Not a very aesthetic looking restaurant but a great option for family style vietnamese/chinese dinner. Ordered the clams in basil sauce, lobster in house special sauce with garlic noodles, salt and pepper tofu, combination deep fried noodles, and pea sprout leaves. All the food was delicious, and the closest you'll probably get to Newport Seafood level food here in San Diego! Prices and portions are also significantly better than a lot of the other vietnamese/chinese family style restaurants I've been to recently. read more

I thought about this for a while before writing a bad review, but this place deserves it. I came here to order takeout while my husband and my baby were waiting in the car. The lady told me there would be a 15-minute wait because they only had one dine-in table while I was placing my order. I ordered three items: fish fillet with salt and garlic, chicken wings, and steamed chicken. I also tipped her cash before I left. I came back about 30 minutes later, and they told me my order was almost ready. However, I noticed two new dine-in tables had already received their food. That was frustrating, so I sat down and waited another 10-15 minutes. I finally asked, "Where is my food? I may need to cancel the order if it isn't ready because I have a baby waiting in the car and I need to leave." She said, "No, no, no," ran to the kitchen, brought out my order, and apologized. I don't think I will be coming back because of the poor service. It felt like my takeout order was pushed aside and made after the dine-in orders, even though I had already been waiting. The worst part was the fish fillet with salt and pepper. It was not what I expected at all. The pieces were extremely thin and covered in a heavy coating. I honestly could not accept that this was the dish being served. I would like to know what Chinese restaurant normally prepares fish fillet this way. I also had the feeling that the order was rushed after I complained, which made the experience even worse. I hope the restaurant understands what happened and takes the time to respond to this review. read more

Lotus Garden Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

It's rare to see these family style restaurants with Vietnamese/Chinese food nowadays. A lot of them closed down in east San Diego. This restaurant has a lot of the old Lee's Garden workers from back in the day. The lobster garlic noodles are delicious and is a great price! The clams were cooked well but wish they had more sauce. Crispy noodles were also very good. Great spot to go to with a big family to get a little bit of everything. The lobster is fresh. There's a lobster tank in the back. My family and I will be back! read more

See all

I've ordered from here a couple of times to-go but never dined in until now. First time dining in and wow.. the flavors of all 3 dishes I ordered were so good! Perfectly seasoned, 10/10. Service was also great 10/10! read more

See all

This restaurant use to be one of my favorite seafood restaurant but now, it's has gotten pretty bad. Quality has dropped pretty bad. This restaurant screwed me twice on my lobster order. Took a friend for a bday dinner. Ordered a four pound lobster. They bought out a fresh one to show me. But, when they bring out the cooked lobster for us, it's switch to an old lobster. You can tell it's old meat or dead lobster meat. The first time, I told them straight out it's old lobster. They made up some excuses and cooked a new one for me. This time around, my friend didn't want me to say anything and just never go back again. I paid a lot of money for the food and expects it to be fresh. Is this how they run a restaurant??!! You lost me as a customer! read more

See all

Lotus is a Chinese/Vietnamese Restaurant and shares the same owners and parking lot as the Minh Huong Supermarket. Lotus is a great event center with multiple dining rooms with the ability to rent upstairs space. You can enter from the back if you park in the lot. We found the restaurant to be outdated, not as clean, the food quality and taste was mediocre and the parking was terrible. Glad we had disabled placard but had to wait because someone parked illegally which caused major chaos with 2 other cars trying to maneuver out of the way safely while backing up into the Euclid Ave. We ordered our usual go to items which would determined if we would return. Glazed walnut shrimp ($14.99): The nuts were stale. It was soft and oily. Shrimp lacking crunchy edges. Clay pot fish ($15.99) Lots of fish slices but too much skin because they were end pieces and not filets. Not complaining about the portions. This dish was consistent but they could use a new clay pot. Sweet and sour tamarind fish soup (s $19.99): we thoroughly enjoyed this soup. I would prefer a tad bit more tamarind spice but it was delicious regardless. The small size was enough to feed 4 with left overs. 3 item rice ($12.99): Vietnamese translation on the menu said "broken rice". It was regular rice. By the look of this dish alone, I lost my appetite. The pork chops were dry, spam was over cooked and the steam egg loaf was not fresh. Combination crispy noodle ($13.99): We loved this dish. Protein included chicken, beef, seafood. Noodles were crispy and not stale. Decent flavor. Overall, very affordable and banquet size portions. I'll have to pass based on the inconvenient parking, poor execution and lack of flavor. 2.5 stars, rounding to 3 because of the price and generous portions. Inflation in this economy is real but Lotus is able to feed many families with their price point. read more

