Looks like local news has latched onto the "news" of sexy cafes proliferating Southern California... About a week before Fox 11 News profiled Di Vang 2, the OC Register released this gem of investigative reporting on Cafe Lu: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/says-nguyen-coffee-2422678-caf-girls For the most part, it was a pretty accurate and informative article... the Fox 11 folks should've taken notes. Anyways, in a recent trip to Cafe Lu, I must agree with Albert R.... While Di Vang 2 seems to have gotten cleaner, Cafe Lu seems to be leaning toward the grimier side. From the looks of things, it's still the most popular cafe in the area, but they could definitely do a better job wiping things down and sweeping away the cigarette butts- although it's difficult with the amount of people that flood this place on a regular basis. In regards to coffee, though, Albert R. is very much mistaken... Lee's Iced Coffee is DEFINITELY not the standard for ca phe sua da, and the brew they serve at Cafe Lu isn't half bad- if you are really looking for the best coffee in Little Saigon, though, go to Gala Bakery on Brookhurst and Hazard. I'd say Cafe Lu's strong suit would be their smoothies... They do the typical strawberry, avocado, mango concoctions, plus some creative mixes like strawberry with lychee. I think this was brought up in another review, but the Cafe Lu girls add a nice touch, as many of them "dress up" for Lakers games. Talk about team spirit... a good place to take in the NBA Finals, if you ask me! read more

One word- ehhh It's a great concept: hot girls, lingerie, boobies, and coffee. Just not well executed in my opinion. It's expensive. Everything is $6-9 and aren't that great tasting for the price. The girls are not that friendly, the yelp pictures are kinda misleading. They have a bunch of girls taking cute pics and they look super friendly! but when you go they are not that friendly ...not really friendly at all ; and there's only 3 or so girls working on a busy night. Music is super loud so you can barely hear each other talk. read more

The service is horrible. They are suppose to pour my tea when my cup gets half empty. My coffee tastes okay. The girls are OKAY--they look like typical vietnamese fobs. Service is probably bad cus the girls are lazy as hell. I would know, I used to work there and the customers used to ask me why I'm working so hard. HA Drinks are alright. The owner used to work for the owner at Cafe Di Vang III, so drinks are similarly made at both places. The place is usually pretty packed at night and EXTREMELY packed in the morning. You'd have to resort to sitting outside, which they have 3-4 tables set up, if you really want to stay. Good luck getting ANY service out there. It's hard enough getting the girls off their ass when your sitting in front of them, let alone, outside. They have very few game machines, I'd say they have 4 with regular games and probably 2 or 3 with card games you can actually gamble on. That sucks for people who actually go there to play the games. Like I mentioned, I go thirsty alot there because my tea never gets refilled. I know two girls that are going to be working there forever, they are the only two who are rude and stuck up. The rest of the girls who come and go are pretty nice to customers (so I've observed). Place needs some remodeling. It's been a while (yeearrrsss) since they did that. Circulation isn't that great, so when people smoke, allll the doors need to be open... no matter how cold it is. Overall, service=bad, atmosphere=ghetto, drinks=baddd. p.s. Don't take your pets and children there so they can run around the smokey filthy place. yes, I've seen many idiots do that... its very sad. read more

You try to forget the lousy experiences, but somehow I just cannot forget the my dissapointment with Cafe Lu in Santa Ana / Garden Grove last Summer. I will pay a visit there again in the next few weeks and will hope that it has drastically improved from my last visit. So, how would I define my last visit? The drink was messy and watered-down; nobody in the establishment welcomed me; the atmosphere was "cold"; the server was semi-conscious and dissappeared after serving my "smoothie"......yikes. A dismal experience and quite a let-down. So, I believe in second chances so we will see what my visit in the next few weeks brings, but something tells me that it will be the same old song and dance. read more

