North Texas Daily

Kaylen Howard / Intern Writer

Located at 702 South Elm St., Viet Bites is a small yet thriving restaurant where you can eat fresh Vietnamese food.

After more than 15 years in the IT industry, owner James Trinh needed a change.

“I guess just one day I didn’t feel like working for corporate IT any more,” Trinh said. “So we [James and his wife] started thinking and brainstorming until we came up with the idea of opening a Vietnamese [restaurant].”

Employee Pierce Laughter said the concept of Viet Bites was unique.

“The vision was to take authentic Vietnamese street food and deliver it with a little bit of a U.S. twist,” he said.

Customers appreciate the welcoming atmosphere at the bright green establishment because trying a Vietnamese restaurant can be intimidating, Trinh said.

Great customer service and large portions make Viet Bites a great place to eat, customer Heather Binnion said. She especially enjoys the Bahn Mi, which is a pork, jalapeño, carrot slaw and cucumber sandwich.

“What I love most about this place is the color and the food,” Binnion said. “There is nothing like it in Denton.”

Viet Bites caters to more than just meat eaters, as Danielle Minner found out. Minner, a vegan, was suggested an off menu meal that was specifically made to meet her vegan needs.

“There are not a lot of places that have vegan options,” Minner said. “I thought that was awesome. I love the fact that James was willing to accommodate our request.”

Trinh prides himself on offering healthy options at Viet Bites, including MSG-free food, gluten-free options and a clearly defined menu to accommodate customers with certain food allergies.

The secret to the restaurant is a family recipe passed down from generation to generation.

“I think the secret recipe that I got from my mom is that every day we try to make every dish better,” Trinh said. “The second thing is we don’t compromise on MSG.”

Trinh hopes to fill in the vacant lot off of McKinney Street with a second Viet Bites in early Fall 2014.

Viet Bites is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Sundays.

Hungry customers enjoy their food during the lunch rush Saturday at Viet Bites. Viet Bites is located at 702 S. Elm St. Feature photo Edward Balusek / Staff Photographer