themselves were very good - unique to others I've had, since they had some sort of crispy item inside. The dipping sauce they came with was quite good - a bit savory and a bit sweet. I'd like to come in sometime and see how the wait service is, but not sure if I'll have the chance since I only have a 40 minute lunch break!

    (3)

  • Ken M.

    The food was descent but portions are very small. The service wasn't too good. The waiter forgot to give me chopsticks and a napkin. I asked the server for it and he had no apology. If you don't have the utensils ready with the food that's a problem. I would recommend this place for couples. Definitely not a casual setting.

    (3)

  • Dustin G.

    I recently visited Lemongrass and will return. The food was good. I was able to try the ginger beef, fried rice, and Pho. All of the dishes had good flavor but the star of these dishes was the Pho. They have a really good soup broth here at Lemongrass and if you are a Pho lover - I definitely recommend getting it. The ginger beef and fried rice were both solid dishes. The ginger beef did not have as much ginger flavor as I would like, but was good nonetheless. The decor of the restaurant is nice. The walls look like they could use a good wipe down after hours and the tables had a slightly sticky feel to them. A couple of the booth benches had some tears in the leather. I also felt that their pricing was a bit much for a work lunch. Lunch prices start at $8.00 - which is a bit high. Lemongrass could do better in this area. They do provide good tasting food and good service (personally speaking). I would give it a 3.5 overall as there is room for improvement but this is still a good place to eat if you are in the area and craving Vietnamese food.

    (3)

  • Parker P.

    Nice atmosphere, good service, tasty food at a great price. Will stop in sometime again - very good.....

    (4)

  • Ken L.

    I don't know why I continue to come back here. It just gets progressively worse each time. Today, I met up with a friend to celebrate a special event. We sat there for a good 15 minutes with no water or tea while we waited for someone to take our order. I think they may have changed the entire crew of workers as I do not recognize any of them from my prior visits. I had to personally come up to them to request water refills and on top of that.... my usual order of garlic beef was dry, the claypot fish was salty and the Vietnamese pancake wasn't all that impressive. To cap the visit off, the server disappeared again into the kitchen for another 10 minutes as we wondered if we ever was going to get a check. Finally paid and left with my appetite unsatisfied and throat dry from their over salted fish. Truly depressing.

    (1)

  • Angelic L.

    Settling for Vietnamese food in Renton should have been a big warning sign to me about this place, but my family decided to give it a shot. When the workers brought out all the food, it turns out they gave us spoiled rice. If it weren't for my cousin who stopped me from putting the rice in my mouth, I probably would have gotten really sick while on vacation. The other food wasn't very good, so I don't think anyone in my family will be back.

    (2)

  • M R.

    I've been here a few times off and on since they opened and each time I go I hope the place is going to be cleaner. This last time the table was sticky and oily. . and you could actually see food splatters on the wall we were seated next to. If this is where they seat their guests, I don't even want to think about what their kitchen looks like! UGH. . I'm out before I get food poisoning.

    (1)

  • Misty A.

    We stopped here on a whim. The restaurant wasn't busy besides a larger group seated at the front. Our service was quick and timely. We ordered the pork spring rolls, the chicken curry, and a beef dish with a side of steamed rice. Everything came out quickly. The food could have been warmer, but the flavors were all delicious. The restaurant is decorated very nicely, however it could have been cleaner. I hate going to places and seeing food on the walls or the furniture dusty. Those are things that would take 2 seconds of done on a regular basis. Overall, we would come back here.

    (3)

  • Sarah F.

    I went in thinking "it's busy and has a great interior, this should be good." I went out thinking "wow that took forever, and I'm bloated from all the salt." Pros? -The pho has very flavorful broth before adding stuff -Pleasant atmosphere -Friendly employees Cons? -Service is really slow -The pho was way too salty -There are so many things on the menu, if they didn't get the pho well (which is rather easy) I'm not sure how they'd get the rest right

    (2)

  • Vince N.

    The lemongrass makes me pucker! I'd give it a zero, but I don't see a no star option. I was excited to finally have the opportunity to eat hereafter hearing about it from my friends, but my excitement was squashed by poor service, horrible food and frankly a disgrace to Vietnamese cuisine and hospitable service. Just laying it all down just the way I see it, taste it, experience it. I've had better service and better food from a pushed cart in Saigon. So I asked if I could substitute pork for beef in a meal. I get a "gasp!" "What?" it's never served that way! To hell with that lady, I've been to almost one million-five-hundred and sixty-two Vietnamese restaurants and many places have beef with that meal. All you had to say was no politely. I could recognize your lack of options on your menu. I'll accept the fact that beef is more expensive than pork and your profit margins are higher when you sell Beef vs Pork, and for the suckers who get the beef means more money in your pocket, but lady I was willing to pay the difference. Anyhow tangent! After about 20 minutes of waiting, my friends order was brought out. Then about 10 minutes after my friends food was brought out. So far 30 mins. of waiting. Alright I'm starving by now so I've resigned to enjoying the rain drops outside. My friend said hey your food is finally here, and I light up..but when my food was brought out it was the wrong order! I got a quick apology and 20 mins. later as my friend was finishing up his meal I was served my meal. By the time my food got to the table, the person I was with was already done eating. In hopes of saving a bad experience with service, I was ready to dig in and enjoy some good Vietnamese food. Much to my surprise the food was ho-hum at it's best. My friends "grilled chicken" tasted like boiled chicken with chunks of fat wrapped around each piece of meat. He was surprised at how bad it was just as I was and he's been here a few times. I found myself picking fat out of my mouth after every bite. The short ribs I ordered had some flavor and a unique glop of lemongrass and garlic, but the fat on the ribs overpowered any reason to savor the food I had on my plate. If there was anything pleasant about the food it was the presentation of my meal. Pretty. Elegant..Colorful. I find it hard to give any establishment a 1 star review but this place absolutely deserves it. Not to be a negative Nelly, this place has a bunch of parking and nice real chopsticks and actual clothe napkins..Oh wait we didn't get to use those, for some reason we got the paper napkins and cheap wrapped in paper chopsticks. I hear the management owns three restaurants, maybe that's two to many and he needs to focus on this one. This place reminds me of Toyota..getting to big to fast and then your quality goes to hell. I've eaten at two of the three locations now, and my first experience was better but the food didn't taste any better back then. There are other Vietnamese restaurants that provide better service and better QUALITY food, I'd go somewhere else. Hmpf!

