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

Came here Friday night for dinner around 6 and got seated right away. When we were leaving after we finished there was a bit of a wait. The staff are always very quick to sit you down, get you water and take your order if you're ready. The food also doesn't take too long to come out once you order. I got a wonton and shrimp chicken broth soup with veggies (45) and bf got vermicelli (his regular order). Both come out fresh and with lots of topping and sauce options. The ingredients are great and has great flavor. We return here often! Also got the Thai tea with boba. The tea itself was so so delicious. I thought there was something a little off with the boba, it seemed more jelly than tapioca, which isn't what I'm expecting when I order boba, but it was fine. Overall always recommend. read more

See all

I haven't dined here in a long time so when I came back for dinner recently, I noticed that the menu had change and so did their flavors. I was accustomed to more traditional dishes but now, it's got a fusion style to it. I wasn't too keen on the change but I think others might enjoy it. The service was good; my husband and I got seated right away and they were very attentive to us while we were eating. We never had to flag anyone down for water or the bill. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable. Nothing fancy but it's clean. I would definitely try them again if I'm in the area and craving some Vietnamese food. read more

Very chill relaxing vibe & clean. The service is great! The manager comes around often and checks in, make sure everything is good and generally minds his own business. Parking isn't super big ( like the a lot by the street), but adequate enough. Price wise is typical for inflation standards.. around $13-$15. It's a basic pho shop. * spring rolls: flavor wise was fresh, if you don't like herbed spring rolls ( mint/basil) these don't have them. It was a bit smaller than expected. The sauce is freshly made ( warm), and more liquid consistency, not too strong flavor but balances well. * pho: I got the #36. The broth isn't too salty, the noodles are on the thinner side. They put a decent amount of meat. The rare meat was not rare, but still tender. A good amount of tendon. I feel like adding basil really elevated the flavors to my personal taste! Overall, it fulfilled our cravings. I would come here as a place to relax or catch up with a friend- quite free on a Sunday 1:30pmish. The manager is nice and takes care of the establishment well. read more

See all

I got a pho tai and it was okay. The broth was decent and the meat was chewy. They're understaffed but the worker did a good job juggling the phones and taking orders. It was about ~$15 + tip for a regular sized bowl and it seemed like they get more to-go orders than people dining in. Tbh idk if I'll be back considering there are better Viet restaurants in the GG or Westminster area, but it did satisfy the pho craving! read more

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

See all

I get their chicken pho at least once a month. The service is great very courteous.

Perfect in every way. Amazing taste, portions big enough for left overs. Love the fresh shrimp spring rolls, the fried egg roles, wonton soup, filet mignon pho and shrimp fried rice! The perfect go to for a Sunday night in at home! read more

So far, it's one of my favorite places to get Pho super good and taste very fresh. I definitely would come back again. Service was fine. It wasn't very busy which was great but I can totally see this place getting crowded we got to meet the most was how fresh everything tasted which is always a huge plus. I also got a Vietnamese coffee. It was OK. I probably wouldn't get it again but I'm glad I got it once. read more

Went for the first time, had their no.79 (Pork, shrimp/ beef, egg roll platter) it was BOMB.COM ‼ Perfectly portioned, satisfying, and flavorful, shrimp is extremely tasty as well tomato and cucumber were CRUNCHY AND FRESH! Eggroll was LOADED WITH flavor ESPECIALLY with their sauce, I demolished the plate. I WILL be going again just for the ice coffee ALONE! Highly recommend, friendly staff and clean pretty layout, EASY 4.5 outta 5! read more

The food was really good, and the service was great. The only thing was the atmosphere. I wish there had been some background music, because a loud conversation at another table carried through the whole meal. read more

The food was very good and service was great. Regarding ambiance, I wish they had some music playing in the background. We could hear a loud conversation throughout the whole meal. read more

I ordered through Ubereats delivery from here and it was packaged nicely and delivered quickly. I liked that the meats and noodles were inside a plastic bowl that you can eat out of while the broth and toppings were separated. I got the large Pho Dat Biet ($11.40) and Aloe Drink ($3). The pho ended up being enough for two meals for myself. Even for delivery, my soup was piping hot, which nicely cooked the raw meats. Everything was so fresh and delicious. I also really enjoyed the aloe drink, which was refreshing. read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - Pho Dac Biet. - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I have driven by this place for years and regret not having stopping in here earlier. The waitress was friendly and the food was quickly served to us. The pho that I ordered was flavorful. The price was great and there were lots of options on the menu. Will definitely return. read more

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

Not my favorite for the price. The noodles were decent, but the broth was weak, and there was not much flavor. Won't be back.

