5 stars based on Bahn mi, cha gio and iced coffee I ordered today. I must have been part of an early crowd. When I arrived, there was only one other table dining, which made it GREAT for me. It's a decent size hall with 10+ table arrangements, making it pretty great for a group to enjoy their lunch. It also featured a couple of kiosks for ordering, which I thought was a bit easy to miss, since it was tucked away in the left corner when you walked in. It looked like there was also a cashier available to take orders, if you miss the kiosks. I've seen places where they simply do not have anyone at the register to take orders, but that wasn't the case for Lotus. Before deciding to visit them today, I had an impression that their menu choices were very limited compared to other Vietnamese restaurants I was used to. I'm certainly not complaining, since I'm usually a huge fan of select "specialty" approach in restaurants. That's why I decided to order one of their Bahn mi, where I normally would have chosen pho for my first visit. And it didn't disappoint. First off, the size of the sandwich was good. I've had it where they charged a buck or two less, but they weren't big enough to be a full "lunch" portion. Lotus' size, I thought was decent. I had ordered one of their cha gios just in case the sandwich failed to fill me, but I think I would have been okay without it. Cha gio was super good tho! Oh, and the iced V-coffee was good, too. Typically, they'll bring out the coffee before your meal is ready, probably because they're ready-made in the morning and all you'd need to do is pour them over ice. I of course, have known legitimate mom n' pop places, where they'll actually bring out coffee as it's brewing in Phin (stainless steel coffee filter) and a glass of ice with condensed milk, so you can wait for the coffee to finish brewing and pour yourself one, which is what I *always* prefer. Not here, but no big deal. You can usually tell how good the food is going to be by trying their iced coffee. Even though V-coffee isn't known for using "incredible" beans, the balance of the strength of coffee and condensed milk *does* make a big difference in your experience. I felt this place had it correct! I'll definitely come back myself and even bring coworkers or my family to have their Bahn mi again. What I'm not sure about is whether I want to try their pho or bun. First, they don't offer too many variations, so I'm stuck choosing from just a few. (For example, I usually go for "brisket-only" or a combo of brisket and rare steak, but they didn't seem to have those options. Granted, it's possible they'll make it happen if I asked) Secondly, I think they're a couple bucks more expensive than what I would like to pay for a bowl of pho. We'll see. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Honey pork Bahn mi with side of jalapeno peppers. - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ambiance - neighborhood gem, casual, offers small dine in area Service - order at kiosk upon arrival, self serve, pick up food at counter Food - pho broth was aromatic, sliced beef was slightly different than what I'm used to (it was marinated, not the typical rare un-marinated sliced beef) read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Beef Noodle Salad - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It was a casual afternoon, my husband and I happened to be craving Thai food so we decided to give this spot a go. When it comes to Bánh Mi, I felt the honey grilled pork was average. It wasn't bad just had a little too much sweetness from the pickled vegetables to the actual pork. It terms of the size of my sandwich it was pretty decent. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Honey Grilled Pork Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This Bánh mi sand which was so meaty and full of flavor. We also ordered the side of broth which was huge lol it's actually very shareable. The shrimp veggie rolls also very yummy. Service was good and it's a small restaurant but it's perfect for just two people and it's cute little ambiance. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Ginger Chicken Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is right where UIC is and it has Pho noodles or dry vermicelli noodles and banh mi or vietnamese sandwich. I got their pork belly one and it used to be really good but it has become soggy and so salty. Used to come here with friends to catch up before covid but seems like their banh mi have changed. Their spring rolls are fresh and good. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Lotus Bahn mi is my new favourite place to grab a quick lunch. Very filling and yet it feels very healthy. It is a self serve restaurant, and the restaurant space is limited. I tried their pork house salad with rice noodles, chicken pho, honey grilled pork bahn mi and shrimp spring roll. Everything I tried was amazing. But if I had to rank what I ate, it would be - 1. The Bahn Mi 2. Pork house salad 3. Chicken Pho 4. Shrimp Spring Roll. Just to clarify, the shrimp spring roll was very good! The honey glazed pork in that crisped up bread was what dreams are made of, and it was super filling. I would keep trying other items from their menu. It's a must visit in Chicago. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Pork House Salad - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good pho, casual dinning kind of outside of city center. Egg rolls freshly made. Device was fast you have to clean your table and dump the left over food on your own. We tipped but now sure why because you do your own everything. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Pork egg rolls and beef Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

