To be frank, this place has you paying a premium price for below average food. The reviews and ratings are from what I ended up experiencing this evening. We had a table of 6 with varied dishes ordered. Both my husband and I had some variation of the vermecelli bowl and shared a plate of their every si popular calamari. Calamari was raved, and honestly, just fried battered calamari with a vinegar-pepper dipping sauce. Nothing special? But with a price tag of $21, it's definitely not worth it. The $17 vermecelli bowl was the worst entree I've had in a while. Chose to go with pork and an eggroll, immediately smelling and tasting the old oil from the fry of the eggroll. Leaving a disgusting greasy aftertaste in the whole bowl. The pork slices were scarce and flavorless. Also very skimpy on how much nuoc mam was given. As terrible as the food was, the service was fast and friendly. Parking was ample and specious. I can't tell if we came on an off night, but the space was pretty busy the whole time we were there. Wouldn't come again, don't recommend. read more

In 2016, I returned to Orange County after a two-year break in the SF Bay Area. One of my first stops upon returning was Thanh Binh 2 for a bowl of bún. It felt great to be back and how I missed the restaurants! Since then, I've tried several local Vietnamese restaurants, but none have matched the quality of Thanh Binh 2. However, I recently checked out a new spot just around the corner called Pholicious Noodle Bar. Thanh Binh 2, watch out - you've got some competition! My friend SP and I used to visit Thanh Binh 2 regularly. I always ordered the three-item bún with shrimp, pork, and egg roll, while SP went for the House Combo Pho. Today, when we came here for lunch, I was tempted to try something new, but I'm a creature of habit. So, I stuck with the three-item bún - shrimp, pork, and egg roll. What can I say? It's delicious! SP stuck to her favorite as well, the House Combo Pho. Despite the substantial increase in prices, the food and service at Thanh Binh 2 are still top-notch. Our order: House Combo Pho ($15.50) Photo - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=pde41TDtLO2_AupAvzmhXg&userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ Three item, bún; shrimp, pork, & egg roll ($15.50) Photo - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=SQgUI9cgO18PEAhNC4Roag&userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ *The order comes with a bowl of fish sauce but I usually request a second bowl and add chili sauce. Photo - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=_fNZfQ4aZF2Y4LH8bgcHVQ&userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ Cà Phê Sữa Đá ($5.50 x2) Photo - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=7X38L19EE7z6D5ALrxpIYw&userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ Grand Total: $45 (+ tip) While I've had a couple of rare occasions where the food wasn't quite up to par, Thanh Binh 2 has generally been consistently good. I'm looking forward to my next visit when I'll hopefully be brave enough to stray from my usual bún order. They also make a fantastic bowl of ox tail pho! - Big Aloha! Food: 4 Ambiance: 3 Service: 5 Value: 4 read more

See all

Ordered the oxtail pho and pork spring rolls. Spring rolls were run of the mill. 50/50 on the oxtail pho: on one hand, the oxtail itself was ah-may-zing. Two huge pieces to pick from, so much meat, so flavorful, didn't even feel like I needed to put anything on it. On the other hand, the broth was unmemorable, there was too little of it, and there were way way too many noodles. I actually pulled out about half the noodles on to the side plate just to try to make it more of a balanced soup. I have eaten hundreds (for real) of bowls of pho in my life and I have never had to do that before. 5 stars for the oxtail itself. But a big shrug on everything else. read more

Thanh Binh - Oxtail was amazing, broth was not, noodles were toooo much - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

See all

They have germ consistent throughout eight years since my family and ai first discovered this restaurant. Their consistency and food and service is what makes us return at least once a month for their delicious pho, spring rolls, and their crispy calamari! read more

Thanh Binh - Crispy calamari paired well with ice cold beer! It's the perfect appetizer. - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Place is a scam, their food is average, they raise their prices every 2 months, the prices advertised online is not accurate and they charge a higher price that is not advertised. BEST of all though is when you order Pho, togo - what ever size you order they charge you for a large. Then when you question them on the price they tell you their price changed again and went up. I looked at their "in restaurant" menu - nope you just charged me for a large, then lied to me and I gave me a medium. These guys are crooks, they know exactly what they're doing. Go to the Thai place next door, Diho Saim their food is 10x better, they are sweet, honest Thai's not like these scamming Vietnamese. read more

First of all this place should be inspected by health inspector. I order the bun bo hue, the broth was ok then I got to the meat and the meats were sour and rotten. I told the server and he said that they usually don't get bun bo hue orders. Then don't have it in the menu. They did not take it back nor did they acknowledge the rotten pork meat. Please do better. read more

A new favorite spot for pho! This place is always busy, and they have fast service! Had no idea they offered take out which I will definitely be doing as well. Brisket pho has great flavor as well as their spring rolls! read more

Thanh Binh - Broken pho Chicken pho Chai tea - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

As good as any. Simple picture menu is good. I had Ox Tail. It's well done, falls off bone and fatty.

