If you like this place, you've not had good Vietnamese food in your life. The egg rolls were fresh off the Cisco truck yet served with 1/2 a pound of lettuce and cilantro to make it look "legit." We couldn't order several items because they had "run out" (fresh made, anyone?) and we left with a $40 tab for 2 drinks and an appetizer. Hike over to Vietnam Coast on Hillcroft and get a real meal. read more

Did a late night stop on a Tuesday night around midnight. They are opened until 3am during the week and it is pretty packed. The host was very energetic and attentive. I placed an order to go. It came out pretty fast. The place is very price but their signature garlic beef was very good despite the fact that it had 2 handful of garlic with the skin on it. The salad it came with was very sad. My in-laws introduced me to the place and said they usually don't put that much garlic so I took their word for it. I would like to try this place out again and sit down for dinner. read more

Absolutely LOVED the lettuce-wrapped eggrolls, the General Tso's Chicken, the atmosphere, and the warmth and attentiveness of the staff. Big shout out to Amy P., whom I met a few years ago, and her team for their amazing hospitality and family-feel environment! read more

From the coconut water to the rice noodles, all things are yummy here. I often get the Bo Luc Lac as well. So tender and flavorful.

Had dinner here last night. Ordered some sort of beef dumpling to start followed by stir fry garlic shrimp with brown rice. It was ok. I mean u cant really mess up shrimp. The sauce was nice but there was way too much veggies and not enough actual shrimp. Maybe 7 shrimp in total. Terrible. I probably wouldn't eat here again unless I wasn't particularly hungry. read more

We celebrated a girlfriend's bday - great food, very flavorful but mediocre service. Pad Thai is literally the best I've had. We ordered the veggie and the shrimp one, both were yummy. Will definitely be back with the fam. I know they'll love it.... read more

This was my favorite place to go food is good and at a great price but I haven't gone since I saw roaches on the wall and I had seen a photo another customer posted with a roach in her pho soup so Beware " THEY HAVE ROACHES!" Do not go!!! read more

This is a petty decent place for food. One of those "after work places". I've had better Bun Bon Hue at other places, but good enough to suffice. The hours of operation make up for it. One thing that is just absolutely awful is the service. The waitress we had was absolutely awful. Older lady. We ordered two entrees with an appetizer. Appetizer came out at the same time as the food so I was forced to choose which one to get old and cold. To me, common sense to get an appetizer out first. When speaking a manager, he just gave me a puzzled look and asked "So what do you want me to do?". Service is enough to turn me away. It's too bad, the food is pretty decent. read more

I've been coming here for close to twenty years. And it's my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Houston. If you go, don't miss the bò lúc lc (garlic beef). read more

Worst service ever!! This is the second time we went to Mais in the month. The waiters are rude. No customer service at all. Was told to wait 5 minutes for plates. By that time food already cold. This last time they brought the soups but had to wait 10 minutes for the soup spoons. Kept asking and they kept saying to wait. Worst service. Waiters need to take a class on customer service read more

Decided to stop by here after a night out with the girls, it closes at 4am so I knew we could enjoy ourselves for some time. I had an amazing waitress named tran and she took such good care of us. I had the beef pho and it was a GIANT portion but it was so good I finished all of it! We had this molten lava cake at the end that was to die for too. The restaurant is nice, the servers are nice, and the food is awesome 10 out of 10 would recommend! read more

Quick and friendly service, good Vietnamese food, clean and organized restaurant. Fresh vegetables and main dishes. I have yet to taste something I don't like and we have been coming regularly for over 5 years. read more

Went in for lunch, my Pho tai wasn't bad, but I thought it was odd they gave me mint and not Thai basil

The grilled-pork spring rolls at Mai's were one of my favorite dishes. I would call in an order at lunchtime, order the #6 (on the old menu), and usually eat them in the car on the way back to the office. Mmmm...so plump with savory-sweet grilled pork. After the fire, I tried several other Vietnamese restaurants looking for a replacement for Mai's #6, but nothing seemed to satisfy. Not enough flavor, not enough pork. So I was excited about Mai's reopening, and got in to the restaurant in the second week, only to find that Mai's had cut costs by putting less pork in the spring rolls. Prices are higher, too, but I would happily have paid a little more for spring rolls done the way that Mai's had done them for years. The garlic beef disappointed as well: a full order now is about the size of what Mai's used to call a half order. Maybe I'll try Mai's again in a few months, when the novelty will have died off and the crowds will have died down; maybe Mai's has quality-control issues that will be resolved when they're not so busy; maybe slower business will make them think about their weak points and bring us the food that once made us love Mai's. But I'm not holding my breath. read more

