Restaurant serves a variety of Asian items, but what you really want to come here for is the pho. The beef broth of their pho is wonderful. Staff is super helpful and professional.
Best place to go in the area for Vietnamese food.Excellent Pho, and Banh Mi sandwiches.Their rice plates are also good. I am not much of a fan for Boba tea drinks, but I see a lot of people ordering them..It is a small restaurant and on the busy hours you might not find a table to dine in, but it is worth going if you have a craving for their food.
The quality has really gone down over the last year or two. Not sure what has changed. This had been my go-to place for pho and banh mi for several years, but the quality is just not good anymore. The noodles are like mush, and there is an off flavor to the soup. The pork and chicken banh mi arent nicely grilled and savory like it used to be. I wont be going back unless something changes. The service is always really good, but not the food. Too bad, because this was the only decent Vietnamese food in Santa Cruz area.
Best Thai Tea in the area. Love the Pho.
Best pho around, excellent service and friendly staff. Their catering also has fantastic pricing.
Okay I just want to say my experience with this place that has been a sore spot for me.before covid hit us, the prices used to be decent and the food used to be really good and my favorite one was number nine but recently over the years especially after COVID the prices have gone up and the food quality has gone down.The number nine spicy noodles doesnt even taste like it has any spice or Even anything spicy like it says.I understand that they had a rat problem in the past and it was in the newspapers and they dealt with that and it affected their business but it still tasted good after for some time before they change their prices that used to be $10.00 now it is $15.99 and seems to be going up every month But the quality keeps dropping.I used to go here all the time with my best friend as a kid and during college, this used to be my favorite place in Santa Cruz to go for a while then I moved to LA for a year during the lockdown and came back & was deeply saddened to find out how bad the restaurant has gone down.I understand that things are now expensive due to the inflation but with the price it is now with the quality of the food is just worng am sorry.
This was my first time back after having been away from the area for a couple years. I loved this place and used to eat here at least weekly. Flavor was great and the prices fair.That is until now. First thing I noticed is the price. What happened!? How is a bowl of noodles over $13?? This was more than what I paid to eat Pho in San Jose.Food was great like I remembered. Didnt get spring rolls like I used to because the cost for those have doubled.Lunch ended up costing $32.00 for two bowls of noodles. This is the equivalent to what my wife and I pay for dinner at nicer sit down restaurants. Sorry guys. We wont be back.
Great bahn mi!I had a favorite lunch spot in Honolulu in 1988. I have never had a bahn mi sandwich to match it here on the mainland. Today I ate one! Yum Yum!
Wow. I probably had the most delicious Vietnamese grilled chicken with rice noodles here. We stumbled upon this restaurant on our way to the Bamboo Giant store in Aptos. We were hungry and just needed a quick bite. My friend and I hadn’t expected much as it looked like a nondescript suburban takeout restaurant with just a few tables inside. However, upon my first bite, my mouth watered, and just thinking about it now makes me want to return for more — even though I live 25 miles away. We also had the spring rolls, they were good but nothing special like the grilled chicken dish.
One of my favorite restaurants in santa cruz and the only good place to get pho on this side of the hill. The #9 w/meatballs is my go to but the #14 and vietnamese sandwiches are to die for!
1st time coming here. Staff was sweet, food is delicious ( got chicken pad thai ) will definitely be coming back
Super tasty pho! They have veggie pho that you can choose whether you want chicken or veggie broth. They get busy when it’s cold, but they are still quick!
Banh Mi (beef) was really good! Large size and crunchy yet soft french bread. I accidentally ordered pork spring rolls instead of egg rolls - but they were super good too - really fresh and outer wrap wasnt dried out like some places. Soup was tasty. Kids loved the boba of course. Banh mi was prob my fave.
I always enjoy the food here. Usually, I have the pho, but today I had pad thai, and it was yummy.
Got the seafood pho. Don’t get it. I counted 2 medium shrimps. Maybe 3 some fish balls and one squid or calamari. Go with #7
I like their food but this isnt for the food its the thai tea. If you order it with ice they put a lot in it, so I tried ordering it without ice and they did this:
Very very good pho. Fast delicious reasonably priced. The best in Santa Cruz County.
