Bona Vietnamese Restaurant

The last review here complains that the food was greasy and the service terrible. Whoever wrote that should understand that if you dont want greasy food, dont order things cooked in grease.! Wontons, eggrolls and fried rice are all FRIED! Hello? I have not had bad service there because i go to eat - not to snack or hang out - plus the place is very popular with U of Mn students and staff so it is usually pretty busy - SO of course you can split orders as well as checks - but a half order of fried rice or eggrolls or wontons? They are the cheapest things on the menu! Eesh get a clue. MY REVIEW. NOW - As far as the Ph? goes, the broth is such a wonderfully complex combination of flavors that it seems each bite you notice a spice you had not noticed in the previous one. They serve it with a variety of sauces and veggies so you can season it to your personal taste. If you are real hungry you can order the large bowl (Which is almost twice the size) for a dollar more. If you havn't had Ph? before try the ""Ph? Thai"" - no surprises, just nice thin lean beef and noodles. Wow. Now I'm hungry. Oh and it shows up in less than 5 minutes. Hows that for service? OH AND - If you don't like hot soup in the heat of the summer order one of their Bun salads (Chilled noodles with lots of crunchy veggies) My favorite is the ""Bun Tom"" Sauteed Shrimp... Yum. Pros: Fast service, fresh ingredients, great prices! Cons: Parking can be a problem, but worth the trouble. more

I went in for the first time today with a friend. We are polite girls and the waiter was just rude. He might have been the only one on? which is ridiculously bad management. Regardless, we had asked him if we could do half orders which is normal for some restaraunts and he yelled at us ""NO""! this went on the entire night when we ordered the wontons and egg rolls. Both were swimming in grease and deep fried, this isn't the state fair! the fried rice was absolutely repusive. The meat wasn't cooked, it was also swimming in grease. Before leaving we had asked the waiter if he could take the rice off our bill since we each had a fork fill, literally that is it, he immediately said no. We asked for a manager and he said she just left. So we asked if he could call her and ask about the situation. He said he refused to bother her and if we wanted to we could do that on our own time. It was the WORST experience I have ever had. I would NOT recommend this place to anyone. I wonder if the high prestige and decorations is a cover up for the bad food?? wouldn't doubt it. Cons: poor and rude service, absolutely terrible greasy food. more

I went to Bona a few years ago and was not that impressed with the food. When I went back the other day I was really impressed. My service was great, my food came out quickly, and my food was delicious. I got the Banh Xeo, which is a vietnamese pancake dish, it was excellent. Not many vietnamese restaurants have this dish so I was surprised to see it on the menu, and was really happy to taste how good it was. The server kept my water full the whole time and was there when I needed things. The atmosphere is nothing to brag about, but it was very clean and well lit. I will definitely be going back to Bona to get more Banh Xeo. And to top it all off my meal was under 10 dollars including tip. Pros: cheap, good food, good service, authentic taste Cons: parking more

Super fast lunch service, also reasonably priced. Awesome egg rolls. Parking is the only issue, make sure to park at meters or in designated spaced or you will be towed. Pros: Fast Cons: Parking more

Service and atmosphere is nothing special, but you have to try BUN H. Quickly became one of my must have craves. more

My husband & I have been going to Bona for 20 years (since our college days). This is where people of Vietnamese heritage go to eat Vietnamese food. We only order off of the ""Traditional"" menu. The first time I ate there I thought that the food was too authentic for my taste (I was accustom to American stir-fry and other restaurants do stir-fry better than Bona). A month later we went back to Bona and I developed a palate for true Vietnamese food very quickly. \r \r Try the crab meat rangoons (children love these) and Traditional F or G if you are a new to all of this. The spring rolls with peanut sauce are to die for! The egg rolls are the best in the state. The Traditional Y soup is also extremely tasty. Be sure to add the lime for a true taste experience. (I eat it in the summer, but it is exceptionally good on a cold MN day.) If you do not know how to eat something be sure to ask or just look around (Yes, the greens do go on top of the soup and the fish oil goes on top of the noodles). Bona's dipping sauces are exceptional.\r \r Lunch time is pretty crazy at Bona - lots of people, lots of food flying out very quickly. The service is not focused on being personable - it is focused on getting you in and out very fast. I do prefer the evening as it is less harried. We always stop by Bona when we are running late to the theater or need good (and inexpensive) food in a hurry. You are seated, served and have an appetizer literally within minutes; your main course and check come a few minutes after that. I never feel pressured to eat in a hurry or leave if I am not ready too, however it is nice to have the option if I need it.\r *Note: Be sure to park appropriately or you will get clamped by the other restaurants (They have spies sitting concealed in the parking lot - no kidding). I learned this lesson one day when we parked 2 spots into Stub & Herbs space! No one was around and I just ran in to pick up an order. It cost me $96 cash, on-the-spot, to get my car back.\r Pros: Something different, quick, inexpensive and tasty. Cons: Ambience is cool & trendy, but not at all intimate. more