Wasnt what I expected. Girls are fantastic, but they lack emotion and are not animated at all. They need to work on their people skills. For example, I finished my coffee, but the girl never came back to ask whether I want another. They are in the service industry.... I recommend working on people and communication skills. The girl that took our order appears she didnt want to be there.... and the only reason why she was there is to pay school tuition bill or something... My friend and I would have tipped more, if the service dictates it. We stayed for a total of 25 minutes... Overall, it wasnt a horrible experience.....but it wasnt a great experience at all. Drinks are $5.00 for ice coffee. Yes, it's overpriced. The majority of the people there were old asian men admiring the ladies. Heavy cigarette smoke. I hope these girls know the risk of second hand smoke. Suggestion I recommend, if you want T&A go to a gentleman's club. If you want drinks go to a tavern/bar/ etc...etc.. Would I return? Probably not. Will try Skyy Cafe next.. Probably the same thing...but I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt. read more

Hot chicks, strong coffee (it's like meth!), it's a-ok to smoke inside, and loud music. Go ahead and get your gamble on here too. Bring your laptop and stay for a while. If you have cash, the ladies will probably sit on your lap and pretend they like you too. I've been to a lot of Vietnamese "coffee" places - and this is my favorite. The girls at this location are hotter and nicer than others. The bathroom (for the ladies) is decent. I've been to similar spots where the bathroom is not even usable. But ladies, come here with you b/f and the girls will be super sweet about it... unlike the other 2,567 "coffee" places near bolsa. read more

Cafe Lu is probably one of the greatest cafes I've ever been to. The ambiance is amazing, and I really enjoyed chatting with the girls. I enjoyed every minute of talking to Selina. She is bae. 10/10 would come back, 11/10 would come back for her. read more

This is a internet type cafe with smoothies and snacks , I had the coconut smoothie which was ice cold. The give free iced tea on the side and every few minutes a young woman comes to fill it up. There are many young women who are dressed in the least minimum who serve here. See the pictures at the restaurant page. Had fries and sweet potato fries which were delicious. Has multiple TV screens. read more

$5-$7 non-alcoholic drinks and scantily dressed girls. Good for eye candy, but the girls didn't sit down to chat with anyone or smile.

I've been here a few times and it's always been nothing amazing, the girls are whatever, not saying that I date super models or anything but they're pretty average, nice bodies though for the most part. I usually just come here to hang out with friends and chat, not really to check out girls though, (so no sorry I'm not that old creepy Asian guy in the corner sitting by himself). Drinks are fairly priced considering they are actually pretty good and you can stare at girls when you drink them. They had a deck of cards last time I went so we just played some card games, Service is not bad though, they always keep your tea full. Pictures here are a bit deceiving of what you actually see though read more

Been here twice in a week??? Why?? The smoothies are so amazing!!! Everyone just concentrate on how beautiful the servers are but what they whip up in the kitchen is the best Smoothies around. Is it better than McDonald's Strawberry Banana Shake?? Hell Yeah!!! Is it better than Robek's Shakes....NO but it's damn close!!! Is it worth $7-$8 for the drinks...YES!!! I've tried the Avocado Shake, Strawberry Banana, Durian and a few others. After having some crawfish at my spot "Crawfish House" I'm here washing all that down with the fruity shakes!!! Great spot to roll into after a long day. Could it be that the ambiance of the beautiful ladies here make the shake taste that much better?? Possibly.... Hard to tell...they are all HOT...it's not like there's ONE decent looking person...ALL of them are HOT!!! I'm one of those guys that read Playboy Magazine for the articles and I come here for the drinks!!! LOL The beautiful ladies here are a HUGE Bonus!!!! read more

Finally made it out to Cafe Lu. Weird thing is I ended up going with wifey. I remember seeing dudes on the internet complain about how the girls are stuck up and this and that but I totally didn't have that experience. There were only 2 girls there when we went and they were both very friendly and attentive. But Raquel was especially nice and a super sweetheart. She came and sat with us and shared stories about her life with us. She was very insightful and made me feel more comfortable about being there with my wife. As far as coffee goes I had the VN iced coffee it was bomb but comes in teeny tiny cups that I finished in 2 gulps. read more

I used to love this place.. There were some awesome Asian American and other cool ethic girls there. Very open and charismatic.. They were so sweet. I use to come here alot, however in recent week there have been many fobby girls. They're nice and all but.. I'm just not used to these girls.. they give aren't as pretty and talkative as the previous girls. Where did all the cool girls go?? It's like I came back and all the cool kids left the campus?? What happened to the HR staff? Cafe Lu used to be be the highlight of all the coffee shops.. now i feel like they're letting any girl work there. Feels like they took 5 steps back and now they're just like any other coffee shop. Miss the more Americanized Girls. #just saying.. Oc-San Jose read more

