You must try the waterfall chicken! It's flavorful and crispy and made with lots of love. Great service and super nice staff and owner. I highly recommend if you're looking for a new spot to try in the OC! read more

Waterfall Chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

The first time I visited Vietnam, my friends asked me what I wanted to eat. I was eager to try dishes not found in the United States. Apparently, this method of chicken preparation has been available in Vietnam for over a decade. This store claims to be the first to serve it here in Southern California. Typically, fried chicken is breaded and immersed in cooking oil to deep fry. In this case, the chicken is brined but not breaded. Instead of being submerged in oil, a steady stream of hot cooking oil is poured over the chicken until it's fully cooked. The goal is to make the skin crispy (like a chicharron), while keeping the interior moist. On this first occasion, I ordered the chicken and rice for $14.99 and a can of Coca-Cola for $2.49. With tax of $1.35, the total came to $18.83 before gratuity. The plate featured a leg and thigh, a bowl of steamed rice, a side salad, and dipping sauce. The chicken was cooked well--moist, with all the fat rendered from the skin, leaving it thin and crispy--though it was a bit saltier than I would have preferred. The rice wasn't plain white rice but was cooked with chicken broth and seasonings, adding extra flavor. The salad was fresh with a light dressing. The bottom line is that I really enjoyed this style of fried chicken. This restaurant also offers pho, along with a variety of other rice and noodle dishes. read more

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Wow! BEST CHICKEN EVER!! I was told about Waterfall Chicken through a friend who raved about this special Vietnamese fried chicken that is cooked in an oil waterfall making it crispy on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside. So unique! Waterfall Chicken is located off Beach near PCH in the same plaza as a Walmart, Chase Bank, Seaside Tropical Fish and some EVgo charging stations. There is plenty of parking in this plaza. Upon coming in there were plenty of tables and nice artwork featuring Vietnamese culture. There was also a TV that was playing one of the world cup games that evening. The restaurant is family owned and operated by Chef Tin, his wife, and their son. They are all very friendly and nice. We had the chance to talk to Chef Tin during our meal and he was telling us about his incredible restauranteur experience. I am sure he will continue to bring delicious offerings to the Southern California food scene. Anyways, back to the food. They have a small menu of specialty items. My boyfriend and I shared the Waterfall Chicken Rice ($14.99) and the Waterfall Chicken Garlic Noodle ($16.49) which comes with the crispy waterfall style fried chicken, a side salad, and their special dipping sauce. Basically we got our own chicken and salad, but got different carb bases to try. We were so excited when the food came out. The chicken had a nice crispy cracking exterior, but the inside was super super juicy and perfectly cooked. This chicken leg basically got a hydromassage of waterfall oil. So cool! The garlic noodles are some of the best I've ever had. You can really taste the garlic, just the way I like it. I feel like as a side the garlic noodles stand really well on its' own while the rice is a nice bland palette that allows you to absorb the flavor of the chicken and the sauce really well. I like them both in different ways and I was glad we got to try both. I really wanted to finish all of my food because it was fantastic, but I got full from snacking all day. They nicely gave me a togo box with a really quality sauce container. I'm only sharing this because I want to credit that the chicken was still moist and delicious the next day. Love this sauce! I had extra sauce that I ate with some cucumbers I had in my fridge and it was amazing. Can't wait to come back and try more of their menu. If we weren't so full I would have ordered their Waterfall Eggrolls. I hear they are planning some new menu items too. I'll definitely come back soon. read more

Waterfall Chicken - exterior, business front - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

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So confused about the bad reviews on this place. I was skeptical because I too saw it on social media. Yelp doesn't have enough reviews to make it convincing but I went today and it was great. It is in the most unassuming plaza but it is clean, has lots of parking, and overall food was great. I just came home from Vietnam just like these other reviewers and I thought the chicken was tender, crispy and flavorful. Portion was quite large. Everyone knows fried chicken rice is all about the sauce and I thought that was good too. The service was quick and the workers even turned on the waterfall oil for us to see how it all works. It is definitely worth a try! I will be back! read more

