The have made improvements. I've been back twice since my last review 4 months ago. They have 3 people on the floor and the tables are being bussed quicker and food still tastes great! read more

Had a #1..... good and a good value, but earthy in flavor. Not my favorite version, but I could see how people would like it. Had #10.....freaking awesome!!!!!! Wonderful little snacks and priced well. #23 very good. Broth is perfect. The meatballs were done well, but I learned that I just don't enjoy them. Everything else in the Pho was perfect. Very eclectic clientele and staff.... some fun people watching. read more

Pho Mai Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

I was somewhat disappointed with this restaurant. The menu was pretty big, but I wished there were more seafood and noodle dishes. We shared the seafood pancake appetizer and it was pretty good. Good amount of seafood inside it and the sauce that it came with was also pretty good. Kind of hard to eat and share but still good. I ordered the seafood pho and was really disappointed with it. The noodles were stuck together like they were frozen and were reheated (see photo). The seafood amount was somewhat low and the flavor of the broth was alright. The portion was large which is expected for pho. The restaurant itself is not fancy but that's what I expect for authentic Asian so that didn't bother me. However, my male friend who was with me said the men's room had no soap which kind of grossed me out. Overall wish the food was better and I would suggest getting something else but for a place that has Pho in the name you'd think that'd be their signature dish.. read more

See all

The past two times I've been the pho was 5 stars! Not sure if they changed something, but its soooooo awesome lately. Crab Rangoon are worth a try too, happy with there food so this will be my new go to pho. read more

Not good at all compared to places on the east or west coast. Staff also took forever to order, cook, or pay.

The spring rolls full of shrimp and fresh. The Pho was rich and full of veggies and meat. The large is enough for two meals. The basil and sprouts with lime very nice addition. The waiter was working hard and hustling. Though there are TVs (not needed), they were silent, so fairly quiet dining. read more

See all

Pho is always amazing. Best crab Rangoon's. Can't go wrong with the pork chop and rice either. read more

This was our first time eating at Pho Mai and we are officially obsessed!! We started out with spring rolls... Amazing! The fresh basil was delicious! Next, I had the garlic chicken that was so good and so fresh and if you love mushrooms like I do, this dish has the biggest yummiest mushrooms! My husband ordered a veggie fried rice with tofu that he absolutely loved. Service was amazing and so fast! We are so happy we found this gem on Yelp! We will be back! read more

I know in my previous review I wouldn't drive from Iowa City to eat here. Well, I was wrong. This place is addicting. During Summer, I drove up here almost every Saturday to get my pho fix. I settled on #14 (eye of the round) & my companion on more adventurous tendon. Appetizers, spring rolls & eggrolls as well as calamari are very tasty. Although they have an extensive menu, we always end up getting the pho. The broth is very flavorful with a touch of sweetness. Bean sprouts are fresh but they are a bit skimpy with jalepeno's. I usually ask for extra which is no problem. Large portion usually contains huge amount of meat. It lasts until the last scoop so pretty much with each bite, I get to eat the meat. Weirdly, lunch time gets really busy, especially on Sundays as it stretches to the middle of the afternoon. Definitely, best pho in the area, worth driving up from Iowa City. read more

I looooove pho so much! This place is better than the one downtown. Their spring rolls are AMAZING! I always get the combination pho. It's soooo good that I order it every single time I go there. A small bowl is plenty! Their prices are very good and they have other options besides pho. They also have great bubble tea! That's hard to find in Iowa. The only thing I don't like is that they get sooooo busy and usually only have one waiter. read more

Food amazing and fresh, we had pho, bun, bubble tea, and dumpling appetizer. You could tell everything was hot and ready made. Portions were very generous. We dined in and even though it was very busy our server was super fast and our food came out quick. The bubble tea was great and not too sweet. Would definitely eat here again, best Vietnamese I've had in a long time! read more

This was a new experience for me but I'm sold. The food was very tasty and filling. The ambiance was cozy and comfortable. One downfall.....the service was slow. I had the chicken broth with shrimp, calamari and fish balls. Wasn't sure about the fish balls when I ordered but I now wish there were more in the broth. Everything was delicious and filling without being heavy. Definately will be going back to try more read more

I realize that this is going to sound completely absurd but I'm going to say it anyway: I believe that Pho Mai is currently serving the best bowl of bun bo hue in America. That's right, the best bun bo hue in the US can be found in Cedar frickin' Rapids, Iowa. Trust me, I know what you're thinking. "This guy is full of it!" Well, I don't blame you. It took me a while to accept it too. In fact, I couldn't believe it the first time and figured it was a fluke or maybe I was having an off day or something. So I went back...three more times! And then I brought three other soup experts, two of which were also Vietnamese, and ask for their opinions. The results were conclusive and the decision unanimous: Pho Mai has the best bun bo hue any of us have ever had outside of Vietnam. If you come here you must try the bun bo hue. It's the real deal. Skip the Pho. It's good but pales in comparison to the bun bo hue. I know their name is "Pho Mai" but it really should be "Bun Bo Hue Mai". read more

