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Waterfall Chicken

4.6 (47 reviews)
Open • 10:30 am - 9:00 pm

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WATERFALL CHICKEN ATMOSPHERE

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9/19/2026.
Zeela D.

Don't need to go far to be chasing waterfalls! Go to the city of Huntington Beach and there you will find Waterfall Chicken, the first location in the US outside of Vietnam. Omg the best crispy fried chicken I have ever had in my life! My son who is 7 years old and loves chicken nuggets, said that this chicken is 50 out of 10! I loved the sauce that went well with the juicy fried waterfall chicken. We also had the popcorn chicken and spring rolls for our appetizers, delicious. Then we also shared along with our meal, the shaken beef, and I had the Vietnamese coffee to wash it all down, excellent meal overall to get that crispy goodness in your mouth and enjoy!

exterior, business front
Van D.

Wow! BEST CHICKEN EVER!! I was told about Waterfall Chicken through a friend who raved about this special Vietnamese fried chicken that is cooked in an oil waterfall making it crispy on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside. So unique! Waterfall Chicken is located off Beach near PCH in the same plaza as a Walmart, Chase Bank, Seaside Tropical Fish and some EVgo charging stations. There is plenty of parking in this plaza. Upon coming in there were plenty of tables and nice artwork featuring Vietnamese culture. There was also a TV that was playing one of the world cup games that evening. The restaurant is family owned and operated by Chef Tin, his wife, and their son. They are all very friendly and nice. We had the chance to talk to Chef Tin during our meal and he was telling us about his incredible restauranteur experience. I am sure he will continue to bring delicious offerings to the Southern California food scene. Anyways, back to the food. They have a small menu of specialty items. My boyfriend and I shared the Waterfall Chicken Rice ($14.99) and the Waterfall Chicken Garlic Noodle ($16.49) which comes with the crispy waterfall style fried chicken, a side salad, and their special dipping sauce. Basically we got our own chicken and salad, but got different carb bases to try. We were so excited when the food came out. The chicken had a nice crispy cracking exterior, but the inside was super super juicy and perfectly cooked. This chicken leg basically got a hydromassage of waterfall oil. So cool! The garlic noodles are some of the best I've ever had. You can really taste the garlic, just the way I like it. I feel like as a side the garlic noodles stand really well on its' own while the rice is a nice bland palette that allows you to absorb the flavor of the chicken and the sauce really well. I like them both in different ways and I was glad we got to try both. I really wanted to finish all of my food because it was fantastic, but I got full from snacking all day. They nicely gave me a togo box with a really quality sauce container. I'm only sharing this because I want to credit that the chicken was still moist and delicious the next day. Love this sauce! I had extra sauce that I ate with some cucumbers I had in my fridge and it was amazing. Can't wait to come back and try more of their menu. If we weren't so full I would have ordered their Waterfall Eggrolls. I hear they are planning some new menu items too. I'll definitely come back soon.

chicken & rice
Kingston W.

The first time I visited Vietnam, my friends asked me what I wanted to eat. I was eager to try dishes not found in the United States. Apparently, this method of chicken preparation has been available in Vietnam for over a decade. This store claims to be the first to serve it here in Southern California. Typically, fried chicken is breaded and immersed in cooking oil to deep fry. In this case, the chicken is brined but not breaded. Instead of being submerged in oil, a steady stream of hot cooking oil is poured over the chicken until it's fully cooked. The goal is to make the skin crispy (like a chicharron), while keeping the interior moist. On this first occasion, I ordered the chicken and rice for $14.99 and a can of Coca-Cola for $2.49. With tax of $1.35, the total came to $18.83 before gratuity. The plate featured a leg and thigh, a bowl of steamed rice, a side salad, and dipping sauce. The chicken was cooked well--moist, with all the fat rendered from the skin, leaving it thin and crispy--though it was a bit saltier than I would have preferred. The rice wasn't plain white rice but was cooked with chicken broth and seasonings, adding extra flavor. The salad was fresh with a light dressing. The bottom line is that I really enjoyed this style of fried chicken. This restaurant also offers pho, along with a variety of other rice and noodle dishes.

The Spread
Vince P.

Waterfall Chicken is a new Vietnamese restaurant bringing over an innovative method of frying chicken. This spot took over where Pho Lux is and they are located in a plaza with a good amount of parking spots. Inside, they have a nice setup with about 6-7 tables for seating. Wifey and I stopped by for lunch and were seated right away. We ended up getting the Chicken Rice Plate and the Chicken Garlic Noodles Plate. Everything was delicious and we really enjoyed the sauce that came with the chicken. All of the staff here are very friendly and welcoming. Waterfall Chicken is Viet gang approved!

Marie D.

This was ok. I had no preconceived notions of this place, and had not read any reviews previously. I had the pho and the waterfall chicken. I got takeout and was instructed to eat it immediately to get the full flavor and experience. Luckily, I live not even 5 minutes away, so my meal was still hot when I got home. The pho was ok. The rice was ok too. The chicken was surprisingly small, and the sauce was too sweet for my palate. It was a decent meal, but unremarkable. The service was friendly and prompt. I'd give it another try.

Waterfall chicken & rice
Trina D.