I'm Viet & have eaten pho at probably a couple hundred different places, spanning 40+ years & I can honestly say it was the worst pho I've ever had. The beef was thinly horrendous, dry, skimpy. Pho is a food love language that should reflect & respect the cook's culture & upbringing. This $18 bowl was a very unplesant experience. Giving it 2 stars because the service was nice. read more

Loved it! The bún riêu was reminiscent of home cooking, and my friend's chicken curry noodle (bún ca ri gà) was close as well. My mom is a phenomenal cook by any standard, so essentially, I'm complimenting this place. There is a nice and diverse selection of pretty classic Viet dishes that I don't find often in one place, and I'm happy that the two not-so-mainstream options that we chose worked out. That gives me hope for the other items. The servers were really nice and patient - far cry from the old school Little Saigon waiters who grunt and grumble - and everything was really clean and plentiful. The cherry on top was how easy it was to find parking. I don't live in the area, but I would still come back! read more

You guys! It's been a minute since I've been to Thanh Binh but I forgot how good it was. I took my DH here recently because I was craving pho for breakfast and it totally hit the spot. He ordered the raw steak and brisket pho (tai nam), while I had the short rib pho (suon bo). I also ordered the Vietnamese iced coffee (cafe sua da), which is STRONG! OMG, their short rib pho is legit good. Probably better than SUP Noodle in Irvine but with ZERO wait. Why wait an hour when you can hit up this spot, get seated because you are hangry, and get fed in 10 minutes?! No brainer, right? I mean, the service is good. Although, it might help if you spoke Vietnamese but honestly, my DH doesn't and he was fine. I obviously do but it's not necessary. Although, it was good to be able to wave the server (who might be the manager?) over because I spoke to him in Vietnamese. He was really nice and even went so far as to ask the kitchen for a better cut of the short rib. He sent the other one back because it was too fatty! WHAT?! I mean, he did me a HUGE favor. Anyway, if I have another pho craving this place will be it. Not to mention they have fried pho here too, which is a favorite. What's that you ask? Well, think flat rice noodles fried to a crisp, topped with your choice of protein and veggies in a luscious sauce. It's delicious! Try it, thank me later. We had our fill, and were full so we asked for to-go containers. No problems there. That iced coffee kept me caffeinated for like 12 hours. No joke. read more

Thanh Binh - Pho suon bo (short rib pho) - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

See all

If you can't make it out to Garden Grove for a bowl of pho and egg rolls, Thanh Binh 2 is a good alternative. This place is a no frill restaurant where servers are either friendly or not. The food is just average to me. The soup was too sweet and not enough spices. The small bowl for $13 and $8 for three egg rolls is pricey. Despite the prices and flavor of the soup, I still think that this place is decent if you live nearby and have a craving for pho. read more

Thanh Binh - #21. Egg Rolls ($8). Simple and good. 10/22/2022 - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

See all

Came to dine in on Friday for dinner around 5pm. We order one of the special #38 spicy noodle soup with beef, pork and pork knuckle $17 and #35 Vermicelli noodle bowl with shrimp, beef and egg roll $15.50. The spicy noodle soup is very tasty, the pork knuckle is soft and tender. The vermicelli's noodles is a little hard, not cook well. Their service is friendly and good. read more

See all

The food was amazing, the service was quick and efficient. Music playing while eating. read more