My step son who lives in this area took us to “awesome sandwich place” and it was true. So good!
This IS the best Pho near Santa Cruz. So damn good. I also love the honeydew and Taro milk teas, theyre a tad sweet so ask for reduced sugar
Some of the only Vietnamese food I’ve been able to find around here! Chicken pho takeout during quarantine was a little lacking in flavor but satisfied the craving. While broth was a little blah, noodles were perfectly tender and chicken tasty. The tofu banh mi was one of the best I’ve had!
I have eaten at some terrible places but I cant think of any as horrible as this place was. For one thing, both my friends and my food was cold. Like it came out of a refrigerator right to our plate. Even the egg rolls that were deep fried were cold. Then there was the noodles with chopped lettuce mixed in. How ridiculous. And one more thing. The little cup of broth that I assume was to go over the top of everything, Im glad I tasted first. It tasted like pee. No exaggeration.
I liked the chow mein it was really good
Decent place for a quick fix if you need Pho or a Vietnamese Sandwich. Double check that the cups and silverware are clean. Use the disposable chopsticks if you can! The staff is friendly and it gets really busy during expected lunch and dinner hrs with limited indoor seating.
Excellent. Beef pho is the best. Beef bahn mi is absolutely perfect. Shrimp Pad Tai is just awesome. Quick, easy and convenient. Great staff and excellent customer service.
I came here a few years back and the food was greasy and dry, we decided not to go back. Ive noticed recently that they changed their setup and they no longer have the hot bar, it is made to order!Me and my co worker and wife decided to come back and give it another shot.I got the chicken pho bowl, and spring rolls. The meal was delicious, and quick! Will definitely come back to this place. The vest part about our experience was the employee who was so upbeat and nice. I didnt catch his name, but I will be back!
Messed my order up and did nothing about it. Used to grab lunch here a few times a month. Always order the same thing. Never going back. Theres several better places for food around and the boba tea at iCrave is WAY BETTER.
This place is the best Vietnamese you can get in town but that’s not saying much. The flavor is good and if y’all get the vermicelli, it’s SUPPOSED TO BE COLD.However the customer service here is pretty terrible and unfriendly. I asked if they served hot water and they didn’t tell me it would cost more than regular water - instead they charged me for the price of tea and proceeded to provide it in a small mug that honestly looked like it belonged to a staff member and not for typical restaurant use.Despite this, I’d still recommend this place if you’re desperate for pho or vermicelli and don’t want to drive to San Jose. Or you can go to Betty’s Noodles and have their “pho”.
Sad to say... my family and I have been coming here since they opened.. today. I just ordered soup #8 and some bobas for the fam... wow! The taste has drastically changed! Soup tasted like tapped water (no flavor at all!)... 4 large soup went down the garbage... so sad we had to waste what we thought was great.. anyhow, boba was the same result.. i really dont know what to say, because this spot was our GO TO day or night hot or cold...Please bring bavk the good taste!!
High prices considering the atmosphere and portions,, and my friend made it very clear that he did not want Chiles or anything spicy in his soup but he found chilis in it.
Such a gem. I remember first walking in and walking out. When I finally did try it, Ive ordered lunch and snacks and dinner from there almost EVERY single day since. The BEST place for Pho, or anything else on the menu. And Pho to go which is packaged so professionally and carefully. They are awesome!
Quick friendly service, the wings were excellent!
This is one of my wifes favorite restaurants in the area. They have a good selection of Pho. They also offer Banh me which you may not see on the menu. Dont forget to order a boba tea. Regardless of what the over-the-hill people say this is comparable to what San Jose has.
Amazing food, though Ive stayed away from the hot bar and always ordered items hot out of the wok. Their pad thai is mouth-watering and their boba is the best Ive had in town (flavors are sadly very limited). Bahn mi is well priced and delicious!
