Great place to crab a bite ? Service was excellent and the restaurant met my expectations of cleanliness. Prices are reasonable and the food was tasty. We all had a grand time dining here
Nobbi L.
We had not been to one of my absolute favorite restaurants in SLO since the pandemic. Early on I saw that the restaurant closed. Then I realized that it moved to their secondary location: the Mongolian BBQ (Mongo) and the Parisian Cafe. But for many reasons we were not going to downtown SLO. Today we decided to return. We were greeted by Alex, the owner, who was glad to see us. And the feeling was mutual. We loved sitting outside at the former location. In fact, the decor with succulents inspired me to arrange our little back patio in shell beach with such flora. We were able to sit outside today by the creek. The food was at least as good as before, if not better. Alex served us and was the utmost hostess. We were so surprised that we were welcomed to such a degree, not having patronized the business in 18 months. Bottom line: fantastic vietnamese food! As good as ever. And I'm a foodie!
Alyssa Gomez
The place is hidden in the back so it was a little off the normal walk way. we waited 10 mins when I had to get up and ask for a menu. When the young waitress with short hair came up she smelled of body odor. We stayed despite this. we had to ask many times for things which was bad because every time she came back the BO stayed and linger. We were outside but you could still smell her after she left. Hygiene should be on top of the list if working in a food restaurant. The service was slow and they forgot to bring items out until we reminded them of our order. Food was mediocre the vermicelli didn’t have much meat. The soup was good but can’t go too wrong with that. I’m not too sure if I will give this place a second try.
Randall VanDoom
Chicken was raw, orders were wrong, couldn’t get the bill. Would not recommend to my enemies
Tina S.
Have never been to a pho spot in SLO and decided to try this place out. Had some good reviews but did not have a good experience. There was only one another person besides our party and it seemed like the waitresses were annoyed we were there... The pho noodles were subpar. I guess it wasn't the best as we are Asian and used to many types of pho. There was no chili oil. And aside from the food, the bathroom was unsettling. There was stains in the inside of the toilet bowl, no paper towel, no trash can. There was a hole in the ceiling and a ladder blocking the door entrance... Was a very strange experience. Would like to give it another shot but probably will not.
Cathy M.
The duck broth is excellent The salads are fresh This is our go to pho restaurant
Chia-Hsien Ho
The overall taste of the beef broth for pho is fine, but the basil leaves make it worse since it’s not the Asian kind of basil. They don’t match at all…
David Burgett
Food was great. With outdoor seating next to the creek in SLO. The food was ready quickly and the wait staff was very helpful and friendly.
Victor B.
I'm giving Lotus a 5 star review but with a caveat. The food is amazing. Some of the best food ever in the Asian genre. (although this last time one of our plates came was served to us just barely above Luke warm (giving you a pass on that since I love the place so much). The lady that owns or runs the place (seems like she's always there) is simply amazing, wonderful and a joy. Always smiling, great attitude...just warms your soul. Here's the caveat....one of your servers (short haired girl) was absolutely horrendous. Not happy or welcoming. Didn't know items on the menu and when asked about certain things ignored our question and started talking about other items included with the dish. Place our food on the adjoining table so we had to pick it up and move it. Would not even hand us our drinks and when asked for refills she asked us to hand them to her. Her sad attitude and service put a big damper on our experience there. It was so bad we had to laugh it off since it was beyond comprehension. Just when we thought it could not get worse she asked us which way we would be exiting the patio. Then stood by watching as I filled out the check and her tip (yes did give her a tip even though my date begged me not to)(I believe tips reflect up on your heart and soul not the person serving you). Then she came by a second time to ask which way we were exiting - as to say - time to go - get going. I know it was getting towards closing time but...another family had just been seated! Maybe they were family and friends of establishment I don't know but this was some of the worse service I've ever experienced. Then as we were exiting in our declared exit route the cook was just exiting the restaurant too - cleared his throat and spat just two feet from the front door. But as a local and a fan of great food I love Lotus and want to see them do well. To the owner: get rid of bad/non welcoming staff so that your business can thrive. It's not that hard. Another suggestion would be to clean up your restaurant a bit so that is is brighter and more polished. Looks a bit warn and less than inviting. A lap top on a table next to a stack of papers in the main seating area is not particularly profession or inviting. I'd love to edit this review if/when we return and see changes have been made. I'd really love to see your establishment thrive and profiting 200% with the right changes. All the best Lotus!