Thanh Binh - Vegetable and Tofu Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I was here just the other day. it was my very first visit and I am so pleased that the Mr selected this spot for dinner. The staff were so sweet and did all that they could to make sure that my Mr had a great experience. We didn't tell them that It was our first visit or anything like that. So we're pretty sure there was no special treatment involved. I honestly dint' know what to expect when we came here. I noticed that there were maybe only 2 tables available and I was more worried that there would be a lengthy wait time involved. Nope. One thing I notice, they do a lot of take out orders. They even have a table set up OUTSIDE their front door to help those who are just picking up. Awesome. Anyway, the Mr ordered the ox tail pho. Initially he wasn't too pleased and that was only because he'd expected the actual tail, the bone with the cartilage, gristle and most importantly, the cholesterol rich bone marrow. Instead, because he'd only ordered a medium, he only got huge strips of meat. And yes, I said huge. I really don't want you to think that these were strips similar to beef jerky. No. That wasn't the case. Anyway, wanting more, the Mr let the waiter know he was disappointed. So, the waiter explained that they usually only serve that huge bone portion with the large orders. So, quickly, the server took the bowl back and asked that the kitchen make it a large instead of a medium and to be sure to give him that huge bone in portion. Whew. We were lucky. There were only 2 more of those huge bones. No matter to me. I was enjoying my pho tai, rare beef. I added lots of onion, sprouts and lime juice. I was so happy. I was actually so happy drowning in my soup and noodles that I didn't quite know what was going on until the server took away his bowl and I stopped mid chew to ask him if he were upset, or if there were something wrong with the food and so I should stop eating or what?!?! The last time something like this happened, we left without my knowing the situation and was assured it was for my own health and safety. In this case, that was not what was going on. I was just enjoying, so much, the munching going on in my mouth with the crispy egg rolls and the sprouts and onions. I tell you, everything around me didn't matter. I was so happy. Those first few bites and definitely the last ones were pho heaven. I have not had pho in some time and so I don't know if it was because of that my feelings towards that bowl of goodness that I had deserves this awesome 4-star review or if it truly was that good. I know I enjoyed every last bit of it. My daughter loved the egg rolls. She gobbled those up right away. It was such a nice experience here and I was even more thankful that their restroom facilities were so nice and clean, not to mention smelling amazing. I have my lil one with me and well, I don't ever take her to nasty restrooms. I wasn't going to start now. So, for that, I'm so glad that they take care of their restrooms. I mean, if the restroom is any reflection of how they take care of their customers and their business, it had better be spotless. right? I really enjoyed everything about my dining experience here. I also really appreciated their pricing. For 1 medium pho tai and the large ox tail pho, and the golden egg rolls, cha gin, our total was about $34 after tax. I left a pretty hefty tip. They really deserved it. I hope to visit again soon. read more

See all

The food was excellent. I ordered the large Pho noodles. The food was to my table super fast. They were very customer oriented and asked me if I needed anything. And I ate all that I could and they asked if I needed anything to take it home and I told him no. They gave me a receipt and everything is super good here. I definitely recommend this place. I came here last night and I came again the second time because it was so good. read more

Thanh Binh - I ate it all! - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Great food at a reasonable price! Staff were very kind and attentive, and the food came out super fast.

My go to for oxtail pho. Delicious, perfectly seasoned soup. Fall off the bone tender oxtail. Super speedy service! read more

Thanh Binh - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

See all

Food and service is great for the area. Pricing is definitely irvine/ south oc pricing. I'm used to westminster pricing for viet food lol. I gave 3 stars because of some inconsistencies. I ordered bun bo hue but there was far less noodles and way more soup. There was also a lot of tendon/ligaments than the usual bun bo hue. Maybe this was cause I ordered without the pork hock. The broth tasted good though. Pho was good. I also ordered bun rieu to go. They gave me twice the amount of noodles here enough for 2 whole meals.l, but forgot the shrimp paste. Tldr; maybe order to go for bigger portions ? Although who knows cause it's also hole in the wall vietnamese, so customer service is not their thing. Be aware. You come here for the legit tasting food which was all good. Highly recommend the bun rieu. Please don't forget the shrimp paste next time. read more

Thanh Binh #2 is a comfortable pho spot tucked within a shopping mall. Upon walking in, the staff immediately welcome you and guide you to your seat. I appreciate how attentive the staff was the entire time I was there. I asked for extra lemon and it was brought with no problem. The pho was ready within 5 minutes after putting in my order. The atmosphere is relaxed, with classical covers of pop songs playing in the background. While the staff watches if you need anything, there is no pressure or rush. I ordered the #9 large veggie and tofu pho, and it had a good amount of tofu. The tea was jasmine and soothing. It's a very relaxed location. I noticed that there were other similar restaurants on the strip mall so make sure you walk into the right one. read more

Thanh Binh - Menu - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I like the food location of this restaurant. I like their special and oxtail pho. My friend thought it was the best oxtail pho she ever had before. Their other noodles or rice dishes were pretty good too. Whenever i feel like as having Vietnamese comfort food, I always think of this place. read more

