Some of the best beef pho I've never had. The service was great. it's a very chill place. I will be coming back

Pho Lantern is my favorite pho spot in the area and one I keep coming back to. Their filet mignon pho is incredibly flavorful, the broth is rich and comforting, and the meat is always tender. If you go, you definitely have to order the shrimp spring rolls. They are fresh, light, and the perfect starter. I enjoy dining there because the service has always been friendly and welcoming, but it is also one of my favorite places for takeout. They are very generous with the toppings and sauces, which I really appreciate because it makes the pho just as good at home. It is consistently delicious and my go to place whenever I am craving pho. read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - 31. Phở Filet Migon - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Good location. Parking can be little crazy during the day when it's busy. So many stores and couple restaurants in the same complex. I came in for this venue being near my work even though the best and freshest pho usually in Little Saigon; the pho is pretty good here, (many variety of pho) that's why I kept coming after a long day seeing clients; their service is good, they welcome you as soon as you enter. I like to order to go. They are usually fast too. Prices and most dishes the portions are reasonable but this fried tofu order look little small for $4. read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - Fried tofu $4; look little bit small - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

What an amazing place! Little mom and pop shop restaurant. I was immediately greeted by the staff. Everyone was very accommodating and kind. What I love about this place is how varied the menu is. They have a section for each dietary need: beef, poultry, vegetarian, appetizers, etc. I got the vegan curry. The prices are reasonable as well. Also, they serve pho tofu but with beef broth. I may get this next . The curry was phenomenal. The flavor umami and rich. My only recommendation is to add more broth and less rice. But wow so flavorful and delicious. The viet coffee is amazing too! What's cool is that they offer it hot which most places only offer it cold. The coffee is bold, strong, and sweet like any good Vietnamese coffee should taste like. I love how cute and quaint this place is. My recommendation is to not bring a huge party (maybe over 15) it seems like this is more of a to go place. Also, it was very thoughtful of them to include an Anthony Bourdain quote! Any person who is acquainted with kitchen and hospitality would be pleasantly surprised here! Thank you! Definitely would recommend. read more

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Good service. Good sized portions. Good quality. Good flavor. I would return to try other items! read more

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

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Very disappointed with my experience here. The service was honestly one of the worst I've had. We placed a to-go order, and when we received it, they only gave us two very small sauces. What really didn't make sense is that if you dine in, sauces are unlimited--but for takeout, they strictly limit you and even charge extra for additional tiny portions. I don't mind paying for extras, but the portion size and policy just don't feel fair or consistent. It's frustrating to feel like you're getting less value just because you ordered to go. Customer service could definitely be improved, and the policy on sauces needs to make more sense. Unfortunately, I won't be coming back. read more

I ordered to go and picked up the Clay Pot chicken curry rice with vegetables in coconut milk. I also ordered the chicken noodle soup on the kid's menu because I was craving soup on a cold day. I enjoyed the clay pot dish; it was very flavorful with a generous amount of chicken and variety of vegetables. The chicken noodle soup was so-so. It could have used some basil, cilantro and other herbs and spices that usually accompanies pho soup. I am glad I got the kid size and not the full size. I would definitely return and try the other clay pot dishes. read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - Clay Pot rice with Chicken curry and Vegetables in coconut milk - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Nice clean quiet place to have a great bowl of pho! Broth was delicious. One of the best bowls of chicken pho I've had and I grew up in Orange County so I know good pho! The staff was super friendly and food came out hot and fast. I can't wait to go back! read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - As you enter this Anthony Bourdain quote greets you. - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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We came here during a rainy day in December. The space is in a busy strip mall in Costa Mesa. The parking was difficult due to a bunch of different restaurants and shops in the area. The service was quick and we were seated right away. They took our order within 10 minutes and we had our food within 15 minutes of sitting down. The restaurant was small and we were seated next to their work station. We ordered a large bowl of beef filet pho to share. The flavor was authentic. The beef was tender. It was a pretty standard bowl of pho. The only downside is that it was a bit more pricey than your average bowl of pho. The quality was good and the service was efficient and kind. Give it a try the next time you are in the area. read more

Good food at a decent price, but they have often got our pickup orders wrong. Never had a problem eating in, until tonight; waited 50 minutes and only one bowl of pho came out. They mistakenly gave our order of egg rolls to a table that came in 15 minutes after us. Nobody else was being served. We got up and paid for the pho. The problem was they were taking care of the pickup orders but paid no attention to the people in the restaurant. Food has usually come very quick when we would eat in. Too bad, we will have to find a new Vietnamese place, this episode left a bad taste. read more

It's hard to find Chicken broth (I don't eat beef), so we drive from Irvine to this little spot every time I crave Pho. They are friendly and have fast service. Lots of options to choose from and they never disappoint! read more

My pho filet mignon was delicious. I ordered it after work and it came out quick for pickup!