    (1)

  • Joanna C.

    I went back and tried it out again. This time the food was great! We ordered the quail and other dishes. Service was good and our waters were filled. I'm glad they have better service this time. Even though it was busy, they kept up. I'll be back again.

    (4)

  • R P.

    This place is outstanding. Their soup with the tofu, shrimp and egg noodles is so unique. I haven't seen it anywhere. Their fresh rolls are also fantastic. The menu is more extensive than regular pho places. I highly recommend this place!

    (4)

  • Uli H.

    It wasn't that good today, I sent my dish back ( The Curry Beef), and ordered something entirely different (Mongolian Beef) and it too was poor. Lack of flavor, and the meat was like shoe leather.

    (2)

  • Gary E.

    Before we checked in to our hotel, the family voted to have dinner first. So we ended up at The Lemongrass. As a tourist, I try and practice not to have any premeditated thoughts of what I'm about to experience... When we walked in we were greeted and seated right away. This place had a nice relaxed decor and ambiance. We started out with their Spring Rolls for appetizers and everyone placed their orders. I got one of their House Special Variety dishes - Grilled Pork Chops, Shrimp Cake & Egg Cake w/steamed rice (Com Tam). As I sipped on good hot tea our dinner was served. The springs rolls were okay and my pork chops good. The shrimp cake was awesome! The egg cake was alright. Everyone enjoyed their meal with satisfaction...

    (3)

  • Larry L.

    Very nice presentation, the Phabulous Pho is Philled with delicious veggies. Very good service - it's a busy place at lunch so don't expect to get in and out quickly but, there's reason for that :)

    (4)

  • Warren C.

    This place is really dark. I thought it was closed if it wasn't for the 'open' sign lit up. The service was very slow and bad. We were sitting near the front of the restaurant, but most of the customers sat towards the back. The waiter rarely comes by to fill my glass of water. Our dishes came out at different times, by the time I finished my meal, my sister's Vietnamese Crepe came out 20 minutes later. She had to walk to the kitchen area to check on the status of her order. Does it take over 30 minutes to make a Vietnamese crepe? and the place wasn't that busy! The food was pretty decent. It has a good and romantic decore and environment, but the service was plain awful.

    (2)

  • Rachel P.

    I had been a few times and it's usually pretty "meh" but this last Thursday, Veterans Day, my friends and I were headed to Applebees (not knowing that all Veterans got a free meal at Applebees that day) and when we saw the line at Applebees, we made an about-face and then headed towards Sushi, which was next to Lemongrass and they were busy as well. Lemongrass was getting the spill-over people. The service was slow but most importantly for the prices, we expect some good food, we did not hardly get edible food. Shrimp needs to be fully cleaned, doing a half ass job is as good as not doing it at all. I will say that the lemongrass rolls are delish. My soup had way too much onion stuff floating in top. My friends shrimp noodle dish was terrible and she only ate a few bites- mostly noodle. We won't be back, ever- my friend will never go back to this place- she hated her lunch.

    (2)

  • Duane C.

    Going to a Vietnamese restaurant is usually a safe bet, but not the case today. The positive; the spring rolls were a good appetizer and the food was extremely healthy. The negative; my Wife ordered the chicken and vegetable stir fry. It was basically a plate of brocolli, green beans, mushrooms and a small amount of very bland chicken. Pretty tasteless. The menu said the stir fry was $8/11. Well we got charged $11. Expensive for plate of vegetables at lunch time. The server didn't ask if we wanted the small or large order. We assumed that maybe $11 was the dinner price. I will eat Vietnamese, just not here.

    (2)

  • Chris W.

    In general, I've always liked the Lemongrass & have made it a regular lunch spot whenever I'm in the area. Unfortunately, It seems over the past 4-6 months they've been cutting some serious corners. One of my favorite dishes is the beef stew with French bread. It's got great flavor & is actually a dish I'll make an "out of the way" trip for. It seems since the last time I was here, things have drastically changed. The fish came out to me with no French bread & filled w rice noodles. When I asked for the French bread they said that they don't offer it anymore (though it's still listed on the menu). Now that was disappointing but not a deal breaker until I began eating it & found that the BEEF stew only had about 4, maybe 5 small pieces of beef. The rest were noodles, a few carrots & broth. That was extremely disappointing as I was expecting a hearty beef stew not beef broth & noodles. It definitely was NOT up to the old Lemongrass standards. Sad to say but I won't be coming back to this place, nor recommending it to clients I work with in the area.

    (1)

  • Jenn N.

    I was skeptical at first being that this was a Vietnamese restaurant ... in Renton. You can't get good Vietnamese food anywhere except near chinatown in seattle. My food was amazing for just a simple rice dish. The rice was cook perfectly, the meat - I substituted the pork ribs for beef ribs and the fish sauce was delicious! I'm not 100% positive that people who given this restaurant 1 - 3 stars are Vietnamese and know what quality Vietnamese food should taste like. Perhaps they wanted something that was more Americanized? I'm not sure. Anyway, I definitely like this restaurant and when I'm too lazy to drive 20 miles to chinatown I will eat here!

    (5)

  • Jennilee B.

