We thought the food was so good! The pad tai noodles with a little spice was 10/10. We also got the steamed pork dumplings, which were also really good. read more

Lotus Noodle House - Shrimp pad tai - Vietnamese Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

I like this place. It's fresh and tasty, but it's pricier than other places and service wasn't super friendly that day. I recommend if you're in the area and craving pho, but if you're on a mission there are other places I would go to for the price. read more

Lotus Noodle House - Sate Beef Noodle Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

When you are super hungry and cold and just want a quick bite, sometimes having a familiar meal makes everything all better in a hurry. This was not the case with Lotus. I was thinking having something warm and Asian would soothe the palate. I was wrong. This place was given very average reviews and I should have trusted my gut here. I had the pork and egg plate and this was very much an average dish. The broken rice provided good texture and the fish sauce added a little punch but the meats were too gamey. If i can taste the gaminess, then the meat is probably old (ugh). I do love mom and pop shops and wanted to give Lotus a try as I did hear Vietnamese cuisine was good in Calgary. I guess not in downtown. What a waste of a belly real estate. read more

Lotus Noodle House - Pork and egg plate - meh - Vietnamese Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

My honey works near this place so we thought we should at least patronize the local businesses. I was a little surprised to find an executive style decor here, and then I understood why, the place was filled with business people. It was a busy lunch crowd, all seemed enthusiastic and chatty and enjoying their meal. Enthusiasm is contagious so it got me excited to order. We sat down in a spacious, comfortable table, the hostess very nice. I ordered the Vietnamese beef on a skewer with rice lunch special at 9.95 and my hon's usual pho addiction. Water was immediately brought to the table as well as Chinese tea. Pleasant all pleasant. When food was brought to us, my meal was exactly as advertised. Two small skewers of beef on a bed of rice. But it was such a small serving, I was expecting heaps of rice and nice hearty skewered beef perhaps even a garnish? But there is sat so uninspired, this is something my aunt could have made for me for much less the price. It was not amazing nor did it blow me away. The pho was okay as well, but I know for a fact this restaurant has a good reputation for its pho, perhaps I should come back. I will admit however with all the amazing Vietnamese restaurants in Calgary I would return to the Lotus simply for the convenience of having it near my partner's work. read more

Lotus Noodle House - Vietnamese Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Literally the best Vietnamese sub I've had outside of Vietnam. Maybe better than that even! Pouring the fish sauce on the sub was so delicious. Can't wait to try more from this place! read more

I like this place. You get greeted right away and water and a menu is brought straight your table. Prices are a tad more than other Vietnamese restaurants off Centre Street or Forest Lawn, but it's justified because of the higher rent downtown location. I ordered the beef sate soup. The soup was subtle and clean tasting. The beef was higher quality than my usual spots in Chinatown. The noodles were overcooked. My friend ordered the bo hue, which I'll have to try in the future. I hear the spicy and sour notes are very good. Pay at the front till when you are done. The staff are really good about splitting the bill for you. read more

Can't believe that it would take a Vancouverite to write a review on a Calgary pho place that's been here for 5 years! Was here last summer for a work trip, & can recommend the iced coffee, my area of expertise, & their spicy pho which will make you sweat for sure. It's right on the corner & can be hard to miss if you're flying down Macleod, so you'll have to turn right before it, plenty of parking; they even have a better automated parking system using license plate technology. Otherwise, it's a long loop to get back around. Near the Saddledome. Anyways I digress; it's pretty spacious here, high ceilings, & friendly, patient service. Server came back after i took up 10min to set up my work station, lap top, etc. lol. read more

We ordered the vegetarian wanton soup with rice noodles. Holy smokes it was tasty. Went back every day thereafter for more of the same. We did not ask for heat so we did not get any. Instead adding in the hot pepper sauce on the table. It took great to heavenly. Seemed like a number of locals stopping in to eat just about any time we went in. The owners do not seem to concerned about the look of the place. Pretty tacky overall with some nice items mixed in. But as far as the food and flavors went. We will be back for Pho Sho. read more