Always excellent. I have not had 1 dish I have not enjoyed. I go there every 4/5th dinner. Bold, vibrant flavors, dishes so authentic I couldn't recreate myself. read more

If it wasn't for service, I would have given this one star. The oxtail soup was an experience. The oxtail were small, you would have to naw at it to remove the meat. Meat didn't fall off the bone. The broth wasn't that great. Vegan pho wasn't anything special and vegetarian fried rice was something I regretted. The caliber of food is for someone who's not familiar with Vietnamese cuisine or never had it before. They would think this is wonderful. They would go out of business if they were in Westminster dealing with a true Vietnamese pallet. Ask for "Hot Water", $1. Charge $1 for hot water, see the picture of the receipt. read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - $1 for Hot Water. - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Excellent chicken and beef pho. This is much better than other pho places in Newport Beach. Just come here. Ambience is nice and music is playing. Service is good but with some servers there is a pretty steep language barrier but other than that it is good. read more

Used to go here for lunch at least once a week when I worked closer. Everything is tasty and they have a pretty big menu so there's a great chance you'll find something that resonates with you. The staff is always so nice and it's really easy to make a pick up order. They package everything for the pho separately so you can customize your dish any way you'd like! read more

The food from here is high quality, fresh and taste amazing! Shrimp Spring Roll, Fried rice , Summers Rolls, Pho filet mignon . read more

Good not great. The service was a mixed bag. The guy who took our order wasn't very friendly and was a little impatient with us. But the girl who filled up our water and brought out food was super friendly. It's not super fancy inside. Our Pho was very good as were the spring rolls. The fried rice was okay and a little burnt. It was our first time here and good enough for us to come back. read more

Went for the first time a couple days ago, and the food was great!!! Very flavorful, clean and healthy food. Super affordable. Service was great, I'd definitely go again! read more

Absolutely wonderful restaurant! Food was delicious, service was fast and so incredible. Honestly was outstanding customer service and we will definitely be coming back soon! Highly recommend. read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - Pho Filet Mignon, spring rolls, fried calamari - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The food is good, but whether or not you get what you order seems like a gamble. If you like Vegas, you might like ordering takeout from this place. They gave my daughter the wrong order, and rather than replace it or offer a store credit for her order, they offered her a credit at four dollars They said that was the price difference between what she ordered and what she got. Imagine going in person and ordering a burrito that comes without a tortilla and being offered a dollar instead of a new meal or ordering a chicken pesto sandwich with no pesto. The point is that you order what you want based on the ingredients and you would've ordered something else if it doesn't come with the key ingredient. So this restaurant apparently would rather lose a household of customers, than give a credit for $15. So, the food is good, but order at your own risk. read more

My girlfriend loves this place for their Pho soup, and I brought there for the second time and got the calamari and combo fried. Both options were amazing!! The calamari was one of the best I've ever had and will be back just for that. The amount of fried rice and meat was perfect. Large portions. Worth it. read more

The restaurant is perfectly located near Newport Beach however the employees are smoking cigarettes outside and the entire restaurant smells like smoke and I couldn't finish my meal. Service was excellent and I'll post a follow up once I try the food. I asked the server if the chef would move away from the door so I could eat, he refused and told me he packed my food to go. I won't come back here again. read more

This place was absolutely outstanding!!!!! The pricing was great. I live in Azusa, CA, and was in this area craving soup. The broth for the fried wonton soup was delicious!!!! I am pleasantly surprised!!! The service was great as well, and the atmosphere was extremely welcoming!!! I'm definitely coming back!! read more