    Oh BUN BO HUE, you are my new obsession! I am madly in love with your noodles, your spicy broth, and the french bread on the side (not really sure if you're supposed to eat it that way traditionally, but I don't care- it's yummy that way!) This place has so many options for soup/rice dishes/noodles/etc and you don't want to miss their bun bo hue. It's just the right amount of spicy hot goodness thats a good change of pace if you've had your fill of pho. They're service is good eating in- and they're quick and fast with their orders for takeout, so either way you'll be happy. And don't forget to try their spring rolls, its a mix of crunch, noodle-y, healthy yummy-ness!

    (3)

  • Mandy S.

    zen/classy for being in the middle of renton. I think this is great for vietnamese food but not the best for pho..something was just different about the broth here

    (3)

  • Laurie G.

    I've had my fair share of Vietnamese food in my time, so I was looking forward to visiting this place and sampling what they had to offer. The place was beautiful. The atmosphere was fantastic. It was a bit cramped, but it was gorgeous. We we seated in a nice booth near the back, away from the few other customers who were there. Our server was a very helpful and courteous young man. We ordered our favourite Vietnamese foods: Cafe sua da, Springrolls, and two bowls of Pho. The cafe sua da was served with a large amount of ice in the glass, so the drink was watered down. The springrolls were acceptable, but very bland compared to the springrolls I've had from other restaraunts. Even the peanut sauce was lacking in flavour. It was just bland. The pho, for starters, was lacking in variety. Your choices were well done or rare flank steak. There was no other choices for pho. I'm use to pho where you can choose from a half dozen or more types of meat, so I was disappointed in the selection. When the pho arrived, we fixed it the way we always do, by adding in the bean sprouts, the lime, and the mint. Even adding that? The pho was still very bland and flavourless. It was overall disappointing. The reason I leave this as 3 stars and not lower is because of two reasons. 1) the decor was amazing, and 2) we only tried these couple of things on the menu. If I need to revise my review later, I will, but right now, I'm going to leave it as 3 stars.

    (3)

  • Nam N.

    the classic vietnamese dishes here are okay at best. not that its a bad thing - but growing up in a vietnamese household and eating viet food all my life- there isn't a dish here that jumps out as best of the best. if i were to recommend anything - stick to the vietnamese dishes contrary to chinese dishes such as mongolian beef as they make it vietnamese style and they give you an option of spice level 1 - 7. i went with a 5 and its not good spicy. they just add a bunch of siracha and a ton of black pepper. not chinese style where you wok toss the beef with chili peppers. decor is simplistic and clean. but if you come here on a busy day - expect a long wait to get your food and order taken. they could use better organization to seating and sections to speed this process up.

    (3)

  • Tony Y.

    I never went into a place with such high hopes and leaving so disappointed in a long time. The ambience of the place is really nice and looks like a good place to take a date or something. But once you see the service and food you may think twice. The prices are very high for this type of cuisine. You are surely paying for the nice water fountain and 15 foot bamboo shoots displayed in the front. This was the worst bowl of pho ever. I never seen the pile of noodles heaped 3-4 inches above the soup. They maybe had 1 cup of broth in a large sized order. Incredibly shocking, disappointing and the flavor lacked as well. The pretty lady got mongolian beef and we asked specifically if it came with rice and they said yes and they tacked on a couple of bucks for extra rice on the side, total lie and the rice we did get was a tiny little scoop. Pretty sleazy move there.She also got a coke, a tiny little glass filled with mostly ice. And the whole time a waitress could not be found to refill it or check on us. Every aspect was painfully bad. We will never be back here.

    (1)

  • TN T.

    Decent food but very pricey for this type of cuisine. $12 for rice combo, 7.95 for small bowl of pho. That is quite high especially for location. $7 is price for large bowl of pho at most places. I would suggest this place if you have money to throw around.

    (2)

  • Howard L.

    They get 1 star for the decor and cleanliness. Food is horrible. Although conveniently located next to Discount Tire Co, I decided to grab a bite and nothing was around except for Genki Sushi (Hate It), and Applebee's (only good for happy hour and drinks). I've heard so much hype about this place and even my own uncle raved about this place. Another example of why i do not believe other peoples food opinions unless they are actual culinary professionals. I ordered the Banh Hoi Thap Cam, which is vermicelli sheets with combination of meats. The grilled pork was cold and bland, the shrimp cake was ok, still cold. The eggroll was weird. It was battered or something and why would i even eat an eggroll with vermicelli sheets. My conclusion of this place is the food sucks, and safe assumption would be that the person cooking in the back is not even of asian descent. The place looks nice though and has a really nice feel to it. If you want to eat at a good asian restaurant, look for a place that is actually filled with asians.

    (1)

  • Kitty C.

    Lemongrass is a fantastic restaurant in the parking lot of Uwajimaya. The serve Vietnamese food and Vietnamese fusion. Every single dish I have had here is amazing. The also serve really delicious and unique cocktails. Favorite dishes: Combo platter: a $15 platter of pork, shrimp, egg roll, and beef with veggies and you make your own wraps with rice paper. It serves 2 and is really fun. Coconut shrimp cake appetizers: They are little tiny fried cakes of coconut and rice with grilled shrimp on top. You wrap them in lettuce/basil and dip them. Eeee! So good. Basil lemon drop: a twist on the usual lemon drop infused with fresh basil. Yum! Lychee mojito: all the awesomeness of a mojito with lychee liqueur and fresh lychee mixed in with the ice. The staff there is incredibly kind and they are always smiling. They remember the folks who come in and make you feel very welcome. One night the owner (or manager?) came to our table and gave us free beer and sake. He was very generous. The atmosphere is great. During the day the lunch crowd is dull and dressed in suits but at night it can be very fun. Good for dates! Try it.

    (5)

  • Rebecca H.