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I go to Calgary once or twice a year from Edmonton - usually for the tattoo convention. As an avid pho lover - I always try to check out the local vietnamese soup joints. Lotus is walking distance from the BMO center where the convention is held so my fellow tattoo artist friends or Calgary pals find it convenient to pop in to when we get a spare minute. The room is typically decorated with traditional nicknacks and artwork. It's overal clean and tidy looking. The service, like most vietnamese places I've visited is efficient yet unfriendly. I always order the same thing :P -Vietnamese iced coffee. at Lotus, it's served pre-made over crushed ice, which I don't prefer over having the carafe brought to the table and then poured over ice cubes. Lotus serves their iced coffee with a little plastic spoon and a wacky straw... -The steak skewers. I think they were a little on the pricey side for two skewers, but I order them EVERY TIME. You cannot pass them up. They are big, meaty skewers with tender seasoned and marinated beef served with a spicy dip sauce. SO GOOD! -As always, I ordered the House Special soup in a large. Well priced for the size. This is THE biggest bowl of pho I've ever had. A little bit too much noodles, but otherwise tasty. The broth is "safe", not too robust or beefy. I prefer the taste to be bolder. I also found the noodles to be a bit softer/soggier than I like. The next times I visited this week, I ordered the regular bowl. It's still a very generous portion of soup and great value. Lotus is always a safe bet on a Calgary trip for me based on it's convenient location and consistent service and quality of food. Try it out - Don't pass up the beef skewers. read more

Food wouldn't exactly blow your mind away, I've eaten at better vietnamese restaurants. What's exceptional about this place is that the service is horrendous and the staff has manners similar to a homo sapien raised by a pack of wolves. The lady by the cashier was extremely rude, my card wasnt working then and I couldnt understand why. She kept throwing the rejected receipts towards me. The payment finally went through about the third time but I never felt so humiliated for something that was never my fault to begin with. read more

There was meat in the bottom of my vegan broth soup. Even worse, there was a HAIR, and the Lotus refused to do anything about it. Avoid, unless you want to eat hair. read more

This place is nothing special. They seem to have a wider variety of things vs just appies, pho, bun, and rice dishes. They carry pad Thai and other Thai/viet entrees. They definitely have selection but I think they should just shrink down their menu and focus on giving a more flavorful menu. I ordered the vermicelli bowl and well it was okay.I've definitely had better. Noodles we're clumped together a little bit. And things are overpriced - 2 salad rolls for $5 and vermicelli bowl for $11 If you're looking for Vietnamese in this area I recommend going to "Vietnam Restaurant" or something like that on 12th ave and Macleod 2 blocks down. They serve a more authentic product and it'd less expensive. The service was nothing outstanding, they know English so it's not awkward ordering. Mind you I did go during lunch rush and with a group of 16 read more

My first review still stands but I have to say that the last few times I've been here, the service has been a bit tardy and the taste of the food is hit or miss. They knock some menu items out of the ballpark while some are just blah! read more

Our office used to order this in for work occassionally. It was always just ok...then it went from ok to terrible. I have never been in the restaurant so I can only comment on the delivery and the food. The last time we ordered from them we wait 90 minutes for it to be delivered, this despite 2 inquiries from me asking where our food was... I was told that it wouldnt be long... the worst part is, is that we are literally 2 blocks from it. When the food finally did arrive, the meat in my coworkers soup was raw, I am not talking pink, I am talking raw, dangerously raw meat. I am not sure how they prepared the soup, but all i can guess is that the meat is thrown in the soup as an afterthought... The rest of the food was oily...the bags and box were soaked with oil. I dont like giving one star, but in this case, i have to. :( read more

Terrible! I still feel gross after finding a LARGE fly in my PHO. What a way to ruin a lunch :(. When we went up to pay, I informed the cashier of the LARGE fly in my soup, and he offered me 10% off of my meal. I kindly let him know I refused to pay for my meal, since I was unable to eat half of it after finding an insect in my soup. read more

We ordered two egg rolls and two house beef noodle soup, the egg rolls was good but the soup wasn't the best. Just by the quality of the beef. It was full of fat, big chunks just of fat. All the rest was good. read more

i tried this place on my last visit to calgary back in july '09 (it was during the stampede festival)... and this viet place is located right across from the stampede park. One word i have for the food here: WOW !!! i know that canada (calgary included) is famous for their vietnamese foods, but never did I realize it was THAT GOOD!!! I esp loved their chilly hot oil sauce... I think this is by far the best pho i've ever had, even way better than those in southern california! and this is coming from someone who eats pho for a living, and me who's lived in LA/OC for 10 yrs and have tried so many diff pho places, westminster included :)) read more

