This review is long overdue. I've been here many times and the food is always consistent. If you want great Vietnamese food without the bad typical Westminster service then come here. But do expect to pay more. Restaurant is very small with less than 12 tables. Dinner can get pretty busy so expect to wait. Its not good for large parties. I always order the same stuff when I come here. Shrimp lotus salad (So refreshing and light) Yum-O Filet Beef with potatoes and rice (So damn good) Partner always gets the pho with meat balls ( Ok- but better in Westminster) She honestly doesn't care for this place like I do. If you come here for Lunch I believe they offer a pretty good deal that includes half of a baguette sandwich and a small bowl of pho. Service can be pretty hectic because usually there is only one server that takes orders, drinks, and payments. Just be patient and enjoy your dining experience. Although I think they should hire another helper. What makes the food so good here. In the kitchen they actually have Vietnamese cooks in the back. Tip: I believe they do take reservations. But I have never tried it. read more

The food here is delicious!!! I ordered the fried spicy shrimps, vermicelli noodle salad with beef and also the fried rice with chicken. They were all so tasty. It is in the pricey side, but the quality and taste of the dishes are all worth it. Definitely going back there to try the other dishes soon! read more

I'm a bit of a pho snob thanks to living near a killer place in DC and Benley did not disappoint. It's a tiny joint so be mindful of a wait if you come at prime eating time like we did (6:30pm). We started with the spicy green beans. I'd pass, it's heavily breaded and fried green beans with a sauce. Meh. The lemon grass beef summer rolls, however, were delish and interesting. I LOVE normal summer rolls and was happy to expand my horizons into these. For the pho itself, its a great meal for the value - $8 for a big bowl of steaming, noodley, beefy goodness. Nicely flavored broth although I admit I put a lot of siracha in it.. The pictures of modern vietnam on the walls is a neat touch as well. If I were in the area again, I'd come back. read more

Super damn good. Delicious iced tea. Terrific food all-around. There was no AC when I went, and it was hot as hell...just a measly little fan. Also, the bathroom situation was a little sucky. One of those go-through-the-kitchen deals. BUT the food is totally worth it. Go. Eat. Be happy. Then maybe they'll have the money to upgrade the bathroom and put in some AC. read more

Okay, I would like to give Benley a 5-star rating because I love it so much.. but since I generally only get one thing on the menu, I didn't feel that was fair. I also rarely get the Pho- which is what I feel most people go to Vietnamese food for... So my 5-star menu item is the Spicy Green Beans! They are amazing- I crave them on a regular and end up going to Benley solo often just to get my fix of Green Beans and Jasmine Iced Tea, the perfect combo!! I have tried other menu items and they are good, but these green beans...mmmmm. As far as the restaurant itself- its nice, you don't feel like you're in Long Beach- its in a random corner of a strip mall- but its cute and pristine inside- and the service is always great as well. I've heard people complain that its expensive for a Pho place- but you get what you pay for- it is quality. It is also much cleaner than your average hole-in-the-wall. read more

The service was amazingly nice and accommodating. Spicy green beans are a must. Not very vegetarian friendly which is a bummer. The spring rolls were veg and good but no veg pho or egg rolls. read more

The most important tip: You must order the Spicy Green Beans! If you order one thing...This is what you must get. My review is on the vegetarian options, but I must say my meat eating friend ordered the Pho and it looked amazing! I always get the Special Veggie-of-the-day and it's basically veggies and a Gardein style protein served with rice. I'm not a huge "fake meat" person but they make it right and it taste so gooood! I hope to make it in for a vegetarian Banh Mi as I've heard rave reviews, but never make it in before 4 (TIP: Banh Mi are only served until 4). I've also tried 3 of their desserts, the Cassava Cake, the Creme Brulee and the Bananas Foster... ALL AMAZING! read more

My favorite pho place around. It's quick, does to go orders & is the best! When ever I'm sick their food makes me better and it's so close to my house. I'm so I'm blessed read more

Looks somewhat elegant for a pho place. The lemongrass pork spring rolls were pretty good, could have used more meat and definite not as good as Broddard's nem spring rolls. The pho tai was pretty good. The broth was one of the most flavorful I've ever had. The rare beef was nice and buttery soft, if it were cut a little thinner, it would be even better. There was definitely enough meat. I'd definitely come back. Service was good, food was good. read more

Everything we had here was delicious! Pho with rare steak, Vietnamese risotto with shiitakes, pork and shrimp egg rolls, and Thai iced tea. Will definitely be coming back to try different things on the menu! read more

