Awful customer service. This was my 1st time ordering from Mai's. When I arrived to pick up my food the cashier did not acknowledge me or even say hello. They looked mad from the moment I walked in and were cold. Although this was 10 minutes before closing, I had called at 7:30pm (an hour prior to closing) to place the order & let them know what time I would be arriving and that I was driving long distance. Once I paid, I asked for a few more sauces and they said the kitchen was closed. I repeated I was only asking for sauces, and they said they were in the fridge and would not accommodate me. I've worked in customer service and this employee was so cold and rude, I told them I would never return again. Another profession might be better suited for them. Also, the packaging of the food was terrible. Everything was spilling over by the time I got home. The reason I even asked for extra sauces was because I saw how poorly the food was packaged and was afraid this would happen. read more

Mai's Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

I'm sad to say that the average 3.5 star review on yelp kept me away from Mai's cafe for awhile. I finally gave it a try, and I have to say that Yelp was dead wrong (go figure) The food was great, service was friendly, and the location was clean and nice inside. Underrated location. Give it a shot! read more

The food here is amazing and authentic. I would definitely recommend it. Prices are also extremely affordable and the service is relaxed, but good! read more

Solid food and a great little restaurant in Ventura. The portion due for the pho is a little small but the flavor is good. The bun (pictured) was tasty and a good portion size. Would recommend if you're craving Vietnamese food. Service was good also! read more

Amazing decor, amazing server, pho had so much meat! Spring rolls were amazing! And we topped it off with a Thai iced tea. Best Vietnamese place i've ever been to! And i've been to a lot of them. read more

Mai's Cafe - Special Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

See all

I wanted to try and support this small local business and I was thrilled with the food! I had the lemongrass tofu on Rice noodles! (Recommended by the girl at the counter) WOW! Definitely will come here again! Tip- get it to go and eat it at transmission brewery nearby. read more

Mai's Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

I almost want to call this place and complain that's how and this food is. I ate here a year ago and it was bad and I decided to give it another chance. What a mistake. Nasty food and also a ripoff. Do you see this "tempura shrimp and vegatables"? They should be ashamed. I will never eat from here again! read more

Mai's Cafe - "Tempura shrimp and vegetables" - $10 - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

We love Mai's cafe, we often for for lunch. Karen is so kind. The food is consistently delicious! read more

Mai's Cafe - Vegetable Pho, veggie broth that comes with tofu, I love to add shrimp. So yummy and plenty to take home! - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

My first time trying Mai's cafe.... I ordered the special pho and there was nothing special about it. Lack of flavor and I could tell the meat they purchase is low quality, as well as the obvious fact that the Siracha sauce is watered down, I assume to save money... Waste of money. I'd rather have a bowl of Campbell's soup or drive the hour to LA and have REAL pho. read more

My husband and I first dined-in at Mai's when we first moved to Ventura almost four years ago and have been back a few times since. We loved the location, right on E Main St, and how quick, and deliciously prepared, our food was. We always go for the pho (I love the meatballs and my husband always gets the assortment of beef and brisket) and have tried a couple of their appetizers- of which we really enjoyed. Their spring rolls are large, which make for easy sharing as well as their quail legs! Everyone should know that every pho place prepares their soups slightly different than others, so it's important to keep an open mind. Having lived in DC where pho and a variety of other Vietnamese spots were available 24/7, Mai's comes in close with those 'hole in the walls' who offer simple, but flavorful dishes. I say this only because I 100% support our local businesses and love how diverse Ventura is becoming in terms of their food scene. Since learning that they are on GrubHub we were excited to have the deliciousness of Mai's available in the comfort of our own home. Putting our order through was super simple and we received a few notifications as our meal was being prepared and delivered. Our driver had some difficulty finding our apartment complex, but after a phone call she found us. I was happy to find that our food was still hot and just as good as if we dined-in the restaurant. As I have reviewed on GrubHub as well, Mai's delivers their own orders -not an independent GrubHub driver. So, just be prepared for a little bit of a longer wait and perhaps a bit of a language barrier. Other than that, I couldn't recommend Mai's more for those looking for simple, but flavorful, comfort foods from Vietnam and Hawaii here in Ventura. read more

Mai's Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

See all

I appreciate this restaurant being open during our crisis. Food is Hot phö is complete served take away with ALL the trimmings Plus I had spring rolls with peanut sauce Bam read more

See all

Genuinely the best Pho I have ever had. It's generally been empty when I've gone in, which is a bit concerning- but that means faster delivery for food! Although they still take time. Service seems a little slow. read more

Friendly little family restaurant on Main Street with street parking as well as three spaces out back. Started our meal with the veggie spring rolls minus the tofu, per our request. The rolls consisted of iceberg lettuce, basil, bean sprouts wrapped in rice paper and served with a lightly spiced brown colored dipping sauce. The rolls were nothing special compared with other veggies rolls I've eaten. Ordered the Pho Chay which was made with veggie broth . This version consisted of fresh broccoli, cabbage, scallions, carrots, veggie meat, rice noodles and tofu. The veggies were good, tender crisp. The broth was thin and only lightly flavored. The addition of lime, basil and bean sprouts accompanying the pho helped add flavor. Service was impeccable. Maybe I'll try some of their other offerings another time. read more

