I've been coming to Mi Li Cafe for my pho fix for 5+ years now and I've never been disappointed. This place serves the best pho in Columbus! Anytime you visit for pho, I recommend ordering the rare steak as it is the most tender and the piping hot broth cooks the beef. The food is served quickly and is a great value for what you pay. This is definitely a hidden gem and one of Columbus' must try restaurants! read more

Mi Li Cafe - #14 Pho with Rare Steak - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I picked this place because of the reviews and went in intending to get a banh mi. Instead I ordered a small bowl of pho. I just knew this place was going to be good as soon as we walked in. I'm not sure if this is a mom and pop place, but it feels like one. The staff were Vietnamese, and it seemed like many customers were too which I take as a good sign. My pho was a deep, layered broth that was obviously made with skill and care over hours. I've made my own and know how much dedication time wise it takes to make a broth that flavorful. It was truly exceptional. I'm glad I went with the pho because it was definitely one of the best I've ever had. Someday, I'll finally try a banh mi; pho is just too tempting. read more

A big round of applause for the banh mi! What this small biz lacks in sandwich options (maybe 5 or 6 at most), they make up for with quality and flavor. My mom and I agreed that their bread is perfection--chewy, hollow in the inside, fragrant, and delicious. I got the thit cha option and was very pleased with the toppings, including the pickles. The sweet-faced owner, Ms. Nga's, special touch is a wee more pepper flavor in the meats and maybe sprinkled into the sandwich itself. Ms. Nga sticks to the basics and gets everything right. I am so pleased that we happened upon this mom-and-pop on our way home. Home for us is the DC area, and though there is no shortage of banh mi places in our home base, sandwich shops with bread comparable to Ms. Nga's are hard to find. read more

Coming from California, I've only eaten at 2 other pho locations here in Columbus, let's just say they were not good. I would probably say I am a pho slob. Broth tastes good, and the banh mi Sandwhich is good. It is on the smaller side though. If you're looking for good pho. This is one of them. read more

Best Pho I've had in Columbus. The only reason I don't give them 5 stars is because of sanitation. If they would give a little more effort cleaning, this place would be perfect. The food is good here. Period. Good flavors all around. I will definitely be going back. Recommended! read more

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3-4 split, but going with 3 because I wasn't as impressed with them as I wanted to be and my pho was "A-ok". The restaurant is a local hang out, with English being optional there, and the food is large and hot. They have TV's on, in case you want to catch a show or a game, and there is not a lot of insulation, so it is a bit louder in the room. The food was good, my husband and I both enjoyed it, but I wouldn't say it was all out screaming amazing - of course, we were also exhausted after driving across the country and for that reason, I'm hoping to go back and give it another shot. read more

Great food, great prices. The restaurant needs alot of TLC and it's not the place you want to eat at, on a hot humid day. However, their bahn mi is always delicious. The pho is always on point. Their spring rolls are always good! Can't go wrong with this place! (Suggestion: go eat this in person. Also they'll charge you for a TINY thing of hot chili, if you order it through doordash. I asked for two, charged me a whole dollar for a container the size of a quarter with a tiny dallop of hot sauce.) read more

I ordered to go! It took about 10 minutes. The service was prompt and they were polite. I got the beef pho with rare steak. They package everything well, so it travels nicely in the car. The broth was hot and when you add in all of the soup components, it's so so good!! I will definitely be back and cannot wait to try more from their menu. read more

Best Pho in Columbus, best Bahn mi in the United States (possibly). Staff is always legit, food is always consistent. I have been here around 15 times by now and the experience is 100% consistent. read more

Mi Li Cafe - Empty pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I love Mi Li cafe. It is one of my favorite places to come and get pho. There food is so good and such a good steal. They are so friendly and they take awesome care of their customers. It's a super quick place to come for lunch or dinner. The egg rolls are a must have they are my fav and the shrimp pho! So good every time and super consistent read more

Mi Li Cafe - Shrimp pho on a Sunday is good for the soul. I love mi lol cafe so much I drive all the way from Bexley to get it! - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