This used to be a place that I had always enjoyed in the past because of the food and the fact that it's one of the few places in Houston open past 2 am. I went there to eat recently with my family for the first time since it was reconstructed. The interior has a new more modern look and they now have an upstairs dining area. However, despite the improvements in the image of the restaurant the quality of food and service has noticeably decreased. When the first two members of our party arrived we asked for a table for three since the last hadn't arrived yet. They wouldn't seat us at a table until our third member arrived even though it wasn't crowded and there were plenty of tables. There wasn't anywhere to sit down and wait in the front either so we complained and they seated us. This was only a minor annoyance. My major disappointment was in how drastically the food changed since it burned down. I've read other reviews here and there are a number of people who seem to agree. They served their food on these stupid modern dinnerware plates which were tiny so all of the portions we ordered seemed a lot smaller than what they used to be. My sister had General Tso's Chicken which didn't seem to resemble or taste like the Mai's General Tso's Chicken of the past which was very good. My dad had a chicken stir fry which was pretty pedestrian but this isn't really a fantastic dish at any other restaurant. Finally I had curry tofu and baby bok choy. The curry, which in the past was very spicy and rich, turned out to be very bland. It tasted very watered down. As well they served it to me without any rice. WHAT KIND OF ASIAN RESTAURANT DOES THIS?! I had to ask for rice before I got any. The baby bok choy was served with only the stems. A lot of people don't like the green leafy part but this is my favorite. The only reason I could guess for them serving it this way was that it was possible the bok choy wasn't fresh and the leaves make this very obvious. So i got baby bok choy with just the white bulb and stem; $6 for fiber in sauce. Based on other reviews and our food, it seems like they must have a new head chef. I don't see how the food could have changed so significantly. Mai's had been a Houston staple for years and for good reason. Now all I can sadly say is that it sucks pretty hard. I won't be coming back and I hope this review will deter others from going to a restaurant that thought it could continue to be successful by looking prettier without maintaining their product or service for the customer. read more

One of the worst dining and customer service I have had. Food was terrible, and the staff seemed confused. Also, the tables are so small, our dishes could not even fit on the table....poor design/planning??? I used to like one dish there back in the day: the Bo Luc Lac dish. Now not only does it no longer taste good, but the portion shrunk a lot. I won't return, but it does seem like other people still like it here because it was rather busy when I came. read more

I went there with 4 of my friends. Amazingly, all 4 of them were completely satisfied. I have Pho, a traditional VNmese noodle and it was pretty good. I will surely come back and recommend this place to everybody :) read more

I love this place, the food makes me feel great even on a bad day, and chef Mai is not only a five star chef in my books she's also a great person and friend. Tonight I had the soft shell crab, curry chicken app and flan all to die for. Recommended to all!!!!! read more

Why call in and order if they wait until you arrive. Call in 30 min ahead of actual pick up time. Then call before you come. If the food wasn't so good I wouldn't come back. 4 stars for food, 1 for service. Food is very good, but call in early for pick up. read more

As other yelpers have said, Mai's is a great option for a late night Vietnamese fix but otherwise much better options abound. Dining today at 11:00 a.m. with only 4 other tables was an exercise in frustration. Our table (as well as adjacent ones) were all dirty and obviously not wiped after the last diner. Our entrees arrived 15 minutes apart and the orders were not right. The excuse about the interminable delay between the delivery of our entrees was that the "soup station is backed up with all the orders that just poured in". Um, yea, one other dinner out of 4 tables ordered soup. While pleasant enough, our waiter was much less than attentive. The food (garlic beef and seafood Pho) was nothing to write home about. I miss the pre-fire Mai's......... read more

This is one of my all time favorite restaurants for eating Vietnamese food in Houston. The food is always good and all the waiters/bartenders greet with a smile and are very friendly. I love the huge menu. I love the pho and all the noodle soup. read more

