i was overall impressed with the service, vibe, and flavors here! the pho had a very tasty and meaty broth with a hint of sweetness. the meat was tender and delicious, although you need to pay extra for meatball and they gave me like two tiny pieces of tendon in the special pho. a bit of a bummer. my boyfriend got the kalua pork plate, which was a hawaiian special, and it had a wonderful freshness to it that felt refreshing and tasty. the mac salad was so good. overall very enjoyable! read more

Mai's Cafe - Kalua Pork - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

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PSA: hard pass! Keep moving and eat elsewhere. I wanted to like this place. I love to eat, grew up eating this kind of food, and have worked in food service so I am so sorely disappointed that this neighborhood spot isn't better or even serviceable. And it hurts me to write a bad review. This place has a lot of potential. Charming area, easy parking, and right by Singing Sun coffee where the lines stretch way out the door. The decor attempts to be modern and tidy. But I want to warn others: the service is so slow and so out of touch and the food is bland. Constantly apologizing for the wait especially when there was only one other customer doesn't help. Show some visible effort to speed up or communicate early about the delay. Nope! Entire order took about 45 mins to show up at the table. The only other customer also waited forever for their dumpling appetizer. I ordered a bunch of items: a banh mi, an appetizer, noodle dish, rice dish...all lazy examples of the Viet food could be. All flavorless, not fresh, and small portions except for the chicken cabbage appetizer. Even the rice was hard and dry. All in all, I think my bad experience speaks volumes about the values of management and the eventual poor business outlook of this restaurant unless things turn out. Please turn it around! Until then, I'm not coming back. Save yourselves! read more

Simple neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant that makes outstanding egg rolls and pho. The Hue pho has crab and brisket in a savory and spicy anchovy broth. My son enjoyed the meat lover's pho in a rich beef broth. The restaurant has simple decor and TVs displaying interesting Vietnamese cooking shows. Service is friendly and efficient. read more

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I love the food at Mai's. I go for the rare beef pho. The soup is so good and if I'm really hungry, I love to get the combo order with the sandwich too. The egg rolls are nice and crispy. Fast and tasty! Good service and a clean place. I've also ordered Mai's on Uber Eats and it's good and nicely packaged. read more

We like coming here for the Wonton Pho. This time , I wanted to try other things like the Crispy Tofu and chicken wings. Service is slow. Tonight was the first night that other people were dining in. The show on tv keeps you occupied while you wait. When they finally brought my tofu out, I had asked for a bowl of rice. The bowl of rice took a while to come out, like 10 mins. The ice in my cup is melting. My rice came out! Oh no, it's cold! Chicken wings were great, but it came last. Our waiter was great. I think it took awhile because of the chef. Food was great, slow service. read more

Mai's Cafe - Crispy Tofu - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

Was here a week ago for take out. 2 orders of Pho, they provided a small condiment pouch with a small sum of bean sprouts, a couple of lime and basil. I inquired about the condiments for the other soup. They replied that only one packet per order. The hostess did give a second pouch. She asked co-worker about surcharge? I went back two weeks later, today. Ordered same and some stir fry. No bean sprouts the sign read? Odd it's a staple with the soup. Once again one mini packet for 2 large soups. The other thing I dislike is putting packets of soy sauce and siracha in amongst the edibles. I think this is unhealthy. I enjoyed going to Mai's when she was first established on Gonzalez and Oxnard blvd. Great food and generous portions. Thats gone and Mai rarely shows up. Time for another choice of Pho in Oxnard and pt hueneme. Bye bye Mai read more

Great service from a young man today! Thanks for being so attentive. The mochi chicken looked similar to katsu chicken, it paired well with the sides of rice kimchi and macaroni salad Thank you for the great lunch! read more

Mai's Cafe - Mochi Chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

It's absolutely my favorite local place to get Pho. Every time I go, I am greeted with a smile and feel welcomed into the space. The service has always been great and accommodating to any requests. The space is clean and decorated simply but beautiful. The serving size for the Pho is generous. I always leave with some to enjoy at home later. Highly recommend adding the chili oil if you love to add a spicy kick to your Pho. So good!! read more

Mai's Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

The coffee is amazing, best Vietnamese coffee I've ever had. The staff is polite. And the service is fast.

