Lela's is the only pho spot in this neighborhood, so when the pho craving hits it's slim pickings. Pho's make or break ingredient is the broth, and sadly I've found the broth to be underwhelming here. On separate occasions I've tried the beef and chicken pho; last time I came in, around 1pm on a Saturday, they had run out of beef pho. What kind of pho restaurant runs out of its cornerstone dish at lunchtime?! I got the chicken pho instead, and it was just as bland as the beef pho had been on an earlier visit. The soup is just noodles and shredded chicken, accompanied by a plastic baggie (sustainability yikes) of the usual accoutrements. There's no chili oil or sesame oil available, just sriracha and hoisin sauce. I had to douse my soup in sriracha to taste anything. The broth is missing the aromatics that make pho so delectable. The portions are decently sized, but overpriced at $16 per bowl. Food takes a while to come out, even when it's not particularly crowded. The space has a lot of potential to be cute and homey, but the metal chairs and white-on-white walls and tables feel cold and spare. Some color and decor would do wonders for the old house vibes. Lela's has potential, but needs rejuvenation, both in its physical space and in the flavors of its pho. read more

I stopped in today for lunch (I had tried for the second time to eat Zula-they are Wed-Saturday). The sign outside advertising the Bahn mi pulled me in. I got the bahn mi with the lemon grass chicken and the salad with the beef bulgolgi. The salad was really fabulous, fresh greens, carrots, kimchi, the bulgolgi was steaming hot, bean sprouts, tomato's and a flavorful light vinegrette that made the salad. The bahn mi was a bit dry and flavorless after the salad, although the bread was light, crusty perfection. I would come again and ask for the vinegrette or the peanut sauce with the bahn mi. It was almost like the veggies weren't pickeled. Overall it just needed a bit more flavor to be a bahn mi sando. The mint limeade was spot on however! read more

Best bahn mi sandwich in town. I wish it were QUIETER inside, but hardwood floor and metal chairs make it really loud if there are ANY conversations going on (which is the ONLY reason I gave 4 instead of 5 stars). There is outside seating and take-out so don't let me discourage you from getting the food! The side salad is fresh and well-portioned. Service is always competent and welcoming. The water is self-serve, and delightfully flavored with fresh cucumbers. I should really try other menu items (noodles, pho) but we can't resist the bahn mi. This is one of our go-to places in read more

We've tried lots and lots of pho spots and this one has the best vegan pho. They are also VERY friendly and nice people. Even when you want to pick up and decide to sit outside they'd bring food to you even though they didn't have to. The only reason why 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the use of msg (I checked with them on the phone and they said they were using it unfortunately). Other than that I'd recommend it, especially the tofu - I don't know how they marinate it but it's delicious. Every time I'm sick this is the soup that I believe can heal me :) read more

I went here many moons ago and it was so yummy! I did take out and man alive it was horrible! The amount of money you are paying for what you get is insane. Fair enough. No biggie. Now on to the food. The broth is so bland it tasted like they put a chicken broth cube into a bowl of hot water! The garnish they provide was nothing. Only two jalapeños! I also ordered spring rolls and ick! Lumpy lumps. The peanuts sauce didn't even taste right. Save your money and hit Mekka. That is officially the best pho in the city. Oh also they don't separate the protein out so the chicken was chewy. Ick! read more

What better way to finish our culinary adventure then to refuel with a bowl of steaming hot Pho! Lela's was located off 23rd and it felt like we were stepping into someone's home converted into an eatery. Although there was a line of people squeezing in the door, everyone had a table to eat at and service was great. Warm, fresh, savory and delicious. We absolutely loved it! Can't you just smell the broth?! read more

I'd say this place is good for a couple things: the pho and bahn mi, its drinks, and it's pretty cute and cozy atmosphere. That's about it though. I've been here a couple times and last time I was in I wanted to try the "Noodle Bowl" as this dish is one that I often love to order at Vietnamese places. I don't know how to say this nicely: it was pretty freaking bad. The menu states that the dish has pickled carrots and daikon. There was no daikon and the veggies did not taste pickled in the slightest. The house made fish sauce was in a tiny little container and had no flavor. The whole dish basically had no flavor. The veggies were thick cut and there was like 2 leaves of mint on the bowl. Sad to say it was not good :( I've had the egg rolls here before they are tiny and overpriced. I usually don't write bad reviews but I felt this had to be shared. I do enjoy the pho tho as it is tasty! I wish they would put more effort into their other menu items! read more