See all

Came here with my family and had a fantastic experience, despite some of the other questionable reviews. The food was surprisingly good and gave off hole-in-the-wall vibes, even though it's actually a banquet hall. Service was a bit stretched tho. There was only one waiter serving eight tables, but I'm assuming that's not the norm since it was a busy 11am Now, onto the food: Fried Tofu - The best dish by far! Light, silky, and perfectly crispy with just the right amount of seasoning. Would order again. Ca Kho To - Phenomenal. The braised fish was delicate, packed with flavor, and tasted just like my grandma's cooking. Perfect with white rice. Fish Sauce Chicken Wings - Smaller in size, but great flavor. Definitely worth trying if you've never had them before. Glazed Walnut Shrimp - Crispy and decent, but not my favorite. The portion was a bit small for the price, so I'd probably skip it next time. Papaya Salad - Spicy, tangy, and refreshing. Would definitely order again. Again, its pretty spicy lol Lobster with House Sauce - Delicious, but a little inconsistent. We ordered two lobster noodle dishes, and while they were cooked separately (which is a good thing), one was noticeably saltier than the other. Overall, the food here exceeded my expectations, and I'd definitely come back. If you're looking for solid, authentic flavors in an unassuming spot, this place is worth a visit! Parking can be limited in the back. read more

I use to like the food but maybe I order late , the lobster wasn't as fresh as I expected the veggies was over cook maybe this will help the restaurant check it over read more

We had the Lobster special, salt and pepper chicken wings and shrimp and pork fried rice. Everything was delicious except for the noodles under the lobster. The noodles were crunchy and we were expecting them to be soft. read more

Lotus Garden Restaurant - Lobster Special - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

I ordered through Uber eats. I think they forgot to salt. I mean, I don't like salty food, but of 7 dishes, 4 tasted salt free. Veggies were grey and limp, way overdone. Shrimp Chow Fun came with eggs, no shrimp. Shrimp rice skin dumplings were so dense and stiff, like someone microwaved them. The items that were ok, not great, were egg drop soup, pork pot stickers, and steamed pork buns. This was supposed to be a small festive birthday dinner after a long work day. Yuck. read more

This is a pretty decent place for Viet food! The food comes out quick and the food is very tasty! I would say most of the dishes tasted very authentic. My favorite was the lobster and ca kho. Lots of parking in the back! read more

See all

The owners of Minh Huong Supermarket opened this restaurant about 7 years ago, but surprisingly this was the first time I knew about it! Recently my brother found out about it from one of his friends. He tried it, loved it, and recommended it when our aunt was in town. Our family dined here last Friday night and we all loved the food! When we arrived, we didn't think much of the restaurant. The exterior wasn't the prettiest. The restaurant was rather empty when we arrived, so we were all questioning my brother's choice. When he arrived, he knew exactly what to order, so he took charge. He ordered the following: 8 lbs of lobsters, cooked 2 ways. One platter was cooked with the wet house special sauce with a bed of noodles underneath. One platter was prepared dry with garlic butter, scallions, and jalapeños. 2 orders of the garlic butter chicken wings Cubed black pepper beef Clams with basil Classic Vietnamese "canh chua" (tamarind soup with catfish, bean sprouts, tomatoes, okras, and other veggies) Sautéed pea sprouts There's an old saying " never judge a book by its cover." This quote is very appropriate for this particular restaurant. We didn't think much of it based on appearance alone, but boy were we wrong! The food was outstanding! Every dish was perfectly cooked with fresh ingredients. All of the meats, seafood, and produce came directly from their supermarket that's on the same lot. This is truly a hidden gem! I would go as far as to say that this is the best Vietnamese restaurant in San Diego! The total cost of our dinner was $450 before tax/tip. Not too bad, considering there were 11 of us, and we ate 8 lbs of lobster! They provided a complimentary plate of orange wedges at the end of the meal. Very pleasant service! read more

