Sorry for the downgrade... (Almost!) Went with some "friendlies" (their recommendation). A/C only serves the front entry. Extremely uncomfortable in the eating area. Knowing that Thai is served on large plates (scoop your own...), 4 of us were seated by the bartender - "BT" (no other staff outside of the kitchen to help) at what we expected to be a too small 3X3 table ...and it was! BT took our orders. We ordered 3 Thai "BoBo" Teas (was out of BoBo's). Thai Tea only then. And water. We ordered over $100 in plates. Okay presentation, including 2 appetizers. The "BT" delivered the wrong ones. We called him on it, he removed it and brought the correct appetizer order. The food was weak, over saucy and over cooked. Pork Satay - BAD and TOUGH! Larb, mealy and distasteful. Hungry, we tried to dine anyway. Afterwards while waiting for the "BT" to bring the check, when it came, was without details. But he quickly took my "CC." When he returned, he had charged us for his mis-ordered appetizer. (He only brought the itemized check when I was expected to sign and leave...But I Always check closely. Glad I did!) He could not reverse the overcharges and had to call someone for instructions. 30 minutes later, still sitting in the sweltering hot corner, he finally said he reversed and re-charged our bill. I demanded proof and copies to insure we weren't double charged. If you dare, and don't know good Thai food...Go carefully into this den and "Beware!" (Sorry, no photos) read more

The worst food ever! Green curry chicken had hardly any chicken in it, and it was stretched by using large hard pieces of cabbage. The green curry was a weird color of green, and had no flavor. we mentioned how tasteless the dish was and the service staff gave us only 30% off this item only. This felt ridiculous since it was so inedible! The brown rice we ordered was actually a red rice, and so overcooked it was mushy. Today, my friend ended up in the EMERGANCY room with food poisoning, and I was very sick also, but able to get through it at home. read more

We tried eating there a week ago but the waitress started yelling at everyone shortly after we seated ourselves. I think she was overwhelmed with how short staffed they are. I wasn't sure if I should get up and help her or leave. We left as to give her a break... I will say that the food is always fresh and so good. I'm trying it again today with girlfriends instead of husband. Will see how that goes. It seems to be the norm everywhere we go now. Long lines, no staff. I guess we just need to be a little more understanding these days of each other and just allow more time. Jump in where can instead of complain. After all, we are blessed not to be dodging bullets somewhere. For the most part, ours are verbal at this point and we can control that and our demanding attitudes. BE KIND OUT THERE read more

Wait times for service and food are ridiculously long. The chicken satay was burnt black on one side, over salted and dry. I was given the wrong order and because we had waited well over an hour for our meal I just tried to eat it. How do you manage to make chicken in broth dry?! Flavorless, tough and inedible. I stopped after a few bites. They still charged us for the dish I actually ordered. Do not go here. A chaotic mess. read more

Upon entering and having to wait several minutes to be greeted and given a menu after being seen by two staff, I was a bit nervous about eating here. Soon all of that was put to rest once I ordered. I had the large bowl of Pho since it was only $1 more than the small (no medium size). It came piping hot with all the fixings. Generous portions of meat and noodles along with a flavorful broth. That hit the spot as did the Thai iced tea. A very filling meal. Service improved as I was checked on during the meal. Pleasantries exchanged made my experience enjoyable. The ambiance was a bit lacking but good for business meetings or lengthy conversations without much background noise. Full bar and TVs for sports also available. read more

I have always liked this place. Decent food. I placed an order today and when I got home I'm missing rice to go with my curry. How am I supposed to eat it with no rice. I literally paid $40 for two plates which is bad enough and she says there's nothing they can do. I can go and waste another half hour to go get the rice but they can't even refund me that meal because they only forgot the rice. So now I get to waste half and hour and gas to go get the rice and then come and eat cold food. Not the best customer service at all. I wondered why they had bed reviews before but now I guess I know. read more