Been looking for a place with bun Bo hue. This place bun Bo hue should be called poor man's bun Bo hue, overpriced for the amount of food in a large bowl. No beef Shank, pork blood or pork feet/hock. Very sad bowl of bun Bo hue. 2 stars for trying and broth was okay. read more

One of the better Pho I've had. Located in a strip mall with ample parking. I ordered the Pho Dac Biet or Special - large. It came out piping hot, tons of noodles and a very generous assortment of meats. I wasn't accustom to this because most Vietnamese restaurants are cheap on their meat portions. The broth was flavorful. The only complaint was the bean sprouts were not fresh but I brought this to the server's attention and he replaced it. read more

Pho Mai Restaurant - Pho Dac Biet - Vietnamese Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

I believe restaurants deserve 2nd chances ONLY if the food is good and I have never been so conflicted in a review so read on intrepid readers. Let's get the bad out of the way...we had possibly some of the worst service ever. My wife and I walk in and were told to sit anywhere we like. Totally fine. We sit at a table literally in the middle of the eating area and are given menus. Let the wait begin! It was moderately busy, but for the most part, everyone had placed their order and many had been served already. Why did I notice this? Because I had plenty, and I mean plenty, of time to make the observation. The staff walked around us like they were purposefully ignoring us. The waiter even had time to chat up a lady waiting for her take-out. Finally, someone took our order. Then we were asked to move so a larger party could push the tables together. No biggie. Thankfully the food came relatively quickly after ordering. We ordered spring rolls, eggrolls, triple delight, chicken fried rice, and HỦ TIẾU GÀ HOẶC MÌ GÀ (yes I copied that from the menu). First, we received the egg rolls and chicken fried rice. Neither was a disappointment. The friend rice had a hint of sweetness you don't normally find in this dish and it was excellent. The eggrolls were on point. Next was the soup and spring rolls. If you had been following along, you might notice something missing. We had yet to receive our drinks and my wife had to point this out to the waiter. A little bit of a wait and they appeared. I am always excited when Diet Mt Dew is an option, but this time there was very little syrup. Finally, the triple delight was served. Everything was excellent, other than the Diet Dew. So you can see my conflict. Service? Terrible. Food? Excellent. Thus the 3-star rating. If the food has not been as good, we would have never gone back. But I believe all places can have a bad night and believe me, the food is worth the 2nd chance. read more

So yesterday my husband and drove 30 minutes to have pho at "I love Pho" in Coralville, Ia. It was sorely lacking and left me wanting good pho. Today the only Vietnamese restaurant open was Mai Pho, so we gave it a try and were happy we did. We had fried dumplings, very tasty, for an appetizer. I got the #13 pho and my husband got the #23. The broth was flavorful and satisfying, so delicious. I'm meat eater so I don't always pay attention to vegetarian/vegan options but I happened to notice the pho is made with beef broth according to the menu. So if you aren't a meat eater there maybe more questions to ask here. The customer service was excellent, drinks and check were provided in a timely manner. I would recommend giving this restaurant a try if you're in Cedar Rapids, and skip "I love Pho" in Coralville. read more

I've had pho at a variety of restaurants, but none of it was as deliciously seasoned as it is here. This place has basically ruined pho for me, as no other place I've tried compares. The wait for your food can be a bit long sometimes, but as long as you know to expect that you should be able to plan accordingly. Atmosphere is nice, and service is attentive and friendly. The stock video footage on the TV and the muzak they play are both a little cheesy once you realize they're just repeating over and over, but it's not bad. They could really use and a second set of doors on the entrance, as people going in and out blast the whole dining area with cold air in the winter. Overall, a real treat that we are fortunate to have in the area. I wish they'd open a second location on the other side of town! read more

It was not easy finding gluten free anything during our trip to Iowa but I was beyond thankful to find this place. I loved the spring rolls with shrimp, pork and tons of fresh veggies. I skipped the peanut sauce as it had soy sauce in it and substituted with fish sauce and Sriracha. I got the #14 Pho also and asked for the rice noodles on the side. By far it was some of the best Pho I've ever had. 5 star worthy but the service was pretty bad, I can overlook that because they had every table full but my two simple orders took over an hour to get. Skip the eat in option and call in a to go. They had a lot of young girls working that seemed over whelmed. Enjoy! read more

Love their bubble tea!! Id recommend thai tea bubble tea and their pho. This place never fails merch