I had Bun Rieu #37 at this restaurant. If you're going to charge an arm and a leg for a bowl (18$) of noodles, please make the rieu correctly. Even a food to go restaurant makes their rieu with mince pork and some crab and only charges way less. My bowl consists of just only minced eggs, a few tofu pieces and 3 shrimps. Broth is definitely nonexistent. Overall, i will never come back. Take notice when pay card, they mark tip at 18% and tip is calculated after tax. read more

What happened to this place? Have they changed the cook? We've been coming here whenever we wanted pho that closer to home. Tonight (Friday) we arrived and ordered our usual bowls of pho & egg rolls. Their pho did not taste like how it used to. The broth was bland .. no flavor! I suspect they either change the recipe or water the broth down. How disappointing! The rice noodles were very soft (overcooked). Also the egg rolls were not as tasty & crunchy as before. However the service has improved, the two male servers were polite, nice & friendly. read more

Honestly I didn't expect to see actual VEGAN section of the menu but yes there was and that worked for me.... Vermicelli Noodle with Vegetables and Tofu is what I ordered. Though they only had peanut sauce to use with this dish...since I wanted a full Vegan meal.... Service was quick and fast....wish they didn't prep veggies near our table though or there was some separation.....but overall good decent Vietnamese food outside of Little Saigon. My friends enjoyed their food and I think I'd come here again if in the area. read more

See all

Delicious food and incredibly friendly staff! Have been a regular here for a few years... this place is a go-to. Would absolutely recommend :) read more

When I was in college my professor took our class to Little Saigon in Westminster and there began my love affair with Vietnamese food. I luckily stumbled upon Thanh Bihn in Lake Forest while pursuing my passion of Pho and have since not found any other Vietnamese restaurant able to measure up to their Exceptional Food and Customer Service. They're both is rich and flavorful and they always serve the egg rolls perfectly with plenty of lettuce, carrots and mint all ready to be wrapped up and dipped in fish sauce. Frankly I'm getting hungry writing this review and soon you'll be able to find me at one of their table slurping up some noodles and downing an Thai ice tea! read more

I got the spring rolls and vermicelli noodles! Spring Rolls are okay, but it is very filling! The Vermicelli Noodles are so good, I would get again. Pretty good portion sizes too, I definitely ordered more than I should have with these two. Lady was very nice and constantly checking up on us. Better all the food came out relatively fast! As far as the place, tables were clean and the vibes were good. Very nice place read more

Thanh Binh - Spring Rolls Vermicelli Noodle Bowl - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I was statving for Viet food, so I rolled up to this joint. The house special mi xao ya was dot com. If you ever go here, make sure you order the house special bird nest bird nest and make it brittle. Plan of attack... eat squid, eat veggies, eat beef, eat shrimps, and last but not least, eat the noodles. 5/5 on a hot summer day. read more

Thanh Binh - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

See all

We used to love coming to Thanh Binh for authentic Vietnamese food, but our experience today was extremely disappointing. I always order the same dish, and this time it was bland and completely lacking in flavor. The egg rolls were terrible, and the meat was poor quality and not tasty at all. It honestly felt like something has changed, maybe new ownership or management? Whatever it is, the quality has gone downhill fast. This used to be our favorite local spot, but sadly we won't be coming back. There are much better options in the area now. Really unfortunate to see what was once a great restaurant lose its charm. read more

My new favorite Vietnamese food spot in Orange County. The service is impeccable, I didn't know It was possible to get all of my food and drinks in less than 5 minutes. The pho broth has so much flavor, really everything is so good and inexpensive, a place like this is truly hard to come by. Less than 30$ for 2 drinks a large pho (more than enough to split) and shrimp spring rolls. I don't think I'll ever stop coming here. read more

Thanh Binh - Chicken Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

See all

My new go-to pho spot. They offer a vegetarian pho in a vegetarian broth. Very accommodating for us folks that don't want beef or chicken broth. Very flavorful bowl of pho with lots of veggies. The service is very fast and very friendly. Their pricing is about average. I think it was about $16 for a large bow of pho. Not cheap but worth it for a good bowl of pho. read more

I think it's safe to say my family is a regular here cause we come almost every week (even when it's super hot on a summers day) - and for good reason because this place has the best pho in Lake Forest^^ We always get the egg rolls, shrimp spring rolls, calamari, and of course pho. The calamari is one of their specialties and it's SO crispy and savory with the lemon pepper sauce - plus the portions are pretty generous as well. Pho always has nice rich broth (we get rare steak and veggie) + fresh herbs and juicy limes + and doesn't leave us feeling too heavy or drowsy afterwards. Service is amazing and always nice whenever we ask for extra onions or cilantro so overall would recommend for sure!! Very casual seating with AC and there's some outdoor tables as well. read more