Since moving to the harbor 3 years ago Lele's service and food quality have really gone downhill. The last time my husband and I went there for dinner, roughly 6 mos ago, we were seated in a booth and ignored. Staff walking right by us and not one person stopped and asked us if we wanted water, food, anything. We waited 20 minutes and got up and walked out. Tonight, 8/22/19 we decided to give it another go and the disappointment didn't disappoint. I ordered the Pad Thai w/shrimp... I don't recommend it or any variation of pad thai, they don't do it well. The chicken satay was dry and I don't know what sauce they sent us home with but it definitely wasn't peanut sauce. My husband had the red curry chicken with similar results. We both have decided we won't be going back. Too bad too, I used to really enjoy the Vietnamese beef salad. Update: Both my husband and I felt terrible after our meals on 8/22. Bloated, stomach and headaches, terrible nights sleep for us both. Other details I will spare you Yelpers out there! My stomach is very sensitive to msg so I would say there was a lot of it in these meals. read more

I placed an order through Doordash and the Lele only gave the dasher 2 of the 3 items I ordered. Completely ruined lunch today as only 2 of us got food. When I called Lele I was told I need to get a refund through DoorDash. I was told i would have to reorder through DoorDash to get what the Lele's did not give to the dasher. Horrible customer service and no attempt to make it right. read more

Food is really good for the style they're serving! Portions are great too. Cocktail menu is surprising and well executed. Service is a little slow but I'm sure they're understaffed just like the rest of the world. We weren't in a hurry and had a great time. read more

Wrong order or made it wayyy wrong. I ordered the crispy pan fried noodles and it also anything but crispy. For a fancy upscale place the food is pretty poor. Sorry but I won't be returning. read more

I started going to LeLe's when they were just a little shop on "K" street in Tacoma. Mamas cooking was the best! She makes a Saigon Crepe that is so delicious! I have not yet ate in the new restaurant because the Pandemic happened but I am looking forward to it. Since I now live on the peninsula the new shop in Gig Harbor is so handy! We order to go for now. This is a small family owned business and I love supporting them. read more

Great food, good wifi and amazing service. She was alone and busy yet still attentive and personal at each table. I had a webinar to watch and chose this location with fingers crossed and it beyond exceeded my expectations! I had the fried noodles with tofu and it was delicious! read more

Lele's Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Gig Harbor, Washington

Great food, great service. Everything is fresh and wonderful! Scott is the best server! This is our favorite place!! We started with a great appetizer, had the soup and curry entree. read more

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The first time I went Was a positive experience. The young woman who served us was professional, attentive, friendly and helpful. However, returning for a second evening proved to be a mistake. The dining area and foyer should be kept cleaner, since they were closed for indoor dining and used the time to remodel for added space, it really should not be an issue. The main issue I had was with the service and server. To be very blunt, the older gentleman server should not be serving. He was sloppy with his personal attire, unclean and seemed to be untrained in the appropriate way to bring out food and serving dishes. His hands (unwashed, I know because I could see all his activity) touched our plates and not just a bit with their thumbs tucked under the plate, but entirely on the plates and into the food. I was disgusted. I politely asked for new dishes and asked if he could refrain from touching our food and the serving dishes.. He became angry, grabbed the plates and came back with ridiculous gloves and loudly set down our plates, please note that he still carried and touched the dining plates. He never changed his gloves and interacted with various areas and patrons. Never once witnessed any hand washing. When we asked for the chili paste we ordered, we watched him retrieve it from a multi-use clean and soiled sideboard. He also snatched it from our table with the same spoon in it and placed it back on the sidebar. Totally unsanitary for us and the next patrons. We ordered a good deal of food and we were hungry, however, I could not eat any of the food after witnessing the poor sanitary and service. The food was contaminated. Also, my daughter was only able to eat a few bites of the dish another server brought out. I would recommend skipping this place altogeth read more