    It's perfectly ok Vietnamese food. We had the spring rolls, which weren't the best ever but certainly passable, and the imperial crunchy rice, which was tasty although the meat was a little oily. I liked the calamari, it had big pieces of octopus so you actually could taste it, it wasn't all breading, and the breading was crisp and light. I have to confess I ate so many appetizers that I didn't have room for my dinner, the pork chop, egg and shrimp cake. I had it packed up and took it home for my sister's boyfriend to eat the next day for lunch. Service was pleasant and quick, the restaurant was clean.

    (3)

  • Marvin M.

    I've been there twice now. The food has always been good and the waiter I've had twice now is always friendly and has great suggestions. It's clean and reasonably priced. I will be going here again. And it's close to home and work for me so that's a bonus!

    (4)

  • Jay K.

    The Original Lemongrass in Renton is a charming little place located in the same plaza as the Pan-Asian Buffet & Uwajimaya (Renton). The interior of the restaurant is very clean and new (probably because they just opened up five days ago) and the staff is ready and eager to serve you. The food itself lends a certain home cooking charm and is very easy on the eyes as well as the stomach. I went with some friends and ordered four dishes; the seafood chow mein, the mango salad, the curry chicken and the Five-Spice Chicken. Of the three dishes, the Five-Spice chicken was probably the best. We also had appetizers; spring rolls and pork rolls. Both were delicious and just whetted the appetite that much more. Lastly, for dessert we had the fried banana & three bean dessert. Both complimented the meal very well and ended things on a good (& sweet) note. Pricing was fair for the food, and the overall experience was pleasant to say the least. The staff is a work-in-progress, but overall eager to service you. If your ever in the area, The Original Lemongrass is definitely worth checking out.

    (4)

  • Kayan H.

    Come for lunch sometimes. It's always packed but service is still good considering and I never seem to wait long for a table or for my food. Lunch combos are yummy and well priced. I don't know that it's authentic Vietnamese food but it's good Asian food nonetheless. I like the bone in chicken dishes. Curry is also good. If you're looking for pho go elsewhere. Don't think it's that good here. There's an I love pho or something down the road on Williams Ave.

    (3)

  • Beth K.

    The most tender chicken I have ever had. It just melts in your mouth. Ordered the curry chicken and it was beyond perfect. This is my new favorite spot.

    (5)

  • Tonya N.

    Im a regular at the Lemongrass in International District and I was curious to see if the Renton Location was as good. First of all, its a much nicer looking lemongrass, dark woods, nice accents. Service is beyond excellent... we were seated right away, water, menus, ready to order... Food arrived promptly and they did mention that the more unique vietnamese dishes like Banh Beo and Banh Seo for lunch take a little bit longer to make. I always get the nem nuong... and cant really go wrong with the Mi Quang, i do think that the Mi Quang is a little bit better in ID but this was close, i felt the sauce wasnt as seasoned and the sesame crackers on top were a little stale. But it was still quite good. Overall i was pleased with this new location and when im in renton, this will be my go to Vietnamese restaurant.

    (4)

  • Thuy H.

    Customer service - I stood there and waited for a table because sign says so. For a place that was not busy, I self-seated myself. Server came out, I had to ask for the menu. Uh hello. No offer of water, beverages, nothing. You would think that the food would make up for the bad service -- WRONG! I wouldn`t go out of my way to come here again, that's for sure.

    (1)

  • Alan N.

    Usually when I read a consensus of mediocre to bad reviews I will give a place the benefit of the doubt. I was thoroughly slapped in the face by Lemongrass for against the majority. I came here with family and some family friends who have been looking for a new Vietnamese restaurant to try. -- Service: The service seemed slow and extremely unattentive. I can understand if the place is getting overwhelmed but we were the 5 of 7 patrons at their place. Is it that hard to fill up my cup of water and tea? Of all things I had to remind them 3-5 times to get me my Iced Lime Soda. And even then my drink didn't come out until I was already 2/3rds done with my meal. +/- Food: I have to say that this was the only saving grace of The Lemongrass. Their food was by no means terrible but it wasn't exactly something I would go out of my way for, very meh. The food came out in a pretty average time so we weren't waiting horribly long but again, considering the fact we were some of the few people there I can only imagine how long it would take to get our food in a lunch or dinner rush (if that even exists at this place). + Location: I suppose when you consider some of the dining options in Renton, which can be hit or miss, it was actually very aesthetically pleasing. They had one of those walls with a waterfall flowing on rocks which was pleasing to the eye. All in all I would not really recommend The Lemongrass to anyone. There are much better Vietnamese and Asian restaurants nearby like at Great Wall Shopping Mall, Southcenter, The Landing or even Downtown Renton.

    (2)

  • Yee V.

    I suppose you would call this a high end Vietnamese restaurant. Why? because it's not just pho or some deli items!! The place is somewhat new to the area here, at least this year since the construction is done. I've driven by a few times and never got the opportunity to come in. It's Saturday afternoon and my buddy just drove two hours from Portland to come hang out. He's pretty much starving so we drive down the street to Lemongrass. Obviously this isn't a pho house, so we're gonna stay away from pho items. We order the Tamarind Sour Soup with catfish, Grilled Pork Chops, and Chili Paste Pork and Tofu. So which was the epic win? Of course it was the chili paste pork and tofu that I had chosen! haha It was flavorful and mighty delicious over some white rice. It was my first time having the sour soup and it was good. When they give you the plate of jalapenos on the side, pour some fish sauce into it and lay the catfish from the soup onto the plate to soak up some more flavor. This place is cool, nicely decorated and very clean. Waitresses are nice as well. Good place to grab dinner for a party of four.

    (3)

  • Henry K.

    Service is horrible! Ordered the Special Pho but the soup base is too salty. Grill pork with rice is good, but wish there's more rice.

    (1)

  • Anne N.