Mai's has great grilled pork spring rolls. Absolutely delicious but a bit overpriced. Their servers were so helpful this time around; however this hasn't always been the case. I had the grilled chicken with coconut curry sauce and vegetables. It wasn't good. The sauce was very runny and did not taste like any curry I have ever had. Nonetheless I love the ambience the restaurant has and they bring out your food super fast. I'll definitely visit again and just stick with the most common dishes next time. read more

We went on a Tuesday night at 8 pm and this place was sure packed!!! My hubby and I looked at each like maybe it's that good!!! The food did not disappoint!!! Wonton soup was delicious so was the pork chop plate!!! Will definitely go back in the future. It does not get five stars because the neighborhood looks a little crazy and servers I feel rush to turn tables they could be a little more nicer and language barrier doesn't help i had to repeat my order a couple of times read more

This is a Houston Classic and staple. It is always good but I am never blown away by their food. I used to go to this place late night after being out but recently I have been during more reasonable hours. It's interesting seeing the other side (rather than the drunk crowd) with families and older people eating there! read more

First off... it is open extremely late. Always a plus in my book. It does get very packed however. I've had the vermicelli with a fried egg on top, tasty but it isn't for me. I feel like the noodles are just too dry, sure you have fish sauce but it just sinks to the bottom. It is definitely some of the best I've had. I've also had just normal eye round steak Pho, absolutely fantastic. Not the best best (one of the best though) but wow it is great, I prefer to get it when they aren't in a rush. They have hot oil, or chilli oil? I can never get a clear answer from all the thick accents form the waiters I usually get. I like to add it, and very few other restaurants have it. Very spicy and oily. I've also had Bun Bo Hue for the first time here and WOW! It wasn't just like Pho, quite different. Hard to explain but I guess I could say that the broth was thicker and more sweet. Lots of cabbage, which was fantastic. Just completely satisfying. And the forth dish I've had so far is Bo Luc Lac, the meat is so tender. Also, wow... I can never find another place with whole garlic cloves in it. It is so good. I love whole garlic cloves, they melt in your mouth like butter. The thing is, I've eaten lots of Pho and this place is always in competition with the best. I still need to eat more, so this will stay at 4/5. Don't let it deter you, go try it. read more

I am not the biggest Vietnamese fan, but Mai's is extremely good. The restaurant is not huge, but it is nice. It can get a little loud during lunch, but overall it is a good atmosphere. Go with #97. read more

I really like this place. I'm glad they finally updated the look a few years ago after the fire. The old look was lame but the food has always been delicious regardless of the way the place looks. The staff is fast and friendly. I think they have the best rice noodle soup around. read more

I visited Mai's this past week after a recommendation from a friend. It's definitely a nice restaurant, and they get points for having off-street parking in Midtown. I ordered the garlic tofu and and soft spring rolls with chicken. The food was delicious, but frankly, I've had comparable (or better) Vietnamese food for a fraction of the price elsewhere. But I understand that there's an upcharge for their longstanding reputation and location, so I expected that. They lose a couple of stars because I had to wait a while before the waiter came to take my order. This was particularly irritating because the waitstaff seemed to be casually chatting near the front, and the place wasn't busy. (This was late lunchtime - about 1:30 - and there were plenty of empty tables.) I practically had to wave the young man down to get noticed. After that, he was prompt with bringing my food, so not a bad experience altogether. It's just very annoying to feel ignored when I'm trying to patronize a business. All in all, I might bring out-of-town friends here if they just wanted to say "I ate at Mai's in Houston," but if anyone is remotely price-conscious, I'd pass it up for some just-as-tasty offerings elsewhere in the city. read more

It's convenient to have pho at 2:00 AM and the pho was mediocre. I prob wouldnt go back because we saw a server take a plate that was wrongly delivered to one table and eaten off of, and deliver it to a different table. The place was chaotic and dirty, and the clientele out of control. read more

I was pretty impressed with their Mongolian Beef. I did have to request the same thing a few times before the waiter actually brought what I wanted, but that's okay they were pretty busy even for 2 o'clock in the morning. I would go again and I'll recommend it to others. read more