See all

My family and I came here for a birthday dinner. We usually go to other Chinese/Vietnamese restaurants, but we wanted to try somewhere different and they did not disappoint! Their restaurant is located on the corner of Euclid/Universally Ave. Very narrow streets and can be easily missed. There is parking in the back of the restaurant entering from Euclid Avenue in front of the Vietnamese supermarket Minh Huong and you can enter the restaurant from the back as well. Our family ordered salt and paper crab. This was to die for! I would get this again every time. Basil sautéed clams, the sauce is the bomb, just add rice and I could eat it everyday. Clay pot caramelized catfish, you really cannot go wrong with this. Tom yum soup, best I've ever had. It had the perfect balance of umami, sour, and sweetness. And their shrimp salad, which we almost licked the plate clean. The food came out so quick!!! So so quick! There was only one waiter working at the time, but she was very tentative to everyone in the restaurant so we were patient if we needed anything. Let me tell you, we finished all the food. There were no left overs at all!! This place will definitely be our go to restaurant for family dinners for now on! Can't recommend enough. And their menu has so many options! read more

Lotus Garden Restaurant - Right: salt and pepper crab to the. Middle: Tom yum soup with catfish. Bottom left: basil sautéed clams. Bottom right: shrimp salad. - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

Love coming here with our family so we can have a little bit of everything. Our favorites are definitely the salt & pepper shrimp and lobster with noodles. Everything is cooked very well and full of flavors. read more

Lotus Garden Restaurant - Family style - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

we oder the calamari here. we could not eat it . it tastes like wood. we called the restaurant,they said the kitchen,over cooked my oder,is this acceptable. sorry.that is how you take care customers service. the noodles is soaked bad. we were very upset.how can they open for business,it is bad read more

Very friendly and fast service. I like all the dishes , taste very good, if less greasy is better.

I don't think the server was attempting to win any congeniality awards. She wasn't necessarily rude, but I don't recall her saying much. Oh wait, she did tell me their lobsters are live and minimum 4 pounds when I asked for a small one. So, I passed on the lobster as 4 pounds seemed like a lot for a Monday. The ong choy leaves were tender but I didn't see an option with fermented bean curd on the menu (though, and don't quote me on this, this seems like the kind of place where you could ask for an off the menu dish). The salty fish fried rice looked good; I didn't see any large pieces of fish which can really take over taste wise because of just how salty the fish is. Most bites had the perfect amount of saltiness, but I did encounter two very off-tasting, fishy pieces. The shrimp and walnut dish was too slimy (mayonnaisy) for me. I know that mayonnaise is an ingredient, but I think they went overboard with it here. Overall, I consider this one of the best Chinese restaurants around here. I'd try anything else on their ginormous menu in addition to the ong choy and salty fish fried rice. read more

Lotus Garden Restaurant - Ong choy was tender - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

I did a pick up order here @9:30am for s&p wings, house fried rice, egg rolls and ice coffee. I had order from here quite a few times and their food was amazing.... Up until now. I was enjoying the chicken wing until I bite into it a little more and noticed it was quite red in the center. So I said ok maybe it's just this piece. I ate another wing.... And again it was a bit red. Which is scary to me.so I stopped trying to risk it. Now I'm taking a bite from the house fried rice..... it was on the plain side, there was no flavor there. I don't know what happened here... like I said I've ordered here quite a few times. Did they lost their touch?? Or was it too early? I'm so disappointed. read more