Chris Y.
First time trying out this place and had a great experience! Ordered the chicken wings, shrimp spring rolls, and house salad with salmon. All tasted delicious! Wings were super crispy like the ones you get from korean fried chicken places, spring rolls were very fresh, and salmon was cooked to perfection. Also, our waitress was very nice and brought water out for our dog.
Vermicelli salad was good! Alex treated us very nicely. Food came out very faster than expected.
Jenny T.
The restaurant feels kind of hidden but do not be deterred! This place really hits the spot! The beef brisket pho was great! The soup had many layers of flavor. I especially enjoyed the brisket, although the cuts of meat were thick, it was really tender and quite tasty. The pork banh mi had tons of really amazing marinated pork and came with tons of veggies. I was feeling homesick and glad I got to eat here. Very authentic and flavorful. Would love to come back and try the other specialties. Courteous and attentive staff.
Nyt D.
I just keep coming back to Lotus. Their pho is the best in SLO, and everything else as well. Also the few people working there are so friendly and nice. Love it all!
Denise R.
My husband and I love Lotus. Unlike most Vietnamese restaurants that only serve beef pho, Lotus allows you to customize your pho with different broths (chicken, beef, duck, veggie), as well as different proteins (chicken, beef, tofu, veggie). We've been eating at Lotus for years, and always been pleased with whatever we've ordered.
Rena T.
Do not frequent this business unless you want to be cheated. The prices in their cash register are different from the menu by several dollars. When I pointed it out to them, they gave me an unending and huge argument, followed by threatening to call the police if I did not leave immediately!!!! I have ***never*** had a merchant be so rude to me in my entire (long) life!!! It was quite outrageous.... In more than one way!!! It is especially sad because the food was not bad!
Great place to crab a bite ? Service was excellent and the restaurant met my expectations of cleanliness. Prices are reasonable and the food was tasty. We all had a grand time dining here
We had not been to one of my absolute favorite restaurants in SLO since the pandemic. Early on I saw that the restaurant closed. Then I realized that it moved to their secondary location: the Mongolian BBQ (Mongo) and the Parisian Cafe. But for many reasons we were not going to downtown SLO. Today we decided to return. We were greeted by Alex, the owner, who was glad to see us. And the feeling was mutual. We loved sitting outside at the former location. In fact, the decor with succulents inspired me to arrange our little back patio in shell beach with such flora. We were able to sit outside today by the creek. The food was at least as good as before, if not better. Alex served us and was the utmost hostess. We were so surprised that we were welcomed to such a degree, not having patronized the business in 18 months. Bottom line: fantastic vietnamese food! As good as ever. And I'm a foodie!
The place is hidden in the back so it was a little off the normal walk way. we waited 10 mins when I had to get up and ask for a menu. When the young waitress with short hair came up she smelled of body odor. We stayed despite this. we had to ask many times for things which was bad because every time she came back the BO stayed and linger. We were outside but you could still smell her after she left. Hygiene should be on top of the list if working in a food restaurant. The service was slow and they forgot to bring items out until we reminded them of our order. Food was mediocre the vermicelli didn’t have much meat. The soup was good but can’t go too wrong with that. I’m not too sure if I will give this place a second try.
Chicken was raw, orders were wrong, couldn’t get the bill. Would not recommend to my enemies
Have never been to a pho spot in SLO and decided to try this place out. Had some good reviews but did not have a good experience. There was only one another person besides our party and it seemed like the waitresses were annoyed we were there... The pho noodles were subpar. I guess it wasn't the best as we are Asian and used to many types of pho. There was no chili oil. And aside from the food, the bathroom was unsettling. There was stains in the inside of the toilet bowl, no paper towel, no trash can. There was a hole in the ceiling and a ladder blocking the door entrance... Was a very strange experience. Would like to give it another shot but probably will not.