    Most americanized vietnamese restaurants are clean but the first thing my friend handed to me once we were about to eat was her plate. On her plate was a fruit fly lying in the fetal position. Whether it was on the plate before or after she scooped her rice, I don't know. But it was there. No scene was made, the plate was exchanged, and we continued our dinner... Our dishes slowly came out, one by one. For a party of 9, we ordered 7 entree dishes. If this was any other vietnamese/asian restaurant in the international district, there should have been leftovers. And we should've left full. But the dishes were quickly finished and most of us were still hungry after paying the $85 bill (after tax/gratuity) The food wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Grilled porkchop was thinly sliced and overcooked. The chicken curry was not a traditional curry (a soup) but more of a stir-fry w/ curry sauce...size-wise, every dish was 1/2 the size of what it should have been, Will I be coming back for more? "Heo" no. Footnote: "heo" is pronounced like "hell" but literally translates to "pig" in vietnamese

    (2)

  • Cheryl Renee L.

    If this restaurant had problems in the past I believe they have solved them entirely. My husband and I ate at The Lemongrass on a Friday evening. The first impression of the restaurant was favorable, not too noisy and not too quiet. We sat at a window table and the service was immediate. We ordered a beer and studied the very extensive menu. Our appetizers were mango salad and barbequed quail. The quail was the pick of the evening, just fantastic. The mango salad was very good and I must say the portions were very generous. We also ordered Catfish Hot Pot and Beef Satay. EVerything was very tasty and the service was fast and above reproach. We enjoyed our food and our visit and we cannot wait to return and try more of the extensive menu.

    (4)

  • will m.

    save time and money by not coming here. prices are high for food that is mediocre and there was no service. i get better service at a packed Chinese restaurant during dim sum than this place. our table was never cleared after the appetizers and stayed there until we left. no service equals no tips from me. this place pissed me off so much that i'm not even going to waste anymore time writing this review. if you want good Vietnamese food with good service, go to the ID, save your time, money and gas and skip this place. if i could give it a 0, i would.

    (1)

  • George T.

    So far the several times that i have gone to eat there, it has been ok. I just do take out orders. So I can't speak on how quickly the service is. It's been ok when i go there, they seem to be very nice and accommodating. The food has always been good, never did i get something that we didn't like. We are slowly trying new things there. Perhaps my 3 star will go to a 4.

    (3)

  • Rachelle R.

    CRUNCHY, CRUNCHY TOFU, woo! Whenever I have the opportunity to order crunchy tofu as an appetizer, I do, and Lemongrass has some of the best Crunchy Tofu I've had. The tofu is sliced into french fry-sized slivers and fried to amazingness, served with a spicy-sweet dipping sauce that complimented it perfectly. It was my favorite part of the meal. We also ordered a salad roll (decent), Lemongrass Beef (very tasty), a combo platter that came with shrimp cake, charbroiled beef, pork, and greens, and a Vermicelli Charbroiled Chicken bowl. The combo plate was awkward. The platter of ingredients came with a plate of flat, round rice paper wrappers, and a giant bowl of warm water to soften the wrappers in. Yes, it was all fresh and we are fine rolling it all up ourselves, but it took up a huge amount of real estate on our tiny table, that was aleady filled with 3 water glasses, 3 beverages, 2 appetizer platters, a huge noodle bowl, and an entree platter. We were already 3 people seated at a cramped table for 2---it was just way too many bowls to navigate around. Unmanageable. The server took a while to get to us to clear away some of the clutter, so it was just silly - my husband had to reach over across the table to dip the rice paper wrapper in the bowl of water, then drip it back across the table. It was a pretty sloppy operation. But still, we all thought the food was quite good. I was psyched about dessert - deep fried ice cream and flan - but ultimately disappointed with them. The dishes had a beautiful presentation. The ice cream had a red berry sauce drizzled on top, served with orange wedges and a mint sprig. The flan came with a caramel sauce with crunchy ice bits and a basil sprig. (The basil was weird...not sure what they were thinking with that one.) The rice paper crispy coating on the ice cream was ehhh, not as crispy as it should be. The dish was bland. The flan itself was fine, but the caramel sauce moat that surrounded it was rather bitter, so it overpowered the flan. We'll go back. I want to try the pho and get more fried tofu.

    (3)

  • J M.

    This is one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Puget Sound. I have eaten here at least five times and found the food always authentic yet creative, and absolutely delicious. Great attention to detail in the food. The space is clean and bright. The staff are always attentive. I can't say enough good things about this place. Perfect place to get pho that is reliably good. Great place to try new Vietnamese dishes -- they have a big menu and everything I've tried so far has been wonderful.

    (5)

  • M S.

    Great food and great value. I think this is the best Vietnamese food in Seattle!

    (5)

  • Rhondalei G.

    We came here to celebrate Mother's Day and I have heard some decent reviews from my friends about this place. We ordered quite a variety of dishes. My faves were: Imperial Crispy Rice appetizer, pork chops, shitake mushroom appetizer and the spring rolls. My lease favorite dishes were the mango salad and a chicken dish because they were too spicy. These dishes did not have any indicators on menu which would be helpful for those who are sensitive to heat in their food. One of the bigger turn offs were all the fruit flys in the space and that landed in the food. :\

    (2)

  • Daren D.

