pho in centralia? and it's actually delicious?! the historic building is so cute, it was super clean and modern while the outside has the iconic sign. it was busy at 3PM which shows how good they are - and there was a ton of take out orders too. The owners work there and are so cute and sweet! I had the pho tai and to my delight they serve nuoc beo!!! (pronounced nook-bail, which is the skimmed pho fat with green onions soaked in it - SO GOOD AND ADDICTIVE. if a pho place does it i know the pho will be good.) the pho is more southern style - sweeter, darker broth. but so so good!! they give a GENEROUS amount of meat and noodles. the pho was so good i got it twice in one day, lol. my husband got the grilled chicken, level 3 spicy. and gosh was it spicy! they make their own chili oil and paste and you can definitely taste the unique twist on the chicken. it's so deliciously spicy, it hits your tongue then lingers. def recommend if you're a true spicy fan - otherwise stick to level 1/2. they warned him when we ordered the chicken lol. will be a regular spot for us now, and will tell all our friends. read more

Was really hoping the food will be good. The food was really disgusting and also they gave us a $20 change that was fake . we went to the grocery store and try to pay with that $20 and they told us that it was fake and to go back to the restaurant thank goodness they gave us a different $20 to exchange with the $20 they gave us. read more

Shanghai Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Centralia, Washington

Lots of parking. Service was as expected. It was clean and tables weren't sticky like how many Asian restaurants can be. Food was good. There is one unisex bathroom stall that was clean. We ordered: Pho 4/5 My order was wrong but I ate it anyway. I ordered beef ball with tendon but I got the steak and beef ball instead. Broth is on the sweeter side so it's not really my favorite flavor palette. Everything else was good. Combo Vermicelli 3.8/5 It wasn't overwhelming with lettuce and flavors were well balanced. The protein was a nice marinade. The sauce is on the sweeter side. Wonton Noodle Soup 4/5 My 8 year old wanted wonton soup so we ordered this for her. The portion size was huge. According to her, the egg noodles were a nice chewy texture and the flavors were good. We ate the wontons for her because she didn't want the shrimp and pork wontons. They were satisfactory. Banana and Coconut smoothie 5/5 Was a great combo. Would 100% recommend trying it. read more

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Surprise happiness. Although it is called Shanghai Cafe, it has great Vietnamese pho. Delicious broth, very generous helpings, all the fixings and reasonable prices. Very good value for the dollar. #17 brisket, raw steak plus I added meatballs was so delicious! I'm ready to finish my highway drive from Seattle to Willamette Valley happy and full. Check it out. read more

Delicious Fresh. This is suppose to be the oldest Chinese resturaunt in WA, not sure about that. This is not fast food, plan on an 75 minutes if busy, we were there at 1730. We had Pad Thai and Mongolian Beef. Delicious. We also had the pot stickers well worth it. Left overs for both of us. We will be back. The server was very busy, some said they were rude, I think it is more busyness and not their first language. Main dinning room has seating for 40, there is an overflow room. They do serve some lite alcoholic beverages. read more

When its cold outside? In Washington I dont normally think "Asian fusion", but its around freezing and their spicy lem9ngrass beef soup, a play on phô, was AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! read more

Shanghai Cafe - Sorry, it looked better when I got it but this is all that's left! - Vietnamese Near Me - Centralia, Washington

Always one of my favorites to catch lunch while out Harley riding. A nice pot of hot green tea and I always start with the pork & shrimp salad rolls w delicious peanut sauce. Today i had the chicken lo mein with some of the hottest chili sauce EVA. I only ever see the owner and his wife working. Nice and friendly. Clean bright restaurant with nice clean bathroom. Great place i will always return. read more

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We came back for a second time and decided to eat in instead of take out. We walked in and stood there awkwardly while people already seated stared at us ...awkwardly. Someone from behind the counter shouted out "just sit wherever" so we did. After ten minutes no one came to our table. So we got up to leave. That's when it was "oh we will be right there!" but by then it was too late, we already were half way out the door. You can't ignore people that long if you want the business and this place is not cheap. We will probably get take out again because the food is delicious but the service so far has been lacking. read more

Shanghai Cafe - General Tso's Chicken - Take Out - Vietnamese Near Me - Centralia, Washington

We stopped by after leaving Great Wolf since our family was craving pho, and it definitely hit the spot. The broth was rich and flavorful. I wouldn't recommend the beef stir fry though--it wasn't my favorite and was a bit too salty for my taste. They offer a variety of Vietnamese soups, which is great, but it they lack a few ingredients, likely due to high demand in the area. Overall, solid spot for pho when you need a warm, hearty meal. read more

Wow! The food was fabulous!! The price was more than affordable with large portion sizes. Good customer service!