Waterfall Chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

Waterfall Chicken is a new Vietnamese restaurant bringing over an innovative method of frying chicken. This spot took over where Pho Lux is and they are located in a plaza with a good amount of parking spots. Inside, they have a nice setup with about 6-7 tables for seating. Wifey and I stopped by for lunch and were seated right away. We ended up getting the Chicken Rice Plate and the Chicken Garlic Noodles Plate. Everything was delicious and we really enjoyed the sauce that came with the chicken. All of the staff here are very friendly and welcoming. Waterfall Chicken is Viet gang approved! read more

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What a juicy and savory fried chicken, the sauce they pair it with is amazing. Plenty of seating inside the restaurant and lots of parking outside because it's found inside of a Walmart plaza. Highly recommend coming here to check them out. read more

Waterfall Chicken - Waterfall chicken and rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

This was ok. I had no preconceived notions of this place, and had not read any reviews previously. I had the pho and the waterfall chicken. I got takeout and was instructed to eat it immediately to get the full flavor and experience. Luckily, I live not even 5 minutes away, so my meal was still hot when I got home. The pho was ok. The rice was ok too. The chicken was surprisingly small, and the sauce was too sweet for my palate. It was a decent meal, but unremarkable. The service was friendly and prompt. I'd give it another try. read more

Waterfall Chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

I'm going to be completely honest, the flavor on the waterfall chicken 10/10, crispy on the outside and so tender from the inside! The size portion was on the small side, so that's why I was kinda disappointed, bigger portions of the chicken and rice would of been great! The rice was delicious as well. Love the tai teal! Customer service was great, felt welcome. I didn't get to take a picture of the food, because I was so excited and hungry. Everyone was super friendly and nice with good food! read more

Waterfall Chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

Waterfall Chicken took over the Pho Lux location in the Walmart shopping center in Huntington Beach. I just happened to see the video that Andy N. posted on IG with the Vietnamese waterfall fryer and told my husband that we needed to check them out. We went that evening and they had run out of the quarter legs so we got two thighs instead with our order. We also tried their beef and fatty brisket pho. It was still busy after the dinner rush. Chef Tin brings his French culinary training and Vietnamese roots to the dishes at Waterfall Chicken. We met his wife and his step-son at the restaurant helping out. The food was delicious, a solid 5 stars. The chicken is crispy on the outside and juicy. The house made special sauce is the star which we kind of put on everything, even the side salad. Ask for the sauce, don't be shy. The pho had a nice clear broth to it and they use bone marrow bones in it and strain it a few times to get that clear broth. It definitely is a small mom & pop that is getting local word of mouth. They found out my husband is from New Orleans so we were trying to see if they would offer more Cajun items on the menu like po'boys and gumbo as specials. Only time will tell. If you want to try Vietnamese fried chicken, this place makes it like they do in Vietnam, with the machine they imported. Check them out and give them some love. Tell them to put those specials on the menu! read more

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If you're looking for something truly unique in Huntington Beach, Waterfall Chicken is an absolute must try. The star of the show is their incredible waterfall chicken, inspired by a custom built oil waterfall system created in Vietnam decades ago. The technique is fascinating, the oil continuously flows over the chicken, keeping the temperature perfectly consistent. The result is crispy, golden skin with juicy, tender meat inside and somehow not greasy at all. It is one of those rare dishes where you can actually taste the craftsmanship behind it. Even better, this place is the definition of a true family run gem. Owner Tin built the system himself and runs the kitchen alongside his wife Thuy and their son Andy. You can feel the care and pride in every detail, it is not just food, it is a family passion project brought to life. And the sides are just as memorable. The rice, cooked with the chicken, comes out beautifully yellow and rich with savory chicken fat. The fresh salad with their house made dressing adds the perfect balance. And do not skip the garlic forward chicken sauce, it is bold, flavorful, and ties everything together perfectly. This is not just a meal, it is a full on experience for your taste buds. Crispy, juicy, flavorful, and made with heart. We will absolutely be back. read more