It's was okay. food wasn't bad the only thing that was bad was that nun of girls came to our table. we just sat there while seeing them from far. I would go again if I had nothing to do read more

I'm back to review this place. Now 1 star instead of 2. Seedy surroundings, terrible service and drinks for the high price. Girls look good, but you'd best go to a Hooters. read more

My first Vietnamese coffee shop. I was a little underwhelmed. Coming in, I noticed the windows are tinted. It makes sense why, but it also makes the place seem shady looking. The inside isn't anything special, just some tables and TVs to sit and watch sports. The girls were nice to look at, but it's SO HARD not to stare. :P Coffee is $5 and is SUPERRRRRR strong. Basically, all espresso and a little big of condensed milk. I felt miserable the entire night. Chill place to hang out. read more

$7 to have a scantily clad waitress bring u a very light smoothie full of ice. I asked to take a pic of waitress, she wanted $20. Place was empty and all the other waitresses huddled in the corner talking to their friends. Many TVs which was a plus but no subtitles despite the crappy pop music drowning everything out and screens being far. read more

Alison is great. You need to clone her 10xs! Best customer service! Sweet & nice! We love her! read more

I arrived on a late Saturday afternoon and the the doors were wide open. There was a full house of men. I came with a girlfriend and two other people. My girlfriend and I were the only two females in the place. All of the waitresses were in two pieces bikinis and wearing 6 inches clear stripper heels. They were definitely eye candies for customers. Hmmm...wonder why my friend and I were the only two females at the place..wink**wink**...Tea is served with your order of a drink. So, guys...the waitresses will come over and refill your tea frequently the faster you drink it :) read more

I've heard many many great things about this place. Mainly, the girls and the Avocado shakes. I did not know this but they charge you $5 for tea and water. WTF!? Is this a SoCal thing or is it just this cafe? It's different from what I'm used to. My friends and I came here in hopes that I can see my Cafe Lu crush. Nope. She wasn't in. The waitresses were nice and friendly though. I appreciated that part of my visit but the important part is the drinks. We ordered a Vietnamese Coffee, Orange Juice, and an Avocado Shake. At $7 a pop, you'd think they would reflect their price. NOPE! I did not enjoy any of the drinks. The Vietnamese Coffee was drowned in condensed milk and was sweeter than anything I've ever had. The avocado shake didn't even taste like avocado. Just lots and lots of ice with green food coloring. My OJ was mehh. I took like 3 sips and all I was left with was a giant cup of ice. Never again. 2 Stars. read more

I am a fan of Cafe Lu- recently this place received a lot of media coverage and I fell for that form of advertisement ;) I took my girlfriends from out of town here to see what all the hype's about and met up with a couple of friends there. I like Lu and I can see why it's named Lu- it can make a person Lu with their beautiful waitresses. The girls are nice- doesn't seem stuck up- we were greeted nicely. One girl stood out cuz she wore glasses- she's so cute! ^.^ It is a big cafe, it is very clean. When I was there the music was not too loud. There were people smoking but not to the point where there's cigarette butts on the floor- maybe because I was there around noon- still early for Cafe Lu :D The girls covered up more now probably due to all the negative attentions they have been receiving from the media...but that's ok- I am fine with it Lu ladies =D Their coffee is a bit bitter than most places, I would recommend the smoothies and the fresh squeeze orange juice over their coffee. read more

I like Cafe Lu. Chill hang out (mostly guys), good drinks and HOT girls. It has tasty fruit smoothies. Nothing like jamba juice or juice city, where it's a icy drinks. It's actually really smooth. I think they add just the right amount of condense milk. Try out their avocado shake or the durian. If ur a beginner don't the durian shake. It's truly acquired taste because it has a strong smell and flavor. Vietnamese coffee is very strong. So start off with ordering a cafe su da but lite so ur not wired on caffeine. Girls are really HOT cuz of their outfits. I guess it's the Asian hooters of coffee. Fun place to do nothing but hang out w/ friends especially if u want check out girls and watch the games, listen to music or chat. I've been going to coffee shops since high school so i've had my fair share in seeing different versions. It's literally a guy's heaven in Westminster. Only bad thing is they hiked up the prices to the drinks. Really expensive (3 coffees 2 smoothies = $35) Seating area is not the most tidy. Sticky tables and chairs. And tons of smoke. so basically when u come out u reek the smell of cigarettes smoke. Overall, to hang out with friends it's worth the trip. Remember they get really packed on weekends especially sunday and DON'T try to take any pictures inside. It's a big no-no! Enjoy the drinks and the view! *_^ winkwink read more