See all

Came in after a long day at the beach. We showed up around 730ish and already knew we wanted Pho. We haven't been to this place in a while, and it looks like they refreshed the restaurant. My wife and I got a Dac Biet and asked the staff if they had small bowls for our kids. They helped us out with two small bowls of Pho for them at no charge! Highly recommended thus spot especially on a cold day. read more

4 years later and hey i still love it ... maybe even more now than ever! Thank you for the delicious vegan food options! The veggie pho and veggie bahn mi with fresh tofu spring rolls as a starter are chef's kiss! read more

Wow! Stopped here on my north over the Thanksgiving holiday. The beef pho was excellent. My old stomping grounds for Pho were in Little Saigon, Garden Grove. I've had some excellent pho and this place rates right up with the best I've had anywhere. The restaurant was clean, service was excellent as was the Pho. I'll be back when I'm traveling to and from! read more

***Warning: In the middle of writing this review, I had to run to the bathroom because I felt nauseous, after eating...Not good. So I was really looking forward to trying this place... Sad to say that my visit today will be a "one eat wonder" (same definition as one hit wonder). Walked in tonight to order some yum yum to-go. Placed our order & there we sat. I saw a table of 3 and a table of 2 that ordered way after us get their dinner before us. That was annoying because we didn't order thaaaat much. After waiting for what seemed to be 30 minutes, the server came out to say that they had run out of Teriyaki Salmon therefore we had to change one of our orders? It would have been nice to know that sooner. Our bill was OVER $50 for 3 dishes, an appetizer and one Thai tea. Seems a bit much for what was actually served. Portions are quite small or at least not worth what they charge. Let's talk food: 1. Shaky Beef w/ rice option: not good at all, and did not have much flavor. It seems like it was just sautéed with oil, salt and pepper-nothing fancy. ($15) 2. Kobe Beef w/ rice: again, not much flavor. Portions=small. ($11) 3. Seared Tuna: flavorful and decent size. Crisp with enough seasonings. As much as I love to support small businesses, this will probably be our first & last visit. You'll never know until you try, but to be honest- there are other local places that are worth it. read more

See all

Mai's saté absolutely delicious my favorite dish here. They have made a very nice upgrade to the place,

Definitely a Locals spot. Unassuming small cafe in Midtown, Ventura. Relatively standard menu of Thai items and a selection of Hawaiian entrees. Ordered the Kahlua pork dinner. A classic selection of Kimchi, macaroni salad, white rice and shredded pork. All in all, a good meal, macaroni salad being the highlight. Good classic mayo base salad. Kimchi weak. Not enough heat or sourness. Rice a little dry, but nice portion. The kahlua pig was moist, smokey but, a little on the salty side. Since traditional Hawaiian pig is slow roasted in banana leaves, in a earth pit, this was oven roasted. Completely understand. But, I believe the use of liquid smoke, was a bit to strong. It got in the way of porkieness. The shredded pork was mixed with shredded cabbage, a nice contrast in texture. Over all, a nice, safe dinner. They've been around for decades, so that says a lot. read more

Best Pho I had in Ventura. Auntie Mai personally made me a XL Pho with homemade noodles. Talk about delicious! read more

Mai's Cafe - Super Big Pho with homemade noodles! - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

Terrific Pho!!!! Fresh, creatively prepared and served and absolutely delicious. We'll be back!!! read more

BEST PHO in town. Nice pieces of chicken breast, no fat or gristle! Consistently good portions and QUALITY! The chicken pot stickers are also bomb! This has been our go to for Pho for a couple of years. They are the BEST! read more

Went for the milk tea. Poor service, overpriced, tea was not good. Try somewhere else for milk tea.

We love eating here, their Pho is super yummy! Service is great and the restaurant is clean!

Went for a my first time a couple weeks ago and crave it all the time now. Mais Saté soup is SO GOOD!!!! 10/10 would recommend

I really don't like giving less than an average review, but it is what it is. Stopped by Mai's Cafe yesterday because I was craving pho and we were in the area. As soon as you step inside, the scent of incense just takes over. We had to switch tables to be closer to the door because it was so overwhelming that I couldn't handle it. I ordered the special pho, and I gotta say, there wasn't anything special about it. For $8, it was the smallest bowl of pho I've ever had. The broth was on the sweet side, the rice noodles were broken, the brisket was so tough and chewy that I had to spit it out, the basil were wilted, and the bean sprouts weren't fresh either. On top of that, I've never waited so long for a bowl of pho in my life. Hubby had the wonton noodle soup and he said he would not return. The egg rolls were also mediocre. On the bright side, our waitress was super nice and sweet. The only problem was that she was the only one working and doing everything. I noticed other tables waiting quite awhile to order. Sadly, this place is a disappointment. read more

Mai's Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

I've been coming here for years and this place is so affordable and amazing. Always lovely customer service, and family oriented atmosphere.