Great portions, delicious food, and quick service! The only place I could find that does a half pho and half BBQ pork sandwich for lunch! Atmosphere was clean and friendly! read more

Mai's Cafe - Pork Half Sandwich and Small Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

The pho broth is outstanding. Ordered spring rolls. When asked for LIME the server did not bring it. He was not smiling whatsoever, probably hates his job. What fell short was that they do not serve pho with any fixings: cilantro, jalapeño, bean sprouts or LIME. Did not check on us during meal. Pricing was good but service was poor. read more

First time here and we were pleasantly surprised with the amount of food served. I got the half sandwich that comes with a bowl of Pho of your choice, and the bowl was a decent size to fill you up. I thought the soup broth was flavorful (rare ribeye steak), but the Bahn Mi Pork Sandwich was lacking flavor and I added Hoisin Sauce to add a some flavor. The server was very friendly (despite some negative reviews about the unfriendly staff). I would come back again to try the Mai's Hawaiian Dishes. read more

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The food is good but their service is so slow. I like the staff but they really need to figure out how to do more efficient service. There's barely ever anyone in the restaurant and they can't keep up with their orders. read more

This place is amazing! Fresh food, perfectly spiced and sooo tasty. They were easily able to accommodate my gluten allergy and I have happily eaten here twice. Just under $20 for the full meal including app and drink. I always go home stuffed and have wonderful leftovers for later. Highly recommend read more

We came on a quiet Friday evening & we were seated right away. Both girls, Milo & Nately were so sweet & friendly. They were efficient & consistent w their service. The pho was amazing. So much flavor. read more

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We've been ordering the chicken pho from Mai's for years. It's always been a family favorite. Ordered takeout today and got home to unwrap the condiment package with bean sprouts, lime, and sauce and there was no basil. Bummer! I called to let them know and encountered a very rude employee. She told me the server assured her the basil was included, and she could see both sides of the story, but certainly didn't seem to believe that I was telling the truth. Why would I go to all the trouble to call to complain about basil if I had some? She was very dismissive saying "well we all make mistakes. I don't know what you want me to do." Offered no apology and defended the server instead of listening to a longtime customer. Unfortunately, we won't be ordering from Mai's Cafe again. read more

The food here was great! I had their specialty pho and my friend got the curry. Our server was very attentive and nice. The dining area is clean and has a nice ambiance. I was pleasantly surprised, as I've passed this place a number of times but finally stopped in to eat and it did not disappoint. Will be coming here again. read more

Mai's Cafe - pho, curry - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

Visited there many years ago at the old location, and was always delicious. This time, (at the new location) with a party of 4 and no one else there around 12:30, meals came out one at a time, 15-20 minutes apart. We were told that the kitchen was short-staffed, and pork wasn't available because they hadn't defrosted any yet (they opened at 11). Restaurant was extremely stuffy inside, (hot outside), and seemed like AC not on. The waiter was polite, seemed really inexperienced. Most of the food was pretty tasty, though chicken in pho was obviously cooked ahead, separate from broth, and had little flavour; not an authentic way to prepare. Disappointed. 'Spicy' Lemongrass Stir-Fry was tasty, but not actually any spicy flavour. Might try again, in case this was a fluke. read more

This hidden gem in Ventura has the best food and team working there. The food is always made to order and delicious. Their vietnamese coffee is to die for! A must when in the area! read more