    I thought this would be a nice alternative to Genki's next door, because that place was freaking packed at lunch. I got in during the lunch crush and was seated in the quiet section in the back. Pretty clean, noticeable asian design elements, and overall nice. I think I saw a waterfall in the middle. My memory may be sliding, I *think* I got the lemon garlic chicken. It was pretty tasty, although lacked any big flavor which I was hoping for with the adjectives "lemon & garlic." Free tea was given; always nice (as long as I remind myself to let it cool down). Doesn't come with rice, so I ordered a side of brown grainy goodness, as well. To make it happy, I finished with the Three Colors Bean Dessert.... now, I'm not sure what the "three colors" is about, but for awhile there, I was wondering why I got this. If I judged this on the first few bites, I would've said this sucked-----too much ice, dammit! Alas, when I reached the bottom, and slurped the remains, I was rewarded with a bit of cream & and bean goodness. But back to the colors, I mean, there were strands of jelly colored pink and lime, but those weren't beans and that was only 2... heck, they should've just said Bean Dessert and I probably would've hesitated less.... Service was ok. Seating gal was pleasant. The girl who took my dish order seemed nice and smiled. Dude offered me a tea refill. They never asked me if I wanted something to drink or, later, a dessert.... after awhile I was ready to call for a water, but that came soon enough. They did bring out white rice, instead of brown; got that fixed. After I finished my main dish, and while most of the lunch crowd dissipated, it seemed like forever before someone came by. it was basically almost empty at this point. Just super slow after my main... I didn't expect to leave with just a feeling of okay-ness.

    (3)

  • Juliet N.

    So I gave this place the benefit of the doubt and tried it for a second time today. Experience #1 - I had a rice dish w/ grilled meat, shrimp ball, some other sides and sunny side up egg. Originally they didn't even bring me the egg on top of my rice until I pointed out that the menu stated it comes with a sunny side up egg. :( The grilled meat was of poor quality, mostly fat that they had tried to pull off as meat since it's all grilled (probably some cheap asian trick to save money). I ended up cutting the fat chunks off and was left with hardly any meat at all. The dish in general did not have great flavors, very bland and I left unimpressed. Experience #2 - I tried to go for something a bit different and did a bun (vermicelli) dish with egg rolls. Thought I would be safe with two ingredients. Obviously the noodles were fine. Those come in a pre-made package and just need to be boiled. The egg rolls on the other hand where horrible! How do you screw up egg rolls?!! They were logs of grease. It's almost like they never even drained them after the deep fry. On top of that the fillings were very bland. I pretty much didn't taste anything. Only the oily crispy shell. I guess that was the only benefit. The shell was crunchy. But I won't eat that again. Even with such bad experiences I might try it one more time to see how they make the viet sandwiches. That will absolutely be the last straw. Since it's pretty impossible to mess that up.... but we'll see.

    (1)

  • M N.

    The goods: Service is great. Very well decorated. Plenty of parking. Nice and clean. The bad: their food is so so. The lemongrass on Jackson st in Seattle taste thousand times better than this one.

    (2)

  • Thuy D.

    I was craving for Bun Bo Hue and didn't want to drive to International District or Rainier so decided to stop here since I remember liking the ID location. Upon entering the restaurant I noticed it was rather empty, only one couple eating in the restaurant. No complaints as we were seated right away and ordered our food. We ordered 2 appitizers, one is grilled pork salad rolls(not sure of the name) and the other one is Imperial crispy rice( I ordered since I thought it seem interesting), Bun Bo Hue as a main course for myself, with bf ordered Mi Quang. The food came out pretty quick, the grilled pork was very good but the dipping sauce was too sour and not enough flavour. The Imperial crispy rice cake was not what I had imagined, and quite messy to eat. The crispy rice was drenched in grease and the meat was very dried and burned, not to mention it had no flavor. My Bun Bo Hue was very bland but since I was craving for it I guess it was ok, just had to put a bunch of jalapenos and spicy paste to make up for the blandness. My bf Mi Quang looks decent, although he complaints that it is too creamy since they put too much coconut milk in it. Overall, the food is nothing to be excited about...... Service was not bad.

    (2)

  • Rey M.

    I am so glad they open this place in the South End. When my wife was working near Downtown Seattle we would come to there location in Seattle often for Lunch. One of my favorite Vietnamese Restaurants around. When she went back to school down in Renton we where out of luck. Until they opened one down here. This place is in the same lot as my wife school as well as a mile from my work so now we are treated ever so often with there delightful dishes. What I most enjoy about this place is the different variety of noodle soups you will find here thats not Pho. From the Egg Noodle to my favorite Tapioca Noodle theres plenty to choose from that will satisfy. One dish that stood out today and was actually given to us on the House by the owner to sample was a Tofu Mango Salad. OMG! It was the best asian salad I have ever eaten and thats a long list! I can go on and on about how great this place is. I just dont get all the mixed reviews this place gets. Sad because I've yet to have a bad meal or experience here. Great prices, plenty of variety to choose from, elegent setting, great hospitality and amazing food! Enjoy! Rey Marquez

    (5)

  • Thomas L.

    Definitely not as good as the one in the ID. We have yet to try the one on first hill. 2 things that kinda bug. My g/f's Mi Quang was not what she expected as they put too much coconut in there. Since I've never had it before, I don't know... but I believe her judgment. The pork sausage spring roll was the same but the sauce was the regular fish sauce. I actually liked the bun combo more than the other lemongrass. The service was inconsistent. One of the waitress was great, while the other one was terrible. The great one always came and gave replenish our water and grabbed whatever we needed, while the other one forgot a bunch of stuff (including the fish sauce for my bun combo)... I guess we won't be coming back.

    (3)

  • Johnnie L.

    I love Vietnamese food! So I was stoked to see a new Viet place open in Renton. I know they have one in the International District, so I had high hopes about the new location. Upon entering the restaurant, It was very nicely decorated and I was seated promptly. There was 2 other tables occupied that look like newbies too, so they were not very busy, I didn't let that deter me. So I ordered and sat there what seemed like forever for Pho. It was over 10 mins, maybe they were making it from scratch? When it finally arrived, it was not very hot, if you eat pho you want it steaming! I ate it anyways. My server seemed to have disappeared once I got my pho. I think I had to track her down to get more water and pay. Even with this I came back and tried it again. I figured they were new and still working out the kinks. I think I might be the only person this time in the place. Well came back a second time and tried a pork chops and rice. This too came out cold and seemed to take forever. I think I'm done with this place. I'll just have to go to my other go to places in Renton when I don't want to go to the ID. Update - 11/16/10 So I have been back since with a few friends who like the place. I have to say the service have improved and the food actually come out hot and tasty. So I have increase the star ratings.