Tried to eat here when we had to wait a couple hours to see a movie last night. We went in the group behind the bar told us to sit anywhere. We sat there for a little more than 30 mins and no one came to ask if we wanted something to drink or bring water or anything. When we walked in there were 2 tables already seated where we could see them and when we walked out they still had nothing on their tables. When we went to get up and leave the staff looked at us like they were offended. One guy walked by and said everything is good here. Not even a question. It was like he was trying ti convince us it was good. I gave them 2 stars bc this is the only time I've been here and the food on the menu sounded good. No idea how it tastes or looks bc I didnt see anyone with food. Management might want to look at the lazy staff working 2/15 at about 6:30-7:08p read more

The food was very good. Especially enjoyed the crispy prawn appetizer. There were three servers that helped us. The service was good although the male was curt and needs to work on his people skills. read more

Worst experience ever! I ordered take out on my way home before they closed. The staff was not sure how to make bubble tea, but made it anyway. Both taste like water and come to find out I had a hidden surprise, a long hair!. Also ordered 2 large pho's. One steak and one brisket. They decided I wanted 2 brisket pho's instead. The broth was horrible. They could have at least gave me some sauce packets to make it edible, but they couldn't even do that.. I called and spoke to someone about this to see if they could make this right and let's just say they couldn't because I didn't take a picture of the food. I am very unhappy with my experience here. I did tell them I would give them a 2nd chance if they made my order right, but from what they told me they just can't do it.. I would not recommend this place at all! If I could do zero stars I would! read more

The restaurant is pretty and the server was nice enough however for the price I would have liked to see higher quality food, even with smaller portions. It all just tasted kind of box made, not homemade with care like I'd expect from a true Vietnamese restaurant. It wasn't bad at all, it just wasn't good. read more

Lele's Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Gig Harbor, Washington

Get ready to wait over an hour. The whole time they'll tell you it'll be done in 10 minutes. While we were waiting, we watched several other parties leave because the wait was so long. read more

Tried this restaurant about a yr ago with my family. Our first daughter was just over a yr old and starting to eat foods we eat. Our server created a wonderful experience for us all that def made us want to come back. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is beautiful and authentic. The dishes were flavorful and creative in both presentation and combinations of ingredients. I wish I could remember the name of our server because he was so thorough and kind.(Maybe Scott?) He got us excited about trying items we wouldn't have otherwise selected. He also brought out a little dish of soft veggies right away for our daughter, on the house. All of these conditions inspired us to purchase several dishes and really enjoy our dinner experience! I have always been a fan of Thai food, yet this restaurant left a special and lasting impression. Update: we have visited this restaurant a few times now and have had an excellent experience every single time read more

Went there on a Friday evening out...only one server for the whole place and waited 15 minutes just to get water. we waited another 5 or so minutes with no service then just left. Sky high menu prices ($20+ for fried rice??!!) only aggravated by lack of service. I'd recommend going somewhere else. read more

Love all their soups! Never to Salty! I get the big bowl and take a little bit home perfect for the next day at lunch. read more

Heed the warnings and stay away! This restaurant does not belong in uptown... My girlfriend and I originally tried to go to Thai Hut (out favorite Thai restaurant ever) but they were short staffed and only taking to go orders. So we thought we'd try the next closest place and went to Lele, big mistake! We started off with a nice greeting from the staff but saw many un-bussed tables despite 3 servers working and nearly no one in the restaurant besides us. We looked over our sticky menus and decided on 2 Mai Tai's and the Lele Appetizer Special to start. The first problem was watching the bar tender make the drinks. She was extremely short on her pours, resulting in a sugary cup of orange and pineapple juice for $10. Despite this set back I was still excited for our appetizer. The appetizer arrived in a timely matter and everything was delicious, especially the fresh rolls. At this point I had high hopes for the main course. Upon arrival of our chicken pad Thai and chicken fried rice I could already tell this was no fresh meal. The chicken was steaming on top of the rice and no egg in sight, a very clear sign that this rice was pre-prepared and simply heated up and then presented with fresh chicken on top. The rice was absolutely terrible, very puffy and chunking together with almost no flavor. The pad Thai was prepared fresh but whoever made it has clearly never had pad Thai before... a very unpleasant flavor without even a hint of peanut sauce. Would not recommend unless the only thing you want is spring rolls. read more