The infamous cafe lu. Bikinis and liquid cocaine. You know why you're here and it's not a quick coffee before work. The best way to kill some time and unwind is some coffee and a game of cards here. Just remember the girls will probably beat you if you play thirteen with them. We actually took a guy from out of town that's never heard of coffee shops and he was so in awe he didn't want to leave. read more

Cafe Lu - Keeping it yelp friendly - Vietnamese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Yum strawberry & banana smoothies ! Strong coffee I arrived at about 7pm, the gal that took my order was really nice considering she wasn't Vietnamese but she knew all the drinks and smoothies in Vietnamese. There are no menu so don't expect a lot. The Vietnamese ice coffee was really strong so we asked for more condense milk. I liked the smoothie, it was tasty but could be a little more sweeter. The next couple of gals that walked around pouring ice tea wasn't friendly at all. Ehhhh.. probably my first and last ... read more

For those of you that never been to a vietnamese coffee shop back in Bolsa then you are missing out. Let me tell you what vietnamese guys normally do on the weekend with their friends in the morning, basically they go to these coffee shop for vietnamese coffee but also for the waitress because every single waitress in there dress very sexy. It could be see thur outside or short short dresses, etc. Vietnamese guys can stay there for hour's watching the sports on t.v, play vietnamese chess, gambling, drug selling, etc Oh yeah I completely forgot to mention that these waitress normally have boob jobs!! Anyway anyone who never been to a real vietnamese coffee shop then you must try it. Also another warning, please don't mess with the local there because normally extremely violent and can be carrying guns and knife if you aren't careful. :) read more

It's still business as usual at Cafe Lu, with one notable update: Ethan was de-throned at the trivia game, by some looker named Dietrich. 289 million points.... TASTE MY PAIN! read more

Cafe Lu - Dietrich is the man! BOO-YAH! - Vietnamese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

I would say that cafe lu has the best looking coffee shop girls around.....however, compared to other vietnamese coffee shops, the cafe lu chicks tend to be lazy and not converse with you and/or refill your tea as often.....My buddies and I would usually go here to watch sports games and play cards and the atmosphere is chill... I give cafe lu a four stars mainly because of the quality of good looking chicks.... So if you and you're buddies are hungry and bored, i suggest going on a lu outing....which means you eat at pho lu on westminster and brookhurst and then go to cafe lu to allow your appetite for food to recover while at the same time allowing your appetite for beautiful women to rise......hehe...get it, rise.......seriouslly, it's a big tease though Warning: you will come across the occasional ugly chick......however, the upside is she will be more willing to talk to you....cheers! Quality has totally decreased on my most recent visit.......You can't even smoke cigarettes inside anymore...Although I quit smoking, I would have liked the option of being able to smoke indoors. Dit me. The give a yums down to this establishment. However, I give a double yums up to some of the yum yums on the workers..... read more

Flor is the absolute cutest !!! Come to this cafe if you want to hang out with the hottest girls in the industry and actually have a chance to meet all the girls !! Plus great music and sports are constantly on, its a fun experience !! read more

Not used to be .Everything bad started with the operation hours. Open at 12pm . Came after 12 pm not open yet. Outrageous prices $8 cafe. Bad Cashier(co owner) customer services attitude . Only thing good is parking because the place is empty compared to other crowded viet cafe around. Went there , sat there for 1 minutes boring , walk out. Go to cafe 168. Same Sexy waitress & some of X- Lu girls now serving $5 cafe at cafe 168 read more