Delicious. I ordered the Pho' Filet Migon and it was so yummy. Highly recommend. I also got the beef egg rolls, also amazing. Ashley was so sweet and welcoming. The ambiance is as if you are at home. I will definitely be coming back. Thank you, Ashley. read more

Short: Solid food for a good price. A small restaurant with a nice seating area. Long: I enjoyed my time at Pho Lantern Cafe. The service was quick and friendly, with the waitress being very attentive. The food is solid, I enjoyed my combination Pho, it was the perfect thing for a cold day. I would have to say my favorite part was the broth, full of flavor and very tasty. The meat was decent, however not up to par with the broth. Overall, this is a great spot for a bite to eat. read more

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

I need to find a new pho spot. - our food took forever to come out--they were prioritizing a ton of take out orders over the people actually dining in their restaurant. - almost all of the staff working was open-mouth coughing like crazy. I obviously can only speculate, but it seemed like they were actively not feeling well and working with food regardless. one man working wore a mask but it didn't cover his nose. - worst of all, they NEVER write down our orders here. if you can actually remember my order, that's fine, do you. but they only get it perfectly right 25% of the time. the waiter did not write my order down and brought my meal with the two items I requested it without. thankfully I'm not allergic so I just picked them off but I was annoyed that it came incorrectly and wasted food when they could've just written down the order. - additionally, there was a hair in my partner's pho. pretty let down and turned off. this has been my go-to pho place for a while but I'm over it. I don't think I'll be back soon. what a shame! read more

Nice service but I guess y'all should have serving big noodles one not the thin one lol might come back and might not ! Yea nvm Pho here taste okay the meat not even rare ! Not recommended read more

I am writing to express my disappointment regarding an incident that occurred at your establishment, Pho Lantern, on August 15th at 1:30 PM. I have been a loyal customer since you opened, and while the food has always been excellent, the service my son and I received on this occasion was unacceptable. My son arrived at the restaurant before me as we drove separately. While waiting for me, he asked to use the restroom but was denied access unless he purchased something, despite explaining that he was waiting for his father to arrive shortly. When I arrived, my son informed me of what happened. I immediately spoke with the waiter and expressed my disappointment and he just responded "OK". No apology response offered so at this point, I told my son, let's just go somewhere else. I sincerely hope that you will address this customer service issue to prevent similar incidents in the future. Omar R. read more

Love this place! Best pho I've ever had. The broth is so so good. Awesome/very friendly service. Will be back soon

Nice little place. The server was helpful but wasn't real fluent in english. Vietnamese food. We had never esten this sort of food but loved the Pho filet soup. read more

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This is my go to spot for pho. I don't eat it very often but any time I'm under the weather or it's cold out, I'm thinking if it. Can't speak for anything else but the spring rolls. Great service., I've probably been a customer for more than 5 years read more

such a disappointing food. we used to dine here often 5 years ago and the food was very good. the service was always sub par but this time it was absolutely awful. The man that was taking orders was absolutely rude and had no politeness. the lady was very untrained and when she brought the check, she was like pushing the machine into our face with that tip screen. very awkward. The owner should really find some people that have better manners and demeanor. Never visit this place again. read more

Love this place! Always take my family and friends here and they enjoy their meal! Our go to orders are spring rolls, crab Rangoon, combination fried rice, and #58! Tofu is good too. Great service and delicious food. A must try spot if you're in Costa Mesa read more

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You should check out Pho Lantern. I live not very far from here, and we had lunch here yesterday. I like the Pho Filet Mignon and Wonton Soups here. My first time coming here, and it is delicious. I am always driving past here almost everyday, and just did not have a chance to stop by. Love the food and the service. This will be my go to spot. read more

WE LOVE THIS PLACE!!! We recently moved to CDM and we're so afraid any good pho places would be too far, but this place is PERFECTION. They have indoor and outdoor seating. We brought our dog and ate outside and had a blast. We got the brisket pho and rare steak pho and they were delicious. Love when they give you a ton of bean sprouts, basil, jalapeño and lime on the side! We got the large bowl and it was two meals. Had to each take it home and you know pho is always even better the next day! Also got the little appetizer sampler with crab Rangoon and egg rolls and it was great! Perfect starter. The service was OUTSTANDING. Joe took care of us and he loved our dog so much and made him feel so welcome. He even brought our pup some meatballs to feed him!! Our dog was obsessed with this place. He even started crying as he saw Joe walking around inside through the window. This is our pho spot now. No need to go to any other pho place. Cant wait to try the other dishes. We love you guys! read more

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I got chicken pho and it tasted great, they have good broth and noodles. Meal came like almost instantly. Also their menu is huge, it's going to take me so long to try everything and it all looks great. Prices are pretty good too! read more

My favorite place for pho!!! I order from here A LOT...like I have a pho addiction. Like sometimes 3 times a week addiction. The staff is beyond great. And even leaves me little hand written notes to show their appreciation!! Grubhub delivered my order to the wrong place twice but Pho lantern personally called me and had one of their staff hand deliver my order to me!!! Love love love this place. Thank you Pho lantern!!! Ordering again tonight read more