The duck broth is excellent The salads are fresh This is our go to pho restaurant
The overall taste of the beef broth for pho is fine, but the basil leaves make it worse since it’s not the Asian kind of basil. They don’t match at all…
Food was great. With outdoor seating next to the creek in SLO. The food was ready quickly and the wait staff was very helpful and friendly.
I'm giving Lotus a 5 star review but with a caveat. The food is amazing. Some of the best food ever in the Asian genre. (although this last time one of our plates came was served to us just barely above Luke warm (giving you a pass on that since I love the place so much). The lady that owns or runs the place (seems like she's always there) is simply amazing, wonderful and a joy. Always smiling, great attitude...just warms your soul. Here's the caveat....one of your servers (short haired girl) was absolutely horrendous. Not happy or welcoming. Didn't know items on the menu and when asked about certain things ignored our question and started talking about other items included with the dish. Place our food on the adjoining table so we had to pick it up and move it. Would not even hand us our drinks and when asked for refills she asked us to hand them to her. Her sad attitude and service put a big damper on our experience there. It was so bad we had to laugh it off since it was beyond comprehension. Just when we thought it could not get worse she asked us which way we would be exiting the patio. Then stood by watching as I filled out the check and her tip (yes did give her a tip even though my date begged me not to)(I believe tips reflect up on your heart and soul not the person serving you). Then she came by a second time to ask which way we were exiting - as to say - time to go - get going. I know it was getting towards closing time but...another family had just been seated! Maybe they were family and friends of establishment I don't know but this was some of the worse service I've ever experienced. Then as we were exiting in our declared exit route the cook was just exiting the restaurant too - cleared his throat and spat just two feet from the front door. But as a local and a fan of great food I love Lotus and want to see them do well. To the owner: get rid of bad/non welcoming staff so that your business can thrive. It's not that hard. Another suggestion would be to clean up your restaurant a bit so that is is brighter and more polished. Looks a bit warn and less than inviting. A lap top on a table next to a stack of papers in the main seating area is not particularly profession or inviting. I'd love to edit this review if/when we return and see changes have been made. I'd really love to see your establishment thrive and profiting 200% with the right changes. All the best Lotus!
First time trying out this place and had a great experience! Ordered the chicken wings, shrimp spring rolls, and house salad with salmon. All tasted delicious! Wings were super crispy like the ones you get from korean fried chicken places, spring rolls were very fresh, and salmon was cooked to perfection. Also, our waitress was very nice and brought water out for our dog.
Restaurantji Recommends
Vermicelli salad was good! Alex treated us very nicely. Food came out very faster than expected.
The restaurant feels kind of hidden but do not be deterred! This place really hits the spot! The beef brisket pho was great! The soup had many layers of flavor. I especially enjoyed the brisket, although the cuts of meat were thick, it was really tender and quite tasty. The pork banh mi had tons of really amazing marinated pork and came with tons of veggies. I was feeling homesick and glad I got to eat here. Very authentic and flavorful. Would love to come back and try the other specialties. Courteous and attentive staff.
I just keep coming back to Lotus. Their pho is the best in SLO, and everything else as well. Also the few people working there are so friendly and nice. Love it all!
My husband and I love Lotus. Unlike most Vietnamese restaurants that only serve beef pho, Lotus allows you to customize your pho with different broths (chicken, beef, duck, veggie), as well as different proteins (chicken, beef, tofu, veggie). We've been eating at Lotus for years, and always been pleased with whatever we've ordered.
Do not frequent this business unless you want to be cheated. The prices in their cash register are different from the menu by several dollars. When I pointed it out to them, they gave me an unending and huge argument, followed by threatening to call the police if I did not leave immediately!!!! I have ***never*** had a merchant be so rude to me in my entire (long) life!!! It was quite outrageous.... In more than one way!!! It is especially sad because the food was not bad!