Mekong Restaurant in Columbia — Vietnamese Cooking, River-Inspired Dishes

What you'll find at Mekong

Mekong Restaurant is a Vietnamese restaurant in Columbia that serves pho, banh mi, vermicelli bowls, and curries in a casual dining space. The menu draws from the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam, where rice noodles, fresh herbs, and fish-based broths anchor most dishes. You can order at the counter and eat in, or call ahead for takeout.

The restaurant's name references the Mekong River, which runs through Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand — a region where Vietnamese cuisine borrowed flavors from neighboring countries and adapted them to local ingredients. At Mekong, that means you'll see dishes that blend Vietnamese technique with influences from across Southeast Asia.

Key Takeaways

• Mekong serves traditional Vietnamese soups, noodle bowls, and sandwiches in a walk-up counter format with dine-in seating.
• The pho comes in beef and chicken versions, and the broth simmers for hours to build depth of flavor.
• Banh mi sandwiches pair Vietnamese cold cuts, pickled vegetables, and cilantro on French-style bread.
• Vermicelli bowls let you choose a protein and sauce, served over rice noodles with fresh greens and herbs.
• The restaurant is located in Columbia and open for lunch and dinner most days, though hours vary by season.

Pho and other soups

Pho is the dish most people order first at a Vietnamese restaurant, and Mekong makes it the traditional way. The broth simmers beef bones or chicken bones for many hours, building a clear, aromatic base. You choose beef pho (with rare steak that cooks in the hot broth) or chicken pho, and the bowl arrives with fresh herbs on the side — Thai basil, cilantro, and lime — so you can adjust the flavor to your taste.

Beyond pho, Mekong offers other soups that rotate with the season. Crab and asparagus soup appears in spring, and seafood broths show up when fish and shrimp are fresh. These soups are lighter than pho but still built on long-simmered stock, and they're often ordered as a first course or a lighter main.

Banh mi and sandwiches

Banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich that sits on a crispy French-style baguette — a legacy of French colonial rule in Vietnam. Mekong fills theirs with Vietnamese cold cuts (usually pâté and head cheese), pickled carrots and daikon radish, fresh cilantro, and a thin spread of mayonnaise. The contrast between the crispy bread, cool pickled vegetables, and savory meat makes it a quick, satisfying lunch.

You can also order banh mi with grilled chicken, tofu, or shrimp if you prefer something lighter than the traditional pork version. The pickled vegetables stay the same, so the sandwich always has that bright, acidic edge that cuts through the richness of the filling.

Vermicelli bowls and noodle dishes

Vermicelli bowls are a flexible way to eat at Mekong. You choose a protein — grilled chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or tofu — and it arrives over a bed of thin rice noodles with lettuce, cucumber, fresh herbs, and a sauce on the side. The sauce is usually fish sauce–based, with lime juice and garlic, and you mix it into the noodles as you eat. This format lets you build a meal that suits your taste and dietary needs.

Mekong also serves pad thai and other stir-fried noodle dishes, which are cooked to order and arrive hot. These are heavier than vermicelli bowls and often include peanuts, bean sprouts, and egg, making them a more substantial dinner option.

Curries and rice dishes

Vietnamese curries are milder and sweeter than Thai curries, with coconut milk and turmeric as the base. Mekong serves chicken curry, beef curry, and seafood curry, each simmered with potatoes, onions, and sometimes pineapple. These arrive over jasmine rice or with bread for dipping, and they're warming comfort food rather than fiery heat.

Rice dishes — usually chicken or pork over steamed jasmine rice with a fried egg on top — are simple, filling options if you want something quick. These are often ordered by regulars who know exactly what they want and eat at the counter in under 20 minutes.

Drinks and dessert

Vietnamese iced coffee is the signature drink: strong espresso poured over sweetened condensed milk and ice. It's rich, sweet, and caffeinated, and it pairs well with a banh mi or a light soup. Mekong also serves fresh limeade, Thai iced tea (which has a creamy, slightly spiced flavor), and soft drinks.

Dessert is usually limited to what's available that day — sometimes flan, sometimes fresh fruit, sometimes nothing at all. Many people finish with the iced coffee instead, which is traditional in Vietnam and serves as both drink and dessert.

Hours, location, and how to order

Mekong is located in Columbia and operates as a counter-service restaurant, meaning you order at the front and pick up your food when it's ready. Most dishes take 10 to 15 minutes to prepare, so you can eat in the dining area while you wait or take your order to go. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, though hours shift with the season and day of the week.

Call ahead if you're ordering for a group or want to confirm they have a specific dish that day. Many Vietnamese restaurants adjust their menu based on what's fresh and available, so calling also lets you know if a favorite is in stock. Payment is usually cash or card, and prices are moderate — most bowls and sandwiches fall in the $8 to $14 range.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mekong good for vegetarians?

Yes. You can order tofu in any noodle bowl or curry, and banh mi comes with tofu as a substitute for meat. Soups can be made with vegetable broth instead of meat broth if you ask. Confirm with staff that fish sauce isn't used in the broth, since some vegetarians avoid it.

What's the difference between pho and vermicelli bowls?

Pho is a soup with noodles in hot broth, while vermicelli bowls are cold or room-temperature noodles with a sauce on the side. Pho is more filling and warming; vermicelli bowls are lighter and better in warm weather. Both use rice noodles but in different ways.

Can I order online or do I have to call?

Most Vietnamese restaurants in South Carolina take phone orders, and some use third-party delivery apps. Call Mekong directly to confirm their current ordering methods, since these change based on staffing and demand.

What should I order if I've never had Vietnamese food?

Start with pho or a banh mi. Both are approachable, familiar in structure (soup and sandwich), and let you taste the core flavors of Vietnamese cooking without overwhelming spice. Ask staff for a recommendation based on what you usually like to eat.