Mekong Delta Cafe

This is a fantastic little restaurant and the best Vietnamese place I have found in Baltimore. No matter where I go for Vietnamese food, I tend to always order the name thing: vermicelli noodles with grilled pork (don't tell my childhood rabbi!). Not only is it a great dish, but it's a really easy way to compare Vietnamese restaurants quickly. I must say, this place gives the largest pieces of pork I have ever seen in the dish. They can't cover up mediocre cooking or quality with pieces this big, so you know that it's actually good food and not just good seasoning. I also tend to share an order of summer rolls (My boyfriend and I have this down!). This place has the biggest, yummiest, summer rolls I have ever had. The giant size makes them a little less pretty than other places, but the taste is totally delicious!
However, I have a confession. Recently, I've been ordering something different (shocking, I know). I started to get jealous of the big, steaming bowls of pho that I saw most of the other tables ordering. I decided to try it, even though I've never had pho before... Let's just say that I haven't had my beloved vermicelli with pork since! I have since tried pho at a couple of other places, and Mekong Delta's pho still is my favorite!
As far as the rest of the restaurant goes, it's very, very small. It's fine if you go at a random time or the weather is nice, but you will have to wait outside if they get too crowded. Don't let this scare you away - just be aware before you go! However, I keep coming back in both sun and rain, hot and cold for a yummy meal at a great price!

When I'm in downtown Baltimore, I try to make sure to stop in here for lunch. Definitely leave the hotel food behind.

Here is a small and busy place that serves up a fast Bun Shrimp and Pork. It hits all the right elements, sweet, delicious fishy sauce, tiny tiny hint of heat. The portion size isn't as large as other places with a huge bowl of noodles, but I don't mind since the flavors are delicious. Both the shrimp and pork are cooked and seasoned nicely. You'll inhale the whole dish and be back to work in no time.

They were quite busy during lunch, so be prepared to wait, but that's a good sign right?

Some of the best Vietnamese food I've ever had!! Very nice family and amazing Vegetarian options!!!

It was my friend's birthday yesterday and we decided to celebrate by going to Mekong Delta. Yes, hot noodle soup on a 100-degree day in Baltimore is not the most enticing idea, but once we had that sweet, savory soup in our mouths, the nasty weather outside was the last thing on our mind. Mekong Delta is a tiny oasis of authentic Vietnamese goodness...emphasis on TINY...but the humble interior belies the amazing flavors this place has to offer.

Rating Breakdown:

2/2 Stars for Taste:
I'm a bit of a pho purist, I hate adding bean sprouts and other garnishes before tasting the original broth. I had the South Vietnamese style seafood noodles and the first sip blew me away. The broth was rich, flavorful, and had just a hint of sweetness that really complimented the seafood flavor. I had a sip of the beef broth that goes with the regular pho and that was delicious as well. My bowl was empty in 30-minutes flat. Literally empty. I judge rolls more on the peanut sauce that accompanies it, but the combination roll was great. The meat inside was tender, the portions generous. I was a little disappointed that they used lettuce instead of basil, but the added crunch was not unpleasant. The peanut sauce was a little less peanuty than I'm used to, but great nonetheless.

0.5 Stars for Value -
I'm from San Jose, where the pho is plentiful and competition is fierce so I'm more than a bit biased. I would never pay $9 back home for a bowl of pho. But taking into consideration the rarity of pho in Baltimore, this place is a gem and definitely more accessible for me than the Pho Dat Thanh in Towson. The bowl that the pho comes in is deceptively small, but I was stuffed after I hoovered that thing down. Also, rolls come in orders of 2 but you can also make 1/2 orders (1 and 1/2 order = 3 rolls) which is real convenient. Three bowls of noodles and 1+1/2 orders of rolls+ tip came to around $40.

0.5 Stars for Customer Service -
The place is very casual. When we entered, the cutest little kid (owner's, I presume) gave us our menus and welcomed us to the store. No complaints about our service that night, but don't expect anything too fancy here.