Today we went down to Shanghai for some pho and milk tea, ended up getting a spring roll aswell, the pho was decent, the milk tea was good. (you can't really mess that up) and at first glance the spring roll was delicious. Until about my 4th bite in when I pulled on a hair that unraveled the entirety of my stomach along with the contents of the roll, as if intentionally rolled into it, when I returned it and asked for my check they still charged me and apologied, but offered no compensation or refund for the shitty item that ruined my mood for food. Will not return, and recommend anyone else thinking they should go try to not risk it, they were good when they reopened, due to terrible food and service prior, but it's the same shitty resturaunters, in the same shitty location, with the same foul additude as previously, I also commented on the water having bits of stuff in it, and the man told me it was lemon and "people like me often comment on it" then proceed to show me a half empty water pitcher with lemon chunks in it. Cool but wtf do you mean people like me? Yikes. read more

Shanghai Cafe - Hair in spring roll, no compensation or refund, was still charged even after only eating 1/4th. - Vietnamese Near Me - Centralia, Washington

In centralia for work and decided to give this place a try. The outside is admittedly kinda sketch, but once inside is very clean and nice. I got the pho tofu and my husband got the chicken fried rice. Both meals were excellent! Lots of flavor and enormous portion sizes. Staff was friendly and prompt! 10/10, would return! read more

Went to this place to eat pho. As soon as I entered the building I smelled mold. Even though the place was clean, had a nice atmosphere, i could not ignore the smell of mold that didn't allow me to enjoy my email. The pho was OK , nothing outstanding. Service was decent but I don't think I will go back to this place. read more

Food was. Over priced. Had there sandwiches and had some friends with us food was not memorable. Service was poor. Cleanliness was ok. Most likely won't be back. Sad that they didn't keep the food that grandma was famous for. read more

The outside of the building was sketchy but decided to try the establishment anyway. Glad we did! Quiet, clean, and the service was great. The food was good and plentiful. Also the bathroom was very clean as well. I would recommend this place. read more

The food is simply amazing. Everything had a good flavor. 5 of us each ordered something different and we all had a taste. All 5 of us give it 2 thumbs up! Inside dining room is immaculate. read more

It took so long for them to take our order and took time to bring out the food. My appetite was lost after waiting for this long. Also I ordered fried rice and it tasted like sweet rice. Too much sweetness was added in fried rice. Bit expensive place read more

The lady was nice enough, the restaurant is clean, but this is probably the worst and driest beef and broccoli I have ever had in my life. Stick with the spring rolls, not sure how this place got such a high rating. read more

Shanghai Cafe - Beef and Broccoli - Vietnamese Near Me - Centralia, Washington

This restaurant was our third attempt trying to find Chinese food as we traveled from Portland to Seattle. We drove up and looked at the sign and almost turned around to get into the car. However the smell drafting through the door was tempting and the inside was clearly recently redecorated. It is very clean and modern and comfortable seating. They offered a wide selection of bubble teas which I suspect is popular with Togo orders. The menu is more pan-Asian, not really the Chinese. It offers Pho and some Vietnamese sandwiches and noodle salads. We ordered pot stickers-served piping hot with a tangy dipping sauce which complimented them greatly. The BBQ pork, served warm, was cut with the grain and was a little chewy. I wished we had more sesame seeds with the hot mustard. The chicken lo mein was great. My picky child was very happy with it and we took leftovers home for her lunch tomorrow. The sweet and sour chicken and the General Tso's chicken is basically the same with a slightly different sauce. If you are sharing meals don't get both for the table. They were good and worth ordering. We also got the Mongolian Beef, which was very tasty but reminded me of Korean BBQ'd beef, not Mongolian beef. It also wasn't served with crispy noodles. Overall, we left full and happy. Food tasted great for a Pan-Asian restaurant, but It didn't taste like traditional Chinese food. read more

Friendly fast service with large portions and fresh ingredients. We especially liked liked the Kung Pao Beef, Fried Rice, Hot and Sour soup, Egg Rolls and BBQ Pork. The restaurant was clean and well lit, relaxing and not too hard to find. The server was very friendly and patient with us and our baby. read more

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Excellent food and the restaurant is quite clean. They could earn the final star by increasing the staff. The wait time is quite long. Only 2-3 people working a busy, but delicious establishment. read more

This cafe is clean and food is decent. I thought the service was very timely and we had everything we needed. I ordered a chicken pho and the meat was very dark.. or maybe it wasn't chicken? I've had many chicken phos and the meat in this one is why I only gave three stars. I have never eaten pork so I wasn't sure if it could have been that? The general tso's chicken also had some weird/hard bits. If you're not picky about the quality of meat, I'd say this would be a great place for you to visit. I may return but wouldn't get anything not vegetarian. read more

Shanghai Cafe - General Tsos chicken and chicken pho (#25) - Vietnamese Near Me - Centralia, Washington

The pho here is very good as are the spring rolls. The service can be slow at times (when busy) as it is ran by a husband and wife team. The prices are fair and the place is very clean. read more

for sure not the same as it was. service was horrible. they weren't busy and she acted like she had better things to do. the Mongolian beef is no longer on the menu. good job ruining a good restaurant read more

