Grandpa Tao Kitchen in El Cajon

We were looking for a new place to eat before church and saw the 5 Star reviews. I think the owner was serving us and she was very helpful on what to choose. The combo appetizers plate, including the egg rolls and spring rolls, were crispy and flavorful. I chose the orange chicken with rice and we also had BBQ Beef Bò Nuong. That was smokey beef and vermicelli noodles with a sweet and sour dressing. Everything was great here!

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Grandpa Tao Kitchen, and it was absolutely fantastic! The appetizers, including the egg rolls and spring rolls, were crispy and flavorful. The BBQ Beef Rice Vermicelli was tender and packed with delicious BBQ flavor. The Banh Mi Sandwich with BBQ Pork was a delightful combination of savory pork and fresh veggies on a perfectly toasted baguette. The staff was friendly and attentive, making the whole experience even better. If youre looking for tasty Vietnamese food, Grandpa Tao Kitchen is a must-visit spot. Highly recommended!

Really love this placeVery satisfied after seeing my clients in San DiegoThey served us very nice, and the food was very authentic and YummiI would come back next time going to San Diego

I have been here quite a bit, and each time the food is made deliciously. There are many different dishes and appetizers for any time of day and season. The food and the drinks are paired wonderfully together. As for the setting, both indoor and outdoor seating have a calming and soothing ambiance. The staff is very nice and respectful; greets with a wide smiles every time.The portions of each dish are great and will have you completely satisfied. I highly recommend.

Great food and experience was phenomenal, surprised this place is not located in downtown San Diego. I will be back for more!

Great Asian fusion!!! BBQ pork, chicken wings, egg rolls, Vermicelli was great!!!! Beautiful and nadir and the patio and very clean!! What a great hole in the wall!!

Every dish I try is so delicious! I havent even finished my meal and I had to come write a review. Simple stir-fried chicken and veggies, with rice. Im already craving my next meal. If I hadnt stuffed my mouth so fast I would have taken a pic. Next time! Lets not forget how kind the staff are. El Cajon gained a great addition to the town!

It’s nice to have a Vietnamese fusion place in this part of town. They have a parking lot in the back. You can enter from the back or front entrance along the side walk. Great outdoor patio.The service was friendly. The gentleman just talks really fast and short. Please don’t take it the wrong way thinking he’s rude. More than one review has stated that. He’s just direct, fast and English as a second language.We ordered the house pho and filet mignon pho. Bone broth was fragrant, I came home smelling like pho. It doesn’t have MSG. The filet was sliced, as it should be compared to others.I ordered shaking beef that came with steam rice and salad. The meat was a bit tough and I’ve had better seasoning elsewhere.The shrimp tempura rolls were a bust. I would just stick to the Vietnamese dishes and not get the fusion dishes. It’s generic and has cream cheese which I hate.The garlic pepper wings were good. Must be eaten while it’s still hot and crispy. I loved the seasoning on the skin.Overall, the pho and wings were the winner.We have a plethora of restaurants near us. I would still drive to City Heights or Convoy. But if you need a quick fix, Grandpa Tao is the place to be.Great outdoor space for a large group. Order the pu-up platter!

So far, we’ve only ordered the Pork Banh Mi. Twice. And love it. I think it’s the best banh mi I’ve had as far as ingredients go. Everything is super fresh. The pickled daikon, carrots and cucumbers are so good. I could eat a side of those veggies just by themselves. There’s plenty of tasty meat as well. Plus the peppers and a bit of onions and cilantro. Just add the sriracha and there you have it. So good. It’s crunchy, chewy and messy. Found this place through DoorDash lookin for banh mi. It is a great find and the price is right! Even for delivery. Look forward to trying more from this place in due time.Ok, we tried the F4 Special Combo fried rice and I added extra egg to it. It was pretty good. Though it could have used more seasoning for flavor. The proteins were cooked well. Nice n tender. I would order again and notate in the order to see if they could add more seasoning to it. Or I’d just do it at home.Also tried the N5 Veggies & Tofu noodles. This had plenty of flavor in the sauce. Nice combo of veggies. Had some crunch with that celery. Didn’t taste stale. I liked that. And I liked the fried tofu. There was lots of it and each piece had nice almost crispy edges and plenty of absorbed flavor from the sauce. I would reorder that one for sure. Just a note: my pics of both of these dishes was after my hub already got his half from the containers. So it’s only showing half of the filled order. I would add that I think the Veggie Noodle dish could use more noodles. Can’t go wrong with that. I love noodles!

Yummy!! We had a couple bowls of pho (seafood and steak) and they were the best phos we have had in east county and possibly San Diego! Service was excellent too. We will definitely be coming back to try the rest of their varied menu.