Wandered in here around 8:30 pm after visiting a friend who had just given birth at HOAG. Ordered Pho Dac Biet, and my friend had a fish dish that his mom sometimes cooks on special occasions. Service was quick, water was filled constantly (albeit with no ice), and the food was hot. Nothing really exciting about this place. Average prices, average taste, and will definitely satisfy a craving if needed when you're in the area. Couldn't really pinpoint anywhere this place would stand out. Not a bad thing though. I'll have to try their mi next, see if their egg noodle dishes are good. read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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We had the filet menon Pho and it was outstanding! The broth was perfect, all the fixings were delicious, and we both finished the whole thing! We had the spring rolls with chicken as an appetizer and they were phenomenal. The peanut sauce that came with the rolls was outstanding. The service was wonderful. Everyone checked on us and made sure that we were enjoying our meal. Highly recommend! read more

I craved this dish instead of pho which made me regret my decision since it wasn't that good. The dish itself is bland and does not taste authentic enough for me. I am willing to come back to try a pho dish but we will see. Ordered: Bun Bo Hue read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - Bun Bo Hue - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

the best pho in Costa Mesa hands-down because this is very fresh and well-made. It's a whole wall place, but you're not gonna regret it. It's the best I can't believe how good it is. read more

I had very minimal white and green onions as well as cilantro... I asked for extra and there were maybe 3 white onions in my bowl and they ended up charging me $1 extra without mention of the extra charge. I don't respect restaurants that do this. A simple mention of the extra charge would be respectful. The summer rolls were good they had a nice crunch from the fried egg roll wrap inside. Over ambiance was fair, bathroom wasn't bad, it's what you would expect from a pho place. Just disappointed in the service. read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Ok, filet mignon pho! I'm in love!! The tenderest most flavorful pho meat I've ever had. The only mistake I made was not ordering extra meat! Broth was tasty. I was able to replace noodles with some steamed veggies for an up charge. The dining room is fairly small, but charmingly decorated. Service was typical for a pho restaurant- not a lot of attention is offered once the food is delivered and we had to wait for someone to notice we needed our check. That's one way they could improve, being more attentive to customers. read more

Love this place, been coming for years before work (all of us nurses love it here) The family is so kind and engaging and the food is delicious AND it comes out fast! read more

Delicious and so satisfying. It's sooo hard to find good pho places where I live that aren't overpriced or "fusion", so my family and I routinely makes the drive here even if it's not the most convenient. They have an extensive menu. I am such a fan. Even my friend from Westminster agrees that their food is pretty tasty. The pho is exactly what you crave- heaping bowls of hot soup and noodles. Not out of this world amazing but so satisfying. The spring rolls are spring rolls. I don't think they're anything special and they could be a tad bigger, but that's all. The rolls with pork are my favorite. They're better than the spring rolls in my opinion. Staff treats you like family which means they can come off a tad brusque but they are truly the sweetest. read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Very solid location. The beef noodles is very generous. This seems to be a family run restaurant. The staff are very friendly, and the meals come out pretty darn quick. I usually get the Filet noodles. I think you'll be very happy. read more

This is the best pho I've had in a long time! Amazingly brilliant, balanced broth. I ordered chicken pho, and the meat was perfectly tender, lean, and tasty. The restaurant is immaculate, the waitstaff friendly. read more

First time trying delivery. Food was packaged to eat in office but spring roll wasn't that great. Other than that pho was on point.

Amazing food. I love this place. The Vietnamese food here tastes authentic, just how I would expect it in the OC. I have already been 5 times in the last week and a half! The staff is very nice and super dog-friendly! read more

I got the 31 filet pho, the broth was great, the meat was tender and service was excellent! Probably the best restaurant pho I've had so far. Highly recommend. read more

Nice restaurant in Costa Mesa. Great food, good service, upset that there was a piece of a ballon in my spring roll. Came here for Sunday night takeout. We wanted to try a new restaurant and gave Pho Lantern a shot. Ordered the Grilled Chicken Fresh Rolls, the Hu Tieu Kho Ga Nuong, and Pho. Everything was tasty, particularly the Hu Tieu (aka dry noodles with chicken). Chicken was incredibly flavorful and the dry noodles had a wonderful sauce / oil to them. Only drawback of the evening was that there was a piece of a ballon in one of our spring rolls. A light blue piece of rubber. I took it out and still ate the spring roll because it was that tasty...but come on?! read more

We love the filet pho! We always get it to go and they package everything separate for easy assembly at home. Definitely recommend.