Waterfall Chicken took over the Pho Lux location in the Walmart shopping center in Huntington Beach. I just happened to see the video that Andy N. posted on IG with the Vietnamese waterfall fryer and told my husband that we needed to check them out. We went that evening and they had run out of the quarter legs so we got two thighs instead with our order. We also tried their beef and fatty brisket pho. It was still busy after the dinner rush. Chef Tin brings his French culinary training and Vietnamese roots to the dishes at Waterfall Chicken. We met his wife and his step-son at the restaurant helping out. The food was delicious, a solid 5 stars. The chicken is crispy on the outside and juicy. The house made special sauce is the star which we kind of put on everything, even the side salad. Ask for the sauce, don't be shy. The pho had a nice clear broth to it and they use bone marrow bones in it and strain it a few times to get that clear broth. It definitely is a small mom & pop that is getting local word of mouth. They found out my husband is from New Orleans so we were trying to see if they would offer more Cajun items on the menu like po'boys and gumbo as specials. Only time will tell. If you want to try Vietnamese fried chicken, this place makes it like they do in Vietnam, with the machine they imported. Check them out and give them some love. Tell them to put those specials on the menu!

April L.

I'm going to be completely honest, the flavor on the waterfall chicken 10/10, crispy on the outside and so tender from the inside! The size portion was on the small side, so that's why I was kinda disappointed, bigger portions of the chicken and rice would of been great! The rice was delicious as well. Love the tai teal! Customer service was great, felt welcome. I didn't get to take a picture of the food, because I was so excited and hungry. Everyone was super friendly and nice with good food!

The waterfall in action
Cuong N.

If you're looking for something truly unique in Huntington Beach, Waterfall Chicken is an absolute must try. The star of the show is their incredible waterfall chicken, inspired by a custom built oil waterfall system created in Vietnam decades ago. The technique is fascinating, the oil continuously flows over the chicken, keeping the temperature perfectly consistent. The result is crispy, golden skin with juicy, tender meat inside and somehow not greasy at all. It is one of those rare dishes where you can actually taste the craftsmanship behind it. Even better, this place is the definition of a true family run gem. Owner Tin built the system himself and runs the kitchen alongside his wife Thuy and their son Andy. You can feel the care and pride in every detail, it is not just food, it is a family passion project brought to life. And the sides are just as memorable. The rice, cooked with the chicken, comes out beautifully yellow and rich with savory chicken fat. The fresh salad with their house made dressing adds the perfect balance. And do not skip the garlic forward chicken sauce, it is bold, flavorful, and ties everything together perfectly. This is not just a meal, it is a full on experience for your taste buds. Crispy, juicy, flavorful, and made with heart. We will absolutely be back.

Waterfall chicken and rice
Jorge F.

What a juicy and savory fried chicken, the sauce they pair it with is amazing. Plenty of seating inside the restaurant and lots of parking outside because it's found inside of a Walmart plaza. Highly recommend coming here to check them out.

Front L
jeff m.

Waterfall Chicken is one of those local family-owned places you want to keep coming back to. The restaurant was clean and had nice artwork. Service was friendly and very supportive in making suggestions on what to order. Tin, the dad and chef, came out to chat with us, which made the whole experience even better. I can tell he takes pride in his dishes and has a lot of experience in the food industry. We had the Waterfall Chicken Cajun Garlic Noodles with the signature sauce. The chicken was crispy, flavorful, and delicious. The sauce had layers of flavor that made the chicken even better. We also ordered the popcorn chicken too. It was hot, fresh, and perfectly spiced. Tin also let us try a new customer-inspired sriracha sauce that was really good and I'm glad we tried it, but the signature sauce is still my favorite. Already looking forward to coming back for the calamari, pork chop and Pho! I definitely recommend supporting this awesome local family business!

Com tam and waterfall chicken with garlic noodles
Fei H.

Food and service was good. They brought out the food fast. We got the chicken dish, it was extremely crispy and juicy!

Waterfall chicken with rice
Natalie N.

Excellent food and service!!! Highly recommend this place! My husband and two kids came here about 2 weeks ago, and he kept talking about it, so I had to try it myself. We ordered the popcorn chicken, calamari, fries, one Chicken plate with rice, and another Chicken plate with garlic noodles. Everything was excellent! A lot of places make fried chicken too dry and greasy but they got it just right here -- crispy and crunchy on the outside, no thick flour coating, not greasy, and still juicy inside. Definitely some of the better fried chicken we've had. The prices are very reasonable too, around $6.99-$16.99 per plate. We'll definitely be back. They also serve Pho, so next visit we're coming back for the chicken plates, we will try their Pho.

Amandore D.

So confused about the bad reviews on this place. I was skeptical because I too saw it on social media. Yelp doesn't have enough reviews to make it convincing but I went today and it was great. It is in the most unassuming plaza but it is clean, has lots of parking, and overall food was great. I just came home from Vietnam just like these other reviewers and I thought the chicken was tender, crispy and flavorful. Portion was quite large. Everyone knows fried chicken rice is all about the sauce and I thought that was good too. The service was quick and the workers even turned on the waterfall oil for us to see how it all works. It is definitely worth a try! I will be back!

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25 days ago

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6 months ago

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Tin T.

Thanks Trina wont forget....little more cajun coming soon...

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6 months ago

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Tin T.

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6 months ago

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Tin T.

Hi Anh Cuong, see you soon

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4 months ago

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6 months ago

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Tin T.

Hi John thank you for the feedback and support. Growing pains :)

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1 month ago

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5 months ago

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2 months ago

First time trying it after seeing it on social media. Chicken was crispy and juicy. Garlic noodles were cooked well. I would recommend

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6 months ago

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Tin T.

Thanks for the support Cecile. We will try our best :)

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Tin T.

Thank you Josh, we are glad you enjoyed it. See you back soon :)

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Hi Jon..ill see you and Cuong soon

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Waterfall Chicken - vietnamese - Updated October 2026

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