About Lotus Restaurant and reviews

Super fresh and delicious. The only critique is that the space is kind of small and the decor isn't amazing, but these are basically non-issues since the food is so goodPho was delicious with amazingly flavorful brothThe chicken wings were super crispy and just fantasticTempura vegetables were crispy and delicious but not too oilyWe also order stir-fried noodle with mock duck as other people have recommended it; it did not disappoint at all

I was craving Lotus randomly and came here on a Monday night. It wasn't that busy which was expected. My friend and I ordered veggie eggrolls, shrimp spring rolls, and cheese wontons to start. All prices were more expensive then seen on their online menu so that was a surprise right away...the veggie eggrolls were good but small portion for the price (). Same with the spring rolls as well for only 2. Kind of steep especially since both weren't that special. I've had better elsewhere. Cream cheese wontons were good.I got the tofu pad Thai and it was a huge portion...I had leftovers for a 2-3 more meals after adding a couple eggs. Flavor was good but it wasn't my favorite. My friend got the pho special. I tried the broth and it was just okay. I've had way better broths.Not a terrible experience, but I probably wouldn't come back. There are cheaper places that are just as good if not better than Lotus in my opinion.

We strutted here because it was close to the hotel and had good reviews. I can frankly say they are 100% accurate. The place is everything you want it to be: in a strip mall, next to a Speedway, tiny, unglamorous, and absolutely delicious. We will be back here before the week is out, and it's Thursday!

Disappointingly overcooked and flavorless chicken unintelligently scattered atop random undercook vegetables. I ordered the garlic chicken. The chicken was overcooked and sticky on the bite. More importantly, the "garlic" sauce had no apparent garlic flavor. The dish tasted like very basically boiled chicken over haphazardly executed veggies, cabbage, broccoli, water chestnuts, and half-cooked carrots. I had to douse the whole dish in sweet and sour sauce to make it palatable. On the side, I got a pork egg roll. The crunch of the egg roll wrap was pleasantly crisp and just oily enough. However the interior of the roll tasted like slightly old pork and not fresh at all. The veggies inside were mushy and poorly executed. I recommend you skip this place, even the lunch special.

How I've missed this spot!  Lotus has got to be my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the Twin Cities.  The chicken wings....yes still THE best!  The Spicy Soup and Pho...still just as delish.  The service...always friendly and awesome and the price...just right.  Don't forget to check in to Yelp and also Belly (you'll score a spring roll).

I have been to this restaurant twice now; once for lunch and once for dinner. Overall impressions are intimate feel, good portions, and great taste.Ambiance: Diner like feel with no more than 30-40 seats. You can order at the counter or by server. The wait staff is friendly and attentive. I had the misfortune of forgetting my retainers in a napkin after lunch and when I went back the guy behind the counter personally went through the garbage for me, found them, and rinsed them off.  Ridiculously kind.Food: Generous portions at reasonable prices. I would recommend the chicken fried rice but have seen a lot of people order their soups. They have a lunch special from 11-2 that's .95 that gets you an entree, appetizer, and rice.If you're looking for good Vietnamese food that's quick and filling, you have to try Lotus Restaurant!

Excellent food and service!! The stew pho doesn't taste any different than a regular pho except the color is different. I also had the not beef broth and it was really good and the portion was perfect. Pad Thai had lots of veggies and some spice to it(we asked for the spiciest)

Stopped in for for a very late lunch (around 3pm) on a Monday.  There were three other tables occupied.  We got an order of summer roll, tofu vermicelli, and pork chop with egg.  They were out of thai ice tea during our visit.The food took about 25 minutes to come out.  The server apologized for the longer than usual wait.  The peanut sauce for the summer roll was not what i expected.  it was very gelatinous for a traditional peanut sauce and not much peanut flavoring.  The dishes were ok, lots of iceberg lettuce for the veggies and not leafy greens.  The pork chop was on point.  Overall, I came here because of the amazing reviews.  In my opinion, I'm use to the amazing Vietnamese eateries on the east coast and I think there's an adjustment due to the Midwest factor.

Lotus is a popular Vietnamese eatery near Loring Park. They serve up delicious pho, com tam, spring rolls, and more. The restaurant is pretty casual and laid back, and the seating is more cafeteria-style bare bones. But if you're hungry, Lotus is sure to satisfy your Vietnamese craving. Pay a visit for tasty cuisine at this Loring Park staple.

This place gets 4.5 stars in my opinion. The only reason to deduct half a star is because the restaurant is located in a shady shopping center in downtown Minneapolis. The parking lot was full in the plaza, and it is a very small plaza with just a handful of spaces. I was able to find a spot on the street around the corner from the restaurant. But as I walked towards Lotus, I did confront some shady characters that had me feeling uneasy.On to the good stuff... What I really liked about Lotus was the restaurant reminded me of a small quaint place serving no frills Chinese and Vietnamese comfort food. I visited late Saturday afternoon around 5pm and found a table immediately before the crowds arrived. Btw, I had read that the restaurant gets crowded during peak hours. Once I sat and glanced over the menu, I immediately ordered some hot tea and went with one of my go-to entrees, sesame chicken. I would have ordered soup as a starter, but soup is only offered Pho style in a huge bowl with prices ranging from .99 - .99. When I say Pho soup, I mean a Vietnamese tradition consisting of broth, rice noodles and meat...Like a giant bowl of Ramen noodles. It's a meal in and of itself. So I just stuck with my sesame chicken entrée which came with white rice.The menu was pretty diversified and interesting.  Besides the Pho soups, they offer plenty of other noodle specialty entrees as well as chicken, beef, pork and shrimp dishes. There are fried rice plates as well and vegetarian options.After ordering, service was real fast. I could tell they serve their customers quickly in and out of the restaurant so they can receive plenty of volume and traffic. My sesame chicken was about as good as it gets though! It was hot and fresh and you could tell it came right out of the wok. The chicken was crispy, only quality white meat, and accompanied with fried onions in a beautifully tangy brown sauce. It was delicious! I enjoyed the entire entrée and the white rice was a great accompaniment. My meal was ideal and totally hit the mark. Now I understand how Lotus has received so many reviews.Prices are extremely fair and reasonable. For all the quality food, it's well worth the price! If I had to make one suggestion, my server never refilled my tea or attended to me after taking my order. Though by the time I finished eating, the restaurant was packed and there was a wait in the lobby. One more thing, I used the bathroom to wash my hands, and I never even think to mention anything about restaurant bathroom's....but the men's restroom was absolutely spotless, clean and bordered on looking brand new! It was a sight to see considering the restaurant is pretty ordinary looking on the inside and situated in a precarious little shopping plaza from the outside.Overall, I'm so grateful I researched restaurants to dine at while exploring Minneapolis for the weekend because otherwise I never would have stumbled upon Lotus on my own. Other than the low class people that hang out in the shopping center and surrounding streets, Lotus restaurant is as good as it gets!