Thanh Binh - Calamari - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

See all

It used to be our place to eat. Post Covid, prices went too expensive for the portion. Service was always top. I just don't see a 30-40% price increase worth it. St that point, I rather eat an omelette. read more

To go order early on a Sunday morning, sometimes pho is just the thing you need in the morning after a night out. The broth has great flavor, noodles are good as well. They are very generous with the oxtail, and the flavoring is on point is well. Very tender. Of course, you can expect fat on these, but that's a given with any oxtail. Definitely recommend, especially if you need something early in South OC, this will be your best option. read more

Thanh Binh - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Been coming here for 20 years. Don't go anywhere else not even to the place across the street!!! If you want authenticity without driving to Westminster, this will be your go to! My wife grew up on Vietnamese food; When we first got together I brought her here on our 4th date she said it was as good as her mom's broth. My first experience eating Vietnamese food was when my mother brought me here as a kid . This place holds nothing but memories I've grown up with most of the staff. Feels like home walking in here, the food is perfect even during the summer when's it's 110 out spring rolls, pho Tai with oxtail and extra rare beef, with the jasmine hot tea is my go to. My wife loves their Bun Rieu, or Bun Bo Hue! Honest everything is good here hahaha chicken pho is most of my friend's favorite when we go here. Henry is my favorite staff, bring the entire family to try its worth it and don't forget to tip. They are all such hard workers. read more

See all

My mom has been craving shrimp spring rolls and I'm always down for some bun. The servers were very attentive. So attentive that we had to tell them a few times that we weren't ready to order. However, on the 2nd try, we ordered our spring rolls because we knew we wanted them! Shrimp for my mom, tofu for me. I bit into it, used the spoon to pour some peanut sauce, and gobbled the rest up. I did a little dance so I enjoyed it. I loved the amount if mint in it. For the meal, I ordered tofu and vegetable bun (vermicelli noodles). This is my favorite dish, yes, over pho. And today's was the best I've had anywhere! I loved the amount of fish sauce they provide and the amount of veggies, noodles, to tofu was on par. I actually really liked the say they cut their veggies and fry their tofu. My mom was surprised how big the small bowl of oxtail pho was. It's a nice serving! All in all, I'd come here again. P.s. Their fried egg rolls have pork in it. read more

See all

Probably my favorite pho restaurant. They have a variety of dishes. Their oxtail pho is full of flavor and the oxtail is super tender and falls off the bone. It's my go to dish. Today I tried their #16 with clear and egg noodles and it was really good too. They give a good amount of pork and seafood. The noodles are a bit chewy and very good. read more

Thanh Binh - #16 - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

See all

Came here with co workers for lunch today, and we were seated right away. The servers here were very friendly and quick to take our order. Pricing for their items were fairly priced and store is well kept. Onto the food: Co workers ordered the pho tai and thoroughly enjoyed it. I ordered their 2 item bun (dry vermicelli) with tofu and egg roll as my protein choices. The bun was very good - packed with just enough flavor for my liking. Below the noodles and protein, it's packed with veggies. I loved the consistency of the fried tofu and used their sambal sauce for dipping just to add a little spice to the dish. Between the 4 of us with tip we paid about $15.50 each which isn't bad for lunch. Will definitely come back to try more dishes next time. I am looking forward to trying their oxtail pho when I am a bit more hungry though - it sounds really good! read more

Thanh Binh - Bun with 2 items (tofu and egg roll) - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I picked up lunch from here last week and got a couple bowls of pho for myself and a coworker. I ordered beef pho and it was delicious! I really liked the broth. I also ordered a Thai iced tea. When I arrived to pick up the food, there had been a miscommunication and they made a dessert for me, rather than the Thai tea. I told them that I had tried to order a Thai tea, not a dessert, and they graciously remade my drink without charging me any extra. For that reason I'm giving them 5 stars, because of the great service! read more

Thanh Binh offered solid bowl of pho without driving out to Garden Grove/Westminster area from south OC. The price was good, and the serving size was generous. We tried the Rare Steak Pho and Bone In Short Ribs Pho; the broth is flavorful, and the tender meat just fell off the bone, delicious! What we loved the most was that it opened early at 9am, perfect after a morning workout and early lunch. Service was friendly too. read more

Thanh Binh - Rare Steak Pho and Bone In Short Ribs Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

See all