Pho Mai is one of my favorite places in town. I love dining in because it's always so relaxing and cozy and quiet. It is definitely one of my go-to restaurants when I really need some comfort food and it is nearly one of a kind here in Cedar Rapids. The restaurant itself is nothing fancy, no frills, but that's honestly part of what I love about it. The pho is amazing, of course, but the appetizers are always a huge hit too. I really enjoy their dumplings, steamed or fried, and my partner is obsessed with the spring rolls. They have a fantastic selection of pho options and the service is always wonderful. I have no complaints and will continue to frequent this restaurant. read more

This place was fine and dandy. The food was good, although I ordered extra meat and the amount of meat I got was about what should be normal in my opinion. The server was nice and the environment was decent as well. No real complaints. Reasonable pricing. read more

Love the taste of the pho and the food options but customer service isn't too great. When we got there other people who came after us was served first and the last time we went there it took a long time for food to come and there we confusing mistake made by the staff. Again I love the food here but the more I come, the more ai hate how the service is which makes it almost not worth coming. I understand short staff but getting other people served when you came first sucks and only ordering two things taking so long isnt great. read more

So I have to edit my review....I still really enjoyed the food, the atmosphere, my waitress was very courteous and attentive, there is one thing....everything has a "fishy" taste no matter what you order. My friend got a chicken pho and my husband got beef, but they both had a fishy aftertaste. Again, presentation was awesome, I will definitely be back again, but I'm going to stick to the #25. read more

Pretty good! Two vegan (also vegetarian) options - pho or bun. We got the pho, which came with a good variety of vegetables. They can make the fresh rolls with tofu if you ask. read more

If you like pho, and you're in Cedar Rapids, you have two options. If you like adequate parking, congratulations. Your options have just been halved. Thankfully, Pho Mai is very good. I'm not enough of a connoisseur to get very specific on what I like about the flavors of the broth. I just know that whatever it's made from imparts a nice taste on the broth. I also really liked the amount and quality of the meat in my pho. The easiest ways to cut costs on something like pho are either cutting back on the amount of meat, or the quality of the meat. Pho Mai puts a good amount of what I think I recall the menu listing as round eye in with the noodles and broth. It was very tasty, and was neither tough, nor fatty. The only things that I would tweak about Pho Mai's pho are the salt and the chile. A little more salt would have been helpful. Of course, they may go easy on the salt because they assume you're either going to add the soy sauce, or the sriracha that is on every table. So, that's probably a good thing. As far as the chile is concerned, I would like a few more options. Sriracha is good, but I like when pho places have their own dishes of chili paste. En lieu of that, it wouldn't hurt to add an option like Ichimi Togarashi, or gochujong. I know that those aren't Vietnamese. I still think they'd be a good addition. read more

This is a small quaint place that won't disappoint. The servers aren't Asian but don't let that fool you. I love pho and coming from California where Little Saigon and lots of Vietnamese communities are scattered throughout Los Angeles and Orange County areas I've become quite snobby about my expectations for good pho. I even settled on the likelihood that good pho doesn't exist in Iowa. But to my pleasant surprise my family and I found this little gem and consider it a go-to spot anytime we're craving some delicious pho and egg rolls. I also recommend their bun bo hue - the best I've had! (Minus one star for not serving egg rolls with the traditional fish sauce! But at least they have it in the back and will serve upon request.) read more

I had heard nothing but great things about Pho Mai and their delicious cuisine. I had never had Pho or any other Vietnamese food before but I'm fairly adventurous with different food and enjoy trying something new or different. I was so excited to head over to this location and try my first bowl of Pho -- and now I'm excited that I'll never try it again. I understand and respect everyone that loves this place, but it just wasn't for me. The dish itself reminded of something I'd get at some cheap Chinese buffet in the way that everything was just same-tasting. There was an overwhelming amount of lemongrass and it overpowered all the other flavor I'm assuming was present. I'm sure it's the way Pho is supposed to be, but I also was not digging the pale boiled and gray meat floating around. It was so unappetizing. I may as well been eating a bowl full of lemon pledge and that's exactly what I wanted to do at the time. There were three other people in my party and I wasn't alone in my distaste for the food. Three of the four of us got various kinds of Pho and none of us even came close to finishing and when we were asked if we wanted to go containers -- we quickly and politely declined. Service wasn't terrible but not great. Prices were nothing to complain about and it's a nice little place with a solid atmosphere. I'm only so disappointed because I was so excited and had high expectations. Will I be back? Oh Mai, Pho-ck no. read more