Some of the best Asian food I have ever had. Their Ban Mi sandwich is outstanding! The fried pot stickers are delicious. Their Thai iced tea with the bubbles is a dream come true!  I've never had it with the tapiocas before and it's incredible. I wish I lived closer to this amazing restaurant. We try to go there whenever we go downtown for something. Parking is a little difficult but worth it!

A great place for a low cost pho. They have several options, all of those I've tried are very good. They also have tasty orange chicken too. It can get quite busy sometimes.

Visiting from Atlanta and needed some pho to warm my southern bones and this place hit the spot! We had spring rolls with our pho and everything was delish! It's kind of a hole in the wall, family-owned restaurant and it did not disappoint!

Absolutely on point food. The waitress recommended an entree I wouldn't have normally tried and it turned out to be fantastic.

Very nice, simple, competent little family-owned Vietnamese restaurant in a similarly cozy, obscure (to us) neighborhood on the edge of downtown Minneapolis near Loring Park. About 20 or so tables to eat in and a brisk takeout business. We were rushed and they accommodated us nicely. I enjoyed the pho with chicken- you can hardly do better than a large bowl of hearty pho for . My wife enjoyed the pad thai but thought it was a little bland. The parking lot is shared with a Speedway gas station and liquor store, among others, so it can get a little wild.

Yesterday, Hubsy and I had a taste for Asian food. Our conditions were that there had to be something exciting and vegetarian on the menu, and the parking had to be easy. Luckily, Lotus Restaurant satisfied both those conditions!The location: the restaurant shares an itty bitty parking lot with some retail space and a two pump gas station, so it's weirdly situated. There's lots of street parking nearby, especially because of the park. Yes, you'll probably have to pay for street parking.The place: when you walk in, the first thing you see is the counter. Lotus seems to do a healthy amount of take-out business, so we saw at least two people pick up food during the five minutes we waited to be seated. The seating is a little cramped and on the smaller side, but it was also bustling when we were there, so it felt a little crowded. Our table was in the back corner which afforded us some privacy and felt pretty cozy when we settled in. The service: our server was very kind, and the speed with which our food came out piping hot was superb. The food: now the food is where I rave. The food was fantastic. We got vegetable egg rolls--the outside was crispy and the inside was flavorful. They were also HOT. I got the chow mein with crispy noodles and tofu while Hubsy got the chow fun with mock duck. Both were scrumptious in their own special ways. The chow mein had a sweet-ish garlic sauce which I couldn't get enough of. The crispy noodles soaked up that sauce without getting soggy which is a sort of magic I don't understand but definitely appreciate. And the tofu was golden perfection. The chow fun was also good...but I was partial to my own dish, so I didn't munch on Hubsy's too much. So. Good. Would definitely go back.

For a quick service take out restaurant, it is pretty good. It is one of the better places located in the area thats affordable for a quick bite especially for us at a nearby conference in need of a quick meal. Got the banh mi, and found the bread a little bit too hard to bite for my taste, but for it is a good deal.

This place was fantastic! Even though it was packed with people and I couldn't sit down to eat, when I placed my takeout order, the food came out fast. It was only about 10-15 minutes of waiting. The food was great! The only complaint I have is that when they packaged my food, they didn't include eating utensils! But the food was wonderful!

Ate here with my boyfriend over the weekend. Arrived at 6 pm on a Saturday and it was pretty busy but we were seated right away. Don't be turned away if you see a long line through the window - it's likely mostly people waiting for take out. We ordered the house special lo mein and made it a combo plate with a side of fresh spring rolls. I recommend the lo mein- it was full of vegetables, beef, chicken, and shrimp though it was a tad oily for me. Upgrade to a combo plate and you have a meal for 2 under . We were disappointed with the BBQ pork fresh spring rolls- one of our spring rolls was missing the BBQ pork (!!?!).  All in all, I do like the food. I gave it 3 stars because the location isn't great (parking is difficult around dinner hour) and the ambiance is just okay. Maybe I need to try the uptown location next :)

Ambience : don't come here if you're looking for a fancy spot. FOOD: on point. Their pho is probably the best in town - rivals quang's in my opinion. Extremely affordable. Also love their spring rolls. Service: prompt and to the point Parking is rough in this area. Consider yourself forewarned. But come anyway!!!

Local & Family Owned

Restaurant has been family owned for over 25 years. Our goal is to prepare the freshest, tastiest meal possible.