First, Ms. Karen (Owner), in addition to her host, Maya, were exceptional, starting with first greeting us upon walking into her establishment until opening the door for my wife and I as we exited (hands were full of cartons of food we couldn't finish). Food, exceptional! Recommend the Sampler plate complete with Spring Rolls & Tempura Shrimp; also the Veggie Pot Stickers too. Second, both the meat lovers & vegetarian noodle bowls were excellent too! Ambiance, basic, really enjoyed the flat-screen televisions (4) anchored on walls, each showing different aspect of Vietnamese culture/cooking. Definitely worth multiple visits in the near future! read more

Legit Vietnamese food. Very affordable. Great service. Super clean. Big flavor in everything I've eaten here. Super cool streaming on the tvs in the restaurant. Kinda midtown ventura. Love this place. read more

The chicken pho I ordered here from door dash is by far the best I've had in Ventura, CA. The broth was thick , so much flavor, right amount of saltiness and the cinnamon flavor. Fantastic. The downside for this restaurant is the to go packages for the broth is in a styrofoam cup and the chicken with garnish is in a smaller plastic container that's NOT a bowl. Suggestion to the restaurant owners is please consider switching the styrofoam for a plastic actual bowl container instead. It would make it more convenient to eat the pho without using our own dishes from home . Thank you read more

Mai's Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

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Wow! I am so impressed with the pho. It's authentic. The waitress was also so sweet. Would DEFINITELY recommend this place if someone's craving pho in Ventura!!! This will be one of the spots I visit when I'm in the area again. read more

I love the food here. Their veggie pho and spring rolls are delicious. I have ordered several other dishes as well. The milk teas are yummy and are shaken up fresh. Lots of good options to try as well. read more

We were grabbing brunch and put our name till our table was ready. However, we saw this down the block and the selections were intriguing. AMBIANCE Parking: Street parking, depending on the day, it can get busy. Seating: Inside seating, usually for groups or pairs. 2 - 4+ people. Generally room for about 40 people. Feels: It's on a casual stip of Ventura. Lot of eateries and thrift shops. The spot itself is pretty nice. Eclectic with decor from Vietnam, mini book library goods, and essential oils. A very calm atmosphere, no music just a great place to people watch and cars pass by. Great spot to hang out and chill with family or friends. FOOD: Frog Legs (Recommend) Delicious. Texture that mixes just like chicken and fish. I like the breaded crunch to it with a savory garlic crunch. Korean BBQ Ribs (Recommend) Wonderful! Mixed with a pleasant max salad, pretty savory, gooey and noodles cooked on point. Kimchi was pretty well pickled that brought a good kick to it.The KBBQ was saucy, cooked, and sweet. House Pho (Recommend) Served in a tidy bowl with all the ingredients. Noodles were soft, meat was fresh, and the broth was rich and flavorful. The cilantro, green onions, and onions bring a pleasant kick to it. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Great! Friendly people and quick service. TL; DR OVERALL: 4.5 Stars! Wonderful. We had a pleasant experience here from the people, the service, and the food was delicious. Great selections with more emphasis on Vietnamese cuisine than Hawaiian delicacies. Looking forward to try more of their dishes next time. Tips: * Check out their daughter's tea house, Hello Mai Darling! read more

Mai's Cafe - Wooooo! - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

Once again food is good. A lil light on the soup but good. Fried rice good. Very happy the fried egg rolls were not in a plastic container so they were warm, crispy, and tasty! This trip was a bit odd, the person at the counter made me feel not welcome. Never had that feeling here before. I understand they are new, however hospitality may not be their strength. I won't let this trip deter me from this local spot that I enjoy several times a month, we all deserve grace! However I hope now and in the future their employees are trained to provide a positive experience for all patrons! I love supporting local establishments in town, I would hate one individual change that. read more

Love this cute little place! Such a cool little find in Ventura. The Pho is so good and the employees are nice. 10/10 recommend!

We came in 1 full hour before closing and the server was wildly rude. The food was ok but wow so rude never coming back here again.

