I present to you, Ba Bar. The best Vietnamese restaurant in Seattle.

These people know Vietnamese food… No Really! From their front of house to back of house, all Ba Bar staff are vigorously trained in Vietnamese culture, food and offerings. Wait staff know the dishes by their Vietnamese names and can pronounce them all correctly. More-so, monthly staff meetings include cultural lessons so that staff have a deeper understanding of the food they’re serving.

Locations

Capitol Hill The original. 550 12th Avenue Seattle, Wa Check their hours here.

South Lake Union The second location. 500 Terry Ave N Seattle, WA Check their hours here.

University Village The newest location. 2685 NE 46th St. Seattle, WA Check their hours here.

When to go

Well, all the time. They’re almost always open but here a few especially good times to visit Ba Bar. There’s always something fun going on inside, there’s always great service and even better; the food and drink are beyond to die for. But here are just a few recommendations in case you’re interested.

• Monday & Tuesdays for the Drink Specials at their Capitol Hill location.
• Friday & Saturday after the bar(s) because their Capitol Hill location is open until 4am.
• Happy Hour M-F 3-6pm. Sat/Sun 3-5pm.

Note: Hours and menus vary from location to location so be sure to check those before you go.

Things to try

• Bánh Nậm
  • What: Rice tamales with Pure Country Pork, wrapped in banana leaf, served with nước chấm. What is nước chấm? Vietnamese dipping fish sauce; sweet, sour & salty goodness.
  • Why? Because you’ve never had a Vietnamese tamale, try an order of these if you’re feeling adventurous. They’re not crazy, they’re just different and fun! 3 to an order.

• Huế Dumpling
  • What: Housemade rice dumplings, mung bean, carrot, jicama, fried shallot, mushroom, spicy soy vinaigrette.
  • Why? They are only available Mon-Fri at their Capitol Hill location. Only a certain # of these are made each day which makes them a hot commodity. Literally. Ask if they have them when you sit down; if they do, order a plate, quick!

• Combo Vermicelli Noodles
  • What: Bowls are served with vermicelli, lettuce, bean sprout, cucumber, pickles, fresh herbs, peanut, crispy shallot, Red Boat Fish Sauce. The combo includes chicken thigh, shrimp, house-made beef & pork sausage, crispy shrimp & pork imperial roll.
  • Why? Because it’s gorgeous and yummy and has all the things.

• Phở
  • What: Serving around 200 bowls a day of this stuff, Ba Bar knows what they’re doing with their phở. The owners grew up eating  phở in the streets of Saigon; needless to say, they know what it takes to make an authentically delicious bowl of the good stuff.
  • Why? Many reasons.
    • Fresh, Hand-Cut Rice Noodles
    • Meyer Ranch Beef and Duck which is raised without the use of added hormones or antibiotics on a vegetarian diet and humanely handled
    • It takes 24 hours to make; a labor of love is always worthwhile

So, there you have it. The best Vietnamese restaurant in Seattle.
Ba Bar, I thank you for all that you do and I’ll see you soon.

Cheers!