Green Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant

After both coming down with a bit of a cold during our latest visit to Seattle, Green Leaf seemed to be the only answer for a bone-​warming, spicy dinner to make things better. We initially headed to the location in the International District, but at 6 pm on a Saturday, parking was basically impossible (or in an unsafe area), so it was off to Belltown for us.
THE OVERVIEW.
+ This location is cool. Like, very cool. Like, Vietnamese speakeasy-​esque cool, with some solid cocktails and a massive menu (awkward brownie points to the guy watching TV on the projector alone in the bar area)
+ Service is prompt and efficient, no attempts at up-​selling or anything of that nature
+ Spicy, delicious food (the phở was solid, and a life-​saver that night)
Cocktails and spicy Viet food, what’s not to love?

Order the Seafood Phở and Fried Rice. When they came out… I was so disappointed because the amount was SO small!!! Couldn’t believe my eyes!!! But the soup of the phở and the flavor of the fried rice was VERY flavorful and yummy!!! They could have made it in a bigger portion. Will leave you wanting more. Lol

–fresh shrimp rolls were decent. vermicelli noodles, little shrimp, deep fried crunchy stick, veggies, standard.
–the outer edge of the crêpe appetizer was thin and crispy. I could see people liking that, but I personally didn’t like it, because it didn’t have much flavor and it was greasy. It was filled with bean sprouts, shrimp, and pork (?) which fell apart soon after I cut into it and was hard to share.
-#60, which I ordered with rice noodles, was a very ho hum dish. it needed sauce as it was dry, as was the chicken. It came with broccoli which was cooked just enough to maintain the crunch.
-#70 chicken curry with lamb was on the sweet side, which I wasn’t a fan of. The chicken pieces were tender and fell off the bones.
I had a good time eating with my friends, and the servers were pretty attentive, but the food was only average. It’s nice to have a Vietnamese restaurant in Belltown with a pretty nice ambiance, but the food is only okay.

After a long day of touring Seattle, we decided to look up a phở place to eat. Thankfully other Unilocalers mentioned this restaurant was located in the basement below Labor Temple so it was easier to find. I was ecstatic to find out this restaurant has a full bar. We happened to come here during their happy hour. The drinks and shots were $ 5 each. We ordered a bunch of Jameson shots and a Thai spice tea (which is captain Morgan with Thai tea). For food we ordered spring rolls, chicken skewers, well done brisket phở, seafood phở, and phở tai. Everything we ordered tasted great! The service at this establishment was one of the best I’ve experienced. Our server Steven was the sweetest! He took great care of us and provided excellence service. Overall, It was a great dining experience. I would definitely come back to dine here when I visit Seattle again.

THE FRIED RICE IS SO GOOD!!! I’ve been here twice now — got the shrimp fried rice both times because it was so good the first time. Huge delicious portions at a very very reasonable cost. Highly recommend!

Phở is amazing, end of story. Their hearty soup, well cooked noodles, and fresh veggies made the experience amazing.
The waiters are not as friendly, but I’m assuming it’s because they don’t speak much English.
Restaurant is dim, and they have a nice bar in the back where people come and drink later in the night. Place opens till 2 AM. Perfect for ending your cravings.

This was my first experience with Vietnamese food. It was great! We ordered the vegetarian noodle soup and the vegetarian spring roll. The spring rolls were amazing especially because the sauce they came with was delicious! We even added some of the sauce to the noodle soup to add more flavour to it! The thai tea was good too.

Food is solid Vietnamese but service is awful. Be sure to check your bill as items from another table were added. Food was brought not in the order we requested and servers not attentive. Bathrooms disgusting.

Came here after visiting the Space Needle. Quick walk not too far about 10 minutes.
Hidden place but definitely a gem. Prices are fair and customer service is quick and incredibly attentive. The bar area is gorgeous! The interior of the restaurant is impressive, large and great vibes. Definitely exceeded my expectations as a visitor to Seattle. Their Employees were all different ethnics which really created a diverse environment which I truly enjoyed watching the servers and bartenders run around. Their menu has a great variety of authentic Vietnamese dishes. Many of these dishes, you cannot find on other Vietnamese Restaurant menus simply because they take a lot of ingredients and time to cook. I was definitely taken by surprise to many of their options and I was conflicted with my order too. I wanted to try them all!
We came in a group of 5 and the waiter seated us immediately. We got our drinks less than 2 minutes sitting down so that was great. The waiter was very sweet when I had asked him if they did any birthday specials since it was my dads birthday that night. (Came out right as dinner ended with a simple candle)
Entrees: Phở Dac Biet, Phở Tai (2), Banh Canh, Bun Bo Hue
ALL DISHES CAME OUT IN LESS THAN 15 MINUTES, impressive!
Phở Dac Biet: authentic broth, meats were there and not stingy like other places, noodles were NOT over cooked. Definitely a great go to dish to order.
Phở Tai: authentic broth, I think it’s the same as the first dish. Meats were there, noodles weren’t overcooked either.
Banh Canh: authentic everything. I wish they added a little more meats to this but i really did enjoy this dish and it made me homesick. Would highly recommend. He noodles were a little softer than what I like but the soup was delicious.
Bun Bo Hue: yum! Authentic taste and noodles were cooked to a good chewy taste. Broth was spicy as should be and flavorful.
We each also had a shot of the Waiter’s choice. He mentioned it was a house special mix with yogurt? Whatever it was, it was really smooth and fruity. And his customer service deserves so much recognition.
Next time we visit Seattle, we will be back here!