This is probably one of the best strip malls in all of Columbus with Mi Li Cafe, Estilo Brazil, and Hoyo's Kitchen all right next to each other, so it was a hard decision when it came down to choosing one. I've been craving some Vietnamese food thanks to Anthony Bourdain, so Mi Li was where I had to be. The inside (and outside) aren't much to look at, and the service isn't anything special. The lady that runs the place was super nice, but besides her, don't expect to be greeted warmly. Also, they'll expect you to order everything all at once, which isn't a problem for me, but be prepared to know what you want when someone comes back to your table. Mi Li is pretty well known for the banh mi sandwich, and they have a whole section behind the counter where they are made. Thanks to a Columbus Food Adventures group (I'm assuming) coming in about 10 minutes after we got there, I got to hear a long spiel about how this mysterious Vietnamese sandwich was made. Exciting stuff. I also ordered the banh cuon, and my girlfriend had some non-traditional pho that I can't find on any of the posted menus. She said it was just okay, but she's not the biggest pho fan in the world. I'm more of a Thai noodle soup fan myself, but I thought her dish was pretty good. Back to the banh mi. It's awesome. I'd advised getting it grilled, because it makes it that much better. The sandwiches are cheap at $5.50 a piece and are a decent size that we both split as an appetizer. Honestly, I could probably eat two of these though, because they're so damn good. They're actually packed with meat and toppings too, because some other places (coughIndochinecough) seem to skimp on this. This was my first time having banh cuon, and it was incredibly! The crepes fall right a part and after adding some hot oil and fish sauce to mix in with the minced pork filling, I was absolutely loving it. It feels like there's a lot here with all the bean sprouts, fried onions, cucumbers, and pork patties all mixed in, but I finished that dish without feeling too bad about myself. I'm not 100% sold on the pork patties, since they don't really have too much flavor themselves, but mixed in with everything else, they were quite tasty. To me, this was the best Vietnamese I've had in Columbus so far, but take that with a grain of salt, because I really haven't made my rounds. The lady running the joint was very happy that we enjoyed our dishes, and you could tell she took a pride in running that kitchen. There's some other Vietnamese spots I want to check out before I give a final verdict, but I'll be back to Mi Li for sure, especially for that awesome sandwich. read more

Mi Li Cafe - Banh Cuon - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I got off work early and decided to try this place on my way home. I LOVE Pho and have been looking to try new locations in Columbus. I moved here from Oklahoma City 6 months ago and haven't found anything as good as the many pho places in OKC. When I first walked in...it was about 3:30 p.m...and of course, I was the only person in there. Soon, another table came in. I decided to be the Bun Bo Hue (spicy noodle soup). I started out with the summer roll (fresh spring rolls) which were really good. Can't really screw those up. Then the soup came. Tastewise....it was delicious!!! Same for the spring rolls. They gave me a very small serving of the basil, cabbage, and bean sprouts (which isn't a huge deal....I could've asked for more). But what I really didn't like is the fact that they gave me a spaghetti spoon instead of the traditional "pho spoon" as I call it. It made eating kind've messy and difficult. So yeah, it was just "okay." I probably wouldn't walk across the street to eat here again. The restaurant was clean though and fairly trendy. Kudos for that! *********************************************************************************** A day after I wrote this review, I was contacted by someone who knows the owner of Mi Li Cafe (maybe a friend or aquaintance). She advised me that she brought up my concern to the owner regarding the spoons. She advised the owner has decided to change them to the "pho spoons" instead of the silver spaghetti spoons. :o) It's not a HUGE deal about the spoons...but it kind've is...just because this type of food requires the right kind of untensils. Thanks for the response Mi Li Cafe and for taking consideration to a customer's concern! My rating has changed from 2 stars to 4 because of your thoughtfulness! :o) *********************************************************************************** 12/4/2011 ~Stopped in a Mi Li today for lunch. They have added the pho spoons. Not just the regular looking ones....but the kind that are ridged so they can cling to the inside of your bowl when you take a drink or wipe your mouth. Very good idea! Great job and thanks!! read more

Mi Li Cafe - Pho spoons!!!! WHOO!! :-) - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

A couple notes right at the top: The location has changed it's name from Mi Mi Cafe to Mi Li Cafe. This is to prevent confusion with Mimi cafe in Polaris, or mimi maternity. Also, location is on Fiji drive, Columbus SQ does not exist. I used this place as a test of Yelp. I picked somewhere close to my office that was highly rated, and tried it. I would have NEVER found this place or ventured into it on my own. I'm so glad I did. it's as basic as it gets. A tasty spicy sandwich full of stuff I don't know. It was empty when I was there, so I had time to talk to the owners about the name change. 4.50 for the sandwich and a glass of water, and it's just the right size for lunch without going into an afternoon coma. I've become a fan, not only of this place, but vietnamese food in general. I'll be back! They do now accept credit cards, but only on transactions greater than 10 bucks. So, buy lunch for three friends, and make them fans too. read more

Mi Li Cafe - The new sign and name - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