See all

Returned here for a 6-course banquet style meal, which for three tables served 30 people. Upon arrival, nothing was set for our reservation besides styrofoam cups filled with crushed ice. Water wasn't provided until an hour in. Throughout the meal, we asked for chopsticks, hoisin sauce, and spoons. Thankfully the food came out quickly but the servers failed to return to our table after the last dish arrived. =ORDERED= *Seafood Tofu Soup: extremely bland and runny. Lacked briny flavor and needed salt. *Stir Fried Pea Leaves: submerged in overly watery and salty sauce. The fried garlic bits were fragrant but there weren't many pieces incorporated. *Vietnamese Salad: my favorite dish since it was flavorful and balanced. Came with an acidic and sweet marinade that went well with the sliced pork belly, celery, lotus root, bell pepper, nuts, onions and shrimp. *Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings: tender meat with crispy skin and batter. The seasoning could have been stronger but this would suit those who prefer a mild wing. *Glazed Walnut Shrimp: walnut were crunchy while the shrimp were soggy from the smothered mayo. The sauce was mayonnaise forward as opposed to honey. Portion was on the smaller side. *Duong Chao Fried Rice: there were random clumps of plain white rice mixed in with the "fried" rice. Had minimal flavor besides the egg. Was primarily rice with no Chinese sausage and shrimp. Considering the strange coloration, I question the quality of rice used. *Lobster with House Sauce: so salty and oily. I enjoyed the noodle thickness but it was bathed in oil. The saltiness detracted from the chewy lobster. In terms of speed, Lotus Garden pumped out a feast in record time. If only the food quality was on par with the quickness. Besides convenience, I wouldn't return for Chinese or Vietnamese cuisine. read more

See all

First time here and pleasantly surprised. The restaurant is big and there's two rooms if the front gets too crowded. They have a pretty big menu so the lady was very helpful and gave us suggestions on what to order. We ordered the Vietnamese Hot and Sour Fish Soup, Stir Fried Snow Pea Leaves, Salt and Pepper Pork Chops, and I guess their known for their Garlic Lobster Noodles so we had to try it. Food came out quick and everything was delicious. I'll definitely be back for more dinners. read more

See all

My wife and I came here for dinner before seeing a show at the Tower Bar across the street. Everything we ordered was delicious. Food came out quick and the service was good. No frills here, just a big selection of dishes to choose from and friendly staff. Can't miss this place, on the corner of Euclid and University in an awesome art deco building. read more

I really wish I can give negative stars. This is exactly why we have yelp to avoid these types of places. Last week we ordered Grubhub from this place and received RAW chicken!!! I wrote a review about it and how we got sick, and posted it here. I login to my yelp today and get a message from the owner, not a message concerned with our heath and if we are ok, or even saying how sorry they are that this happed instead it was a threatening message telling me to take it off or they will sue. I am now writing another review to mention my experience, along with the receipt to prove we had ordered from this restaurant I warn you this owner doesn't care for the quality of the food or the heath of its customers after they eat here, and critics beware of threat!!! DO NOT GO HERE!!!! I do want to state Grubhub gave me a full refund and the customer service rep was actually concerned for our health! Thanks Grub-hub!!! read more

Lotus Garden Restaurant - Raw chicken - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

I don't live far from this restaurant. My friend and I decided to give it a try. We were both craving pho; decided to order it. The pho had no flavors and their customer service is not pleasant. I will not return again. read more

Lotus has the best lobster in town! A dish worth ordering if you ever go there. Customer service is typical for a small venue, just meh. The taste and flavor of the lobster is outta this world:) read more

Lotus Garden Restaurant - 4.8 pound lobster - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

This was a nice family oriented restaurant. We enjoyed the food and the customer service was really good too. We ordered the shrimp fried rice, Chinese broccoli, salt and pepper calamari and the house lobster. The Chinese broccoli is a little bitter but tasty. The neat thing is they bring your lobster out alive for you to see before they cook. That was cool. The kids loved it. The food is well seasoned and good priced. We had great portion of leftovers to take home. They have really good drinks. We ordered the tea, lemonade and boba. They were soooo good! Our only critique is the service was a little slower and the restaurant could be a bit cleaner. But we enjoyed the food so much so we will return. read more

See all

Came here with my family on a Saturday evening. Staff were friendly and the place was clean. Highlight of the night were: Soft Shell Lobster w/ Noodles, Papaya Salad and the Crispy Noodles w/ Seafood. The seafood were fresh and every thing was well seasoned. Would recommend coming here for dinner with a large group. read more

See all

The food is fabulous. The service is good and the ambiance is fine. To me, when it comes to to Vietnamese, the food is most important. Combined with good service, the Lotus Garden will not disappoint you. Afterwards, check out the market and you may find items you'd like to take home. read more