There was some street parking available just before crossing the bridge to where the restaurant is located. I didn't know what to expect, but the menu turned out to be quite limited -- just three types of pho (beef, chicken, and tofu), a few bánh mì options, and a small selection of appetizers. When you walk in, you're greeted by a staff member behind the counter. She'll let you know that you can place your order either at the counter or using the self-serve kiosk. Once your food is ready, she'll call out your order for you to pick up. This is a fully self-service spot -- if you need utensils, sauces, or water, there's a table in the back corner. After you're done eating, you're expected to clear your own dishes and sort them into the labeled bins. If you prefer full table service, this might not be the place for you. That said, it was quiet on a Sunday morning, which was a nice change -- no line, no wait. My boyfriend and I ordered the beef pho and a bánh mì to share. The beef in the pho was a bit too chewy and lacked flavor, and it didn't seem like the traditional pho noodles or beef cuts you'd expect. However, the bánh mì was tasty, the Vietnamese coffee hit the spot and we both left feeling full. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came here right at opening and the doors were still locked and the open sign was still off. The lady that opened the door was very welcoming. She unlocked the door and then walked away. Usually you open the door and say good morning or something. And then we approach the counter and we place the order ourselves on the screen. Literally zero interaction with an employee so far. We ordered their Honey Grilled Pork and their Sunny-Side Beef Bánh mi as well as an order of their six piece Soy Glazed Wings. The food is where they win me over. Screw all that unnecessary interaction that I was hoping for before. Don't need it. Just keep making these delicious Banh Mi. Especially the sunny side Banh mi. It came with a sunny side egg, grilled onions, beef, five spice house mayo, carrots, cucumbers, and cilantro. A very delicious sandwich and would definitely order it again. Both the wings and the pork Banh Mi were good as well. Will definitely be returning. read more

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It was a spontaneous move to come here:) my wife was starving. Found Lotus Banh Mi on Yelp. Ran in and ordered two Banh Mis to go. I get a sense that everything is made fresh. I could hear the pork meat sizzling in the kitchen:) Took some pics of the inside while waiting. Very tasty! read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Inside - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Service was great and the place looked nice and clean. I just feel like the pho could be better. For almost $18 the amount of beef in it wasn't worth it. My husband liked his salad tho. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I absolutely love Lotus I go here all the time. One of my favorite things is they sell bone broth separately so I literally just get a tub of it, it's so good! read more

I ordered: Pork House Salad - Honey grilled pork, rice noodles, pork egg roll, lettuce, pickled daikon, cucumber, cilantro, beansprouts, jalapenos, and garlic chili sauce Veggies in my salad were fresh. Pork egg roll filling was tasty although wrap could be lighter and flakier. Pork had good flavor but was dry. Garlic chili sauce was not garlicky at all but not bad drizzled over the rice noodles. No issues with service. Small amount of seating. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is one of our favorites in the area for a quick lunch. We have tried all the banh mis and this was our first time getting noodles. The bread is perfectly crusty and soft inside. The pork is savory and sweet. The dressing on the noodle bowl was springy and fresh. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Pork vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Finally found a good pho spot near us. This is going to be in our rotation. Got the chicken pho. It has seasoned and grilled chicken thighs. So much flavor. The broth is rich and delicious. Noodles were a bit different than others I've had. They had a little more bite to them and were slightly thicker, I think? Really good. We also randomly got the chicken wings and whoa! These were insanely good. The sweet chilli sauce is out of this world. They were fried nicely and kept their crisp, even though we got takeout. Staff was super nice and the order was ready pretty quick. Everything packaged really well for takeout. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Ginger Chicken Pho Noodle Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Still is one of my go-to spots for pho--the flavor usually hits just right. I just wish they were more consistent. A couple of times, the noodles were undercooked or the beef was tough and inedible. To their credit, they handled my complaints well, but I hope they stay on point and don't start slipping read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Beef Pho Noodle Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I took my mom here... we're Vietnamese and thought the food was good! We haven't been making much Vietnamese food at home and were craving some. Lotus Banh Mi is nearby and there is parking in the adjacent parking structure for only $3 for the first hour or two. Nice and easy! We had the belly classic banh mi and pork house noodle salad. The banh mi bread was nice and soft and the overall flavors were good, but there wasn't much meat or pate. The noodle bowl was also good and seemed fresh. I thought the fish sauce could be a little more fishy, but my mom thought it was good enough and satisfied her craving. I preferred the banh mi over the bowl, but my mom enjoyed both. We finished our whole meal. We weren't stuffed, but were satiated. We definitely plan to come back. It was a fun and easy outing and the food was good enough! read more