Let's keep it real, nobody and i mean NOBODY touches Lee's Iced Coffee when it comes to Vietnamese coffee...it's the Tiger Woods, Joe Montana, Michael Jordan of the iced coffee sport. None better, simply the best. So when my buddies wanted to try this place because of the coffee (yeah, sure) I figured I'd give it a whirl. From what I heard (and read here) this place was basically the equivalent of an Asian "Hooters" - girls scantily clad, serving you. What wasn't mentioned was straight up how dirty this place was...granted, I'm a South County snob now - but I've been in my fair share of suspect places in Cerritos and Costa Mesa LOL, this place was easily more dirty then both of those put together. As for the girls, just go to OCC, same difference. Nothing spectacular here...not being rude, just honest. read more

The place is kinda empty...not like before like u cant even get a seat. The girls are so stuck up and not nice to u, you have to be somebody for them to come and talk or being friendly with u. Otherwise they just go back to their corner behind the table cashier to text on their phone or go to facebook or instagram.... ;( . Sorry cafe Lu u guys being slacky now and u loosing the customer..."they all go to cafe 168 or quan Khat .... ;( read more

Cafe Lu - Vietnamese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

This review is dedicated to W.P., you know who you are. Eh. That's really about all I can say. For what this place is, it is just okay, really only deserving 2.5 stars. Mirror tinted glass greets anyone who walks up, inside is dark and a little seedy ith super loud vietnamese pop music playing. Umpteen, large flat screens adorn the walls, most of them showing rugby. Along with the flat screens, large signs are posted on the walls saying no pictures and no smoking. Scattered about are groups of young, middle-aged and elderly, some of them smoking, while chatting, playing cards, watching tv, or oogling the girls. They only serve drinks, no food. So all you guys who "want to come for the buffet," that ain't happening. You are served a glass of ice tea when you first sit down. If you choose to order from the over-priced menu then the ice tea is compimentary, if you choose not to order from the menu, then the ice tea will cost you $5! BTW, they do cut you off after about four glasses of ice tea. As for the women, yes, they are smokin' HOT. In fact, calling them smokin' HOT does not do them justice. A mixture of caucasian and vietnamese waitresses are on duty at all times. They are all wearing short, short, short mini skirts or lingerie and of course acrylic high heels. I must say, some of the waitresses' toes hung over the high heels, a personal pet peeve I share with Puff Daddy, a bit of a turn off, but I am sure many guys can over look it. The women are friendly enough. I strongly agree with Joe J's review. These women are hired for their looks, not their waitressing abilities nor their personalities, which I am sure are all fantastic. I am pretty sure they meet a zillion guys a day, young and old, who try their luck so apathy is rampant. In short, the coffee is swill, the tea terrible, smoothie and slushes are flavored sugar water and they are all over priced. But the servers are all gorgeous and that is why everyone comes here. Oh, they open at 0700, so you can stop by and grab a vietnamese coffee on the way to work! :) read more

My friend and I decided to check out Cafe Lu the morning after landing in California and were greeted by Julie and Pauline, whom were both very friendly and conversational. We asked for a recommendation for drinks since we didn't know what was good. Julie gladly recommended the lychee smoothie, so we got that and the vietnamese coffee with milk. This cafe is cash only, but there is an ATM inside. Would definitely visit again the next time I'm in the area! read more

Not what I expected. I've been hearing about these Vietnamese Coffee shops for some time now and decided to check it out with the boys. Service... sucks... girls... eh...need personality...they are like robots, not very friendly or even concerned about your dining experience. The one upside... for someone who smokes...smoking indoors. =) Three people... three coffees... tax and tip... 24 bucks, a little steep for a cup of joe. read more

I've worked there since I turned 18 for 7 years. I didn't realize how much negativity there was against us! Especially from other girls. Ya my service kinda sucked but it was just too busy sometimes and I just couldn't stand the smoke. I was more attentive to people who didn't smoke. i didn't make very good coffee so be glad I no longer work there. many of us did go to college or grad school full time so my weekend salary was just enough to support myself without working too many hours. The girls are so fresh and that's how they like em. I'm not that young anymore. Oh well. Those days were fun though. read more