Visited this place a few weeks ago and it wasn't the best. Ordered Pho to go, and was told I couldn't get a small, they only did large to go. Wayyy too much food for me, but okay sure I'll pay and waste it. I was staying at hotel right behind, when i got to hotel 300ft away the broth was warm. Which is insane being that it's literally 200-500ft away from where I was staying. Came back yesterday. The fried rice was so burnt I couldn't finish it. Tasted if the wok pan has been sitting on burner too long and caused an horrible burnt taste, all while the rice wasn't fully cooked. So imagine that combo in your mouth. Ordered prawns and the grease was clearly weeks old, as the shrimp were tuff to chew and the outside had been burnt. This place also isn't the cheapest which doesn't help the mediocre food taste. Gave it two chances, and that was enough. Won't be back read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - Burnt combination rice and burnt shrimp - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

See all

Our favorite pho place in Costa Mesa. The servers are very nice and the food is just the best. In days that we want some home made food we ask some pho and the other days as well. :) so yummy. Best Pho read more

Pho Lantern Cafe - Beef 31. Pho Filet Mignon - Vietnamese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Always a great place. I order the veggie dishes and the veggie Pho is so large and filling, I never can finish it. My other staple item is the fried noodle basket with vggies and tofu. Service is also very nice and fast. read more

Absolutely love it - perf comfort food vibes and super casual. Good place to name drop first and last names ;)

the best pho in Costa Mesa hands-down because this is very fresh and well-made. It's a whole wall place, but you're not gonna regret it. It's the best I can't believe how good it is. read more

I took someone out to try Pho for the first time and this was a great experience. The service was prompt, the restaurant was clean and seating was comfortable. Their spring rolls were so yummy that I was asked to teach the person I went with how to make them at home. Their pho was really good and the broth was flavorful. Really, overall a very positive and delicious experience. read more

We had the filet menon Pho and it was outstanding! The broth was perfect, all the fixings were delicious, and we both finished the whole thing! We had the spring rolls with chicken as an appetizer and they were phenomenal. The peanut sauce that came with the rolls was outstanding. The service was wonderful. Everyone checked on us and made sure that we were enjoying our meal. Highly recommend! read more

Been coming to this location for a few years, but after today this will be our last. We ordered online, and my boyfriend got food SPAT on his hand from a worker sitting down eating food next to our takeout. No apology. Takeout broth was good and very hot(yay), but the rare beef was a frozen brick of flavorless meat that then made my pho lukewarm. We'll be finding a new pho place, one where we don't get food spat on us thank you read more

This is the best pho I've had in a long time! Amazingly brilliant, balanced broth. I ordered chicken pho, and the meat was perfectly tender, lean, and tasty. The restaurant is immaculate, the waitstaff friendly. read more

We love the filet pho! We always get it to go and they package everything separate for easy assembly at home. Definitely recommend.

Wandered in here around 8:30 pm after visiting a friend who had just given birth at HOAG. Ordered Pho Dac Biet, and my friend had a fish dish that his mom sometimes cooks on special occasions. Service was quick, water was filled constantly (albeit with no ice), and the food was hot. Nothing really exciting about this place. Average prices, average taste, and will definitely satisfy a craving if needed when you're in the area. Couldn't really pinpoint anywhere this place would stand out. Not a bad thing though. I'll have to try their mi next, see if their egg noodle dishes are good. read more

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

See all

Food is delicious! I often get the rare beef pho and it is my favorite out of any restaurant I have tried. Staff is always friendly and attentive. read more

I don't even particularly like Pho but I was amazed, this place is excellent. The staff are very nice and attentive, the food Is delish and piping hot. I am now a Pho fan, but only at this place. Not too expensive either. read more

I had very minimal white and green onions as well as cilantro... I asked for extra and there were maybe 3 white onions in my bowl and they ended up charging me $1 extra without mention of the extra charge. I don't respect restaurants that do this. A simple mention of the extra charge would be respectful. The summer rolls were good they had a nice crunch from the fried egg roll wrap inside. Over ambiance was fair, bathroom wasn't bad, it's what you would expect from a pho place. Just disappointed in the service. read more

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