(212) 875-9072

620 Amsterdam Ave (at 90th St.)
New York, NY 10024 40.7891 -73.9762

Get Map & Directions »

Neighborhoods: Upper West Side, Midtown

SAIGONGRILL.COM

Hours:

Daily, 11am-midnight

Price:

$$

Last updated 10.17.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, Diners Club, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Food Delivery

Cuisine:

Vietnamese

ambiance
50.0% positive
  1. “Their new upper west side location (they moved around the corner to Amsterdam) is a huge improvement -- more spacious and better decor.”
  2. “Unfortunately, we've had bad experiences with the new location.”
food quality
90.69999694824219% positive
  1. “My boyfriend really likes the hot soup with the shrimp in it.”
  2. “Ga Sate (Chicken in peanut sauce) is unique and wonderful.”
  3. “The food, however, was fantastic.”
  4. “Good appetizers included beef satay, spare ribs.”
  5. “The food is delicious, reasonable priced, and the portions are enormous.”
  6. “Best Vietnamese food in NYC at a great price.”
  7. “Pho bo, green papaya salad, crystal dumplings, vegetarian curry, and barbequed beef are unbelievably delicious.”
  8. “cannot enjoy their chicken satay and rice crepes with shrimp knowing that their owners are making over $2 million in profits a month, but stiffing their workers out of a living wage.”
  9. “great asian food for busy evening”
  10. “Unfortunately, the best Vietnamese food in the city is still at those tiny places scattered throughout, where all the waiters know and only know Vietnamese, and the menus are horribly translated.”
  11. “The food is fabulous -- fresh, just the right spices -- and there isn't a faster takeout city in Manhattan.”
  12. “We read the good reviews here and decided to give it a try, since we love authentic Vietnamese.”
  13. “Great food, terrible service”
  14. “Great, light food that is delicious.”
  15. “We went there with friends, it was noisy but we could talk OK, really loved food but even more impressed with their low prices”
  16. “used to like this place for its reasonable prices combined with decent tasting food.”
  17. “The vegetarian entrees are delicious, though it should be noted that their "bean curd" is actually some kind og fake meat.”
  18. “Overall, I'd recommend the chicken or veggie dishes over the beef ones, and I don't have much experience with the fish dishes.”
  19. “The food is great.”
  20. “The Goi Du Du (green papaya salad) is fantastic.”
  21. “Saigon Grill is as authentic Vietnamese food as the Panda Wok at your strip mall is authentic Chinese food.”
  22. “If you want authentic Vietnamese I suggest going down to the Vietnamese area of Chinatown.”
  23. “go for an appetizer to split (the beef sate is good), and share a main dish.”
  24. “The papaya salad and the shrimp curried soup are always good bets.”
  25. “The chicken pho was wonderful.”
  26. “have been fond of Saigon Grill for years for the incredible food, fast and reliable service, and modest prices.”
  27. “got to bit and chew on the delicious stalk of sugar cane and eating the fried shrimp paste.”
  28. “The vegetables are fresh, and the sauces are a perfect combination of spicy and sweet (if you like Thai food, try this).”
  29. “Pretty authentic Vietnamese food.”
  30. “What a disappointment since we both hate chinese food.”
  31. “Wonderful vietnamese food for cheap!”
  32. “The food will not blow you away, but it's consistent and almost everything on the extensive menu is great.”
  33. “While we think the food is great, the delivery service is terrible.”
  34. “Who cares what the food is like, I would never, ever support a business like this one by eating there.”
  35. “The soups are terrific.”
  36. “This place is great - it's inexpensive and delicious.”
  37. “Great and inexpensive food!”
  38. “My gf and I always get the curry ga and the bun xao, two great dishes, but definitely not the only good ones available.”
  39. “It's inexpensive--but our food (a stirfried chicken entree and pork entree) was terrible.”
  40. “They're quick and it's an affordable and tasty meal.”
  41. “The food was delicious!”
  42. “Everything is delicious!”
  43. “The sushi is good, but is obviously more pricey than their vietnamese dishes.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “The food will not blow you away, but it's consistent and almost everything on the extensive menu is great.”
  2. “Unfortunately, the best Vietnamese food in the city is still at those tiny places scattered throughout, where all the waiters know and only know Vietnamese, and the menus are horribly translated.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “My favorite Vietnamese restaurant, and quite possibly my favorite restaurant.”
  2. “This used to be my favorite restaurant, I live in the area and frequented the restaurant on weekdays and even special occasions.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “good value, I will be back.”
service
80.0% positive
  1. “The service is fast and the portions are huge.”
  2. “rude delivery!”
  3. “don't go here for impeccable service.”
  4. “Great food, terrible service”
  5. “While we think the food is great, the delivery service is terrible.”
  6. “Fast, attentive service.”
  7. “Unfortunately, the best Vietnamese food in the city is still at those tiny places scattered throughout, where all the waiters know and only know Vietnamese, and the menus are horribly translated.”
  8. “big article in the Metro Section of the NY Times said that this place fired their delivery staff when they complained that they were being paid $1.60 hour.”
  9. “The service was surprisingly good despite the crowd.”
  10. “have been fond of Saigon Grill for years for the incredible food, fast and reliable service, and modest prices.”
value
93.75% positive
  1. “The sushi is good, but is obviously more pricey than their vietnamese dishes.”
  2. “We went there with friends, it was noisy but we could talk OK, really loved food but even more impressed with their low prices”
  3. “The food is delicious, reasonable priced, and the portions are enormous.”
  4. “good value, I will be back.”
  5. “One of NYC's best values”
  6. “It's inexpensive--but our food (a stirfried chicken entree and pork entree) was terrible.”
  7. “Everybody comes to the restaurant, young, old, students, couples, groups, it seems like a great "regular" spot, and the prices are great!”
  8. “Great and inexpensive food!”
  9. “Best Vietnamese food in NYC at a great price.”
  10. “The service is fast and the portions are huge.”
  11. “Their new upper west side location (they moved around the corner to Amsterdam) is a huge improvement -- more spacious and better decor.”
  12. “have been fond of Saigon Grill for years for the incredible food, fast and reliable service, and modest prices.”
  13. “This place is great - it's inexpensive and delicious.”
  14. “They're quick and it's an affordable and tasty meal.”
  15. “used to like this place for its reasonable prices combined with decent tasting food.”
  16. “Wonderful vietnamese food for cheap!”
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. “They're quick and it's an affordable and tasty meal.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