Yummmmm!!!!! My daughter and I am gluten free and it is so nice to have a great meal and know it is good for you too! The Pho ROCKS! You can't go wrong with any of the meat selections. Stop by Twice Baked the gluten free bakery next door! read more

Always the best PHO and also lemongrass eggrolls as well as the pork and shrimp springrolls !!!!!!! read more

Benley Vietnamese Kitchen - Good ice cold beer while you wait for take out - Vietnamese Near Me - Long Beach, California

I have to admit, I was a little skeptical when my friends brought me here. I was the only asian in the bunch and when we walked in, I was still the only asian! That's usually a sign to run the other way or expect the "P.F. Chang" type of Vietnamese food. The decor was really nice though, very minimalistic. It has a clean, artistic feel with the large black and white Vietnam photos on the walls. It really feels like it should be at a different location than at the end of a strip mall. We ordered 3 appetizers, spring rolls, egg rolls and the squid. Sorry, I can't remember the exact names of each dish, but the menu is small enough for you to just ID each item by my generic description. Everything on the menu looked so yummy I just couldn't decide! I finally narrowed it down to the Beef Stew. But .... I wanted it on top of the pho noodles, Heather easily granted my request. It was so good. The beef was very tender, noodles perfectly cooked, even the temperature was just right. We were too full for dessert, so sorry, no commentary on that part of the meal. I can't wait to go back and try more dishes. Oh, and they just put in this amazing water filter .... it's reallllly good water! Better than a bottle of Fji or Voss. The ice cubes are crystal clear. =) Heather, our waitress seated us and was fabulously friendly, courteous and so sweet to us all night long. I think the story is, she's married to a Vietnamese man and his mom the head chef. It can't get any better than that. So, there is no reason to be turned off by not seeing your typical Vietnamese decor and service staff. read more

Lately, this has been one of my favorite restaurants. I LOVE the spicy green beans. They are crunchy, tangy, and just a tiny bit spicy. Absolutely delicious starter. I also love the pho with rare steak. The broth is delicious and the noodles perfectly cooked. Their hot tea is also wonderful. I'm told that the other dishes are good too, but personally I love the green beans and pho so much that I haven't been able to make myself order anything else. The restaurant itself is tucked in the corner of a nondescript strip shopping center on the edge of Orange County so you wouldn't expect much. But despite its location and narrow layout, it's a pleasant, sort of hip feeling space. And everytime I've been the service has been friendly and efficient. All in all, I give it two thumbs up! read more

I don't want to tell too many people about this place because it's soo good. If you go here and they are busy - be patient - the food is worth every second. read more

I have been going to benley for a few years now, and now that i have finally made a yelp account, I think I have to break it down for the haters on this website: benley may be some of the best vietnamese food you will ever have. plain and simple. I read a lot of reviews where people complain about the price versus the size of the bowl of pho that benley serves. Benley is not a pho house. No pho house gets their ingredients from farmers markets and uses fresh, organic produce. No pho house only uses the finest cuts of meat. So it would make sense that their pho is going to be a little more expensive then the average bowl. For starters, It takes 36 hours to make one batch. The ladies in the back use a ladel to remove any impurities in the broth as it slowly cooks. And after it settles overnight, they go through a 12 hour seasoning process, thus giving it it's incredible flavor in a pure, clean broth. I could go on about every other dish on the menu, but I think it can speak for itself. just check it out. and realize you're not dealing with some run of the mill pho house, it's a very highly rated restaurant in the most unusual of places. and by the way, they do have a corkage now, it's 10 bucks. read more

I love Pho. I mean, who doesn't love a great soup with simple flavors and noodles you get to slurp?? I've been here about 3 times now and ordered the same darn thing: Brisket Pho OR their lunch special which is Pho and a 1/2 sandwich OMG, the Vietnamese ham sandwhich...delicious! I was speaking to one of their waitresses (there seems to be only one...) and she said that the Pho broth is made the traditional Vietnamese way (simmering all the good stuff together) vs otther places that use beef boullion. Gasp! Its truly wonderful! Add the mint leaves, beans and lime...oh man! The place super intimate with modern decor. They fill up fast on a Friday/Saturday evening. Closed on Sundays! Bummer! Waitstaff is wonderful. Located in a corner of a strip mall where you can walk off the pho by wandering around TJ Maxx. Almost didn't find it at first! read more

Being Vietnamese, I was skeptical about their food before coming here. After tasting their meat appetizers I was convinced. This place does Vietnamese food justice with a twist of its own. Creamy avocado sauce over simmered pork? Genius. read more