I write this review in a strict PHO perspective, since that is practically the only thing I get when I come here. The reason being is its so damn good. I have been slurping up bowls of pho since I was a 4 year old growing up in Montreal, which has one of the largest Vietnamese populations in North America and I can honestly say this may be one of the top 3 best pho spots in Calgary. The broth is a little bit heavier (less refined) but not too "dirty" and doesn't turn me off in the least. The noodles are always the perfect consistency and the beef usually comes out rare (depending on what pho you're ordering). Other than then the food, its typical Vietnamese. Don't expect much more than your server to bring out water and your food and you will pay at the front on the way out. WARNING: It gets very busy here during the lunch rush on weekdays and is quite hectic but the food quality doesn't go down, its just very hustle and bustle. Ive heard that their Satay's are also very good but haven't tried it personally. read more

As a Vancouverite, I crave excellent Asian food, and after touring the prairies for 3 weeks and having none, I searched a few reviews and heard of Lotus... I was SO glad I walked here!!! The server was very friendly, I was seated promptly (I was a little after the rush at 7:30), but the spacious restaurant did not disappoint. The happy hour (3PM-8PM) spring roll order was huge. The mixed meat with crunchy noodles (#75) also tasted good. The only reason I gave it a four was because the mixed meat only had dry pork as far as meat... with 3 shrimp, 1pc squid, and a couple of imitation crab pieces... MIXED MEAT WHAT??? And on that note, was mostly vegetables (celery and bok choi). It did taste good though so for service, portion size, and price... I give it a 4. I would return upon future visits to Calgary. read more

Two stars because the food is usually good but the service is not worth my Vietnamese cravings. I was the only person in the restaurant and I was rushed to order then ignored when I was finally ready to order, the food took long to come out, and the noodles were over cooked. The people who work here are very rude and not pleasant. Eat someplace else. read more

Best ever! Now I know why it's been there for as long as I can remember. But what I can figure out is why I've never been before now !! The pho is the best because the broth is substantial. It's more than broth but as lite as. It might even having the secret to youth at the bottom of the bowl. It's that good. read more

Wanting a quick bite before getting rush seats at Theatre Calgary I thought I'd give Lotus a try. There was no customers in the store and when I entered the lady at the counter looked up and gave me a questioning look, I signalled one and she nodded. With that kind of greeting I couldn't help but feel that I was more of an inconvenience than a welcome break to the emptiness of her restaurant. Service was curt and efficient, I waited about 10 minutes for food. I ended up ordering the appetizer platter as I thought that was a good way to taste test. It consisted of salad rolls, spring rolls and deep fried shrimp wrapped in wonton wrapper. The spring rolls were good and the salad rolls ok, the sauce for all was sweet. For the kind of fair and pricing I'd go somewhere else if you have a craving for Vietnamese. It wasn't stellar in any way. Spring rolls and salad rolls are around the $8 range so steeper than most other places. read more

Lotus Noodle House - a view of the dining area - Vietnamese Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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Oh man. I love Vietnamese and this place is two blocks from my house finally made my way here had chicken wings to start, super gross no flavour then had a vermicelli bowl chicken was dry over cooked and bad cuts of meat, fish sauce was flavourless over all not good. I also ordered a soup for my kids, the chicken again was overdone and the broth was extremely bland. It was kind of awkward that the staff was half asleep hunched over an iPad. How is this place open in such a prime expensive location. Would not come back here ever. Harsh review but come on Vietnamese isn't that hard. read more

I struggled with whether this place was 2 or 3 stars. I decided on 2 because I lean towards recommending against it. The food is very hit and miss, I've had some great dishes, but some ones that were a huge let down as well. The worst part is the service. The staff just make me feel like I'm an ATM to them and nothing more. Overall, it's okay, but I would recommend not going hire unless you're in a pinch. Would highly suggest going one block down to Vietnam Restaurant. It's looks rundown, but don't let that throw you off - the food is delicious. Conversely Lotus looks nice but the food is a let down. read more

This place has the worst service I have ever experienced. The food was average at best. The lady who took my order was disrespectful and rude the whole time. When I went to pay she told me the total then refused to give me back my change and then reprinted a new receipt with a different total. She wouldn't let me see the original receipt and still refused to give me my change. I will never go back to that place again. read more

Very tasty food! And nice portions! All the food was great!! I loved the rice inside the pineapple I ordered ... We went there for lunch and we all liked our dishes! The bubble tea was delicious as well. A suggestion for improvement would be the delivery time... It took them longer than it should for a lunch in a week day... But everything else was very good... I definitely would go back there! I just will take more than one hour for lunch... read more

Went here for lunch with coworker is always good! My favourite one NO.16(House soup) but added with Sate brooth. Spicy and taste !!!