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Massive parking lot, always lots of spots. Place looks 90% just like the previous spot here, even the menu was really similar with a few new items. Even the server eating a meal in the back looked like the last guy who was frequently back there eating. They had garlic noodles previously, I got the noodles with the "Waterfall" chicken and my wife got the rice version of the same. We both enjoyed the chicken. Not making me run back but decent. The noodles and rice are also decent. Nothing stood out for me. They have you scan the menu with a phone and he said its because they are adding more items to the menu. They also brought a tablet to look at. You also now go to the counter to pay. We sat a while before being advised of that process. We were the only two folks there on a Friday night and still felt the service was lacking and zero new place excitement. Hopefully they can kick up the service and get those menus updated for this rebranding, we didnt leave super excited to come back. read more

Waterfall Chicken is one of those local family-owned places you want to keep coming back to. The restaurant was clean and had nice artwork. Service was friendly and very supportive in making suggestions on what to order. Tin, the dad and chef, came out to chat with us, which made the whole experience even better. I can tell he takes pride in his dishes and has a lot of experience in the food industry. We had the Waterfall Chicken Cajun Garlic Noodles with the signature sauce. The chicken was crispy, flavorful, and delicious. The sauce had layers of flavor that made the chicken even better. We also ordered the popcorn chicken too. It was hot, fresh, and perfectly spiced. Tin also let us try a new customer-inspired sriracha sauce that was really good and I'm glad we tried it, but the signature sauce is still my favorite. Already looking forward to coming back for the calamari, pork chop and Pho! I definitely recommend supporting this awesome local family business! read more

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Excellent food and service!!! Highly recommend this place! My husband and two kids came here about 2 weeks ago, and he kept talking about it, so I had to try it myself. We ordered the popcorn chicken, calamari, fries, one Chicken plate with rice, and another Chicken plate with garlic noodles. Everything was excellent! A lot of places make fried chicken too dry and greasy but they got it just right here -- crispy and crunchy on the outside, no thick flour coating, not greasy, and still juicy inside. Definitely some of the better fried chicken we've had. The prices are very reasonable too, around $6.99-$16.99 per plate. We'll definitely be back. They also serve Pho, so next visit we're coming back for the chicken plates, we will try their Pho. read more

Waterfall Chicken - Waterfall chicken with rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

Checked out this new family owned spot that just took over the old location Pho spot on Beach Boulevard by Walmart grocery. Still a soft opening, so they're getting their sea legs with signage and overall vibe--but don't let that stop you. The backstory is cool: the father is a chef who brought French cooking roots from Louisiana into the mix. You can taste that influence. I went with the waterfall chicken (namesake) and honestly--the sauce is the star. I asked for double sauce (no regrets), and it took the dish to another level without being overkill. Chicken was solid, but the sauce + side salad dressing was is what made it all pop. If you were going here for Pho, you're in luck, they have it too and I'm looked forward to trying it. Let's go (sorry so overused it's funny)! Inside is clean, decorative, and welcoming. You can tell they're still dialing things in, but there's real high potential here. Worth checking out now Even better once they fully launch - soon Always good to support a local family business getting off the ground. read more

Seen videos on social media about this new spot in town. I literally got back from Vietnam recently and the waterfall chicken was my last meal before leaving, so I was pretty excited to know we now have waterfall chicken in America. We came here for the chicken only. They have options with rice or garlic noodles. We did one of each to try out. The chicken is juicy and crispy, but small, could use a little more seasoning. The rice and garlic noodles were just okay. The sauce wasn't really to our liking. It was too sweet. Overall experience, our party didn't leave satisfied. We left feeling hungry. $17 is a bit much for the portion given. read more

