This place is one of my favorite places in all Milwaukee! The Tom Kha soup is the best thing I've ever tasted. The Buffett makes it so easy to try all their options and the options are expansive. The food is hot, delicious and the place is clean. I love love love this place. read more

Mekong Café - Vietnamese Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I met some friends for the lunch buffet a day after the city had some heavy rains. The business did have some water issues so the floors were drying and were very slippery. The lunch buffet is a huge selection of different Asian food mostly Thai. Spice levels are normal because they have all of the condiments on the side so you can amp yous up with heat. The first plate of food we got was cold and it wasn't from the one cold buffet. We politely told the waitress who at first didn't believe us. More people complained and they fixed the issue. The food quality and variety was great but cold food definitely takes away from the experience. I need to come back on a more normal day and try this again. The Tom Kha soup was hot and very tasty so it's worn a return trip. read more

There was a decent selection of food during the weekday lunch buffet, and the food was pretty good for the most part. The dessert selection was pretty basic, but the noodle bar is an extra charge for some reason. I would go back for the weekend lunch buffet the next time I'm in Milwaukee since I think there's more items on those days. read more

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An absolute must go to their lunch buffet. Sooooooo good. So many options, I tried pretty much everything. Things were fresh, authentic and flavorful. Such a great deal. Will be going monthly for sure if not more. Plenty of tables and big space. All the staff were very friendly as well. read more

Mekong Café - Lunch buffet - Vietnamese Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Buffet is really good. Love the curry, pork, and the mango sticky rice. The food in general has good variety. Server kind of rushed us when it was a slow lunch day (only us and 1 other table out of the 16). read more

Mekong Café - Sticky Rice Pudding with Mango - Vietnamese Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I have been going to Mekong Cafe for years, but finally tried their lunch buffet! For $18 this is a steal. They had a wide variety of their popular dishes. I loved the pad see ew and Mekong chicken. There was such a wide variety, the only thing I would say was that the dumplings were luke warm. Definitely recommended checking out this small business! read more

Mekong Café - Buffet - Vietnamese Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I love buffets, and the taste is there here. But unfortunately 3 out of the 8 things I tried at the lunch buffet were cold. The Mekong Chicken is breaded, but it's not quality at all. This was 12:30 on a Thursday, and it was actually packed. It's very nice inside, and the workers are great. This place has a lot of potential, but needs more attention to detail in my opinion. I also have lived here for 2.5 years and had no idea it was here. I will say, try the green beans! They are phenomenal! Edit: I made this review before paying and put it at 3 stars. I was expecting $12-$15 MAX... lunch buffet was $20.95 total with water to drink. That's a highway rip off for the food quality. Again, has potential, but I won't be coming back to find out I dont think. read more

Haven't been here in quite a while, maybe five years (or more?) because of the change of ownership and because it kind of became a market instead of a restaurant. Recently, I'd seen posts on Yelp and TikTok that the restaurant is serving food again and have seen the female chef discussing what she makes, thus deciding to give it a try. Mekong Cafe identifies (first) as a Thai, Laos and Vietnamese cuisine; thus, I ordered my favorite Thai dish; Pad Thai. Unfortunately, 'cuz I really wanted to like this place since it is so close to home, it smelled horrible when it was placed in front of me. The color of the food on the plate was a dark brown and had a terrible, unappetizing odor, so I decided to leave. I left money on the table and as I was walking out, the chef asked me what was wrong. When I told told her, she said it was the fish sauce. Well, fish sauce smells delicious and is normally savory and has a umami flavor. This was something that was (putridly) the opposite. To add a comment about my unhappiness with this place, upon walking into the restaurant, the "gentleman" at the register glared at me instead of greeting me as a normal service industry employee would. I stopped and waited because the sign in front said, "Please wait to be seated." I did so. The man ignored me. I was about to leave when I saw the above referred to female chef, who greeted me; so I decided to stay. I ordered from her right away and forgot to ask for something to drink because I wasn't asked what I wanted when I first ordered. Minutes later, I saw another, young man delivering food to a table. When he walked by, I asked him what kind of beer they have. He said to me, "I don't know," and walked away. I didn't follow up on this faux pas. Needless to say, I'm very disappointed and will not be returning. read more