Ibwas craving Pho. From a Google search I decided to try Lotus Banh Mi, since I was not far from the location. In this area of town you have the option of paid street parking or paid garage parking. This restaurant is bright, clean and quaint. The service was friendly and great. You order at the counter and pickup when your order is ready. My friend and I dined in for the whole experience. I love ginger, but have never had ginger flavored Pho before. Lotus Banh Mi's Pho options are different from any Vietnamese Pho restaurant I have ever dined in or dined from, across the country. Curious about the taste of their Ginger Chicken Pho, I decided to try it. Let me tell you it was quite delicious! This dish has the perfect balance of ginger flavor, as it was not over powering. read more

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Ambience: very small restaurant (more meant for takeout). Maybe 4 tables and a few stools. That's the "we'd rather you carryout" Service: Not sure they are aware of that term. YOU order at the counter. YOU pick up the food from the counter. And YOU bus the table! And YOU have to make sure you dump the broth before you put it in the dish tray! Yes...they have a sign that tells you to do so. Food: I had multi generations of Vietnamese present and the vote was NEVER AGAIN (actually, more like, how could you do this to us). Broth was too sweet. Fish sauce was more than watered down - just water. Egg rolls were fine but I was thinking a $3 egg roll would blow me away!!! And I thought I had mistakenly ordered a $15 kid bowl. Barely any rice, not even half of a pork loin of slices, and just bulked up with low-cost veggies. EPIC FAILURE AND HUGE WASTE OF HARD-EARNED MONEY. read more

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Hard to trust these good reviews but maybe my standards are high being from California. This was not good. I had the Belly classic bahn mi and the shrimp spring rolls. The bread was so toasted to basically just powder, there was no chew to it whatsoever. The flavor was ok but something felt off. As for the shrimp spring rolls, they came out like 20 min after the bahn mi. How?? No clue and they looked and tasted bad. It's literally just lettuce, vermicelli and shrimp. Where are the herbs? Mint leaves? Cucumber? Pickled daikon? Chives??? And not only that, the menu clearly states 2 pcs but what I got was 1 roll cut into 2, for $8. And to top it off, the peanut sauce was way too watery and tasted quite frankly like vinaigrette. Idk how this place has 4.5 stars lol but that's what you get when people who don't know Vietnamese food is writing the reviews. Not coming back to this place that's for sure. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great food. Fast service. Clean and bright atmosphere. We go here for take put quite a bit. The soy sauce chicken wings are really tasty and the sandwiches too. We will continue to get take out from this restaurant in the future. read more

100% chance I'd recommend this place. Not only did this place remind me how good Bahn Mi sandwiches could be, but this was possibly the best one I've ever had. We came here on a whim after running errands during the weekend (and being influenced by the good reviews on Yelp). My husband and I loved our sandwiches - they were flavorful, light and fresh. The wings were just as good, though they can be considered to have too much sauce. All in all, this place is a staple in our dining out rotation. read more

Smells amazing upon walking in and it's also very clean and fast service as well! If you like Vietnamese food, PHO specifically, this may be your place to try! Their bowls are great! Highly recommend. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Definitely my favorite bahn mi place in town. I've been to multiple locations and the quality is top tier. The tofu is always cooked and seasoned to perfection. The veggiecado and the tofu noodle bowl are my absolute faves. Come give this place a try, you won't regret it! read more

There is a parking garage very close to the location and it was $3 for 2 hours so that was nice. They had water, Sriracha and hoisin sauce out self serve which is nice. I got the banh mi and it was pretty good I really liked the bread, the meat was ok. My friend got the beef Pho and that was very good I would order that next time. The pork egg roll was very crispy and I likely the sweet chili sauce with it. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Pork Egg Roll and Belly Classic Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been here a few times and it always hits the spot! I usually get the Banh Mi and the spring rolls - so fresh and flavorful. Service was pretty quick and an affordable spot - both the Banh and Spring Rolls total to around $15 which is amazing for the quality of food and the portions. My friend also really enjoyed the Pork Rice bowl. Highly recommend. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Ginger Chicken Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Tofu and avocado Bahn Mi is out of this world. Awesome bread and loaded with veg! Everything was fresh, fast and delicious!