Walking down 23rd around lunch time and decided to get some vietnameese at Lela's. What a great decision that was! Ordered the banh mi combo (beef bulgogi and pho) and the beef pho. I opted out of the jalapeños for the banh mi as I am not one to enjoy spicy food, nor cilantro for that matter. I loved the pho, the broth was very flavorful, and the sando was the MVP! read more

Lela's Bistro - Banh Mi Combo - Beef Bulgogi - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

My new favorite Vietnamese place in Portland. We got the pork belly noodle bowl and beef banh mi with pho broth on the side. Everything tasted so fresh and was perfectly put together. Good balance of ingredients and amazing flavor. We also received the best customer service I've personally had in years. Thank you Quinn for the recommendations and tea refills! Atmosphere was great as well. We sat at a table out front, got sun on the skin while eating delicious food and people watching. I will definitely be back. read more

Not a bad Vietnamese spot. Food was freshly made. Banh min was tasty and full of juicy flavorful chicken. My only gripe was that the food was slower than it should be and the chicken pho lacked a lot of chicken...It's decent but nothing to write home about. read more

Lela's Bistro - Pho - Chicken (gf) - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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This vegan pho is my favorite. I can't believe I haven't posted review because we've been coming here for years. I don't know how they marinate tofu but it's the best tofu you'll ever try. There's plenty of veggies and noodles as well. They are also very friendly :) Highly recommend! read more

this was the only pho place i was able to completely finish the food. i liked the lighter broth flavor and didn't feel like the broth was too oily or filling. i never am able to completely finish the entire bowl since i'm small but lelas did me right haha. the ambiance is very cute and quiet, people are enjoying their noodles without making much noise. service is fast as well, overall a great place for a nice warm bowl of delicious pho. read more

Lela's Bistro - finished rare Pho - Beef (gf) - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I got the beef pho. Soup was amazing on a cold day. It had a very nice pepper flavor. The restaurant is a very cozy warm house that does quick service style where you order and seat yourself. I would say this is a great place to grab a casual lunch or take out. read more

Lela's Bistro - Beef pho. Very aromatic and nice and peppery. - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

LeLa's Bistro exceeded my expectations! I would definitely consider this place to have the best pho in Portland. It's flavorful and has this fresh and clean taste that you can't find anywhere else. Located near the end of 23rd is this small white house. It's cozy, warm and makes you feel like you're eating homemade pho. The broth is clear, which translates to its clear and flavorful taste. The meat is thinly sliced and compliments the broth. I noticed a slight peppery taste which gives it a nice kick for each spoonful. The best part of it was when I asked our server what the secret recipe was to the delicious pho. She walked us over near the front and she literally pulled her grandma out of the kitchen and said "her." It makes me so happy to know that the amazing pho was a family recipe and that the grandma takes the time to make each pho. I love supporting local businesses and this just shows that each intricate detail and love went into our food. Now whenever I crave food, this will be the place I think of first! read more

Lela's Bistro - Beef Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Ordered takeout, didn't realize that the vegetables and chicken would be in the broth mixture while picking up. Because of this when I went to eat the pho, the broth tasted too much like broccoli. Even more upsetting the chicken was completely overcooked and chewy. The Bahn Mi was very nice traditional style with the pork sliced meat and pate. I would come back again for the bahn mi. Next time I won't order to go read more

Lela's bistro is some of the best Vietnamese in Portland, especially on the west side of the river. I loooove their banh mi sandwich combo more than anything. It comes with a side of their beef broth (which I use to dip) and it's just truly one of the best banh mi sandwiches in Portland. I got their pho most recently and their broth is perfect & the meat is high quality. Sadly if you want to dine in they are still serving everything in to-go boxes and containers, which is unfortunate as I was looking forward to dining in and having more of experience. Either way, Lela's is a neighborhood favorite and it's a true gem I'll miss when I move out of this neighborhood. read more

Lela's Bistro - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Lela's is a good option for Vietnamese cuisine in the NW area. I like that their ingredients taste fresh and you never have to wait long for your food. Their proteins are flavored well - I've tried their lemon grass chicken vermicelli bowl and Bulgogi banh mi and enjoyed both. If you're dining in, you order and pay for your food beforehand and they'll bring your food out to you once it's ready. They have lots of indoor and outdoor seating options and their staff is very friendly as well. read more