Mekong Café - Vietnamese Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Looking for a new dinner spot? How about one with a built-in grocery store? This place serves you Thai, Lao, and Vietnamese food for when you don't really know what you're feeling for dinner. I came here thinking it was a Thai/Lao restaurant, and was really pleased with what I got. The service is okay, but I come to these places for the food anyway. We ordered the pad thai and grandma's sausage platter. It wasn't my favorite pad Thai in the city, but it wasn't bad. The sausage platter sealed the deal for me. The hot and juicy lemongrass-y pork sausage chased with the spicy and funky papaya salad.....chef's kiss. Grandma knows what she's doing, and for that, I will be back for the lunch buffets! read more

Mekong Café - Pad Thai and Grandma Chanta s Special - Vietnamese Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Hostess/Cashier stand area was a bit congested and not very inviting. We were a party of 6 and were seated right away. I liked how they had carafes of water on the table for us. They buffet tables were plentiful with a lot of options which included 2 types of soups. But ALL the food (except for curry shrimp dish) were ice cold!! Not sure if the warmers were not working but it was quite off putting. read more

We stopped by to check out their Lao buffet, but didn't realize it ended at 5pm. We ordered from their menu instead. Restaurant is located in the corner of a busy street, we parked down the street. When you enter you'll see the counter and groceries. They had rice crispy treat with thai tea and ube flavors. The server told us to sit anywhere we like. The restaurant is quite spacious. read more

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This buffet is by far my most favorite. The service is great and I even tried just the dinner service and the food was absolutely amazing large portions. I definitely will make this a staple in our house. read more

Mekong is a block away so we walk here for carry out at least once or twice per month. I love the nam kow, my husband loves the ban xheo. Great bahn mi and pho, warms you right up in the winter :) we love supporting a neighborhood restaurant like Mekong! read more

The Mekong Cafe lunch buffet is back as of earlier this month, and I am THRILLED! I love their food, and it's hard to choose one or two items from their menu, so their buffet lets me try a little of a lot of options! Weekends offer premium items added to the weekday staples. Buffet runs 11am-4pm Tuesday through Sunday and open for dinner until 9:00. They are closed Mondays. Go! read more

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The food was so flavorful! I went during the lunch buffet. The noodles were a bit dry but they have a separate section of sauces so I added a little bit of ginger sauce and it did the trick. I would definitely be going back! If you pay with a card, there is a small processing fee, so bring cash if you can. read more

Mekong Café - Fresh spring roll, crab ragoon, green beans, massaman curry with chicken, and noodles. - Vietnamese Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Service was okay. There wasn't that much people, there was one person attending to everyone. Brought us a large jug of water after we were already all done eating.. Ambiance was a cute little mom and pop shop. Came for their buffet option. Food was sadly okay only. I've been seeing ads everywhere and was super excited. A lot of the food were cold or just room temp. Noodles were broken and the curry noodle was super dry. Really disappointed with the "dessert" options. Shrimp chips, sugar cookies, and canned peaches. I wouldn't say the food was terrible but it wasn't great either.. probably would not come back. read more

Mekong Café - Vietnamese Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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This place has quickly become my favorite restaurant. I've tried numerous menu items and each one was great. So far my favorites are the curry dishes and the curry egg rolls. I have actually eaten inside yet so I can't speak to the dinning service, but their to go food is a win. Definitely worth a try! read more