I like this place. It is a simple place to have a quiet lunch with perfect music. The setting is tastefully decorated - a nice balance of modern Asian decor. The service was polite and personable. We were left alone for the most part and had our glasses refilled in a timely matter. Just how I like it. I haven't had dinner here (yet), so I cannot comment on the dinner atmosphere. I had their beef banh mi. It was good! It wasn't the best banh that I've had, but it is well worth trying. The bread is perfectly coated with light butter (or mayonnaise?), and toasted to a nice crisp. It made the "crrrunch" sound when I bit into it. My party also ordered the tofu vermicelli, and the banh mi and taste of pho lunch special. The vermicelli tasted just like my mom's. Very delish! My sister is a vegetarian and normally does not like tofu; however, the first thing she said when she took a bite was, "this is so gooood. I didn't even realize it is tofu!" I cannot comment on the pho dish, as I did not get a chance to try it. My boyfriend said it was good, but said he will stick to the banh mi next time. I will definitely come back for dinner and lunch in the near future. I hope this review helps your food adventure decisions ! read more

The food is amazing and tastes so fresh every single time. The hostess/owner is warm, friendly, and always makes great recommendations. I never write reviews but I love this place so much I had too!!! You have to go!!! read more

The Pho is superb!! The soup stock spice, is prepared perfectly with a nice kick to it. I'm hooked on this place. My mouth is watering just thinking about it right now, well probably cause I'm going there tonight. The place is not very well marked, almost seems hidden, I guess it's the shopping center that it's located in. Service is excellent and the prices are fair. read more

Fantastic, small, chic restaurant. Very original dishes with an asian flair. LOVE THIS PLACE. Portion sizes are small but completely worth it. Appetizers run about $6. Entrees about $15 read more

I remember the first time I ate at Benley's I was a bit confused with the menu. It is not the traditional Vietnamese numerical menu or dish grouping categories, but nevertheless it was love at first bite. The tapas style serving is what impressed me the most, but aside from the excellent serving portions, the dishes are truly to die for. I have been dining at Benley's at least once a week for about a year now and I am still discovering new favorites. I am currently on the "rice vermicelli with tofu" phase because of the hot weather. The dish is very light and refreshing..perfect for a summer day or evening. Summer Fav's beef lemon grass spring roll panko shrimp rice vermicelli w/ tofu shaken fillet ong choy banana's foster vietnamese iced coffee - better than starbucks read more

This my new favorite for Vietnamese! The Spicy Fried Green Beans were great! The Lemongrass Pork Spring rolls were the best rolls I've had. My kids all had Phò and it was good too, but my Short Rib Stew was incredible. Service was good; I'd recommend getting there early it is a small place and it filled up fast. Prices are higher than Little Saigon and similar to Chateau Brodard but I'd rater eat here. read more

Benley Vietnamese Kitchen - Short Rib Stew - Vietnamese Near Me - Long Beach, California

This is one of my favorites, the people the service and the food is fresh, healthy and tastes awesome..in a pinch I would head to Benley's everyday of the week... read more

I bookmarked Benley months ago and finally remembered to give the place a try. It was pouring last night and the boyfriend and I weren't too keen on heading out, but when your only other option is a frozen burrito, you somehow muster the courage to brave the cold. We got to the restaurant and we were pleasantly surprised. While the space is rather small, it was very stylish. I too will echo another reviewer and say that they have a great soundtrack playing in the background. Everyone should know that this is not your traditional Vietnamese restaurant. While it does offer traditionally prepared dishes such as vermicelli with grilled meats, many dishes are infused with french influences. Needless to say, we had a hard time deciding on what to order. After about 5-10 minutes of deliberating, the host came over to take our order. He was very friendly and helped us narrow down our search. We began to chat a bit and bonded over the fact that most people don't identify us as Vienamese--funny enough, people tend to always seem to think I'm 1/2 white or some combination of Filipino or Mexican and he gets the same. On that note, I couldn't possibly look more Asian in pictures, but i digress. After much debate, we settled on the lemongrass spring rolls, the chicken curry, and the lemongrass flattened chicken. The lemongrass spring rolls were phenomenal. Very moist and well seasoned. I loved the peanut sauce that accompanied it. The curry came with a warm baguette and it was very tasty. The chicken and potatoes were very tender. I must say that I generally only eat my mom's curry. She's a wonderful cook and it makes it rather difficult for me to order certain Vietnamese dishes (namely Pho, banh canh, and curry), but I remembered Vikky D.'s review and gave it a shot. My mom's curry certainly trumps Benley's ( I like my curry spicy and not so coconut milk-y), but Benley puts a delightful spin on it. I'm almost certain they've added wine to it--but either way, I'd definitely order it again. The lemongrass and turmeric rubbed chicken came with a side of bokchoy and a side of rice. It was great. Perfectly seasoned, and again, very tender. It was delicious and we swapped dishes a few times that night. While we initially thought the serving was skimpy, it was very filling. And the best part of the night--sifting through the dessert menu. How many Vietnamese restaurants offer Valrhona molten chocolate cake? We were just about to place an order, when the host brings us their panna cotta--on the house. It was a lovely surprise and a wonderful gesture! It sure was a sight--dressed with a citrus infused anglaise and pomegranate kernals. It was absolutely delicious! Hands down--favorite dish that night. Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience. The food was great and the staff was very friendly and very attentive. You would NEVER expect to find a restaurant like this in a strip mall. In fact, for the hour and a half we were there--I forgot it was. I will certainly be back. read more