Bonus Star because I will definitely return here to get my pho fix, preferably in the winter. Definitely check this place out, but a few tips:
1.) Bring cash, it's cash only
2.) This place is closed on Mondays and Sundays. I walked all the way here on a Monday once and was sorely disappointed. :\

The best place to get your VIET/PHO FIX in Baltimore city. I live around the corner from the place so there's no excuse for me not to come here when I get a craving.

The charm of this small hole-in-the-wall restaurant is it's mom and pop inviting atmosphere. It's small and a bit cramped and extremely busy during prime hours (with up to 1/2 hour wait) are in only flaws, but the alternative is to drive 30 minutes back and forth outside of the city for viet food. The inside looks like inviting like a asian dining room and kitchen. The "staff" is a very nice viet family and if you can look around you can see the regular chatting with the friendly owners.

Food:
The PHO is top of the line. Broth is rich, noodles cooked perfectly, meat is tender and flavorful.
Summer and spring rolls are fresh with a very nice dipping sauce.

I usually don't get the other viet menu items since I always just stick with pho and summer or spring rolls when I have a craving, but looking around the room the other dishes look to be worth a try if you're not in the mood for pho.

**BEWARE, Mekong may be unexpectedly closed when the owners goes on family vacation, well-deserved.

OVERALL: busy but worth the wait family oriented viet spot. Best in baltimore, no need to drive out to the 'burbs if you're in the city.

This place is a hidden gem in Baltimore. Other reviewers have said that this is the best place for pho in this city, but I think that's only because this is the ONLY pho shop around the area. But I'm not saying the pho isn't good because it is. I'm just pointing out that it's not the best pho ever.

Their bowls are deceivingly small, at least to me. I'm used to the traditional large round pho bowls and so when I first saw the smaller square bowls, I was like "oh great, I'm not going to be full." BUT I was definitely satisfied. The broth was wonderful and flavorful. Something I did notice about the broth is that it seems like they use a bit more cinnamon than other pho restaurants. Not that it is a bad or good thing. It's not overpowering or anything.

Service was great and the server was really friendly.

Something that is really inconvenient is that this is a CASH only establishment, which I think it REALLY REALLY REALLY annoying. I never have cash on me, so this is a huge deterrent for me to come here. I guess it's because they're more of a mom and pop shop. They get really busy though, so I guess the cash only isn't a really big deal. Just remember to bring cash if you come! I think they are also closed on Sundays and Mondays.

This place is one of the best viet restaurants in baltimore.
It's TINY though, so if you're going at a normal meal time, be prepared to wait. and use that waiting time to get some cash cuz it's CASH only

Food:
-summer rolls: good! nothing extraordinary or special. just good summer rolls (i haven't come across a viet place with crazy summer rolls)
-pho: i don't know what it is, but the pho is slightly different from other pho's i've had, yet in a good way. the broth is really good!
- shrimp fried rice: very tasty.

price is pretty cheap but portions are a bit small too. The pho isn't as big as normal pho, but still pretty filling.

if you don't mind sharing, i recommend you do what my friend and i did and get these two things then share it (ask for small bowls and plates) because you really ought to try both.

service is quick and good

however, be careful... about a month ago, my friend went here after checking business hours but saw that it was just closed even though they were supposed to be open. i heard from another friend that they sometimes just randomly don't open on certain days. So, i recommend maybe calling ahead to check if they're open.

i definitely hope to try this place again!

Real pho in baltimore. Thank the food gods for this one!

The spring rolls were good with fresh ingredients and lots of basil, just how i like it.

We had the chicken pho and beef pho...perfect broth! it's ALL about the broth and this one is on the sweet side, so it's all about your flavor preference. It's not the best pho Ive ever had (pho 95 in rockville people) but very good

UPDATE: I definitely prefer Pho Saigon in Catonsville. (Cleaner, normal size with plenty of seats) Take the drive out; it's worth the few extra minutes!

The only major negative is that this place is TINY...and the service is SLOW. I there's only one (cute but very old) dude making all the food in the back. I'm going to get take out next time.

