9 Postcards
Saigon Shack is a bustling Vietnamese gem near NYU, serving rich pho, crispy banh mi, and addictive sweet potato fries in a casual vibe.
"Saigon Shack has a fair amount of seating, but it’s almost always blocked from view by the hoards of people waiting on their takeout pho and banh mi orders. Everything on the menu costs about $10, so find a way through the crowds out front and grab a seat inside. Saigon Shack stays open till 1am on weekends, so expect plenty of Macdougal Street bar spillover." - hannah albertine, matt tervooren
"This wildly popular MacDougal Street mainstay offers what is probably the richest version of pho in town. The unabashedly aggressive broth is heavily laden with tallow, and an entire beef rib — sloughing a substantial quantity of beef — is thrust in the middle of the soup, eclipsing every other ingredient including the noodles. Ask for an extra lime wedge." - Robert Sietsema
"So many things about the bánh mì at Saigon Shack stand out. The bread is crusty, but not too hard, and the ingredients are arranged evenly, so you never get a bite with 90% carrots and daikon. But the main reason to get the S.S. Classic here is the greasy and crumbly house bacon, which adds some welcome fattiness. We're also into the fried crab cake bánh mì—which isn't something we've seen anywhere else. There are all sorts of additions available: jalapeños, hoisin sauce, sriracha, extra meat, and a variety of other sauces. We always get a side of the house mayo." - hannah albertine, matt tervooren, neha talreja, kenny yang
"Wildly popular at lunchtime, this pho and banh mi parlor is famous for its sweet potato fries." - Robert Sietsema
"Saigon Shack is about two blocks from NYU, so you won’t be the only one there sweating like an eighteen-year-old barely escaping late-stage puberty. Come here for good, quick Vietnamese food in a little room where no one will care what you’re wearing. You might even make friends with someone who's willing to let you use their campus laundry card." - neha talreja