    (3)

  • Kira B.

    I thought this was very good and decently priced Vietnamese food. Service was quick, food was good, portions were decent. Many vegetarian choices and complimentary hot tea with every meal.

    (4)

  • Rowena T.

    Quick and attentive staff:) As soon as i walked in the door I was greeted and there was a lot of people dining. I like the decor of this modern Vietnamese restaurant. I did not dine in this resturant because I was orderin' food to go. i got the Garlic Chicken and some Eggrolls. The eggrolls were oily but tasty , i think they cooked it with spring roll wrappers in stead of the usual light brown eggrolls wrappers. It was tasy but just a little but too oily. The garlic chicken was delicious even though I orderd to go it was nicely presented in my box surtounded by freshy cooked veggies. Will come back again for PHO! The restaurant is a little small and crowded.

    (3)

  • Bruce B.

    I love this place. Very clean and comfortable. The chicken Pho is outstanding. I didn't give it 5 stars because its a little pricy and the portions are pretty small. You can barely tell a large from a small. But I do frequent here and would recommend it to everyone.

    (4)

  • Kim T.

    Clean and good food!

    (4)

  • Karen W.

    Excellent food. Excellent service. Beautiful atmosphere. Great to have another fantastic restaurant in Renton.

    (5)

  • Thibaut A.

    Only went there for lunch, they seat you quickly, take your order quickly, bring the food quickly. Food is fresh, simple, very tasty. Place is clean. As far as pricing goes, expect $10 tax included. Very good deal overall

    (5)

  • Ruby K.

    We have only been here a few times, each time has been super busy. I have had better else where and they take forever to knowledge or pay any attention to you.

    (2)

  • Elizabeth R.

    Since going to Genki Sushi almost every week, my boyfriend and I finally decided to change it up and go next door to Lemongrass. I've been wanting to go here after my boyfriend's parents had gone, plus I've gone to the location by Seattle U and liked it a lot. I couldn't believe the prices when we opened up the menu. Pretty pricey for some Vietnamese food. We ordered their fried squid for appetizer and then their lemongrass chicken and beef entrees. We were served hot tea and our food came out within 10-15 minutes. The fried squid was better than most calamari appetizers I've had. Their pieces were thickly cut and were actually filled with squid and not full of batter. They were served with hoisin and Sriracha dipping sauces. Then came out our dishes with rice. We managed to get 2 glasses of water too. Anyway, the lemongrass chicken was very flavorful. They could've eased up on the sauce. As for the lemongrass beef, it was funny that it was a bit spicier than the chicken. And there was more chicken than the beef. Each dish could've had more vegetables besides the lettuce, onions and tomatoes. Okay, I would've rated this place 4-stars, but it dropped down to 2-stars for the following reasons. I deducted one star simply because this place is way overpriced for the dishes we ordered. For an appetizer and 2 main dishes, our bill ended up being over $36. If we had just gone to Genki Sushi next door, we would've been satisfied with $20-$25 worth of sushi. I mean, really?! Just for the lemongrass chicken, that was $14?! I'm sorry, but if they were located in downtown Seattle, I'd understand the high prices. But that's not even the case. They're located in Renton of all places! I deducted another star, because their service SUCKED!!! Okay, we were seated, got served hot tea and got our order taken. But AFTER our food was served to us and got 2 glasses of water, not once did they come check up on us to see if everything was okay nor to refill our hot tea and water. They wouldn't even look at my boyfriend. I even turned around a couple of times to see if I could get their attention. Maybe after the 5th turn, someone FINALLY came over to our table. We just asked for a box and the bill right away. After the waitress boxed up our leftovers and we paid the bill, not even a THANK YOU. I honestly would NOT recommend this place, unless you're willing to pay for high-priced Vietnamese food and not get service. I will NOT be coming back.

    (2)

  • Becky B.

    They had me at Banh Mi...seriously. A few weeks ago, I walked in and asked to order a Bahn Mi to go. I rarely have time to go to a restaurant and sit for a meal, so takeout is one of those inevitabilities of my day. When the gal rang up my sandwich for FOUR DOLLARS and some odd change, I was in shock...and expected a mediocre if not downright, shitty sandwich...I also thought "Maybe I should have ordered two", since I figured (WRONGLY) that it would be a skimpy, non-filling sandwich. I can't express how very wrong I was. I got back to my office and unwrapped a GIGANTIC baguette, crammed with delicious grilled pork and a salad's worth of toppings, all neatly packed into this bread, that was HUGE. I love sandwiches, in fact the bread-meat-cheese menage is one of my favorites of the Gastronomic Universe and this Banh Mi was right up their in my top ten list...especially when you factor in the INSANELY low price of FOUR BUCKS. Really? You can't even buy a value meal for four bucks! Today I went back for lunch with some of my business associates and again was blown away by the quality of the food. We were all fairly newbish when it came to vietnamese food, but had a great time figuring out and building our own wraps. The food was stellar...and on that alone I'm giving them 4 stars. What's keeping this joint from a 5 star review? Customer Service. It's a busy restaurant, the place was full when we got their at noon and remained so until nearly 1:30. So I get that there's going to be limited personal time with your server. I'm not a high maintenance diner by any stretch, so this doesn't bug me. But when I have to ask 4 times for a glass of water, even I get a little pissy...seriously, show me the faucet and I'll get my own. But I digress. If you're looking for a good quantity and quality of food, The Lemongrass is hard to beat. If you're looking to be pampered and waited on, you're going to be dissapointed.