Waterfall Chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

Tried Waterfall Chicken recently and overall had a good experience. The chicken was really good and definitely the highlight for me. The owner was very attentive and made sure customers were taken care of, and the servers were also friendly and attentive throughout the meal. The reason I'm giving 4.2 stars instead of 5 is because the garlic noodles were a little lacking, and the pho didn't have as much flavor as I personally prefer. It may just be different from the flavor profile I'm used to, but it wasn't my favorite part of the meal. Other than that, the service and hospitality were great, and you can tell they care about their customers. I'd still come back for the chicken and the overall experience. Also owner saw my chicken was small so she bought out another piece for me! read more

Waterfall Chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

Waterfall chicken specialty is a Vietnamese style chicken and rice dish, the way they fry the chicken makes it a lot less oily with a serious crispy skin and tender chicken, meat, the sauce improves the chicken by a tier, a must have with the chicken, the dish also comes with turmeric/garlic rice or garlic pasta, and a salad. To add, they have a killer fried calamari appetizer, the calamari was fluffy, crispy and light, not oily like some other places. The decor was a bit dark but very wide, very typical of Vietnamese restaurants, but a very clean cut look overall. The servers are well mannered and pleasant, they keep my water topped off, so that makes me happy, considering I tip based on how often servers top my drinks up lol. I highly recommend this place, if you want to try a different type of fried chicken, and since they make it as you order, you will get the fresh out of the fryer experience. read more

Waterfall Chicken - Waterfall Chicken with Garlic Noodles, and spring salad + tomatoes/cucumber - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

Newish place for a quick lunch. The chicken was surprisingly juicy with perfectly crispy skin. Eggrolls were just meh. Vietnamese coffee was strong. read more

Waterfall Chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

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I honestly don't understand the hype around this place at all. The "waterfall chicken" was a complete letdown from start to finish. First off, there was absolutely nothing "waterfall" about it--no flavor depth, no balance, nothing that made it stand out in any way. It just felt like a name slapped on something mediocre. The chicken itself? Tiny. Like, surprisingly small portions that make you question if you ordered a full dish or just a sample. And somehow, despite being so small, it still managed to be dry and bland. No real seasoning, no punch--just... nothing. It tasted like it was missing the entire point of what this dish is supposed to be. I've had waterfall chicken in Vietnam, and it's not even a comparison. Over there, it's packed with flavor, herbs, spice, and freshness--it actually hits. This place feels like a watered-down version that completely lost its identity. Also, I've got to say--after trying this spot, I seriously question recommendations from AndyTheFoodieNguyen. Either he got compensated to hype this place up, or his standards for "good food" are way off. Because this was nowhere near worth the visit. Overall, disappointing, overpriced for what you get, and definitely not something I'd ever come back for. read more

Waterfall Chicken - Not worth the drive. Trust.. 1.99 chicken is way better - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

Mediocre at its best. $17 including tax not worth it. I found this place on IG. Obviously, it was a paid review. The chicken leg/thigh is a size of a small palm 5 inches max very skinny. Just plain unseasoned fried chicken. That's what the fried onion soy sauce of for. Sauce kinda salty and vinegary, strange and not all that good. Couple of green leaves and 2 slices of cucumber. The rice ... turmeric powder sprinkled on white rice. That's it! The only good thing is that there was a very small tiny fat I found on the chicken. Good customer service. read more

I stopped by this restaurant yesterday, and the food was absolutely delicious, especially the rice and chicken. The chicken was very crispy and seasoned perfectly. They also recently introduced a new pho dish, which was great as well. Overall, I really enjoyed my meal and will definitely be coming back. The service was good too. Everything was excellent. Thank you for providing such a wonderful dining experience and a delicious meal read more

Waterfall Chicken - Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

Awesome new local spot! Chicken was so crispy but the com tam (pork chop) was my favorite. So juicy and flavorful. Staff was super nice and let me try both because I couldn't decide which I wanted. If they add wings to the menu this place will blow up for sure. read more

Waterfall Chicken - Com Tam and waterfall chicken combo - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