Service there in-​person is great and their food is delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant for their congee and vermicelli noodle dishes. So good.
However, what keeps this place from being 5 stars for me is that it is quite difficult to call-​in orders and make sure it is taken down correctly. I had one experience where an order was called-​in for pick up and when we went to pick up the food they said they did not have the order. So we had to wait for them to make it.
This happened a second time when I used a delivery app service. First they said that DoorDash was a scam and then when my person went there to pick up the food, they again said, they didn’t have the order and said we might have made it with the other Green Leaf. There was no mistake. They aren’t good with call-​in orders.
But ugh, their food is so good.

WOW! Great place for great Vietnamese food! I have been craving some good Viet food since moving here a few months ago! Although this is a bit fancier than the hole in the wall places that I’m used to, I am just happy to find a spot with yummy Viet food! Came in a large party with my family. I had heard great things about this place but wanted to form my own opinions.
First of all, it’s down stairs. You walk into the establishment and think you walked into some exotic place with the décor they have. My only gripe was that there are absolutely no windows! It’s dark and gloomy feel in there, but it reminds me of a cave in a tropical area with their décor.
Got a bunch of things, cannot remember all of it but it included Goi ga (chicken salad), Goi thap cam (seafood salad), Phở dac biet (beef noodle soup special), Phở tai plain (sliced beef), banh cuon (rice sheets with different meats and toppings), Com suong heo (rice with pork chops).
I really did like everything! I tried a sample of everything. hehe My dish was the goi ga (chicken salad). It was light and refreshing and served with a light ginger nuoc mam sauce. It’s been a while since I had that, so I thoroughly enjoyed it!
One thing about the banh cuon. Traditionally, it’s meat (usually ground pork or shrimp) wrapped in rice paper sheet. But their’s is not like that. It’s basically banh out, just rice paper sheets SERVED with the meats and toppings. It’s really the same exact food but presented differently, which makes it a different name! haha
Service was okay. About what I would expect from a Viet place. I’m used to it. There were a handful of tables in for a late lunch as well. Looks like this place could hold so much more. But I don’t think I want to experience their service at peak hours (then again they would have more servers. I hope). All in all, I would return! Now, if I could only find good Viet food in a to go spot!

Food is the focus. The service is meh. The phở and the fresh rolls are great. The quality of pork and shrimp are very good. The bathrooms are scary and it’s an odd location but take a gamble. The food is good and the bar is very well stocked. Nice choice of drafts and the prices are in line with better Vietnamese restaurants.

Poor quality food, unfriendly service… I’ve been here 3 times, because it is the only Vietnamese place close to my workplace, but every time I go there, it is a disappointment.
Their PHO is such an effortless piece of crap. Broth is too plain without any hint of meat, Sprouts are not fresh, Beef in the soup was chewy and not of good quality at all, Rice noodles are super thin (much thinner than most usual phở noodle at other phở restaurants) and the noodle portion is really small. I was still hungry after finishing the noodles. (I am a small eater) Their PHO is just a clear waste of money.
The servers never smile — when I order some food, they do not reply «sure» or «yes». They simply leave your table without saying anything and come back with the food.
I’ve had other soups on the menu — Fried Duck Soup was extremely salty, Vermicelli had too strong fish sauce smell. I had to squeeze out some lime onto it to cover the overpowering sauce.
I am never going back.

First time in Seattle,
Green Leaf was my first meal of choice once I got off the plane at Sea-​Tac. There is nothing more soothing than a hot piping bowl of Phở during a cold Seattle rainy day. This place was DEAD when I arrived at 5pm on a Friday. Even the staff was eating at one of the tables.
Pros:
* The combo phở here is YUM! The broth smelled good, looked pleasing and tasted great. I only wish there were more noodles in my soup.
* The restaurant is huge. Lots of tables for small or large parties. There are also televisions broadcasting ESPN.
Cons:
* Belltown prices. My bowl of phở almost cost me $ 12 before tip. But I guess someone has to pay for the rent of this restaurant.
* Little-​to-​none phone coverage aka NO SNAPCHATTING your meal while you eat.
There aren’t a ton of healthy alternative late-​night eateries in Seattle, but Green Leaf is a great choice if you are craving phở at midnight.