    (4)

  • Andree H.

    Cute and cozy, warm hospitality, good food! The mango salad was excellent.

    (3)

  • Tom N.

    Some pretty good food, but the service I was somewhat disappointed. I told them no peanuts, but she told the chief that she forgot to tell them and it was her fault. So me and my boy waited and waited for my food. Time is ticking, we finally got it and chowed down. The food was pretty good, however we were both 30 minutes late from work. Our boss of course got mad at both of us, I swear that fat whale wants to eat us alive! Was getting in trouble worth for the food? Nah, me and my boy couldn't go out and eat together anymore after that.

    (3)

  • C C.

    The first time I ate here it was tasty indeed! Friendly staff, nice atmosphere and clean. The dish I got wasn't exactly what I thought I ordered, but it was still very good. I thought I was getting prawns, but I got shrimp cakes instead. I tried eating here three more times and have been disappointed every time. The second time I brought my husband and we told them we wanted to share a few dishes and they suggested two dishes. When the dishes came they were the exact same dishes one in a bowl and the other as a platter. Why would I want the same meal twice?! The next time I went I had a noodle seafood dish. It was okay nothing great about it. I've had much better. I tried eating here again today. I order a lunch special green beans and shrimp - gross! The rice had chucks of old hard rice clumps in it. The shrimp had an old shrimp smell and was over cooked. The green beans and onion were fine, but the sauce was gross and bland. It tasted like soy sauce with maybe a hint of sugar thrown in. I think I'll pass on Renton's Lemongrass!

    (2)

  • John Z.

    The restaurant is small but quaint in size. Nice water feature in the true Asian style [symbolizing the continuous flow of wealth]. We ordered the shrimp salad roll which as very good; the shrimp were fresh, along with the vegetables, accompanied with the perfect complement of the crispy wonton in the middle. Next we ordered the Cod filet in Tamarind sauce. This dish was good but we were disappointed in thinking there would have been a bit more spice to the dish. The sweetness of the tamarind could use some off-setting with a touch of spiciness. Our last dish was the Vietnamese Crepe...excellent [we ordered it without pork, shrimp only]. Great flavor, but the salad leaves that were served with it, on the side, weren't the greatest of quality. Most of the leaves had some brown spots. Staff is very friendly and in the process of training, we were there for lunch and met the owner. He offered us a complementary plate of his signature Mango Salad. Very good salad with a nice touch of heat [I believe there was a dash or two of pepper oil over the salad]. The sweetness and spiciness combination was wonderful. Prices were fare to a bit on the high side for the cuisine.

    (3)

  • Steve C.

    Had a bad experience today at mid-afternoon. I had been going in the evening and everything was fine, but TODAY the service was not too good, and the food was not up to the standard I was used to. They got my dining partner's order screwed up, then took forever to redo it. I was almost finished eating by the time his food got back to our table, and it was a simple/quick one to make. The apology was lukewarm, at best. My entree, bun ga nuong, was not too exciting, and I've had much better elsewhere. I think the evening staff have it all together, but I'm not going back mid-day ever again.

    (2)

  • Kim J.

    The service is terrible. If you want something, you have to ask them at least 3 times. I think they have a hard time understanding the English language. If you speak their language, then they will service you better. I asked the waitress to make my dishes a little differently, they didn't. I was there for a special occasion so I brought an ice cream cake and asked them to put it in their freezer. When we were done with our meal, they brought the cake out. It was soft and dripping ice cream. Apparently, they left the ice cream cake in the fridge. How can you not know it's an ice cream cake? They didn't really care when I pointed that out to them - or maybe they didn't understand English. I had a bad experience here. I would never go here again.

    (1)

  • Megan P.

    I got sick after eating there for lunch, I had the chicken curry with peanuts and my boyfriend got sweet and sour chicken, the rice tasted 'off' and there was no drink menu or list of any kind of drinks

    (1)

  • Janson L.

    This place is a good option for lunch and sometimes dinner. The food, is better on some days than others. It really depends on who is cooking. I have gone there at least once a week for the past 2 month, so I know what I'm talking about. For the price, the food is always passable and when it is good, I think it is a steal for $8. The vermacelli combo was my favorite, but I think someone else is making them now and it is just mediocre at this point. The soups are still a good choice here.

    (3)

  • Corrine C.

    I had such high hopes for this restaurant but unfortunately it fell short... way short. The ambiance was nice- candles on the tables, big water fountain, nice waiters, still had the shiny new toy feeling. The spring rolls we started with were good - the dipping sauce was bland however. We ordered the beef curry, rice vermicelli bowl combo, house special pork chop rice, and bun bo hue. The rice vermicelli bowl came with a nice big hair in it so it had to be sent back to the kitchen. Then they forgot to put in the order for the bun bo hue. By the time my noodle soup came out everyone else was pretty much done eating. (I waited so long, the party that came in and ordered after us actually finished eating their pho before my noodles came out.) The bun bo hue broth was very bland and it was very boring. It had some thin slices of beef in it and 3 slices of pork. Where was the pigs blood or pork hock? Anyhow- pricing was moderate, definitely not cheap. Just over $40 dollars for the meal. Considering there was only 1 other table occupied in the restaurant when we arrived, it's hard to forgive this experience. If I want Vietnamese food, I'd better drive into Seattle the next time! It's quicker and more satisfying!

    (1)

  • Jean S.

    Excellent authentic Vietnamese Cuisine - beautiful restaurant with the most beautiful waterwall, fancy tableware, wonderful service and the food was amazing. Prices are low for this kind of ambiance. If you go with a group, order family style and sample a few different items. You've GOT to try the Mango salad! Amazing.

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :10:00 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    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 : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : Free
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

The Lemongrass

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