It's a way fried chicken is cooked in vietnam and this family brought the machine over. It's still their soft opening so if you can be patient with the machine, you'll get to taste a really plump, crunchy chicken the vietnamese way. Family owned,, good brown sauce and fluffy rice. Must try. read more

This place has some really good fried chicken and the sauce that comes with it is fire , havent tried the pho yet . I will try the pho next time! read more

I saw a soft opening sign and decided to try there for lunch with my cousin. They serve rice with crispy chicken which was very tasty. The skin was crispy and the meat was juicy. It came with 2 different sauces which was both good. They let us tried the clam chowder which was also good. During the soft opening they had free lemonade which I like since it wasn't too sweet. Service was good and friendly. Very clean and spacious.They are still in soft opening so I would be coming back again. read more

Waterfall Chicken - Garlic noodles with crispy chicken and rice with crispy chicken. - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

Check out this new place that cooked the chicken via oil dropping down on it thus the "waterfall" in the name. The chicken is huge, crispy and juicy but is bland which is why you need to dip in the sauce provided. I got the garlic noodle and found the amount of garlic in the noodles overwhelming. Service is great. read more

Waterfall Chicken - Garlic noodles with waterfall chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

Known for their "waterfall chicken," a dripped oil cooking method. It provides a delicious chicken coating similar to pork belly and roasted pig. The skin has that exact texture and bite. The meat is juicy on the inside. The garlic noodles were not oily. A unique chicken dish. read more

Waterfall Chicken - Waterfall chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

The food is really outstanding! Every meal we had was full of flavor and cooked to perfection. I really suggest the waterfall chicken a must try. The people working there are very friendly. Hands down read more

New spot. Crowded at lunch. Small mistakes happens, just learn from it and improve. Young guy server is a great asset. Keep up the great service. Food portion on the smaller side. Support your locals! read more

Waterfall Chicken - Waterfall chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

We came here after seeing the hype on Instagram and it did not disappoint!!!! Andy came out and greeted us and was super friendly and talkative- it was quite refreshing to have a friendly server! My brother got the pho and the broth was light, flavorful, and the meat was perfectly cooked. The waterfall chicken and rice was really good! The skin was crispy and the meat was still juicy inside. We definitely will come back again! Everyone was super friendly and nice with good food! read more

Great food and service! I got the Waterfall chicken with garlic noodles and some pork egg rolls. All the sauces tasted great and are made in-house. read more

Excellent Food! Excellent Service! And an excellent story! It was also really cool seeing how they cook the chicken. read more

we were just walking by this place and saw they were doing a soft opening. we ordered the chicken and rice dish. the owner was nice enough to show us how the waterfall technique for fry cooking the chicken was unique. I think the cooking technique makes it a little less oily. usually fried chicken makes my stomach ache with all the oil. the flavor of the dish was good and the portions are plenty. I split one order with my wife for dinner. the only thing I would suggest is to not put the plastic bag with the greens and cucumber in the box with the hot chicken as it melts the plastic... read more

Waterfall Chicken - chicken with rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

We came here for lunch and ordered the chicken with garlic noodles. Everything was fantastic. The chicken was perfectly cooked and crispy on the outside. The chicken had a great flavor, too. The garlic noodles and salad that came with it tasted really good as well. I'm already excited about my next visit - they gave us a sample of the clam chowder and it's better than most east coast chowders I've had. read more

This place is pretty good despite it being new. The owner was very nice, and the garlic noodles were especially delicious. It's also known for the waterfall chicken which is a unique way of cooking it. Make this place more popular! read more

Tried Waterfall and it did not disappoint. The chicken was crispy, juicy, and full of flavor while still tasting clean--not greasy at all. The skin was perfectly crisp, which really made it stand out. The garlic noodles and rice were both packed with flavor and complemented the chicken perfectly. Definitely a spot I'd recommend if you're looking for a satisfying, well-executed meal. read more

pho and waterfall fried chicken were both excellent. Staff was extremely helpful and friendly

New to Huntington. Excellent chicken. Great service. Come and check them out, soft opening is this week.