The grilled chicken with the lettuce, steamed rice, and carrots?
To die for.
Definitely one of my all time favorite repeat dishes in Seattle!!!

My husband and I ate here, while visiting in Seattle. It was pretty late and we were looking to eat some Phở. We found this place and were not disappointed. It was very good. Good ambience as well.

I won’t lie, the entrance to this place is kinda intimidating, moreso at night when we came here. The entrance is a staircase leading down and turning to the right so you can’t see the restaurant from the top. I won’t lie, it seemed pretty sketch and we almost turned away as we were a tad scared but the reviews said otherwise so we went in. I’m glad we did!
Once you pass that bizarre entry, you discover a large restaurant and lounge. There’s a bar and dining area. Service was prompt and I got to order 2 things I hadn’t had in a while. Bahn Xeo (a Vietnamese pancake) which I was glad was brought the right way with all the leaves so we could make the wraps. Very good bahn xeo!
For mains I had Hu Tieu (South of Vietnam’s noodle soup dish similar to phở). I always find phở everywhere but never hu tui which I discovered when I visited Saigon and its always bummed me out. So I was thrilled to see Hu Tui on the menu and it didnt disappoint. The bowl was large, the soup was flavorful and the meats so tender. I was very pleased!
My take is don’t be scared by that entrance but it is the reason for a star lost. Perhaps they can add decorations or something else or maybe that’s the vibe they have chosen to go for. The food though is great

I’ve been going to both Green Leaf locations for a few years now. The Belltown location is definitely the nicer and bigger of the two, but the food is priced a little higher than in the ID location.
The Belltown branch has a full bar, lounge, big screen TV, and a decent-​sized private room. It’s not visible from the street, as it is located in the basement of the Labor Temple. They did a great job on the décor, though. It has a lot more ambience and sophistication than the ID branch.
My eternal go-​to is the grilled combo: grilled pork chop, chicken, and shrimp plus a fried egg over rice. The meats are delicious as well, always perfectly seasoned and cooked. If you’re not a big eater, you’ll easily get two meals out of this.
The fresh spring rolls with pork and shrimp are also a staple. They are accompanied by some delectable peanut sauce that is well-​balanced. Never too sweet, never too bland. Just right.
Ooh, they have this banana and sticky rice dessert with some sort of coconut sauce and ground peanut sprinkles, too. Served warm. It’s so good.
Service is always attentive and friendly.
Parking can be a nightmare, but that’s expected in Belltown, of course.

After being turned away from two restaurants that were 21+ only and didn’t even look like bars, my family ended up at this basement restaurant. I wasn’t so sure as we descended the stairs, and frankly the décor is really cheesy/​tacky/​not sophisticated. Tons of chairs with high backs at the tables make it look cluttered, and a little hard to walk between rows.
But the food they served us was way better than the décor! I was surprised and very happy to have a great meal at Green Leaf. I had the Pork bun bowl, which was really really good. Not too greasy, tender pork, enough greens and veggies to balance it out. Son’s grilled chicken with rice was equally tasty, and a pretty large portion too. If I lived nearby, I’d be getting take out from this place all the time. Yum.

Mediocre. i’m shocked at the high scores.
First off, location is weird… you walk in down a hall way, down another hall way, and then you’re in the basement of some really dark building that’s unfortunately not air conditioned. I wanted phở though no matter what, so I went ahead and ordered that, but not before sharing vegetarian spring rolls with my girlfriend.
They were okay. The peanut sauce they’re served with is mostly flavorless with only a subtle sweet peanut taste. The rolls themselves aren’t bad, but they have a full leaf of basil in each, which just overpowers all of the other flavors, unfortunately.
The phở wasn’t very good. Mediocre at best. The broth was bland, but fortunately, they give you an array of sauces and some limes to let you do all the work. After a few squirts of sriracha, a hefty dose of lime juice, and some hoisin sauce, I finally got my broth to be pretty tasty. The problem with Green Leaf — at least my biggest problem — is the quality of beef. I got the well-​done beef phở, and my beef quality was basically zero. The meat looked mangled, and had poor cuts with fat ringed all around them. On top of that, the meat that didn’t look a little haggard still tasted a little unusual. I’m pretty sure the meat was frozen… and/​or dog. Bleh. I ate a few pieces of meat, my noodles, and the majority of my broth, and then we left.
Probably the worst phở I’ve ever had, though my list isn’t very long for them. I’d probably not come back here, just because the beef looked and tasted bleh — my girlfriend said her chicken was fine though, so I’d just get something with chicken next time I come here… IF I come here again.