05/01/11

Very consistent and good

by 12345go at Citysearch

Saigon Grill is always very consistent and good. Do try the bung xao if you have not already.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/26/11

Best value in the neighborhood

by Simon99 at Citysearch

Even before it moved to its present larger location, I was addicted to Saigon Grill's dependable, tasty, inexpensive food -- especially the old reliable (for me), #78, which has an unpronounceable name with an X figuring prominently in it, and the probably-healthier vegetable basket. The place itself has lately been the victim of a power play between two rival restaurant-worker unions, and various chanting demonstrators -- none of whom, I gather, have ever actually had any connection with the restaurant -- have lately been gathering outside to make as much noise as they can. I have no use for such bullies and prefer to ignore them; it'll be a shame if they prevail and either close the place down or force it to raise its very reasonable prices.

1 Star Rating: Poor

03/23/11

Pretty bad Vietnamese Food

by catosmr at Citysearch

We did a quick check of the online reviews to see 4 stars for Saigon Grill, so off we went. Wow, reviewers must have very low standards! We love our local Vietnamese place in Ottawa, but this place in the big city was really bad. The food was not recognizable as Vietnamese. (I think another review referred to it as Chinese, well, let's just call it bad without slamming Chinese cuisine!) And it was thick with oil, pretty disgusting actually. That someone said they go 3 times a week to SG defies belief.

1 Star Rating: Poor

10/29/08

rude delivery!

by lucypeanut at Citysearch

I ordered delivery a few nights ago. The total of my order was $12.19 and I gave the guy a $20. He handed me back $6 (basically keeping close to $2 extra already), so I went to hand him just $2 more, which would total nearly a $4 tip. He rudely said "whaa?? 2 dollars!?? bad tip!" to which I replied "you only gave me $6 in change, it should have been close to $8," and he just stared at me. I handed him an extra dollar and shut the door. So rude and unprofessional.

  • Pros: not sure, the food wasn't even good
  • Cons: delivery man with poor customer service
1 Star Rating: Poor

07/17/07

Boycott Saigon Grill

by whyloo at Citysearch

This used to be my favorite restaurant, I live in the area and frequented the restaurant on weekdays and even special occasions.

But, no more.

I cannot patronize a restaurant where the workers are paid less than $2 an hour. The owners, Simon and Michelle Niget, also locked out their delivery workers for protesting the low wages. Mr. and Mrs. Niget would charge delivery workers fines for things like slamming the door or taking sick leave.

The food at Saigon Grill has lost its taste for me. I cannot enjoy their chicken satay and rice crepes with shrimp knowing that their owners are making over $2 million in profits a month, but stiffing their workers out of a living wage. I can't eat their sushi, knowing that Mr. and Mrs. Niget are taking advantage of the fact that their workers are mostly undocumented Chinese and Latino immigrants who are afraid of protesting this unfair treatment.

Join me in boycotting Saigon Grill. Call the Nigets and tell them that you refuse to eat at their restaurant until they settle with the delivery workers.

  • Pros: none
  • Cons: greedy boss, workers making less than $2 an hour, exploitation of workers

The Details on Saigon Grill

Place Categories:

  • great vietnamese food
  • fast great service
  • favorite vietnamese restaurant
  • great modest prices
  • terrible delivery service
  • great everything
  • authentic chinese food
  • authentic vietnamese
  • good value
  • fantastic green papaya salad
  • good sushi
  • unique ga sate
  • like place
  • fabulous the right spices
  • rude delivery
  • affordable meal
  • like spot
  • recommend dishes
  • great appetizer platter
  • delicious stalk
  • authentic pretty
  • delicious vegetarian entrees
  • really likes hot soup
  • good bets
  • fast soooo