Price: Bleh...anyone can cut up some fruit and and drop in direct from some canned fruit. I got some coffee too..but they asked if I wanted Sugar or cream, there was only black coffee w/sugar..So, I just asked for the Coffee w/Cream...and a very strong one at that...but it ended up being a high sugar iced Coffee with cream...horrible...I finished it all, cuz I knew I would be paying high money for the drink. Sorta just tasted like a Starbucks Frappaccino...really.. The girls...yes, very hot. But just like someone else reviewed, they got no personality. The bathroom..holy S! it was the worst smelling place I've ever been in. The stench killed me walking in, then the zero-urinal (not recommended for any store/facility) was worse when you pee on the pasta strainer that is to prevent spillage...hole in the wall below the urinal--they taking footage of my junk? NO Smoking? This ruined the whole effing evening. Dude, its says not to smoke, yet the "regulars" just know they can smoke there. Wft!? I hate smoke! No Smoking means No Smoking...get that right! I guess that was the owner at the register? She's as boring as the stripper girls that walk around serving drinks...no "have a good night" or "thank you (w/ a smile)". I leave good tip regardless, but my tip today was a pity tip and not for the service or the beverages. I hear things of shut-down, but personally I don't care if they do or don't get shut down. I won't be going there anyway. I dunno why I even went...maybe b/c the footage on some TV news gave me the urge to go. Conclusion...if you want to see half naked women, go to a strip joint enjoy their $2 drafts and such. You get more pleasure and talkative hot women there. This place will just let you watch and take your money...like double the money. Good Luck Cafe Lu. (I suggest to just make it a BYOB strip joint; keep the ladies) read more

This place is great! People who come in expecting something they can't or won't get and penalizing the establishment confuse me. Here's what you can expect at Café Lu: -Comfy leather seats, clean polished wood tables, overall a nice club-ish look. -The most beautiful girls in OC (don't call it that) wearing next to nothing and walking or standing around for your viewing pleasure. -A great selection of tasty smoothies, strong coffee (dear god what do those Vietnamese put in this stuff?), and all the free tea (hot or cold!) you can drink. -The latest sports games on at least ten giant screen TVs lining the walls and a couple monster 60+ inchers on the main walls. -Top 40, RnB, and Pop hits blasting the radio. The girls control the music, don't be afraid to make requests! No place is perfect of course, and this is no exception: -The girls have become accustomed to middle-aged and senior citizen perverts coming in to ogle them, smoke copious amounts of cigs, and say filthy things when they walk by (or to their face!). Don't be surprised if they're less than excited to see you initially. A little kindness and normalcy goes a long way though, and I always have the girls laughing and sitting to talk with me. Just need to show you're not a creeper. Some reviewers here seem to expect the girls to bend over backwards with fake smiles and bubbly personalities, but they're human like everyone else. -Speaking of smoking, the place does have a bit of a smoking lounge odor to it, the owner doesn't enforce the no smoking rule, so be ready for that. -Drinks range from $5-8, but boo hoo you'd pay that at Starbucks without batting an eyelash, you come here for the eye candy and sports games. Enjoy your free NFL Sunday Ticket DirectTV, and drink your sweet strawberry smoothie while a sweeter girl shoots the breeze with you. Life is good. read more

Best smoothies and vietnamese coffee in the area. Purchased a 1lb coffee pack for the house to get my day started every morning and love it! Great places to come hangout, make small talk, and eye candy is always a plus. If its your first time, have a seat order a drink and talk to the girls. Always a good time there!!! Oh and jimmy the manager is the man, made me some bomb french toast, going back tomo for more... read more

Cafe Lu - Vietnamese Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Way too much smoke and loud painful sportsbar stereo made us leave as soon as possible. Pretty girls and smoothies were great, orange nice but avacado the best I have ever had anywhere. Crazy homeless people wandering around in parking lot. read more

I review this place with a caveat. My visit to Cafe Lu was on a Sunday afternoon, where a place like this should essentially be closed. The place was not like what I'd seen in pictures or videos online - pretty run down and empty. Again, my visit was on a random Sunday afternoon. Two girls were working at the time. On the plus side, both were pretty friendly, as they are supposed to be. One was really chatty and took the time to kick the shit with us. I like the fact she could take a joke. I was really ragging on her. What I didn't like is the tea that we were served straight off bat that we didn't ask for, but still costs us. The coffee we ordered on top of the tea was decent. All in all, not a bad experience. Just another place to check off the bucket list. I'd like to come back on a busier night to get a better gauge on how the legendary Cafe Lu is supposed to be. read more