If your mouth does not begin to water the minute you step inside Mi Li, your salivary glands must be busted. The lovely smell of hot broth, coffee and sizzling meat greets you right away. This long-time staple of Columbus Square is situated along the northwest side of the plaza, and while the frontage is small, the restaurant itself is a decent size. A giant TV set dominates the back wall - be prepared to jostle a seat facing away. To my dining mates: please forgive my child-like clapping and dancing. I love this place, and although it's not far from home, we don't get here nearly often enough. ANYWAY. Let's see. Service: Efficient and snappy, not unfriendly. They are helpful for anyone who is new to pho or Vietnamese cuisine in general. FOOD: Quick! We had our orders in and a Bahn Mi delivered in something like three minutes. The Bahn Mi here are smaller (7" or so) but pack tons of flavor to the inch, especially the baguette. They are perfect to pair with a small pho or rice dish, or to (pretend to) share. Their pork skin egg rolls are great as well. This trip I ordered a small pho ga, the spouse #24 (vermicelli with spring roll & grilled pork - also came with a slice of pate), and our friend Renee got the beef stew with rice noodles. Point of fact: Asian stews are AWESOME. If you're feeling a rice dish, they have them, along with Vietnamese crepes. If you're feeling a coffee or bubble tea, yep - got them. Three color bean drink? Got it! Salty lemonade? Okay, I didn't see that until now - on the list for next time. Overall, Mi Li is the best of the best in Columbus for Vietnamese, right up there with Huong. Absolutely hits the spot, every single time! read more

Mi Li Cafe - The #24 - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Awesome Pho and Bahn Mi! This is the Best in Columbus for sure. I have tried a lot of others (usually to oily/greasy) however none of them match up to MiLi's. I get it to go at least once a week for myself as well as my wife and 6 year old son. For me its the traditional Bahn Mi and the extra large Pho. My wife gets the grilled pork Bahn Mi and steals a little bit of of my Pho for dipping. My 6 year old son cant get enough of the Wonton soup with rice noodles. Beware this food is ridiculously addicting. Fast, cheap and the "cure all for all". Hung over? Pho Sick? Pho Starving? Pho Headache? Pho Having a crave for what may be the best tasting soup of all time? Pho Wife nagging? Pho for both her and I. You cant argue when your mouths are stuffed with goodness! Add a few orders of egg rolls for an appetizer and be prepared have a nap for desert. read more

Lets see, the mango bubble tea, pho, summer roll and banh mi were all delicious! Prices are reasonable, portions are decent. The restaurant is nothing fancy, small and located in a half empty strip mall. Service was good. I'll be going back soon. read more

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I'm ashamed to say I always scoff down my banh mi before thinking about a picture I've held off my review too long.. Its probably not gonna happen. Mi Li is easily one of my favorite places in Columbus. The best thing I've had here, and have every time I go is the Banh Mi w grilled pork. 10/10! Super delicious, very flavorful and perfectly spicy!! The bread is perfect! Warm, toasted, fresh crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, stuffed with tons of veggies (I order w/o cilantro) carrots, jalapeño, cucumbers. I order extra spicy. The grilled pork is fantastic! Great flavor & moist. I usually order $2 extra pork in my sandwich.. Its not necessary really but I guess I'm greedy lol it also has mayo & pate, which is kinda subtle. This sandwich is perfect! $5.50 ($7.50 since I ask for more pork). By my standards, its only enough for one person cos Im not sharing! Their summer rolls & grilled pork rolls are very fresh. The pho is 10/10! Very fresh! You want this on a cold winters night, when you feel Ill and just about every other day! There are several bubble teas to choose from. So far I've only had the cappuccino flavor and it was delicious! Never liked tapioca balls so I order without. The host/owner is a very lovely & outspoken personality. She's always been happy to accommodate my personal requests. read more

Mi Li Cafe - Seating area - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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I can't say enough about how awesome this place is. I have constant cravings. The pork and shrimp vermicelli is sweet and savory. Enough sweet and salty notes to keep you wanting more. The pho has a rich broth with lots of goodness inside. I recommend this place for the pho and vermicelli dishes. You are able to adjust the heat if you like it spicy one day or mild the next. The service is great and the food is quick. Fast casual. Add a bubble smoothie to take home. Great flavors like avocado , cappacino, pineapple, mango, etc. read more

Mi Li Cafe - Pork vermicelli. Omg, my favorite thing to eat! - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Pretty much as good as it gets and the best Pho or Vietnamese restaurant you can go to in the Columbus area. The food is good all around and you pretty much cannot beat the price point. I highly recommend the Banh Mi sandwiches, especially the grilled pork, and Pho (the broth is refreshing and light). read more

Best pho in columbus. This pho is as authentic to home cooked pho as anyone who is not Vietnamese can get. Their banh mi sandwiches are also really great and pairs nicely with the pho. I only wish they had beef entree rice dishes like com bo luc lac which is one of my favorite beef rice dishes. I highly recommend this place to anyone that loves a bowl of soup. read more

Only pho place I go to, best in Columbus! You won't be served watery, bland broth here. Love their bahn mi's and beef stew.