Wonderful braised tofu! Handmade yummy vegan food! So many dishes to choose from! We arrived with a group of 9 people and immediately seated and had great service!
Were pretty lucky that the only Vietnamese Restaurant in the Capitola/ Soquel area is actually a good one. You cant go wrong with anything you order here. From Pho to Bún to Banh Mi, it is all delicious. They recently remodeled and the ambiance is a bit less cafeteria-like than it once was. Asian Express is definitely the best restaurant in/ around the Capitila Mall.
This is the best place to get pho in Santa Cruz! Sure, its the only one, but the owner and staff are friendly and the broth is solid. It may not compete with the pho in the Bay Area, but if you need some soup on a rainy day or to help out with hangover recovery, it hits the spot! Try the #21: spicy pork and wonton pho with rice noodles. The meat is tender and the broth is delicious!
I love this place. Its right by my work and is my goto place for lunch or snacks. They have really good food and boba and the service is always good and fast. Everyone that works there is sweet.Foodwise, they have an awesome variety and its all delicious. Excellent portion sizes and at a great price. If I could give them 10 stars I would.
I didnt really like this place. We got a Togo order of pork fried rice, #10 chicken pho and an order of seseme balls. When we got home it turns out that they forgot to give us the seseme balls and had never given us a receipt to prove it. I thought the Pho was bland. I found some pieces of bone in it and wouldn’t order it again. The fried rice was ok.
Yummy vermicelli w bbq pork and a honey dew boba
It is my 2nd visit and 2nd time to have their ice coffee which, very probably, is the best in the Bay area. Their ice tea is good - not too sweet and not only sweet. Both their coffee and tea bear the aroma it should. You would not get brown water as in some other places.Their pho is very typical Viet dishes. Highly recommended, worth driving miles to here.
Delicious and cheap bahn mi
At Asian Express you will most likely become a repeat customer. Amazing/Fantastic Food.Alot of customers for that same reason, so I do advise you to call early to make your order.
Great food, great service, fresh produce to cook food. Bubba gum drinks delicious. Variety of Asian food, good taste. Parking available. Restrooms available. You may see a smile always. Good prices. Good customer service!
The food is good. I been there 3 times.The pho was no problemThai noodles were good but the chief put egg shells. DisappointedThe Chinese food good
Yelp has their hours as opening at 10:30, their website has their hours as opening at 11. Neither is apprently correct. I arrived at 11 on the dot. The restaurant is obviously closed with absolutely no sign of life and no explanation of why. What a wasted trip.
I loved this place! They had different soups and appetizers very affordable options. They do serve dif5things but their soups are my fave
Food was delicious! I ordered pho and the broth was so tasty. Fast! And people were very polite
Excellent bowl of pho! I have had many-a-bowl from New Orleans, New York, Boston, SF and my favorite is right here in Santa Cruz county.
Watered down peanut sauce with strange tasting shrimp. Asked to exchange the item and they said no. Clearly unprofessional and not up to code. Not authentic Vietnamese food.
I like the pho here and come here a lot, but today the woman behind the counter, having gloves on, took money, cleared and cleaned tables, took the trash to the back and plated up food all WITH THE SAME GLOVES ON. She then, while explaining something about my daughters food, stuck her gloved finger RIGHT INTO MY DAUGHTERS RICE to point something out. Needless to say, we didnt finish our dinner. I would have said something to them about it and made a complaint, but they barely understood my order and so I felt at a loss. I probably wont be going there anymore.
Love the #10 and #8. #10 is chicken Pho with white breast meat and savory chicken Broth. #8 is Beef Ball Pho with savory beef broth and rare steak cutlets.
Im a regular. The food is delishes! Try the Tropical rolls, #14, lollipop chicken, or the chicken noodle soup. Delish. Always great service as well.
Love the boba drinks from this place. Awesome. Definitely recommend 🥰😊
Pretty good despite the fact that im a bit off with my taste buds might have needed more cinnamon and less nuoc mam i still think Id eat there everyday if i was here without a budget
Pho taste super plain. I wouldnt recommend this place.. I recommend u eating a cup noodle .