I've been coming here for years, but I will never be back. Tonight my car (and two of my coworkers') were towed from the Mai's parking lot. We had parked at Mai's and decided last-minute to get a drink at Wooster's before dinner (Wooster's parking lot was full and Mai's was almost empty). When we were walking back to the restaurant, my friend noticed that her car wasn't where she'd left it. Long story short, all of our cars were towed. And get this: We ran into a couple at the impound lot whose cars had BOTH been towed from the Mai's parking lot while the couple was eating IN the restaurant--The guy had to pay $460! I would understand if the cars had a been left for a day (or even overnight), but my car was there for less than an hour on a Tuesday evening. Needless to say I'll take Mai business elsewhere. read more

I've ate at this establishment tonight and got my vehicle towed. Mind you I ate and parked and even went to neighboring establishments and never been towed before. Mai's you have lost my business when I've supported you for years. This is bad business practices for yourself and your neighbors. Terrible experience. read more

I've been here a couple times in the past in the later evenings where the food seemed good so I and my SO tried it out again during the day and boy was it a huge miss. He ordered the tofu vermicelli dish and was given a disproportionate amount of vegetables compares to noodles - btw were very thick noodles for vermicelli. I got the yellow noodle soup with wontons which tasted like flavorless chewy pork meat and there's was seriously only a pinch of chives, pork grinds, and bbq bits with the mass of noodles. Broth itself tasted like it has msg and was probably simmered in very few pork bones, if any at all. This may be okay if the prices were under $10 but each of our items were $12+ and that's not okay. Imo I think this restaurant just has so many customers since they've extended into late evening that they've taken much less attention into the quality of their food and more attention to turning tables. read more

Family recipe heirlooms! This place is a treasure trove of entree's. And the Pho is magical, fragrant, and real (not watery).

New decor, old faces, tasty food. Note: The 118a that I've been ordering for 10ish years is now the 75. read more

Skip Mai's. Midtown has too many other options. The service here is worse than it was before the fire. We had to wait for a table even though several were open towards the back. They placed the three of us at a table for eight, where we had to wait ten-ish minutes before flagging down a server. There were enough service miscues that the above average food quality just couldn't overcome. Save your time and go to Van Loc's instead. read more

great place for a late night snack or a full dinner. I love the shrimp spring rolls with the peanut sauce.

This a magical place open until 3 a.m. with intimately savory food. The best part about it is that you can go pre or post cocktails in midtown and not be limited by fried or meat-heavy food that will make you feel regretful. I've ordered a few of the bowls and the flat rice noodles- both have been perfectly cooked. The noodles were pan fried and just crispy on the bottom, the sauce was layered with flavors and subtly sweet, finally the chinese broccoli on top added a fresh, slightly bitter taste that contrasted with the sweet and a thickness that added to the texture. It is not the most authentic Vietnamese food I've ever had but it is undoubtedly delicious. Food like this open these hours is gift. read more

Went to Mia's today for lunch. I haven't been since the remodel after the fire. To be frank it was terrible and ridiculously expensive. First we ordered an appetizer...the Cha Gio (fried spring rolls). I'm not a fan of fried food to begin with but my buddy wanted them. The came out piping hot with plenty of lettuce to wrap them in. The only thing was they were so greasy that I could have lube the suspension on my car from what was just dripping off these things...gross. I ordered the (Ga Luc Lac (Garlic Chicken) and my friend got the Bo Luc Lac (Garlic Beef). Even tho we were there for lunch the cost was $12.00 plus they charge and extra $3.00 for the broccoli, $3.00 for the mushrooms, $3.00 for snow peas and $3.00 for asparagus....shouldn't all this already be IN the dish to begin with?! Any so if you want this this single lunch dish is $24.00! That is ridiculas and frankly insulting to this Yelper. Almost anywhere else this is a $10.00 dish... The entrees came out and of course my chicken was way over cooked as well with my friends beef. Oh yeah...they gave us a small bowl of white rice to share....LOL The only reason why they get two stars is because the service was very good and the place is very nice on the inside. read more

The new place looks very nice. They keep it clean and presentable. Parking is in back, free, and easy. Open very late. The food does not taste as good as pre-fire Mais. Good for groups and late night meals. Prices are too high for the quality. Some dishes served with extremely small meat portions. Adding extras like broccoli runs $3 EACH. Waitstaff is good all times but one. I had one waiter get upset that I took an extended period of time to decide on my meal choice. He passed me on to a different server who handled the situation rather respectfully. I've had the replacement server more times since then and he always does a good job. There's plenty of space, it's worth eating here. read more