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

Decent quick spot for lunch or dinner. Place could use a few upgrades, but the spring rolls are quite nice. I work in the area and it's convenient to pick-up an order and head out. Service is nice and fast, but I wouldn't go out of my way to dine here. read more

I came here for a quick lunch and asked the waitress what was really good on the menu. She recommended the Com Chien Thap Cam, which is fried rice with shrimp, pork, beef, and chicken. It was a huge portion and very filling. The shrimp, pork, and chicken parts of the dish were terrific --- freshly prepared. The beef, however, was a bit tough and kind of disappointing. My waitress was very friendly and the vibe in the restaurant was relaxed. The value of the meal was very good as you get a lot of food for your money. I'll be happy to go there again and perhaps try their pho. read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - a woman standing in a restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The food here was terrible. Tasteless, no flavor, and unappealing because they just slapped the food into the bowl instead of arranging the items, probably. I came here a few months ago for a bowl of egg noodle soup and was completely disappointed. Service was slow because the workers were talking among themselves instead of attending to the customer promptly. The environment looked dark and felt musty. The table and chair felt sticky and smelled. Overall, nothing was satisfactory, and I hope they take a step up to improve everything for the sake of their customers. read more

On a cold, rainy day, a stop at this place & the food hit the spot. I ordered wonton soup with egg noodles & my companion ordered pho with beef meatballs. We shared an order of delish crispy eggrolls. I'm not 100% sure the server quite understood us, or possibly we didn't understand her, but she was over a couple of times refilling our water & making sure everything was ok. I say something about the language because my companion asked for more soup broth & it never came. But, that's ok. It doesn't tarnish our experience. read more

Delicious !!! Best place to get pho and the spring rolls with peanut sauce is so so good read more

I came here with a friend when it wasn't too busy. The server who greeted me was very friendly and a great smile. I ordered #32 pho tai in the regular size and wow it took so long to eat!! It was a good thing. I liked the portion very much. My friend, who was much hungrier, was able to substitute her noodles for egg noodles. I think the portions were different because she ordered a large and the egg noodle didn't seem to have that much of quantity . My friend was still hungry and ordered the egg rolls. While I didn't eat any, there was a lot of oil! So beware of that. My friend took a bite and let her egg roll sit on her plate. Oil seeped out. read more

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The service is outstanding. Their food is high quality in flavor. Definitely my go to spot for my comfort meal! The entire staff is super kind! read more

I thought this was a solid bowl of pho. I was eating solo and found this place nearby. The folks running this place were really nice and I ordered the combo pho and the appetizer combo too. They were both really good. The shrimp and crab puffs and egg rolls in the appetizer were great with the sauces and the pho had a great broth and meat. Would definitely go again. read more

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

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We came here after an event in the area. The place was pretty busy but we managed to find a table not too long afterwards. The food was quite good. Everything came out piping hot and just needed a little bit of time to cool. We had the Pho and Lemongrass Chicken. The noodles were tender to the bite and the chicken was well seasoned. If I were to rate this place just on the food quality, it's a 4. However, the main issue was the service. The place made me feel quite rushed. I needed another minute to order, so the waitress left to take another table's order. The problem is that it took more than 5 minutes before I could get someone else to help me. Two waitresses actually passed me after that. I ended up having to corner one of the other workers, I think the chef, before I could get my order started. I understand they were pretty busy but it's a little bit outside of my expectation to hunt down someone just to take my order. To summarize, I'd come here if nothing else were open. This would also be a good place to eat during non-peak hours when they aren't so busy. Hope that helps! read more

The vegetarian pho and Vietnamese iced coffee were terrible - both lacked any flavor. Service was ok. There was music playing when we first arrived but then was turned off so all you heard were people slurping their food. Will not be returning sadly. read more

My favorite go-to pho place! Been coming here since they first opened. Always hits the spot when you're craving Vietnamese food.

Wow delicious :) I ordered Fish in Clay Pot which is very hard to find and not every Vietnamese place would have it. Service is very warm and friendly. Parking was easy. read more

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

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Unfortunately the oxtail pho quality went down. Broth is still good but the meat is inedible it is so tough and chewy. Literally gave it to the dogs. Such a waste. I don't know if I've been getting unlucky, but at $17 for a bowl, I expect better. So many restaurants have raised prices ( along with everything else) and lowered quality and I'm afraid it's happened to the pho too :( read more

This place has AMAZING FOOD!! The broth of the pho is very flavorful. You can taste the beef bone broth. I didn't even have to add any sauces or spices. It was perfect just the way it was served. The vegetarian spring rolls were good. Loved the peanut sauce it came with. Service was good. Our party came in 40 min before closing. They were not expecting so many people but they were courteous, and trying not to rush us. Food came out fairly quickly. read more