Sai’s Vietnamese Restaurant & Bar

If you’re meeting up with 10 co-workers for a last-minute dinner and don’t know where to go, head to Sai’s on the border of FiDi and North Beach. This 40-plus-year-old institution is now in a swankier (and bigger) space, but continues to serve the same casual Vietnamese dishes at more-than-reasonable prices. The menu leans on the longer side, but you should stick to the phở, bún, and grilled rice plate sections. The phở bò is our favorite thanks to the tender brisket and the tangy broth, but generally, anytime you see the word lemongrass—like in the grilled lemongrass chicken rice plate—it’s going to be great.