I wish Benley was my kitchen. I've had a taste of Vietnamese, but nothing tasted as good as dinner at Benley. Seven of us met for dinner; we had a combination of shared apps and entrees, but everyone had there own pho. For apps we shared both types of spring rolls and two orders of the fried cuttlefish; all of which disappeared fast. For my pho, I went for the taste option and had a smaller portion of the steak on the side. Not the best decision I've ever made; would have easily been able to finish the regular portion. For our shared entrees we shared the salted shrimp, the filet and potatoes, the flattened chicken, and the chicken curry. All dishes were good and disappeared quickly. For dessert we ordered the cassava cake, banana foster's, melting chocolate cake, and - at the recommendation of the waitress - the panna cotta. The cassava cake was tasty and I would have licked the plate of the panna cotta if it wouldn't have been stared upon as strange. read more

This restaurant is amazing. It's very small and intimate. The menu is not extensive, but it doesn't have to be because Benley's is VERY good at what they do. Go there, but don't take your kids (it's may too small). read more

I have been here twice. What I liked: Beef shortrib over avocado puree (so tender) Fried Cuttlefish (great flavor) Vietnamese coffee Cassava dessert (familiar flavor, so yummy) Good service What I was indifferent about: shrimp and pork spring rolls (standard) taste of pho appetizer (standard) What I did not like: shrimp/lotus salad (I like shrimp and I like lotus but there was something very odd tasting about this, perhaps it was the dressing). "risotto" w/ mushrooms (basic congee with some shrooms, boring) A little overpriced. The atmosphere is nicer than most pho places by a long shot though. This place is solid. I would definitely come back. read more

I work in Rossmoor and this place was recommended to me by my coworker. I decided to give it a whirl since something soupy sounded nice. It's a cute quaint little restaurant in Long Beach. I was a little hesitant at first since (being Vietnamese myself) the staff wasn't Vietnamese! Not to sound racist or anything but typically walking into a vietnamese restaurant I am use to seeing a vietnamese staff. The food is actually very good and authentic. The service is always amazing here. Everyone is super friendly and it seems like the staff are familiar with a lot of the customers. I had the pho and finished my whole bowl! A little on the pricier side for your average pho. But if you are in this area and cannot make it to Little Saigon area, I would give it a shot! read more

It was my sister-in-law's birthday and me and the BF wanted to take her out. However it was too late to take her to a place in Torrance. So we decided to hit Benley's. Bad change of plans!!!! When we arrived, it was dead... as in no customers!!!! We should have known better. Ok, so there was only one waitress there and again she was one of those who took our orders without a piece of paper or pen. Why???? Why??? I get it if you remember, but if you get the order wrong.... WRITE that %@% down!!!!!!! It's okay, I won't mind. She recommended this scallop dish with Vietnamese risotto, DISGUSTING!!!! The risotto was made with rice wine, but they didn't use risotto grain. They used regular rice, which in turn made it the consistency of porridge! Gross. Later I had asked for some hot sauce and she completely forgot. I'm not sure what she was doing but there were only 2 tables and one of them was ours. Then, I asked her to bring out a dessert and we ordered 1 panna cotta. Well, apparently she had to take it out of the ramekin a couple of times to get it straight and apologized because it look horrible. As long as it taste good right? Wrong, there was this weird layer of gelatin on the top. It was as if the cook didn't mix it right. I probably won't be going back anymore. Something is definitely wrong with this place. read more

The pho wasn't the best but it wasn't bad either. I've just had better. The spring rolls were quite delicious. Best spring rolls I've had in a while. The pork was warm, which gave them a star. What really made me write this review was the waitress. Her service was over-the-top rude. She was complaining to every customer about how busy of a day she had. You can hear her arguing with the kitchen staff and when we needing to out check she was on her cell phone. I would not be coming back here. read more

Benley Vietnamese Kitchen - The chopsticks! - Vietnamese Near Me - Long Beach, California

The best pho I have ever had. This restaurant is the only place I would miss after moving out of state.

