Amongst a row of restaurants near the big AMC movie theater in Natomas you'll find Wayside Noodles. To be honest, I had no idea this was a Vietnamese restaurant until I took a closer look at their sign. The name sounds more like they'd serve some sort of quick American pasta. Anyways, this is definitely a place you can order pho. And wow, I've had pho for the 2nd time in a week! That's definitely rare for me!
The menu at Wayside Noodles is pretty extensive with many, many items. There are a lot of appetizers, rice dishes, and different types of soups. But since this place has noodles in its name, I was going to try their pho.
The pho here at Wayside Noodles is good. Not great, but it definitely can hit the spot. The pho was presented well and the meat that was inside was left a little rare so that it could finish cooking in the hot broth. I felt that the pho had a good, fresh feel and taste to it. Honestly, I wasn't expecting too much as the Yelp ratings for this restaurant were on the lower side of things, but I would happily come here for pho any time!
The disappointment came with the other two items I ordered. I'm a big fan of Asian crispy salt and pepper tofu. A good version of this dish has a nice crisp outer shell with smooth tofu on the inside. The salt and pepper should make every bite explode in your mouth. That wasn't the case with this dish. The tofu was mushy and had a strange texture. It was more chewy than anything with a bland taste. I ended up just leaving this appetizer 95% unfinished.
My other item as a simple glass of Coke. As many know, my biggest vice in life is Coca Cola. I just love the stuff, but if it loses its fizziness, I'm not a happy camper. Well, the Coke here was very syrupy and lifeless. I was done after a couple of sips.
Service/Atmosphere -
I came for lunch and the restaurant had a nice, bright atmosphere. Nothing really stands out about the restaurant itself, but it is relatively pleasant to eat in. The highlight of my trip to Wayside Noodles was the cashier/waitress. She was very nice and made sure to make my dining experience a pleasant one.
Price -
Prices here won't break the bank, but I'd say some of the appetizers are a bit on the pricey side. The tofu dish that I disliked was $7! I'd say that's a big high, but overall for the pho it's pretty moderate.
Special Tips and Recommendations -
If you would like a drink such as milk tea, I'd definitely skip the ones they have here and walk down a little bit to the boba tea place. You'll get a much better drink there.
Bottom Line -
I enjoyed the pho, but just about everything else except for the service here left me wanting more from it. I'd say that Wayside Noodles is a pretty average Vietnamese restaurant that locals can visit if they really want to get a bowl of pho.
Letter Grade
C
Wayside Noodles is kind of an interesting name for a Vietnamese place.
The menu of items you can order is quite extensive.
Finish cooking the meat inside the hot soup broth.
This fried tofu needs some improvement.
Wayside Noodles is kind of an interesting name for a Vietnamese place.
The menu of items you can order is quite extensive.
Finish cooking the meat inside the hot soup broth.
This fried tofu needs some improvement.
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