This is the my favorite place to eat. They have great service and great food. I would recommend the egg rolls and the Bun Bowel (letter H on the menu). You will fall in love with this place and always want to go back. Pros: thumbs up Cons: a little hard to find, the sign in red and white and the letters are cursive. more

I tried Bona because of recommendations, both on here and from some co-workers. I was quite disappointed. It took 10 minutes for anyone to come and take our order. A group who arrived after we arrived were served before we were (you would think it would be faster and easier to serve 2 people rather than a group). Five minutes after receiving our food, we received our check. It was also the time that a waiter (not our waiter) came by and swiped the pho condiments from our table, even though I had barely started eating my pho. I ordered the pho dac biet (special), which was nothing special. The soup tasted salty and it had more noodles than toppings. The basil leaves that came with the pho were BLACK and inedible. I couldn't salvage a single leaf. The husband had sweet & sour chicken lunch special, which came with exactly 4 pieces of chicken. We counted. The fried rice was just that -- rice that had been fried. There was nothing in it, except later on, the husband found a piece of eggshell in his rice. Needless to say, we will not be back. Try Village Wok, Hong Kong Noodles, or even Lotus (crappy service, but at least the food was better than Bona's). Pros: cheap Cons: food was horrible, service was bad more

Bona is great authentic Vietnamese quisine. The atmosphere is mondern asian, not your typical asian decor this is modern and funky, great art pieces. The staff are really friendly and attentive. They have 8-10 parking spots and meatered parking abounds. most evenings parking is not an issue at all! this is a really busy place during the workday lunch hour as it is right in the U of M village area at oak and washington, so parking might be more difficult then. but otherwise no problem. they have great Pho! so definately give it a try! Pros: Food, atmosphere, friendly staff! Cons: I would like more authentic vietnamese desserts! more

Bona's egg rolls are ""bonafide"" brilliance. They're crispy and light and clearly someone in back knows how they're done. I had a barbequed pork dish that I remember well fondly from the first time I went. I'm going back to pick up a bunch of takeout for my department at the U (staying late tonight). And I'd give Bona 5 stars but it's a late day not to have a website. I take a full star off for their not having a menu to view on the internet. I'm going to be ordering for 5 and I'm kind of mad at Bona that I can't print off menus for my co-workers. Otherwise, they get a thumbs up. Pros: Food, service, location Cons: NO WEBSITE!!! more

This is a casual Asian restaurant near the U of M campus, and compared to nearby places, has a pleasing decor. They have excellent lunch specials, and offer them until 5p on weekdays, which is wonderful for students who get busy and can't get to lunch at a decent hour (like me)!!\r \r The food is good for the price. This isn't a fancy Asian restaurant so don't expect a gourmet meal, but it certainly is good for the area and price range.\r \r The service has always been fantastic on the 7 or so times I've been there. Pros: service, food, value, lunch specials, decor Cons: parking more

The pho here is awesome, as well as their egg rolls and spring rolls, and everything else! Plus they are very inexpensive and you get alot of food. Pros: inexpensive, authentic Cons: parking more

Not only is the food uninteresting and poor quality, but the service is awful as well. Cons: no parking, bad service, horrible food more

Nice new location- right across from the old one. I love the lunch specials, especially the spicy chicken and the chiucken and green peppers. Egg rolls are classic and crispy. Fast service and very low prices, a great lunch for $6. more

I LOVE this restaurant! The service is GREAT and I have found that rare in many restaurants! The only thing is that you have to remember to bring quarters (to park outside)! Pros: Food Quality, Service, Inexpensive more