Lela's Bistro - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Every time I get to the counter, I want to order everything; its a difficult decision to make. Luckily I had Dat to help guide me when I got there, he was so incredibly friendly & knows some top notch food joint recommendations I'm dying to check out. Authentic ethnic food can be hard to find in Portland, so when you find those gems, you hold it close to your heart. So incredibly excited to meet another individual as psyched about food as me! He created this amazing limeade that was perfect for a beautiful summer day like it was, it was refreshing and paired well with all the tasting notes of my order. I'd asked Dat about the Vietnamese sausage spring roll because I love it crispy on the edges of the sausage and have been disappointed at another establishment; he said he'd definitely be sure it'd have those perfect charcoaled edges, and boy was it delectable. First off, I love salad rolls & they even offered the pork + shrimp option which usually my mom makes at home (in PDX I've noticed usually its pork OR shrimp) but yes! Best of both worlds. I recommend grabbing a spoon and scooping some of the peanuts that's drizzled on the peanut sauce to get the extra crunch in your bite. The bun (Vietnamese word for vermicelli noodles) were the perfect texture too, they had that fresh bounce I love when you get the noodles cooked perfectly. So far I've had their vermicelli noodles (bun) & their beef pho, which were so fresh and flavorful. I always recommend a noodle bowl if you're craving a bit more greens in your dish, but the pho has grandma's broth! I can see why they have it as a side option to pair with any meal. It is incomparable to other pho places, you can tell they use fresh ingredients and just the right amount of salt. Also their sirloin and eye rounds were on point! So tender it just falls apart in your mouth. There was nothing left in my bowl once I was done; I sometimes wish there was a large option because just thinking about this is making my mouth water. Guess it's time to make another stop by! read more

Lela's Bistro - Vietnamese sausage rolls are a must! Unique to this place with crispy edges! Yesss - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I went today as it was listed as a great spot for Pho on the Portland guides and I was a little bummed out. The broth was basic and anything but special. I've had better Pho at chain places. Definitely wish I would have gone somewhere else. read more

Lela's Bistro - Beef Pho - Beef (gf) - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Really disappointed. Don't understand the hype. It's in a cute little old house, but the food took way too long and was severely lacking in flavor and portion size. It's overpriced for what you get, both quality and quantity, and there's virtually no service- it's just self serve and you sit and wait and hope for your food. read more

Best Vietnamese in town Pho Real!! It doesn't get better than the broth! The pho is top notch. The bhan mi sandwich was fresh as can be the chicken was so amazing I loved the seasoning. Fresh veggies. Carrots and cucumber. Fresh bread. Very cute venue in a small old house. Amazing service. You have to go here! I can't wait to get back here soon! read more

Lela's Bistro - Chicken Bhan mi Combo-chicken and cup of pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Really great service, food was delicious and loved the location of this restaurant! I will definitely come back to this place with my family. read more

This is my neighborhood go to Vietnamese place and I like their portobello mushroom banh mi, and now they have a combo with soup (chicken, or salad. Beef or vegetarian). I would ask a little light on the sauce (a bit too sweet and taste more mayonnaise than I like), but buns are crisp and mushrooms are perfect substitute with meat. Simple but great lunch spot around NW area. read more

Lela's Bistro - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The curry was delicious. The Thai salad was good but American. Great cashier/waitress. Adorable place.

Super cute lil boutique vintage house in the center of the downtown area in Portland, vegan sandwiches while sitting on the porch people watching was so cute ! read more

A nice lunch is to be found here! The bread in my Bahn Mi was crispy and warm and the condiments inside were freshest and the pork was tender. I choose the vegetarian soup that that was a nice compliment to the sandwich. read more

Lela's Bistro - My meal - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

My friends and I always get pho here, it's our go to spot. The atmosphere is cozy and comforting with lots of seating. A good menu with variety. They offer pho and sandwiches too. I usually get the pho because it's so dang good. There are also options for vegetarians. read more

Lela's Bistro - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

At Lela's, you order and pay at the counter, then they will give you a number to pick a table to get seated at. Since the weather was pretty nice we opted to sit outside. Tables were generally pretty well spread out for social distancing. We ordered the lemongrass chicken bahn mi combo with beef pho and the chicken pho. The bahn mi was good, chicken was flavorful and not dry. However I was disappointed there was only pickled carrots and not the traditional pickled radish/carrot combo. The side of beef pho was very comforting and I love the idea of a Vietnamese soup/salad combo! Flavor of the beef pho was on point and you can really taste the aromatics and spices used. The chicken pho was very clean in flavor but was a little bit sweet and didn't have as much oomph as the beef pho. Some places have very deep chicken flavor in their chicken pho but Lela's is on the crisp/cleaner end. I'm not sure if this was due to COVID and staffing issues, but food takes a LONG time to come out. Probably 15+ minutes, which is very different than what we are used to for Vietnamese food! Food is served as it is ready so I was pretty much done with my sandwich combo by the time my boyfriend's chicken pho came out. Overall, a nice place to grab lunch and will add it to our rotation of restaurants when visiting Portland! read more