This was literally the worst FOOD I've ever had. I ordered take out on a Tuesday at 7:30, was told my food would be ready in 25-30 minutes. I arrived at 8, and was asked to wait. They took my order a second time, and I waited until 8:20... I paid my bill and took the food home. The noodles were colder than room temperature, tasteless and had shrimp and beef mixed in. I ordered CHICKEN! CHICKEN! I ordered it 2 times, you'd think they could understand it by then. To try to make this horseshit palatable, I added about half a cup of soy sauce. No dice, still tasted like a fisherman took a piss in it. I'm trying to wash the horrific taste out of my mouth as I type this. Maybe mercy will intervene soon and finally make me vomit. The crap rangoons were a literal affront to god. Burned, empty and tasteless. Literally the worst I could imagine, with the exception of them filling the damned thing with dog food. This meal made me want to drown myself. It led me to drink caffeine free diet soda. May god have mercy on the monster that made this affront to god. read more

Pho Mai is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Cedar Rapids. I love all the different choices of pho. And they have bubble tea which is a super huge added bonus. Their Lemongrass chicken is ridiculously good too! read more

Pho Mai Restaurant - Beef meatball pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

See all

Cody was very attentive and engaging in conversation. We felt very welcome and food was very delicious. I recommend their pho rib eye and meatball and bun lemon grass beef. Would frequent this place if I lived by but unfortunately, I was driving by. read more

See all

Very Good! Was in town on business and will be sure to come back again when I visit in the future. I got the Crab Rangoon and the Vegetable dumplings 'crispy'. Best I've had in ages anywhere! The cream cheese was light, fluffy and perfectly proportioned. The crispy edges on both items were just perfect! None of that hard, burned, old oil taste you get in a lot of places. Well done! read more

Incredible food, great service and very unique authentic Vietnamese. I have no idea what half of the menu is, but every time I go here I order something new. Just tried the crepe and was pleasantly surprised. You can't go wrong with the bowls: a perfect combo of fresh elements to cooked rice and protein. The server we had was from Vietnam and was more than willing to explain how items were made and what dish was the most authentic. If you like traditional Chinese food, try this. You won't be let down on this type of cuisine. read more

I finally found my favorite restaurant even it takes 1 hour and 30 minutes drive. We move here from CA, and this restaurant cook their food just tasted like some CA Vietnamese restaurant. read more

Pho Mai Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

I got the number 29. Service was fast and friendly. They even brought out a menu to show photos of each of their menu items. Food was fresh, perfect temperature, and DELICIOUS! read more

Pho Mai Restaurant - Number 29!!!! - Vietnamese Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Visited here for the first time while in town for a business trip. The food is delicious, fresh, and prepared expertly. The atmosphere is quiet and family oriented, the service was great, and seems to be a regular hangout spot for many locals. Thank you for a taste of home while on a trip! read more

I love this Pho place! You know a local Asian place is good when you see other Asians eating there. I see other Asians eating here every time I go! Pho is great. Condiments are right on (basil leaves, bean sprouts, and jalapeños). I have had the spring rolls, egg rolls and the ground meat around the sugar cane and these appetizers are tasty and authentic. read more

There's plenty to love about Mai Pho: the first/only place in CR to offer bubble tea, it's clean, decent service and great recipes. We started out with the spring roll ($2.99) which was fresh and delish. We loved the peanut sauce for dipping. The mango bubble tea was flavorful and refreshing, something unique for CR at least for now. We ordered entrees from the stir fry menu (not Vietnamese) and opted for the fried rice. The Hunan beef was made with fresh veggies including broccoli, celery, onion, water chestnut, mushroom and carrot. This is a spicy dish and had plenty of heat via the dried pepper flakes. We also ordered the Mongolian chicken which had a great flavor in the sauce. The entrees were just $7.50. We'll be back to try the Pho. You can get the small bowl for lunch on Tuesday's for just $4.99. read more

See all

I was so excited to find a Pho place! I got the vegetable pho & added shrimp. I got the small and could barely eat half of it. It was huge and so DELICIOUS!!! My boyfriend got the triple delight & said he really enjoyed it (the plate was cleared!). We also got the spring rolls which could use another shrimp or two but they were really good. We will definitely be back. And come winter time, we will be regulars! Nothing like some hot soup to warm you up & this is the best!!! read more

Pho Mai Restaurant - Vegetable pho. So good!!! - Vietnamese Near Me - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Meh.....Atmosphere is clean, cool, and quiet. Menu looks nice. Pho #13 Combination was fresh but not the warmest or greatest. The chicken pho dumpling soup that my friend got was much better. Unfortunately, had to wait over 35 minutes for the thai iced tea. It actually arrived after the food. And I guess they are brainwashed by tapioca because they put them in nearly EVERY drink. Guess it came in the thai tea drink even when we didn't want them! Chewing on Bobo is rather ackward while your trying to enjoy the thai iced tea. Certainly a new experience. read more