This review actually pains me to write. I've been a loyal customer of Mekong Cafe for almost twenty years. I tell everyone who will listen to eat there. Sadly, the last two meals I've ordered have been awful. I don't know if they have a new chef on a learning curve or if the care and pride that seemed to historically be a given with their food is just gone. The first bad experience was with my usual pud kee mao. It was overcooked and flavorless - the thick noodles, usually the best part, were cooked to the point of being dry/crispy on the edges and greasy all over. The second bad experience was with another two favorites, the Mussamen Curry and the vegetable lettuce wraps. Both were terrible. The curry was watery and the flavor was not the same. The lettuce wraps were actually inedible. The lettuce was brown, soggy, and wilted (see pictures). There were hardly any rice noodles and the "veggies" were a few shredded carrots and about four tiny pieces of cucumber. This is not what I'm used to from them. Sadly, I will not be back. There are too many other good restaurants to waste money on poor quality hoping it will return to the "old days." read more

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We ordered take out and it was delicious. We had a featured sandwich and a curry. The sandwich was very great, and I would recommend you start there with the menu if you aren't sure what to order. My curry was also great, but I asked for tofu and I didn't like that. I would have liked the curry more without it. If you want to dine-in, it's a buffet only, but it looked really good, and especially if you aren't sure that you'll like Thai, Vietnamese and Laotian foods. Regarding parking for those with that anxiety, it ca be tricky. It's on a corner, across from a very popular liquor store. I suggest, if possible, coming in North Ave, heading EAST, and parking across the street from it. There's always parking on the side of North Ave. There is also parking on North 60th, but expect to walk a block or two. Good neighborhood though! Go try to this family owned business! read more

Can't believe I've lived in milwaukee my whole life and have just started hearing about Mekong Cafe! Amazing family run business with great food! The decorations are unique and fun to look at while you're eating. I definitely recommend trying a little bit of everything instead of settling on one dish. The staff are great and there for anything you need, but since it is self serve you're pretty much set on your own! read more

We stopped in for their Friday dinner buffet on 1/9/26. We love their food and usually purchase carryout items. The food is always excellent! In fact, our adult grandchildren always ask for Mekong food when they visit from out-of-town. Back to the buffet! They had three 8-pan hot stations, a cold noodle station, a dessert station, and another station with potstickers, soups, and more items. So much delicious food and beautifully prepared (huge tempura shrimp, appetizers, etc.) Staff was very attentive and approachable. It was outstanding! You need to try this place!! read more

Learned about this place from TikTok. It did not disappoint. Staff were friendly and informative. Food was delicious. The decor reminds me of home. It feels like you're at grandma's house or a loving auntie's house. I'm generally pretty bias when it comes to Asian cuisine because I could probably do it better myself but this place is wonderful. I have nothing but great things to say about everything on their buffet! Flavors were on point, bold with no deviations. Spice was perfect for me but if it's new to you, be careful there's a few dishes on the buffet that will wake up your tastebuds. I would recommend to anyone who is new the cuisine and needs a slow dip in the flavor pool! read more

I ordered the Mekong Chicken over rice, and it was delicious! The service was a bit slow because it looked like they didnt have too many employees working, however the food made up for it. I would definitely go back. read more

Pretty decent Asian fusion place in Tosa. I liked their curry egg rolls! Pad Thai and papaya salad were yummy too. It's one of those combo grocery store and restaurants. read more

Both great food and service. Will definitely return! They were very accommodating, great flavors, reasonably priced. Sandwich skimpy with the meat... read more

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OMG!!! I came all the way from California and been waiting to try this place out but immediately when I went to grab food there was flies literally everywhere!! Like EVERYWHERE!!! This is so disgusting I lost all appetite and left immediately. read more