This little hidden gem is full of flavor. I only heard about it because a friend recommended it. Otherwise I may not have noticed it. The pho is so good. The staff seems very nice and welcoming. We haven't eating inside any places since covid hit in March (only carry out since then) but back when we would eat in the place seemed clean and cared for. read more

If you are in this area, this is the place to go for Vietnamese food- everything is under 10$ . I recommend their pho and their combination dish is not bad either. One thing I didn't really like is their bubble tea...frozen bubble tea. read more

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Great food and fast service mr and my bf loved it will be coming back again soon Banh Mi was awesome

I have been to Mi Li's several times after hearing they were the best in the city for banh mi and pho. I had never had either before so my first time I had nothing to compare them to. I've since tried other restaurants and Mi Li's truly is the best. The banh mi bread is just perfect crispy crust and soft inside. I like both the cold pork and grilled pork so I like to get both and split with who I'm with. I also like the meatball pho. Be warned though I don't know where they get their jalapeños but they're hotter than any I've had ever anywhere else. The service is never great though and I'm always dying for more water and waiting forever on my check. The delicious food helps make up for that though. read more

Mi Li Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

* Authentic Vietnamese * Hot, fresh, crispy Bánh mì subs. Grilled pork's my fave (note the fresh jalapenos when ordering!) * Ph is the best in Columbus. Includes generous extras. Small's enough for one. Get a small "without meats" with your Bánh mì sub and have a memorable $10 lunch ...or dinner. * Coffee with milk (condensed milk) is so sweet and so good * Bubble teas excellent * Salty lemonade ...not so good.... * Order by number on phone (see uploaded cropped menus) Prices might vary. * Make sure you have cash-$10 minimum for cards read more

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Just ordered vermicelli salad with pork and eggroll. Pork was over cooked and too tough to eat. Not impressed.

So far by far the best authentic Pho we have found in this town The service was exceptional ( little English order by number play it safe) however no lack of water refills and the check was presented in a timely fashion I was torn between 4 and 5 stars not because of the food but the ambiance .. zHo for the flavors you will not be disappointed there is none but then again I went for food not decor read more

I was craving some pho tonight so I went to this lil Vietnamese restaurant to cure my craving!! For the food I have to give it 4 starts. The pho was authentic and on point. I ordered a large, not too much meat but it was delicious. I also got the pork crepes and that was insanely delicious!! The service was ok. read more

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This place used to be good in terms of food quality and value, but it has gone downhill with both. Recently ordered the pork rice dish and this is all the pork that it came with??? What a rip off. The Pho portion also has gone down, even with the #11 Extra large. What's the deal??! Very disappointed read more

Mi Li Cafe - Grilled pork rice dish - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

It's my first time ordering here. I had DoorDash deliver and the food was just disgusting. The summer rolls were smaller than normal. This was fine I guess but then more things were wrong. The peanut sauce has some curdled substance in it. The shrimp in the rolls smelled soooo bad like, and I'm not exaggerating, ass. The only reason I'm rating 2 stars is because the shrimp vermicelli was good but not for $9. I've never tried this place. The only reason I ordered from here is because I couldn't get my favorites Vietnamese restaurant-Houng's Vietnamese on Morse rd- delivered. Annoyed and disgusted. read more

Mi Li Cafe - Curdled peanut sauce? - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Taste: 3 Value: 2 Service: 3 2pm on a Sunday, and I haven't gotten lunch yet. I scan through my Yelp bookmarks, and I decide that some banh mis would hit the spots, so out I drive from Easton. My Garmin couldn't find the Yelp address, so I just fired up my Yelp app and used the map function. Little did I know, but the address listed is completely wrong. The correct address is 5858 Emporium Sq Columbus, OH 43231. (Christina, can you please fix this since I don't have admin rights?) Because of this, I ended up driving all the way to Worthington and spent another 10 minutes looking around before I called up the owner and was told it's at 161 and Cleveland. That sucked. I decide to get some groceries at CAM since I'm close by, and I finally drop by Mi Li to pick up two banh mis. FYI, they're right behind Sunoco, which I took 5-10 minutes of driving around the square to find out. 1. Grilled pork banh mi, $5 So-so. Bread was pretty good, but again the rest was pretty standard. I did feel really thirsty after. Apparently they only have this and cold pork slices banh mi. Talk about variety. Unfortunately, what people have said about Asian food in Columbus is more or less true, as there are so many better options back home in CA, where there's 8-10 banh mi shops in the nearby city, each for only $2.50-3. read more