No matter what you get, it's gonna be good. I've had this place a few times now and they are phenomenal! The service is meh, but I'm not there for that. Really good seafood, chicken and traditional Vietnamese cuisine. The place is charming and good for a date. Totally recommend! read more

I like their food a lot and the owners super nice. Great little local restaurant. They also sell some DoTerra essential oils as well, so I pick some up if I run out :-) read more

place looks pretty, but the service in my experience was really bad , they even put spoon, in a Togo ordering ,the egg rolls are frozen, i always eat pho different plases , it's a 6,, and definitely the worst was the service.. read more

Best Pho ever!!! All the food here is really good but if you are looking for authentic, amazing tasting Pho, no other place compares.

Food was tasty and quick, good portions of sprouts basil and jalapeños. service was okay, the young girl shouted across the table to see if we were ready but she got our order taken and food out quick. The special pho was really good, meat was also good. Too bad we got sick shortly after eating and that had been our only meal since breakfast. read more

I've been coming here for years. Food is good and staff is always friendly. I like how they accept late take outs, most place won't pick up the phone near closing time. read more

First DoorDash delivery was awesome. Food came warm and untampered with.Thank you. Wonton soup was deeeleci0ous! Best wontons in Ventura. Thin noodle covering a sumptuous filling floating in a not too salty broth. So good. Spring Rolls were perfect. read more

I came here a year ago and had the worst bahn mi I've ever had, the girl was rude af. Came here a few more times and got noodles and it was okay. Nothing like back in LA but the staff was extremely nice, not the same person at first.... But the vibe was weird like nothing felt that modern or fresh.... I see that the place has been redone and the new photos look a lot more lively with the dishes being served.... I'll come by and try it out again but for the love of God please put some love into the bahn mi!!! It had no jalepeno, no mayo, no vegetables that were actually pickled and the meat was shabby.... If it's a good bahn mi I'm down to eat it a few times a week! I'll give it a three for now and be back to try it again but again please AUTHENTIC BAHN MI PLZZZ read more

My bf and I stopped in on the way up to Santa Maria for a quick lunch. The place has a cute and casual vibe with the beachy Asian decor. I ordered the bun tom thit nuong (vermicelli noodles with grilled shrimp and pork). If you've never had bun, it's a dish of vermicelli noodles & grilled pork with a 'salad' of lettuce, cucumber, carrot and radish. You pour a fish sauce and lime mixture on top--it's usually something light and fresh to eat in the summer. My bf had the pho, and found a small gnat or fruit fly in it. The lady was apologetic and made him a new bowl right away. The people are nice and it has a quiet, friendly vibe, but the prices are definitely higher than what you'd pay in LA or OC. read more

Thumbs up for a Cute Bar! Thumbs down for the parking in the back with no lights...which is really scary if your alone and is your first time going to Mai's (that was me tonight) so i parked in the front cuz i didnt feel like walking in the dark looking for the back entrance. Scary! thats all i have to say about this place...for now. the food didnt look as appetizing to me. so i didnt get to try anything on the menu http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Wii0emk1VzfVJR57h4jtOg?select=wg0u_9lsAtQHkp8fdlVUIA but i did get to listen to some good live acoustic by yul v. and susan d. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Wii0emk1VzfVJR57h4jtOg?select=O4emEbit25jqhFpsiqBoYA hopefully they'll be performing there one night you decide to check this place out. read more

Mai's Cafe - happy time menu and yul v. - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

See all

Mai's is my favorite local place for Pho, hands down. The menu is small, but if you ask Jennifer or Mai very nicely, they can make any combination really, with any of the ingredients listed. I order the Pho Tai but with Vegetable. I love the broth, the noodles are soft, slimy strings of yum, just how they should be. The basil, sprout, bean tray is fresh and the meat is tender and flavorful! Mai;s makes one good bowl of Pho, and if you ask nicely they'll make it how you like it. I always order young coconuts and spring rolls, yum and yum. Sometimes we stop in for the Dim Sum, excellent! Or change up the order with a little vermicelli dish. No matter how you play it, Mai's is a great everyday place to eat. That's a good thing, cause i eat there almost every day!! Oh and the frog legs are goodness too! read more

Mai's Cafe - Whats left of our clams :) - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

We had the Quail and teriyaki plates... Fantastic food, then had the macaroni salad with curry (fantastic) salad, you get a small portion with your dinner plate so I ordered a bowl for a couple dollars.... Sooo good. A "must" stop if your passing through town. The Jasmine tea is brewed perfect here.. read more

See all

After an errand run with my husband out of town, we decided to stop by this restaurant. Upon arrival, the place looked welcoming and so clean and bright. Vinh and Karen were a delight to take care of us and bring our orders. I ordered the crispy tofu, my husband the pho. We enjoyed both, tofu was extra crispy and my husband wouldn't even stop to drink water he was in love with the pho. We will definitely be coming back. And try their vietnamese coffee, it's great! read more