I tried the fried rice with fake meat. It was delicious!!! I think this is my new favorite dish.

I was dying to try this place after receiving a very positive review from some friends and seeing the reviews on here. Well this place is SOOO worth the stop! We went in on a boring Tuesday night and the place was packed. We were seated right away however. Our server was very friendly and extremely helpful as both my husband and I have only had Vietnamese food a few other times. We had the pork spring rolls to start....DELICIOUS! Then we shared the pho which the server had mixed with all the various meats for us...it was so awesome we didn't even use the sauces and extras given to us to use in the soup. The pho was springy tasting, full of bright herb flavors and the meat was to die for. Then we shared the curry chicken which was mild and full of flavor, but again Awesome!! The decor is sparse as others have said, but honestly pay attention to the food and you won't need fancy furnishings to entertain you. Oh and they play a great selection of music. Both my husband and I felt like we were in SF at this place... GREAT EXPERIENCE! read more

Completely hidden in the corner of a strip mall. Blink and you'll miss it! Starters: panko-breaded shrimp w/ dijon aioli - this was just ok for me. The breading was thick and the aioli was just thick mayonnaise. (2 out of 5 stars) Entrees: -flattened chicken and red wine jus - can you say s-p-i-c-y? hand pulled chicken pieces with a very spicy & strong ginger/curry sauce. left me gasping for water...(3 out of 5 stars) -shaken fillet - awesomely tender beef chunks flavored with black pepper to perfection. this one's a must! (4 out of 5 stars) Dessert: buttermilk panna cotta - no words can describe how good this was. my only complaint is that it's tiny! slightly sour flavored buttermilk pudding with lime sauce and graham cracker crumbs. this one's not for sharing!! (5 out of 5 stars!!!) BTW, not sure if the others mentioned that you need to BYOW. Don't know what the corkage fee is, but everyone walked in with a bottle of wine. read more

From the parking lot it's hard to tell if the restaurant open or if it's even still at this location. When you walk in the restaurant is very long and narrow. The decor is pretty plain, just some photo graphs of Vietnam on the walls. The are not a lot of tables so I ca n see this placing filling up. If you have a part larger than 4 you better call ahead. Where Benley excels is it's food and service. The staff is always friendly and is happy to suggest items off the menu. The last time we went they had started offering dinner specials. When I couldn't decide between one of the regular entrees the pork chop special, the waitress said that she was having the special prepared for herself and offered to let me taste it! I did and I ordered the special. Everything on the menu is tasty and unique. We tried several entrees, and every meal we've had here we really enjoyed, including the appetizers. The green bean appetizer in particular is awesome. Entrees that I would recommend are the fillet and potatoes and the salmon. My only real criticism is the beer selection, it's pretty much limited to the Chinese beer Tsing Tao. I would like to see a little more variety (maybe Sing Ha Thai beer and some others), and keep the beer ice cold too! read more

this is what's for dinner! always great food and Kelly greets us every time with a smile my husband loves the green beans as a meal... the pork spring rolls are fresh and delish! I love the chicken vermicelli salad. read more

Benley Vietnamese Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - Long Beach, California

Came here with my co-workers the other day and this place is great!! They have really good lunch specials! You get a choice of pho with rice vermicelli or with banh mi (sandwiches)! I got the brisket pho with a beef banh mi...so so good!! Love how the pho tastes so fresh and clean! I'm really picky when it comes to pho and not a fan of the overwhelming odor but this place has really delicious pho! It didn't make me cringe like most pho joints do. We also got the lemongrass pork spring rolls and shrimp spring rolls..both so good! Try it for yourself. This place is so worth it! I will definitely be back! :) read more

I've been here a handful of times now and I have never been disappointed. Their spicy green beans are so yummy, love their house salad and of course their pho is good too. I've never had to wait for a table here. We could usually walk in a sit right down but sometimes it can get busy and since there is typically only one server it can take a little time (if it's full). Will continue coming here. read more