READ READ. This has been one of my long time book marks so I decided that I would head over for lunch today and check out the buffet or order off the menu if it was not to my liking. People the sit down restaurant is gone for good I was told and it's only carry out now and I would to get my food in carry out containers but I could eat at the tables in the front windows, works for me I guess. The place is one of those ethnic grocery stores that makes food and I love those. Since the buffet is gone for good as of now I had a back up plan to order when I got there. I love calamari but it's not on a lot of menus so I'm definitely getting the crispy calamari. The curry egg rolls sounded amazing and since I have never seen them that's a definite go. And something I rarely order would be a soup. So I ordered the crispy calamari, curry egg rolls and Tom Yum soup. My order took about 15 and I unloaded my spread on a table in the front windows. The crispy calamari looked great because it was strips and not rings or tentacles, that's a first for me. The crispy calamari was not so crispy because of the take out container but it was tasty and I liked the meaty strips with a thin batter, such a great idea. The curry egg rolls were big and very good as well with a nice crispy wrapper. My Tom yum soup had thin white meat chicken, straw mushrooms, cilantro, green onions, lime juice and lemon grass that was also very good. The cilantro and lime juice gave it a nice citrus flavor and was like a mini side of Pho which was nice, a small Pho should be a side order at Asian restaurants I thought. It's a shame that the sit down restaurant and the buffet are gone as of now because this food was very good and my particular well thought out combination was a great choice. The menu is big with all kinds of good stuff and it literally took me 1/2 hour deciding an what three dishes to try. I would definitely recommend getting the food here but keep in mind that it's all in take out containers and anything fried is not going to be very crispy any more like my crispy calamari which had 0 affect on my review or star rating because C19 screwed up lots of good things. The meaty calamari is always going to be in the back of my mind as a calamari lover. read more

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Deliciously cooked and seasoned buffet options, a fairly authentic selection, I was very excited to see Larb (laap) on the menu. I could have wished for more vegetarian options and that the staff maybe had an extra pair of hands on staff the night I went. Good prices and quality, special mention to the deserts and the noodle + boba bar. read more

It's been awhile since I've eaten at Mekong Cafe. I miss their lunch buffets but was happy to see they are doing dine-in again. Mekong is one of my favorite Thai places in the area. read more

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My friend and I tried the lunch buffet yesterday and we were not disappointed. I was expecting 1 or 2 buffet stations but there were 3. So many options to choose from made it quite the gastronomical journey. We arrived just after 11A and the seating was filling up fast. All of the food was fresh and delicious. I would suggest trying a little of everything but that would require several trips. Two plates and I reached the proverbial brick wall of eating. Great job Mekong Cafe and we'll definitely be back for another food journey! read more

Had my first experience at Mekong Cafe - I've heard the inside layout looks different from friends that have gone previously, I imagine the addition of the convenience store is different - which as a first timer, I was a little confused if I was in the right place. The cafe is more set up as a convenience/grocery store to find what you need and go. In the back is where the counter for the cafe is and they have a variety of options from pho to sandwiches. I was also excited to see they had boba tea, boba smoothies, and boba shakes available! For seating, it is very limited - just two tables by the storefront windows surrounded by bags of rice and shelves for groceries. It feels more structured for a grab and go experience. I'm very intrigued by the grocery items that are written in another language. If you have some foreign favorites, they may have it and if you're looking to try new things - definitely worth a visit! read more

Mekong Café - "Chips" from the convenience store, Tom Yum Soup, Mango Boba Smoothie, and a Veggie Sandwich! - Vietnamese Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Dining in now available !! I had a wonderful and delicious dinner at Mekong Cafe last week and really enjoyed this space. It is part market part sit down/take out. The amazing thing about this spot is the menu and how it caters to many different cuisines. I've been on a pho kick the last month and have tried many spots throughout the city and this one is my favorite. I also got the curry egg rolls which I've never had before and will definitely order again next time I come to Mekong. They have a large assortment of boba tea which appeared to be a favorite of take out diners. Enjoy!! read more