Mi Li is only in the money making business rather than serving real Vietnamese food or trying to make a difference in Ohio. I am Vietnamese and eating at Mi Li is a disappointment. The servings are too small, the prices are inflated (by $2-$3 when compared to other states) and the flavors are not worth the price to value for what you get. I ordered rice with grill pork chops today and it was disappointing. The rice was hard and cold, the pork tasted it came out of a bag so it turned out to be dry, and the soup was not hot. I decided to leave and not finish my kid serving where then employees kept swirling around my bill to wait to pick up the cash. An employee then asked me if the food was good only when I was about to pay and not even my server came. I typically tip 25% but I couldn't bare tip on bad service and food quality. read more

YUM. This place is legit. My best friend and I have been scouring Columbus checking out every single pho place and this one quickly jumped to the top of the list. For $8, we got a giant bowl of pho that was filling and delicious. Seriously loved the pho from here and I've tried them all in this city. Their broth is a bit different from the rest, it's a bit sweeter than the rest I've had and it's a bit lighter, too. I really enjoyed it from a food perspective. The atmosphere of this spot is decent, sort of your typical restaurant vibe. It was clean in there which is always great! I totally recommend checking Mi Li out! read more

Mi Li Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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This was my first time going here and I thought the service was fantastic and the menu was a playground for my taste buds. I had what I thought was the most popular Beef Pho that was fantastic so now I will venture from there. read more

Took my best friend, brother, and sister in law out to lunch! This is my first time here and I must say it was really good! They didn't rush us from the table and made sure we were good! I got shrimp pho! The shrimp was bigger than I thought they would have been! The egg rolls were good as well. read more

Mi Li Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

One of the best Pho spots in Cbus. I've come here for years and they stay pretty consistent in their taste and quality. I get the pho without meat, a grilled pork sub and a Thai tea latte. All so delicious. read more

This is probably the most authentic vietnamese restaurant I have been to in Columbus. All 100% real potent fish sauce. Not watered down. The crepe is my go to order. Fresh savory and fulling. Reminds me of home. read more

I went to lunch at Mi Li with my sister today to try their Pho. I ordered Pho tai (rare steak) and my sister ordered Pho ga (chicken) and it was phenomenal! The broth was very flavorful and had thin sliced onions, green onions and vermicelli noodles already in the bowl with the meats we ordered. Various herbs come on the side with some slices of jalapeño, lime and bean sprouts. They give you a little bowl for sriracha and hoisin sauce as well as forks, chopsticks and soup spoons. The beef was cut delicately thin and was very tender and the herbs give the broth a nice aroma and flavor. The added sprouts give a little crunch that brought him the whole bowl together. The restaurant is quaint and clean and the bar area is open to the kitchen. The waitress was very nice, my only complaint is that she never refilled our drinks. Great pho and great atmosphere! Very inexpensive at around $8 a bowl. I highly recommend it. read more

Mi Li Cafe - Rare beef pho with various herbs and add ins in the background. - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Saturday September 9, 2017 This was our third visit to Mi Li Café which has become our favorite Vietnamese restaurant. Tucked in an unpretentious shopping center, locale is clean and bright. Nice menu choices and friendly service. We ordered a bánh mì to share and a small bowl of ph dac biet each. The sandwich was delicious: the bread was crusty and chewy, the pork perfectly grilled, well seasoned and moist. I was tempted, albeit for 1.3 seconds, to 86 the ph and order another sandwich. I'm glad I didn't. The "small" (cannot imagine regular and large) was excellent, as we have learned to expect from Mi Li. Broth was deliciously lean, full with rare thinly sliced eye round steak, well-done brisket, tendon, tripe, and meatballs. It also comes with green and white onions, Thai basil, Thai chili peppers, bean sprouts, and culantro leaves (some people call it Chinese cilantro). There are hoisin and sriracha sauces available but all I added was a squeeze of lime. I couldn't finidh it all (of course, I ate all the meats!!) We'll be back, I actually want to go now! read more

Mi Li Cafe - Delicious pork bahn mi! - Vietnamese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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