A Dong
| Address » | 1511 High St, Des Moines IA (Map) |
| Phone » | (515) 284-5632 |
| Website » | n/a |
| Downtown » | No |
| Type » | Restaurant |
| Tags » | Chinese | Vietnamese |
| Avg User Rating » |
  (based on 12 reviews) |
| Details » | A Dong - first of all, the name is funny to most immature Americans, such as us. Second of all, where else are you going to find good Vietnamese in the area?
To be brief, the food at A Dong is excellent and the atmosphere is lacking. Let's start off with the appearance. When you first walk in you'll probably get the cafeteria feeling. The place is wide open, has cheap tile floors, and a drop ceiling. Next let's talk about the service. I found my glass empty for a good portion of the meal, and you never really have a set waiter. Different people bring you your food, drinks, take your order, etc. Plus, once you're done with your meal, don't wait for your ticket. You just go up to the cashier and tell them your table number. As for food, start off with some appetizers. The fresh spring rolls are excellent - and cheap. Then you can order from over 100 items on the menu (plus there's a separate vegetarian menu). I've only had the Pho there, but it's definitely good. I hear some of the coffees are great also. Summed up, A Dong is cheap and has great food, but it also has a strange atmosphere. To me, the first 2 things are the most important. |
| User Reviews | |
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User Reviews (12 reviews)
Jun 22, 2009 
riceabove
I have been going here for years, and will continue to do so.
Great place for Vegetarians, they even make their tofu in-house.
Service is so-so sometimes, but worth the wait every time
Jan 01, 2009 dsmwmn
I have been to A Dong a couple of times and while the food is fine, the service is horrible. Last night I went there and after an hour my friend and I got up and left. We were seated right away but nobody brought us any water or took our order or even acknowledge us. I counted about 3 or 4 other tables that were in the same situation. The wait staff keep cleaning tables that were left empty instead of taking orders. I was so annoyed that I won't have enjoyed my dinner even if they would have eventually helped us.
Jun 26, 2008 kdog
This place is the real deal. I grew up eating a lot of asian food, and this is some of the best that I have had, in NYC, California, anywhere. Its light - the kind of food that real asian and vietnamese people eat. The place is always busy and bustling. Their menu is literally huge. Never been disappointed, always leave full. I appreciate that the food is not deep fried.
Oct 23, 2007 Bulldog
The best place in DSM for pho, pending my visit to New Saigon. Superlatively clean (unlike a lot of Asian places here), and good service, although some of the servers have limited skills in English. But the food is great and fresh, and I don't mind the "sterile" surroundings.
Jul 07, 2007 quietriot
Some of the best Asian cuisine in Des Moines! Try their Spring Rolls - they are to die for. The service can be a tad unfriendly, but I think it's because sometimes they don't understand English very well. No big whoop, though.
Jun 30, 2007 boeck7991
Tried A Dong for the first time the other evening. Others have commented on the atmosphere and the lack of a check being brought to the table so no need to rehash that.
A Dong (pronounced A (as in ABC) - dom (as in down-M) is Vietnamese for Asia although as the main reviewer commented it is funny in an immature way.
I had the chicken with lemon grass and crushed peppers. Don't tell my mother-in-law but A Dong makes it better than she does.
The cha gio (egg rolls) weren't as good as my wife's but I understand that A Dong is mixing it up a little to better please an American taste bud.
My wife had a shrimp and noodle dish and said that for Americanized Vietnamese food, it was better than what she's had in Chicago and Minneapolis.
In short, great Vietnamese food at good prices with its own atmosphere and personality.
Jun 25, 2007 aeongrey
A Dong is one of my favorite places to eat, the large vegetarian menu actually allows for me to make a selection. The atmopshere may lack a little bit, but it is a takeout favorite. I recommend 17C or 19C with a vegetarian spring roll 2C...
Mar 16, 2007 mh
A Dong is one of my favorite places to eat. I'm a pho addict but the vermicelli dishes are my next pick, especially the lemongrass chicken.
Aug 28, 2006 wk
It has a great selection of dishes with very reasonable price. The serving size is a bit small when compared to other restaurants. The soup base for the pho noodle also not quite up to par.
Apr 24, 2005 Snaps
Absolutley the BEST. Fresh Vegetarian Spring Roll, a bowl of PHO', and a Traditional Vietnamese Iced Coffee you are set FOR LIFE.
Apr 14, 2005 cedric
I always feel like a dumb jerk because I obviously can't pronounce anything Vietnamese, so I end up ordering by number. Somehow, by the time I'm done saying a number for an appetizer and another number for my entree, I end up ordering coffee by number, too. Then I feel even dumber. I mean, it's coffee. I can say that.
But other than that, I love the food. They have fresh-wrapped spring rolls, one of the best appetizers ever in the whole world. They have over one hundred menu items even if you don't count the separate vegetarian menu, so go back again if you don't like what you got the first time. I tend to order pho (I think we are talking items 1-10 or so) or something from the Vietnamese specials section toward the back of the menu. Also, make sure you try some of the Vietnamese coffee with sweetened condensed milk. You won't be disappointed.
Apr 13, 2005 SloppyDog
This was my very 1st experience with a Vietnamese joint. I was pretty disappointed. The service was good and the waiter coached me through the menu. But the stuff he said was tasty, wasn't really. I would hate to try the menu items he dislikes. It would probably make me hurl.
i bumped my score up to a 2.5 only cause of these delicious, fried pastry things. They are deep fried and filled with cream cheese. They'd only be better if they were wrapped in bacon!