I frequently visit this establishment. Great place to grab some pho. If you sit up front you get great access to Starbucks WiFi next door.
They do great vietnamese sandwiches. Good portion sizes and good food.
One of my favorite spots. Really good curry, pad Thai and veggie rolls. Next to the mall so there is plenty of parking. The staff is super nice
I love their Boba teas! Honeydew is one of my favorites and Coconut is really good as well!
Best pho in town. You also need to try the pork vietnamese sandwiches. I highly recommend this place!
Nice well run kitchen with good food. They have a low counter looking into the kitchen so you can watch them cook if you want.
Nice pho here!
Pho is amazing, grilled chicken over rice was great ! Service is quick.
Great soups.Fast to go menu.Lovely presentation.I highly recommend seafood noodle soup.Will go back.
One of my favorite places to eat I always get the number 6 no tofu or chicken so fiery deliciousness
Big bowl with lots of meat and noodles and delicious broth. Good value for the money. Just what I was looking for.
So, so good! Also the portion sizes are generous :)
This is really the only option for Vietnamese in Capitola. They can be hit and miss but they are still my go to spot for noodle bowls and pho
A hidden gem for bubble tea! Not much selection for boba on this side of the hill but this place has great boba drinks!
My favorite place to eat in capitola, amazing food excellent service. The pho and sandwichs are a must try.
Straight fire. Boba is super good. Pho is super good. Just eat here already.
The veggie spring rolls are bigger than most other places. I found quite a bit of plastic in my Boba though.
Miscommunication over orders is unfortunately common, but once you get past that the food is really good.
Good variety of dishes to choose from. Fresh ingredients.
Love this place. I go here often. Some of my favorite food in Santa Cruz.
I love this place, I keep coming back for the vegetable noodle soup with veggie broth. Nice people.
Amazing service and the friendliest workers. Their bahn mi is amazing.
Best pho in Santa Cruz county. And an assortment of Vietnamese Chinese,and Taiwanese food.
Fave pho spot in town, the rare beef pho never fails to pick me up when Im feeling down
They make the best boba teas! The owner is so kind!
The Asian vegetable sandwich is of the Hook, shrimp egg rolls, I wontons say no more, try the. And again EMPLOYEENumber one 😉😉😉😐
What a rip off... 12 dollar Mongolian beef thats half.. Lettuce??? Come on
Love the pho! And the people who work there are very sweet!
You can ask for there coffee with tapioca pearls and its delicious
Broth is good and the noodles are good also. A good quick pho spot.
I lave this places pho. its the best in the santa cruz area!
Best Pho weve found in town.
Such a delight to eat here. Fantastic pho!
LOVE THIS PLACE!!! The chicken vermicelli bowl is a real treat.
Good food specially there pho soup there prices are right
Delicious vietnamese dishes and beverages. Friendly service.
BEST ASIAN FOOD EVER... SERIOUSLY... EAT HERE IMMEDIATELY OR YOU WILL REGRET IT FOREVERSO GOOOOOOODDDDDDD.
Always great food, great folks, wonderful experience, i recommend it to everyone
Its not on the menu but they have these sandwiches that are so amazing!
Best Pho in Santa Cruz by far
Great pho, and very friendly staff!
Vegan Pho is super tasty.
Very good food everybody should try that place
Best Pho soup in town!
It was perfect a great mothers day lunch!!!
Fast and delicious authentic food!
Good pho ! Simple and fresh!
Good quick asian food and boba
Really good Boba Milk Tea
Good food and good service, thank you Asian Express
Place is da bomb. Love it 💯
Great pho ! & great service 😋
Good bowl of beef pho.
Really delicious food!
Good food. Son goes there too.
I love noodo
VERY expensive, ok food.
Great photos and spring rolls.
Best pho in Santa Cruz!!
Great PHO
Chicken soup filled me up :)
Good pho
Good food and fast!
Solid VN style noodle house.