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One word...FRESH! We ordered a bunch of things on the menu. I ordered pho as well as summer rolls. The summer rolls were huge and delicious as it should be. The pho was so darn tasty thoooo. My friend had the curry which she really enjoyed. I opted out of the Thai ice tea which I sincerely regretted later when I got home. It gets a bit busy but I moved the fact that they brought us some water while we waited for our orders. I can wait to eat here again when I come back to visit. read more

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I came here on a Saturday evening and there were plenty of seats available inside and outside. I was hoping to try their traditional banh mi (dac biet) and eggrolls, but both were sold out for the day. Instead, I got the pork belly banh mi based on the employee's recommendation. Well, it was amazingly delicious! The pork belly had a nice crunch and the perfect balance of fat and meat. It also came with a side salad. I was honestly surprise how good it was and have been craving for it! My friends got the pork belly banh mi and the lemongrass salad bowl, which they both thoroughly enjoyed. It's definitely pricey for banh mi if you're used to cheaper Vietnamese banh mi shops. However, it's worth a try! read more

One of the best Banh Mis in town and the side of Pho always hits the spot. Love this place! read more

Lela's Bistro - Traditional Banh Mi Combo - with chicken pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

As a viet person I'm very hesitant in eating at a viet restaurant due to 1) pricing and 2) taste and I can gladly say even though it was a little pricey the food was . My kids annihilated the springrolls and Vermecilli and the banh mi tofu was scrumptious! Regardless I can say this is a legit viet restaurant to eat at read more

Best overall pho I've had so far in portland. I think LucLac's broth has slightly more depth, but the meat at Lela's pairs better with the broth IMO. The BahnMi is solid as is the lemon grass and the rolls. I've enjoyed everything I've tried here. read more

Certainly some of the best pho I've had in the PNW. So tasteful and wholesome. The atmosphere is so perfect and the service was literally perfect. The lemongrass chicken spring rolls were balanced and fresh, with amazing peanut sauce. The beef pho has a wonderful light and clean broth. No heavy, over salted, and over sweet soup here unlike majority of spots. Amazing aromatics that come through so well with the balance of the broth. Noodles were literally perfect tenderness. Also appreciate that they don't give you too many bean sprouts and basil. Instead of an old pile of sprouts you get higher quality in the right portion for the soup. You can tell the meat is high quality. Every bite was something special. They don't over complicate it and you feel super satisfied with the portions without feeling overly full. Meylin at the front is an absolute gem. So cheerful and warm hearted, couldn't express enough how she really made our experience unforgettable even beyond the amazing food. She is a wonderful employee read more

Lela's Bistro - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Tried the pork belly bahn mi and the lemongrass chicken noodle (vermicelli) bowl today for lunch. Pork Belly Bahn Mi - liked the flavor of the pork but there was a pretty small single piece of pork belly on the whole sandwich. It was mostly bread, and there weren't enough pickled carrots and definitely not enough sauce so it was dry. Wish it came with more sauce cause the sauce had a nice flavor. It came with a nice pho broth but was way overpriced at $12! Probably would pay $7 for this. The lemongrass chicken noodle bowl was pretty good and fresh, and the quantity of protein was much more reasonable. That was $12.50 which was fair. Would come back for noodle bowls only. read more

Lela's Bistro - Lemongrass chicken noodle bowl - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Amazing pho and vermicelli dishes. I've had the beef and chicken pho along with the lemongrass chicken with cold noodles. All were excellent and would order again. Food comes quickly and is always on point. It's a must visit when out walking on 23rd read more

Here's how our visit goes, you're welcome to copy or adjust as you see fit. Walk up the stairs into the welcoming home-turned-restaurant. Turn right to say hi to the friendly staff and place your order. Start off with the pork and shrimp salad rolls. Choose between the lemongrass chicken noodle bowl or the lemongrass chicken banh mi with a side cup of pho. Grab a beer and make your way to the front porch to sit in the two rocking chairs that overlook the street. Relax and enjoy an amazing meal as you watch the world go by. That's the complete LeLa's experience. read more

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Usually I like Lela's but I recently ordered from them and was super disappointed. This cost almost $20 and was half full with about 4-5 pieces of chicken. This chicken curry was mainly broth and wasn't a lot of food at all. I was super disappointed with this email. This was not worth the price at all. Lela's, please do better. read more

Lela's Bistro - Chicken curry - Vietnamese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Great spot for a pho & people watching. Only down side I wish they gave more toppings: basil & bean sprouts.

Feels like a family kitchen. Pho was like a warm hug. Banh mi had flavor and crunch. Will be a winter staple for us.