Lotus Garden Restaurant - Beef pho with vegetables - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Every time I was thinking of an authentic Vietnamese/Chinese food place to eat, I have always ended up here at Lotus Garden. Food is good, clean place and friendly staff. Their salt and pepper shrimp is soooo good, a must have each time. read more

See all

we got the lobster at 19.99/lb and our lobster was 3.5 lbs. we got 1 honey walnut and had to add another because the lobster was no good. On the first bite, the ammonia taste and smell smacked me in the face. i thought it was just me but my boyfriend said the same. the server came over to check on us and we told her that the lobster was no good and she said "why?!"i told her it taste like ammonia and she replied "what? what do u mean? i don't understand " my boyfriend said it taste like chemical. all she said was it must be because it's off season. we ate 3 pieces and at the end she came over to ask if we need a box for the rest of the lobster. of course not!! they did comp or discount. will not be coming back. read more

My take-out order of #52- Seafood Combination Chow Fun had three problems. First, they gave me the wrong dish. I got #51 Combination Chow Fun which contains beef and chicken plus seafood. Second, the noodles were not the extra wide noodles I expected. And most importantly, the dish was missing the smokey taste that is what makes this dish so special when properly cooked. Bottom line, triple check to be sure they get your order right and skip all the Chow Fun dishes. (Probably skip the Chow Mein too.) By the way, this looks like a great place for a banquet and the plates of lobster look amazing. read more

I ordered salt and pepper pork chop not salt and pepper bones chop where the meat. This is second time I order here first time I came to pick up they gave my other away but didn't check until I got home when back double check ur order the pork chop are good when they have the order correctly or with meat read more

Lotus Garden Restaurant - Is supposed to be pork chop not bones chop - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

Very good food. Nice service The fried rice is best I've had Can't wait to go back. read more

This is officially our go-to spot for Family style Chinese dinner. All these other restaurants take too long and their portions are wack. Lotus Garden is fast, generous, and still tasty! High recommendation for family style Chinese dinner! read more

See all

I've had this food 3 times, once inside the restaurant and twice to go. I ordered the same thing each time and sadly the quality just isn't there when your not dining in. The salt and pepper calamari was AMAZING inside but when i got it Togo it was like chewing a tire. The salt and pepper pork chop was delicious all in all if you want This place go in and sit dont grub hub read more

Ordered a lobster feast for our wedding anniversary. Lobster was delicious! Bbq pork fried rice, glazed walnut shrimp and Chinese broccoli were also tasty. Friendly service with appetizing food to match! We love supporting small businesses. read more

See all

Got the lobster noodles special style. Seasoning was good. Noodles inconsistent like half was fried and the other half was added at the end. Worse is lobster was no fresh. At $30 a pound they try to sell frozen lobster as fresh. Meet was mushy and definitely been frozen. Worst part is we were charged for. 5 lb lobster and from the amount we got it can't be more than 3 lb. Will not be coming back. read more

Online, their menu states that the Crab Meat and Fish Maw soup is priced at $18.99 for a large size order. But when I called the restaurant to place an order, the lady over the phone said they don't have 18.99 for a large sized soup. The lady had told me that they only have the large size for $29.99 to feed three to four people. This is a very small amount of soup (Starbucks Grande Size Cup for reference). I ended up paying $32 for this small size of soup. This is not enough soup to feed three to four people. Very disappointing! read more

Lotus Garden Restaurant - The Crab Meat and Fish Maw soup that I received. - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

Good service. Clean and pleasant environment. Good food. The server was very nice and gave us ample of time an1d room. Did not feel rushed a bit. read more

This place has an odd odor that sort of ruined my appetite from the moment I walked in, but I still gave it a shot. Food is just OK, nothing special that makes me want to come back. The Dim Sum was not good, the smell makes me think this place isn't sanitary. Pho is legit though read more

Food here is amazing! They're quick with the service and gave me recommendations in what to try. The portions are huge and budget friendly, I come here every other weekend with friends and family. I highly recommend the Pho even to go! read more

Lotus Garden Restaurant - Combo vermicelli - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California