Food is delicious! I often get the rare beef pho and it is my favorite out of any restaurant I have tried. Staff is always friendly and attentive. read more

I don't even particularly like Pho but I was amazed, this place is excellent. The staff are very nice and attentive, the food Is delish and piping hot. I am now a Pho fan, but only at this place. Not too expensive either. read more

Super Yummy! Delicious food, great service, with a nice ambiance. Perfect lunch spot! We had the Filet Mignon Pho, Shrimp Yellow Curry Clay-Pot and Shrimp Spring Rolls, all really good. Would definitely come back two thumbs up. read more

Best pho I've ever tried! Its been 8 years since I discovered "pho" I've tried many pho restaurants around the area (mostly in OC, garden grove, Westminster) and this has been the best so far. I ordered #38 large, the broth was delicious, no Sriracha sauce or Houssaine sauce needed to flavor it up! Came with a party of 8, they ordered fried rice and a fried noodle plate, they all loved it, even my kids who normally don't finish their pho. Service was excellent, got waters and refills quick. Ambience: the place is clean, good location (on our way back from the beach). I will be coming here after our beach trips! read more

Delicious 2nd time here. I had the fried calamari appetizer the #38 pho soup. This place it clean and cozy. The service is EXCELLENT. Staff is very friendly. The cook comes out from the back to say hello to the customers, a very kind man. And the food is AMAZING. read more

Noodles noodles noodles!!! Really yummy noodles and huge portions! Nice little Vietnamese restaurant located in a small shopping plaza. I have dined here a couple of times now on a Saturday night and it's always been a full house. But it's worth the wait! I really like that they pre-package your chopsticks and cutlery in a convenient little white paper bag which helps them set the tables pretty fast. We always order their spring rolls which come with the yummy peanut sauce. You get two giant rolls cut in half so its a good appetizer for a party of four. Their menu is pretty huge. Its pretty much a giant list ranging from #1 to maybe #100 items divided into categories and sections. I cant get enough of their vermicelli noodles which they bring out in a giant bowl along with a side bowl of fish sauce. I recently ordered their #58 which is noodles topped with pork, egg rolls and sauteed shrimp!! YUM!! I also had their yellow curry hot pot! Everything is pretty good so you can't be disappointed! read more

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Service: great. They were short staff but still got to me quickly and food came out pretty quick. Friendly and nice too. Food: Meh. I got the 32 Pho Tai The broth was OK. The beef was chewy. The noodles were perfect. Loved the noodles and all the veggies were good. Ambiance: Place was clean, quiet and seats were comfortable. Recommendation: No I wouldn't go here. Not when there are better places nearby. Some places I would recommend that are better food wise and good in service and ambiance would be "Happy Pho", "Wok In" and "Mo Pho Mi". All are in Costa Mesa. There are about the same price as this place, maybe just a dollar here and there difference. Pho Tai read more

This is the best Vietnamese restaurant in the area if you don't feel like driving to bolsa. I love their mi là cây, pho and fried rice! All the staffs here are super friendly. I been a regular for over 6 yrs and they are very consistent. read more

Eating in is good but the takeout portions are disappointing. My large filet mignon pho left me needing another order and I'm not even a big eater. It's worth driving to Fountain Valley or Westminster for bigger portions at the same price if not less. read more

Great food my go to spot for Vietnamese food everything on the menu is pretty tasty that I've ever ordered. Great pho soup.

beginning with nice atmosphere, pho menu choices could be better, only seafood is shrimp and shallots.. service was good young adults were nice and accurate. heres the fail, i observed who i assume the lady manager/owner approach a table to wipe down accidently drop the towel just prior to reaching the table , picked it off the floor and continued to wipe the table with that same towel that dropped on the floor!!! she didnt even use another towel or at least turn the towel so that the side that touched the floor wasn't used to wipe yhe table. therefore i grade this establishment a single star. read more

Whether it's hot, or if it's cold, I love their vegetarian pho. They are located in a shopping center where there's easy parking and they're easy to find. They seem to be busy quite often, so we like to call in and put in the order for pick up. Their prompt and the food is great. There are seats inside of the restaurant if you want to eat there or take it to go. Either is a great choice! Buon and crispy veggie egg roll is our 2nd and 3rd favorite dishes to order. read more

Amazing service. Everyone is very friendly very accommodating. You gotta come here and try the food.