Lotus is a great place for takeout Vietnamese and bubble tea. The best word to describe it is consistent. You get what you pay for and if you need a quick lunch, dinner and work/live close by; its not bad. Especially compared to the "Vietnam Restaurant" on 12th just a block away. They use white meat for chicken which wins me over. Dark chicken meat is a huge pet peeve of mine. If you need a decent staple Vietnamese meal and are close by its a lot safer than the other options in the neighborhood. Salad rolls are excellent! read more

I really enjoyed the Pho here (got the house special). Soup was good, lots of meat, and had all the garnishings. It's too bad it doesn't seem to get a lot of business. read more

I live in a condo nearby and I have been to this place multiple times. Last few times I was there (3 years ago?), the service just got worse and worse (kept thinking the Miserable Woman Server was just having a bad day) and I vowed never to go back. Was so hungry tonight and decided to try it out again (maybe it's improved?) - always thought the food was decent. Nope, same Miserable Woman Server answered the phone with her usual rudeness. How this person can be in customer service, I don't know. Can she please be fired or something? Or can the owner at least recognize that this woman is really bad for business..? Or maybe pay her more so she's a little more happy? Give her a spending account for a massage every once in a while so she can wind down and relax? I don't know, but I give up on this place. I recommend spending your hard earned money elsewhere. read more

We used to be able to get delivery from them years ago and I loved the food then. It was pretty decent food with a wide selection over multiple cultures. Now the don't deliver and they got rid of half their menu. If you order more regular items you should be safe and get pretty good food. If you order on an off day or anything not to regular you will end up wishing you had never come. read more

I've been here a few times, and wasn't too impressed. I really love Vietnamese coffee, and enjoy having it served in the special glass with the coffee dripping into the condensed milk, but here they serve it for you already premixed. I definitely prefer Vietnam Restaurant, which is just down the road. The service is pretty crappy - usually we have to get up and go to the counter in order to pay because the servers don't come around. read more

My husband ordered pho with rare beef with tripe and I ordered pho with rare beef with meatballs. Both were good and flavorful. We had it take away and even though walking in zero degrees for 15 minutes, the soup was still piping hot. They pack the noodles and soup separately, so the noodles don't get soggy (but I think most places do that anyway). We also ordered 2 pork and shrimp spring rolls and they were very good too. Overall I think the restaurant is a bit pricy, but maybe most downtown restaurants are. Just compared to pho in downtown Toronto, it is much cheaper. read more

Horrible service, average food, high prices. The older lady is insanely rude and will not give you your change back even if you ask for it. Don't go here not worth it. read more

We went there for supper on a Sunday night. We ordered the appetizer platter, the pork meatballs, and two bowls of pho. Everything was absolutely delicious and very authentic. It was a lot of food for two people but we managed to eat everything because it was so good. Reasonably priced, we will definitely be back! read more

Good cheap vietnamese food, cheap location with shifty bathrooms you've been warned

Reasonably priced, authentic Vietnamese food. Went back twice and tried 4 dishes in total; we enjoyed everything. The restaurant seems to be family fun. The lady running the place is quiet but obliging. read more

I think this to be one of the best places for vietmanese. The food is always fresh and good; and i stress fresh. Perfect for lunch or b4 a flames game. The location is brutal sided with your typical cheesey decor (purple walls, asian tv blaring) Overlook that, enjoy the food and you will not be disappointed. read more

I'm not a Thai expert by any means but I've been here twice now and the food has always been very good. The server just takes your order and brings back the food so don't expect a check in to see how things are but even so it was good value for the money. My Wife and I ate for under $60 tip in. read more

I have ordered from Lotus a number of times as my work is nearby. I normally get a vermicelli and spring roll dish with either pork or beef, which are usually fairly good. I ordered again today and was excited that they have introduced steamed dumplings as an alternative to their sub-par deep fried option. I was disgusted to find out that the steamed dumplings they charge $10 for are actually just the store bought dumplings I avoid buying myself as they are absolutely horrible. It's a shame that a restaurant with potential to be quite good cuts corners on simple things like dumplings. I think I will be avoiding the restaurant from now on, there are places nearby that don't buy dumplings from Safeway and charge you twice the cost for them. read more