Prices went up quite a bit
Love their sandwiches
Bad food
Not good for what you pay.
Solid place for pho
Amazing soup!!!!
Great food and service
Totally Grows. I through it in the trash.
Great costumer service
Love this place!
Nice large soups
Love everything about this place
Good
Always good!
Awesome sandwiches
Poor flavor
Delicious, everything is fresh, the food is super delicious... the service is the best, very friendly and always helpful... without a doubt the favorite place to eat delicious food.
I liked the food but look how the kitchen staff dont wear tights for their hair and for hygiene they have to wear
Because they have reduced their dishes.
Total reviews rating 4.3
148 Reviews for Asian Express 2024:
Review №1
2023-05-16 17:49:54We like the Asian Express in Capitola, next to the Starbucks and Subway. When we have a craving for Vietnamese food this is pretty much the only option on this side of the hill. They have the menu (with photos) on the board to order. I love #13, the grilled (I think marinaded in lemon grass) pork & grilled shrimp on vermicelli noodles, salad, slight mint sprinkled with chopped peanut topping. It’s very refreshing and flavorful with the sauce. We usually take out after work and eat at home but today we just ate in one of their clean booths. The decor is tasteful and bright and nice hospitality. It’s one of our usual places. The one negative is that they don’t have a homemade smoked chili oil unfortunately so I haven’t tried their pho.
Review №2
2023-10-31 20:48:24Banh Mi is delicious…. Pho looks great, will try that next.
Review №3
2022-12-08 22:20:43I enjoyed my meal. I got the orange chicken combo and potstickers. Food was fresh and tasty. The potsticker wrapper/dough was much too thick for what I like and a bit chewy, thats my only complaint. Good atmosphere and very nice staff there. Will definitely go back and try some other things.
Review №4
2023-02-08 19:21:52Prices dont match up with what youre getting. A plate with all the add on extra come out to 15+ for a basically meat and noodle or rice. But it was late and we were running out of options after being at the car dealership all day. Clean place, lots of locals but nothing special.
Review №5
2023-09-25 00:56:01This might be a small restaurant in a strip mall but dont let that fool you. The service is absolutely amazing and the food is just as good! Their Pho is the best ive had in santa cruz and the vermicelli noodles with chicken is my FAVORITE meal in town
Review №6
2019-10-17 21:13:24BEST Vietnamese Sandwich in Santa Cruz. All-around Good prices and really tasty menu options, especially the lunch specials! Didnt know about this place until recently and boy, is it good. Nothing fancy, just solid eats when you did to GRUB. Great and friendly service too! Ive had their pork and beef sandwiches, chamain, and fried rice and have been satisfied everytime. Their Vietnamese coffee is ON POINT as well. Try this place out!
Review №7
2023-11-20 20:53:39The food was good but so pricey. I liked that they cooked it to order. Probably wont be coming back any time soon because of the price.
Review №8
2018-01-08 22:37:01This is one of my favorite restaurants in Santa Cruz! I have been enjoying their wonderful food for a long time and have finally gotten around to writing a review. My favorite items are the fried shrimp rolls, spring rolls, spicy seafood pho (9) and the pork and wonton pho (21) and their lollipop chicken. The fried food is always hot and crunchy and the soup is rich and flavorful. Both the service and atmosphere has improved significantly over the years and the owner is always so sweet and welcoming. Highly recommend Asian Express if you are in the mood for some unique, flavorful asian comfort food!
Review №9
2020-02-21 04:20:06Super tasty Vietnamese soups. I always get spicy wonton noodle soup. Not on the menu. Just order 31 and say make it spicy. The wontons are large and meaty. My wife has #11 chicken leg noodle soup and loves it.
Review №10
2018-09-24 02:52:16Nice little hole in the wall. Tasty food. Cook to order. It was remodeled not too long ago and have improved their service. This eatery has a variety of asian foods, from Vietnamese Pho to seafood specialties.That being said, Chicken filet pho was good. As was the pad thai.They even have a Chopstick sterilizer to ensure their hard chopsticks stay fresh.