This place is a gem. Spring Rolls, super fresh and great sauce. Rare Rib Eye Pho solid. Prices great. This is the second visit and the first was for lunch 1/2 chicken ban mi and veg soup was amazing. Great prices. Cant wait to return and try other things. read more

Found my pho spot!! This place exceeded my expectations and I'm so excited to have found this gem in Ventura. Sundays are my favorite day to have pho and there's not many options, which is why I ended up at Mai's. My husband and I sat at the bar and both got the pho, no tendons. We also got a Vietnamese iced coffee. Everything was delicious, the portion was great and they really load you up on the meats. I was thrown off that there was a lemon instead of lime on the soup side but it actually totally worked! I will absolutely be returning here to try more menu items. read more

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Great customer service really nice enough noodles soup was good. Definitely recommend would go again. Probably will go later.

My review is for the customer service and not for the food. This restaurant advertises that it is open for business until 8:30pm. I arrived at the restaurant at 7:55 and was told that they will not allow customers to be seated for dinner because they are closing in half an hour. At first I thought the server was joking but unfortunately, he was not. I find this policy to be rude and inconsiderate of their customers. When people go through the trouble of getting dressed and driving to a restaurant for dinner, they should not be told they won't be allowed in when they arrive half an hour before closing. Have some respect for your patrons! read more

Mai's cafe has amazing food and excellent service. Their pho is so yummy! Love Mai's!

Everyone was nice but not good pho... would go to love pho cafe and Oxnard instead. They don't drain the broth to make it nice and clear and smooth it's all cloudy and thick. read more

Mai's Cafe - a bowl of noodle soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

Awesome food with excellent service. The store is decorated nicely. There s both sitting inside and outside.

I stop by here regularly when I have a craving for some pho but lately I've had pretty much no meat in the beef pho so haven't been there in a few weeks. They also charged me for rolls I never ordered and never received because they got the order confused. However, being a small business that looks like is struggling, I didn't say anything when I noticed it was $23 for spring rolls and a small pho, just paid it and left. The pho and Vietnamese dishes are good, service is ok, and they have regular customers. It's the nearest pho place, the other is in the Pacific View Mall. I've never tried their Hawaiian food but it's on the menu. They also sell some items in store such as asian crackers and candies. They have parking in the rear, only a few spots, and parking out front along Main Street. read more

Found new pho spot 2 months ago, this place is a gem in Ventura. I got veggie pho, my best friend got mochi chicken. Everything was delicious and good portion. They really load me up with veggies and tofu. I will absolutely returning here to try more menu items. read more

Mai's Cafe - Mochi chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

My gf and I both really liked our meals here. I had the pho with brisket and she ordered a noodle dish. We came near closing time and they were out of a few items we tried to order so the nice waiter gave us a discount, which we appreciated. Good food and good customer service. read more

Awful customer service. This was my 1st time ordering from Mai's. When I arrived to pick up my food the cashier did not acknowledge me or even say hello. They looked mad from the moment I walked in and were cold. Although this was 10 minutes before closing, I had called at 7:30pm (an hour prior to closing) to place the order & let them know what time I would be arriving and that I was driving long distance. Once I paid, I asked for a few more sauces and they said the kitchen was closed. I repeated I was only asking for sauces, and they said they were in the fridge and would not accommodate me. I've worked in customer service and this employee was so cold and rude, I told them I would never return again. Another profession might be better suited for them. Also, the packaging of the food was terrible. Everything was spilling over by the time I got home. The reason I even asked for extra sauces was because I saw how poorly the food was packaged and was afraid this would happen. read more

Mai's Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Ventura, California

I'm sad to say that the average 3.5 star review on yelp kept me away from Mai's cafe for awhile. I finally gave it a try, and I have to say that Yelp was dead wrong (go figure) The food was great, service was friendly, and the location was clean and nice inside. Underrated location. Give it a shot! read more