We sometimes come to this place on Sunday's after church. We enjoy coming here! Today was super great, the service was excellent and the food delicious. Always a great experience! read more

Food is great and the people are nice. We ordered the chicken phô with veggie egg rolls and it never fails to hit the spot. read more

Service was wonderful, they were so kind and attentive. The food was great for the price and portion. Will definitely be back again. I got the chicken Pad Thai, was so full and still had leftovers. read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - Pad Thai chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The best Pho I have ever had, always consistent high quality and great service. I go to the Lantern Cafe frequently read more

Solid Vietnamese/Pho joint. - Plenty of pho choices but also the full array of your typical Vietnamese dishes. - Beef chow fun is tasty. Noodles were stuck together, though. - I didn't try the pho but my table-mates seemed satisfied with their choices, which included vegetarian. - They have a very limited selection beer and wine. No craft beer, just some Asian beers and the usual American crap. - Service was good. PLC is not a hole in the wall but is not large. It will accommodate a group as long as it's not busy. read more

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The Vietnamese coffee here is the best of the best! First the coffee came half full of cup and I thought someone drink it haha It came like that because it is a concentrated : ) Great service with a friendly knowledgeable waiter !!! read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - We ended up ordering the second round of coffee! - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I have bounced around, I think like everyone, in search of the best Pho. A couple years ago I tried Pho Lantern and remember liking it, so I decided to give it another shot. Well...I am glad I did. I got the Pho with rare steak and it was excellent. Not only was the there plenty of steak, the broth was dark and rich and extremely flavorful. If I could knock anything I would say that I could have used more Thai basil with the order, however I will not hold it against them because my order was delivered. I also ordered the shrimp spring rolls which came out still warm and with a delicious peanut dipping sauce. Very fresh. read more

Was too hungry and forgot to take pics of our food. Will this place. I ordered a #38 regular and was surprised at the portion. They give much more as compared to other Pho places I have been to. The only problem was they made mistake on my bill. I was charged for something I didn't order. And for the drink that I did order, it never came. Simple mistakes in which they apologetically corrected it right away. I can totally understand. They would get 5 stars if they upped the bathroom cleanliness read more

I ordered my meal from door dash... i am 5 months pregnant and was craving some pho... and a thai tea... so i figure why not order it. Since am at work i wouldnt have enough time to go pick it up and eat on my break... food arrives am starving so i pour some vroth and eat a little... i made enough room to pour the rest and to my dismay i see this a ruberband and wat looks to be a lugie or god knows what!! I feel so sick to my stomach right now! I am totally against leaving bad reviews being in retail in all i believe we need more positive actions in this world... but this is DISGUSTING! Not that i expect it to taste good wit that in it but the taste was bland and the thai tea was bland as well and the boba was not chewy or correct texture of boba... straigh up disgusted and disappointment read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - This was at the bottom of the broth container - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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The pho was okay. The broth lacked in flavor. Pho 10 has great broth if you're looking for a more flavorful broth. The chicken summer rolls were inedible. They are supposed to be served cold with crisp veggies inside. I'm pretty sure this is universal. But these came hot. Wrapped in plastic wrap hot! And soggy. When I opened one of the rolls the rice paper had disintegrated from the heat. There was soggy heated lettuce with more chopped wet soggy heated lettuce. That's great if you cook the chicken fresh. But let it cool before you make them if you know they are for a long delivery. And maybe not wrap them in a sweat box of plastic wrap. This was my first visit here. And I love summer rolls because they are light and fresh. But it really sucks when you pay not just good money but extra money to have someone's product delivered to you. When I called and asked about them the lady said they are hot and cold, that's how they are. But that doesn't make sense if the rice paper is going to disintegrate because the chicken was so hot. And it steams all the veggies inside to sogginess. We all work hard for our money. And if someone chooses your place out of all the options out there to maybe take a little pride in your product. Make sure it's something that will make someone want to go back. And if something like this happens maybe offer a refund of the product to back your quality and own a mistake. I don't think taking a few minutes to let the chicken cool would be a problem. I hate paying for food you can't eat. Or Don't want to eat because it's gross. What a waste of money. 45$. Delivery. Below are pictures of what I got delivered. When I took off the plastic wrap and then what their pictures show that they usually serve. read more

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Pho is what we like. Always looking for a good broth (light) We have eaten the Filet mignon, chicken and shrimp. On Occasion I go on Clear Liquid diets; (medical procedures). I get their broth and live on it for a few days Perfect for Fasts and flavorful. There are 4 other Pho restaurants in the local area and this is the only one I will get.. Close to Home and Good. read more

The cutest amount of lettuce for my spring roll wraps. Meager portions of sauce and carrot, no hot sauce. read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California