Waited 1 hour and a half for food before deciding just to leave. Drinks were forgotten and there was little communication with us on why the wait was so long. We come here often and are disappointed that this is the second visit we've had where we've had to wait over 45 minutes for food. We will not be returning. read more

We have ordered take out here multiple times the food is so yummy! The fried egg rolls are delicious and have a really yummy sauce that comes with it. We always get pan fried noodles with beef and chicken fried rice. We call ahead our order and our food is ready in the amount of time they predicted usually takes about 15 min. This place is one of our fav take outs! read more

I was super excited to have found a place near me that serves Bun bo hue. I thought, Lele's Restaurant will be my go to spot. Man, was I wrong. Placed a pick up order over the phone..service was fine. I ordered an appetizer(Chicken wings) and Lele's special spicy beef noodle soup or "Bun Bo Hue". Took 30-35mins, no problem in waiting..wouldn't want to rush a good meal plus, I caught them at a busy hour. Once, I got my order and opened it at home. I seem to be missing 3/4 of the bun bo hue..spicy beef noodle soup. I was given an ample amount of soup, a slab of noodles and 5 small pieces of beef. I have never had a bun bo hue that didn't contain; gelatinous pig blood, pork hock, hue style sausages and it's spicy umami flavor. :( Well, at least the chicken wings were a hit. read more

I read the reviews before coming here and now that I've experienced what Lele has to offer, I agree with other Yelpers when they say that this restaurant is overpriced and service could be A LOT better. I was a part of a group of 16 and we were seated in the separate room with a large painting, a huge lounging area, and couches lined up against the wall. It was pretty funny to see that there was a huge disco ball hanging from the ceiling. What do they do there after hours? But let's start with the food because while it was really good, it was really overpriced. The Chicken Satay I ordered was $10, the two pieces of Fresh Spring Rolls were $6.99, the Small Well Done Beef Noodle Soup, as well as a Yazitini cocktail. The satay was fancy and was not served on the skewer but cut into slices. I was apprehensive with the Fresh Spring Rolls at first since they weren't closed. My last experience with open-ended Fresh Spring Rolls made me irritable because all of the innards fell out. Ugh. But I'm happy to say that these open ended ones didn't fall out. I don't know why the Beef Noodle soup wasn't listed as Pho, but it was just pho - and pho not worth bragging about at that. That soup had a bigger ratio of noodles to meat and tripe. $15 for a bowl of Beef Green Curry? I can't help but drive it home, overpriced. Since I was a part of a group of 16, I can't complain about the length of service because it was a lot of food. However, once that server was gone, he was nowhere to be seen. It took awhile for my relatives to track him down. He refilled our waters once, and the rest of the time we found that he left an extra pitcher on the counter when we couldn't find him. As we exited, I saw that he was the ONLY person working the front with the two other parties inside! I can't fully blame his lack of service, but there should've been another person behind the bar at least. Overall, the food was good, but the service didn't match how overpriced they were. read more

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Used to love LeLe and could count on good fresh food. Our takeout food tonight was inedible. I literally had to throw it out. I ordered grand ginger chicken and the sauce was burnt and it was filled with big chunks of uncooked cabbage. 2 slivers of chicken in the entire dish. They used to make the best ginger chicken and what I got was shockingly bad. I hope they read this and have a talk with the cook. Even the rice was old and not fresh tasting. Yuck. Such a huge disappointment. read more

I really thought after how many months of not dining in here they made some improvements but same damn thing! The management was terrible. It took awhile for our food (1 hour) that we ended taking it to go cause we have another event to go to. We decided to leave cause we over heard another customer complained about the long wait. Their management needs some real managers. Geez! read more

Not the best spot if you are looking for an authentic Asian food experience. Location is great but the food is bland.