I found a straw wrapper in the plate of veggies you get with your pho and when going to pay I brought it to the lady who I believe is the owners attention and she tried telling me it wasn't trash. It was clearly paper. I go in a couple weeks later because they are the only place to get pho in Centralia and I received the worst service out of all of my dine In experiences. There were other couples there and I was completely ignored for 10 minutes and was then brought a water and menu, sat for another 20 until my order was taken and then her husband brought out my food after everyone else in the restaurant had gotten their food. Even the people that came in after me. I had suspicions that something was done to my soup also. Tasted like dishwater. Very upsetting because I tried to give them a second chance. I always tip and I'd go in solo so I was never much of a hassle either. This was May 2024 read more

I love going here for the spring rolls and beef pho everything here taste very fresh . the staff here are lovely people they get to you quickly and when ordering it doesn't take long for you to get your order . very clean environment I love the beautiful lighting they have and the way it's decorated . read more

Our son recommended this restaurant so we decided to eat here before the 2022 Centralia annual Christmas tractor parade. What a great find for us . My wife and I both had chicken Lo Mein and it was an excellent choice for us . What impressed me even more then the food was how amazingly clean the place was. Everything from top to bottom , you can tell they take pride in keeping this place looking great . If I had one slight complaint , they served water to us and other with no ice , not a big deal though . We will definitely return to try other dishes. read more

Shanghai Cafe - Chicken LoMein - Vietnamese Near Me - Centralia, Washington

I came here recently when visiting family in Tenino, and we all loved the food! I picked this place for lunch since it seemed to have the best options for vegetarian food in the area. I ordered the tofu pho (with vegetarian broth), my Aunt ordered the chicken pho (beef broth), and my Mom ordered the chicken lo mein. My Aunt said that her chicken pho was the best pho she had ever had- because the broth was so delicious. I would say my pho was the best pho I've had since moving to Washington state about 5 years ago. Honestly, I rarely order pho at restaurants anymore since I've found the vegetarian pho I've had (at other restaurants) to be often bland and flavorless, but the broth for this pho was delicious and full of flavor, and the veggies were all fresh and tasty. My Mom said that her chicken lo mein was tasty and garlic-y (which for her is a great thing- she loves garlic). The portions were generous, the servers were friendly, and the restaurant was clean. Next time I'm in Centralia I will definitely be back! read more

Pros: Great service and Thai iced tea was ridiculously good!! Cons: bbq pork was bone dry and had no flavor. :( Chicken pad Thai was really mushy, like massively over cooked noodles. Overall, I'd try the other things on the menu to give it another shot, but for how expensive $$ it was we were pretty disappointed. read more

Delicious food, great ethnic variety and pleasant atmosphere! Will be returning!! Want to try all the available dishes!

Love this place, it's clean and the staff are kind and welcoming, didn't have to wait long for the food so we were in and out. Good food that will fill you up and you'll leave completely satisfied, I hope the owner continues this tradition of service and deliciousness read more

My favorite place in Centralia to eat. Friendly staff, and fresh food. Pho is good and I enjoy eating it with egg noodles which is hard to get at other restaurants. Nice and clean establishment adds to the charm, and there is enough variety for whole family read more

Lovely Asian fusion gem of downtown Centralia. Cute modern Asian decor. My favorites are the pho and banh mi. Good service. Plenty of seating. read more

Shanghai Cafe - Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Centralia, Washington

Nice small place. We got some pho, and they're quite tasty. The broth is flavourful, and the beef meatballs were tasty as well. I was quite surprised to taste broth that is flavourful from a place like this. Place itself is pretty clean. Too bad there is only one restroom though. read more

Got the spring rolls and chicken pho it was fantastic! Staff was friendly but never got a water refill. A little slow but worth it! read more

Shanghai Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Centralia, Washington

I had high hopes for this place. Was completely bummed that they didn't have teriyaki chicken ( which made this restaurant popular in the day) we ordered general tso chicken to share and bbq pork to start. Pork was incredibly dry and not much dipping sauce and tso was fine but didn't realize when asked if we wanted fried rice or steamed rice that the fried we ordered was an extra 3.50 which made one plate of lunch almost $20 !!! The place is clean and had good service .... too bad it's a crappy location !! read more

I've been wanting to check this place out for a while and finally did. The ambiance inside was nice and restaurant felt clean. We had some wonton soup which was tasty, combination lo mein and general Taos chicken. Everything was good. The service was friendly and quick. I'll be visiting them again. read more

Best KimChee I have ever had in my life!!! This place is clean, fresh and delicious. There service is great and they have great prices too. read more

Shanghai Cafe - Kim Chee - Vietnamese Near Me - Centralia, Washington

The outside of the restaurant looks a little run-down/dirty, but when you enter it's clean, smells fresh, and very sanitary. They are a little understaffed, but with the circumstances, it's understandable. The fried wontons were delicious, perfectly crispy, flavourful, and the dipping sauce was good (we added chili sauce to ours for extra spice). The Char Siu was good, not perfect but delicious. The hot mustard was the right amount of spicy and extremely delicious. read more

Wasn't impressed with the quality of the food. My Bahn Mi was very dry, definitely not fresh bread. Pot stickers were heavily breaded, not in a traditional won ton wrapper. read more