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Food was awesome as usual !!!! But here's the negative that I don't want to do at all. They're caught between a grocery store and a restaurant ever since the pandemic has started back in March 2020. So it's kind of hard to tell which is the primary focus of this business. Service was okay considering that I only saw one person taking care of both sides of the business plus the front register for the grocery side. But 2-3 people from the back bringing out food. Previously you could order in restaurant and earn points on the Heartland App but now it's no longer available. I'm NOT SURE IF you can still earn points by ordering on the Heartland apps since I like to eat in house. read more

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A cute local Thai shop in East tosa. Service was friendly and food was fresh! Inside there is also a small grocery section with staple Thai sauces. Curry egg roll had a potato based filling and came with a like sweet and sour sauce. curry is full of veggies like pepper and bamboo shoots and chicken. read more

Mekong Café - Curry Egg Roll - Vietnamese Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Updated review. I wanted to try eat in service as I have only been doing take out. This place is fantastic. The fresh juices and boba teas are amazing! The chef came out and asked about our food. The service was wonderful. The place is clean and fresh. Parking is street parking but found a spot with no problem. They have sandwiches that I want to go back and try. Everything was delicious!! Check out the pictures! Must try! read more

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I recommend their buffet which serve Thai, Vietnamese, Laos (maybe as I am not familiar with Laos cuisine) and a little bit Chinese food everyday. It is a good way to try a bit of everything and get a sense of what type of food they serve and how they are doing here, especially for first timers. I like Thai food in general and here I particularly enjoy the papaya salad (surprised to find it yayyyy), Pad Thai, the tofu&green beans&mushroom stew (hubby loved putting it on the rice), and green curry. But overall I enjoy when there are lots of Thai food options. I agree crab rangoon is good here lol. Hubby thought some dishes are not hot/warm enough. I didn't find coconut milk (mango is not necessary to me but I think coconut milk should be easy and cheap to find) along with the sticky rice. Something you may want to keep in your expectation. It is not perfect, but it is good enough for a buffet. read more

Mekong Café - Buffet - Vietnamese Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Ordered from here twice now, both orders were spot on, timely, and very delicious! Would recommend the Mekong Chicken and the Pho very highly!! read more

Mekong Café - Mekong Sesame Chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The buffet has a large variety but things aren't replenished and the temperature of the food is lukewarm warm. I would go back for the buffet but only when they first open. Maybe the food would be full and hot? read more

Mekong Cafe is a find. I had passed it a few times and the exterior is...unassuming--not trendy but not a hole in the wall either. But I looked at their menu online and read some of the reviews and, well, started getting hungry. I'm really glad I came here. I live on the East Side and while there's some good Southeast Asian food there a lot of the best is in parts further afield. I wasn't expecting to be this impressed in Tosa, but there I was. Their menu is huge and encompasses Thai, Vietnamese, and Lao food. I had never had Lao food before I moved to Milwaukee. It's similar to both Thai and Vietnamese food but there's a lot of emphasis on fresh herbs and vegetables. I had the fresh spring rolls as an appetizer and was impressed by how fresh and flavorful they were. Some spring rolls are mostly rice noodles and lettuce. These had carrots and cucumber and either basil or mint. They came with both a peanut sauce and a sweet chili sauce that complemented them just right. I had to get the Grandma Chanta's special because it was something you can't get everywhere. It's a homemade Lao sausage (made with either chicken or pork) served with rice and either steamed vegetables or papaya salad. My advice: get the papaya salad. Even that you can get either Thai style with peanuts or Lao style with crab paste. Perfectly savory, spicy, sweet and sour, it was a revelation. And it was a perfect complement to the sausage and rice. Portions are large; I had plenty to take home. Now that I've tried Mekong Cafe I want to come back and try the curries and other dishes. I get the sense they'll be a step up over some of the other ones in town, just like the spring rolls were. There's also a lunch buffet that seems popular, so if I can get down here on a weekday afternoon that's one for the bucket list also. read more

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We had a group of 8 and tried many dishes. Excellent service and the food was delicious.