I've eaten here several times over the last two months and the food is always exceptional! I had dinner here last night and I am having leftovers for breakfast this morning because the food is delicious! ! The restaurant's ambience creates the perfect setting for date nights. The service is great. I highly recommend this place. read more

The restaurant has nice decor. The service was friendly, quite attentive. I was pleased they had many options including Asian and American fare on their children's menu. We ordered Viet curry, Viet macaroni, and Chop Chae. All the dishes were tasty. The veggies were sauteed perfectly just a little crunch left. The portions were generous we had plenty of left overs for lunch the next day. The prices on the menu were very reasonable. Most entrees ranging from $10.99-13.99. Remember this is Gig Harbor. They do have a space for groups that has plenty of sofas for lounging, a fireplace, a piano. Ideal for office party or family gathering. The only thing that could use improvement would be to clean up tables in a timely manner. All in all we would go back. read more

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The customer service and food is excellent. My fav is Chicken Pad Thai, and Vietmanize Tea. My boyfriend always has the soup and always loves it. The appetizers are good too! My fav waitress is Linda. The young men there are nice too. read more

This was an amazing find! My wife and I love going to new places and LeLe was a great find. The food was delicious and was served with such beautiful detail. The interior of the restaurant is very nice. My wife and I really enjoyed our meal here and the servers were really nice. read more

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Excellent food and customer service. Highly recommended by the food lover, me. Always fresh always delicious. Good prices for really good food. We come often! read more

Lele's Restaurant - Arrrgghhh! The captain says make way matey! - Vietnamese Near Me - Gig Harbor, Washington

We've eaten here several times since they've renovated the interior and re-opened and all I can say is "WOW"! The food here is so fresh and so explosively flavorful. In the past, I have played it safe with my ol' standby's like Pad Thai, Red Curry or Pho (all of which are done very well here). However, during my last visit, I got the "Tom Kha" (spice level 2/5). I think it is one of their signature dishes. OMG! You know a dish is spectacular when your significant other abandons their own entree and just wants to eat what's on your plate. That's what happened to me. So many layers of flavor there. My wife got the pineapple fried rice, also great. We've made it a goal to eventually try everything on the menu to sample all the different sweet, sour, and savory combinations offered here at Lele's. The only negative thing I could say was that the wait staff was severely understaffed. We were there on a Monday afternoon and the waitress was running around trying to keep up. She was great, but she needed help. I've seen some of the more negative reviews and a lot of them have to do with the service. So I would recommend that Lele's fix this issue so that their restaurant service can be as good as their food. Even with those issues...its still a five star in my book because the food is so wonderful. read more

I liked the Panang Beef. Wife didn't like her pad Thai. Ordered take out but the restaurant interior looks nice read more

Here's the truth about Lele. The food is good. The service, while kind, is lacking. Why? Because there's literally ONE DUDE who has to serve, bartend, and bus two full rooms during a lunch crowd. I feel for him, because he's a sweet kid, but overworked. Also, where are your banh mi? They seem to be banhned. They're outta here as if they were on the autobanh. God, I could do this shit puns all day. The same exact amount of time I had been craving a banh mi. read more

I am glad I found this restaurant in Gig Harbor, the appetizer was great. Duck is crispy. Interior looks nice and warm. Service was great too. I will come back again. read more

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The service was extremely good. Our server, Van, was pleasant, efficient, and understood details. However the food was assembled, not cooked, to order. In fact the food came out faster than the hot sake. I would guess the fried tofu, the panang sauce, and the rice were made days before. Old and dried. I asked for spicy number 4 and it was 2 at best. On the good side, the peanut sauce for the fresh spring rolls was tasty. Probably best just to drink at their full bar. read more