If you like Banh Mi (and who doesn't) you have to try this place. I ordered it for delivery, so can't comment on the location, but the food was delivered faster than the predicted time on yelp. I ordered the Honey Grilled Pork Banh Mi and an order of shrimp spring rolls. So delicious! I am going to have to restrain myself or I might order this every day! read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Honey Grilled Pork Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Lotus Banh Mi has pretty good banh mis. However when I first tried it I was trying to figure out why it tasted different. My theory is that since this is in Little Itali, they use a softer Italian style bread, rather than the typical crispy french baguette. Nevertheless it's a pretty good spot for a quick banh mi. I like the honey grilled pork sandwich. The "salads" they sell are actually my favorite item from Lotus. The salads all come with rice vermicelli noodles, egg rolls, and some flavored fish sauce to either dip or pour over (Nước Chấm/ Nước Mắm). I like to cut up the egg rolls with food scissors when I get home. Parking is convenient with a cheap parking garage nearby. Since I just parked for a short while to order takeout, I didn't even get charged to park there! read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Menu - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fresh, flavorful banh mi with perfectly crisp bread and great seasoning. The pho was rich and satisfying, and service was fast and friendly. Would love to see more vegetarian options, but overall a great spot--I'll be back! read more

Very great customer service. The food is very delicious. I would definitely come again and recommend my friends Very clean Viro is very nice guy Elida is a nice lady Manuel has a nice personality That cashiers are very professional I will definitely come again read more

Lotus Banh Mi - The cook is The cook is very good nice and funny guy - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Awesome reasonably priced friendly service sunny clean space $3 parking garage next door

Ordered honey grilled pork pho and pork egg roll. The serving size on the pho was massive. The soup was rich and the veggies toppings pulled it altogether. The noodle was cooked just right and the pork pieces were savory and abundant. The egg roll was crispy with light. Wish I had another! Ambiance was casual and comfy. Will definitely come back to try the rice bowl and banh mi sandwiches. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Honey grilled pork pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Finally found a good pho spot near us. This is going to be in our rotation. Good banh mi and pho :D

Love this place!!! Any sandwich is a win, my favorite is the veggiecado. Their pho is also on point. Quick, chill dinning.

I've always loved getting a Banh Mi sandwich after going to the UI Health clinic across the street. Since then they have expanded their menu and I tried the beef rice bowl today and it was excellent. I appreciate the fresh ingredients. read more

The best pho I've had in Chicago. Sure, coming from California, the notion of a bowl of pho costing more than $10 is basically on par with a war crime. But this pho is that good. You can taste the seared, slight smokiness in the broth. It's complex, savory, and aromatic. Another personal favorite is the pork egg roll vermicelli bowl. A joy. This is a small restaurant, with a few tables and some stools against the window. But the service is always pleasant and fast. Which is important when I'm trying to get a bowl of pho in my belly ASAP. read more

Lotus Banh Mi - Beef Pho Noodle Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Service & food are great. I requested substitution to make the salad low carb without the noodle and they happily prepared it as requested. We'll definitely come back and highly recommend this place read more

Five stars for the beef pho alone! I have never dined in but picked up multiple times and the order is always packed neatly to avoid spills, with fresh and hot food. The pho is so amazing when feeling under the weather, and I love the veggies and fixings they provide with it. Egg rolls are also very good as well as the wings. read more

I love Vietnamese food. I love pho and banh mis the most and Lotus has some of the BEST bánh Mi in the Chicago area. The sandwiches are well crafted and the bread is always fresh. The meats are tender and flavorful. They have delicious wings as well that are crunchy and drenched in yummy sauce. Service is always quick and never had any issues. I wish they bring the coconut water back because it was yummy. It's a great spot for lunch alone or with a friend as it's a small restaurant but I usually order it to go. So yeah I highly recommend it. read more