After living for about a year in a DC, I consider myself a bit of a snob. Specifically about Vietnamese food, though living in DC kind of makes you a general snob. So when I came to Mekong Delta I was like "Vietnamese in Baltimore?" followed by a condescending sniff.

But color me impressed. Mekong Delta is teeny-tiny and sports a wait pretty much at any time of the day. But once you're seated, prepare for a Vietnamese excursion delivered by some of the friendliest service you could imagine.

The real shining beacon of this place is their summer rolls. They're big, lumpy messes of all kinds of veggies, shrimp and pork (or, if you get the beef ones, beef) wrapped in a heavy sheet of rice paper. Topped with some of the best peanut sauce I've had, these are definitely a must-have if you go.

I had pork and shrimp over vermicelli noodles and my friend had pho. Both were excellent, though not the best that I've had. The marinade on the pork and shrimp was excellent and I pretty much inhaled everything meat-related on that plate. The meat on the pho was slightly less impressive, but still tasty!

Mekong Delta was a pleasant surprise. It showed that you don't need to go all the way to DC for good Vietnamese food. Not to mention, it taught me that acting like a snob isn't always the best way to be. In Baltimore, at least.

Stopped by on the strength of its Yelp reviews, and I have to say, I found this place very disappointing. As others have said, the decor is rather dingy, and the interior is small. Frankly, that would not have bothered me much had the food not also been of exceedingly poor quality. Fair disclaimer: I did not try the Pho.

I had spring rolls and lemongrass beef. The spring rolls fell apart when I picked them up (not a good sign), and the chicken inside was rather dried out.

The beef used for the lemongrass beef was shoestring quality at best. Admittedly not surprising given how cheap it was, but still, rather weak. The dish was given a generous sprinkling of green onion, which I surmise served to hide how little actual lemongrass there was. The only vegetables served with the meal were a small piece of lettuce and a slice of a hothouse tomato.

Overall, this place just doesn't make the cut.

When my friend heard about a new Pho place that just opened up downtown, I immediately suggested we go. Yes, I was that excited to check it out. The only other pho place I've been to within Baltimore City is Baltimore Pho, and I wasn't that impressed with the food. That place tries too hard to be fancy and "upscale"--I guess it's trying to compensate for being right in the middle of Hollins Market (kinda sketch) when all I want is a hole in the wall with good, cheap pho.

And that's exactly what you get when you go to Mekong Delta. When you walk in, it feels like you're entering an old Baltimore row home, halfway turned into a restaurant. It's almost like you're going to a friend's house for dinner. The front half has a few small tables (probably can't seat more than 20...and that's pushing it). As you walk towards the back, you reach the kitchen, which is partitioned with a dish dryer and a folded up table. We sat towards the back, right up against the rest room, so I was able to get a peek into the kitchen. It looks like your average kitchen in an apartment. It certainly doesn't look equipped to handle the demands of a restaurant. They don't even have a dishwasher! I saw one person washing dishes by hand. The kitchen is equipped with a commercial stove and industrial fan, and there is a large refrigerator.

Mekong Delta is family-owned, and right now there are only three people operating it (plus two elementary school-aged boys running around). So I really wasn't surprised that it took our orders while to come out. They bring out each order as it's ready, but I didn't mind so much considering we had a large party.

I ordered the Summer Rolls (C1, $3.75) and the beef broth pho with both rare and cooked beef (P2, $8.75). I thought the summer rolls were tasty, but I was not impressed by the peanut dipping sauce. It was really watery and bland. It hardly tasted like anything. I added some sriracha sauce to give it a kick.

I really liked the pho. It came out steaming hot (unlike Baltimore Pho) and the broth was really good. The bowl was practically overflowing--it was difficult to mix in the sprouts and cilantro. The portion would have been just right had I not had the summer rolls, so I was pretty full by the end. Most of us ordered pho, but one person ordered a tofu stir-fry noodle dish that looked really good as well. It terms of alcohol, it's BYOB, but I did see a couple Heineken's in the fridge with all the beverages. I dunno what that's all about. I definitely will be back.