Who eats out in Vallejo? You might be surprised!
A recent search on the popular review site Yelp found 428 results for restaurants in Vallejo. Are there really 428 restaurants in Vallejo?!
No, there were actually 318 restaurants in Vallejo that were reviewed on yelp.com and I was rather surprised. At a second glance, it turns out the other 110 are in Benicia, American Canyon and Crockett. More on those another time…
I was shocked to discover that there are so many restaurants in Vallejo and it made me think that it might be fun to go on a kind of exploration of at least some of them. Picking up on where my fellow Yelpers have gone, here are some highlights of three casual dining spots that make Vallejo an interesting and worthwhile place to find good eats!
I don’t know why I’m bothering to mention this but they do have a veggie option for those who can’t let a burger cross their lips – a grilled cheese sandwich with grilled onions that is reportedly sublime!
Bud’s is located at 3849 Sonoma Boulevard.
Pho1 Noodle House – Not much fancier than Bud’s but if you’re looking for a great Vietnamese noodle house, this is the place. Pho1 received four stars from the Yelpers who have been here and that seems like a fair rating. We actually have two good Vietnamese noodle places in Vallejo which is a good thing if you asked me…but this one is my favorite. We actually learned about it from a review in the San Francisco Chronicle food section a couple of years ago and we were delighted with the find. Pho1 is in that little strip mall at the corner of Redwood Street and Sonoma Boulevard. The address is on Sonoma Boulevard but it is actually easier to turn into the driveway from Redwood. Pho is a delicious soup made with beef or chicken broth and served with rice noodles and any number of meats, prawns and vegetables to order. One of the best parts of the experience at any pho shop is the ritual of adding your own fresh bean sprouts, basil, lime and chilies from a plate that is served alongside the soup. The pho at this noodle house is light, delicious and it is a great value. The place is always busy and if you like good pho, you’ll love this place. If you’ve never been to a Vietnamese noodle shop, this is the place to start. Try the fresh spring rolls and the Thai iced tea as well.
Pho1 is located at 3624 Sonoma Boulevard.
Matsuri – This is the twin of a restaurant by the same name in Benicia that we have gone to for years and it was outstanding here as well. I was surprised that the average Yelp rating was only three stars but there were plenty of Yelpers who gave four and five stars. I scored this place four stars and according to Yelp, the trend is moving in that direction. The menu at Matsuri is everything you expect in a good sushi place – bento boxes, teriyaki specials and sushi. Lots of sushi! The chef has great specials and as you would expect, most of the “action” is at the sushi bar. I was surprised at the extensive selection of sushi as well as a creative array of rolls on offer. Everything we had was delicious and the service was fast and friendly. If you like tempura, you’re going to love the tempura here – it is light, crispy and tasty! I’d say that Matsuri is a great place to go with a small group. It has a lively atmosphere and a really fun vibe.
Matsuri is located at 480 Redwood Street.
If you haven’t checked out Yelp, you really should. It is a really great review site on the web and we use it all the time. It is only about six years old and their whole thing is about enabling users to find great local businesses. It is all user generated content which means that you get real user experiences, not professional or paid reviews. Sometimes that is a problem but way more often than not, it is a great resource. I have the Yelp app on my iPhone and I couldn’t live without it!
Check out some of these local gems and broaden your horizon, right here in your own backyard.
- Array