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A Dong Restaurant II
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
25685 Redlands BlvdSte D
Loma Linda, CA 92354
(909) 796-8840
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
59 reviews for A Dong Restaurant II
Review Highlights
-
"...must try the chicken spring rolls appetizer which you wrap..." In 11 reviews -
"My favorite is the beef grape leaves." In 2 reviews -
"A quintessential favorite is the beef cubed steak." In 5 reviews
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59 reviews in English
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Review from Minh P.
Riverside, CA
5/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
best bo luc lac (cubed steak) in the IE hands down... And pretty damn close to the best i've had here in so cal.
a lot of the bad reviews i read through said the food was mediocre to bad.... I think you have to order their signature dishes because some of the dishes are not up to par.
you should order:
Bo luc lac like stated above, you will not leave unsatisfied, i promise you
Grape leaves
Ca Kho ( clay pot fish )
Muc Rang Muoi (Calamari)
I liked the chicken lettuce wraps for the days I eat healthy which is almost most of the time lately. It will come with hoison sauce but I don't like to add it, I think the dish is flavorful enough to eat without it but to each their own.
Things you should probably not order:
the chow fun/chow mein dishes
the service... Our group took up the entire backside and we all got our food hot and fast. We filled up every seat back there and there were two servers plus the owner helping out. Never had to ask for refills, got asked a few times if we were doing ok.
Cleanliness:
cleanest Vietnamese restaurant I've been to in a long time.
Price is reasonable. May be a bit more expensive than some restaurants in the IE and more expensive than most in the OC (lil saigon area) but the food will rival all depending on the dishes you order.
For those that had a bad experience, give them another shot. Order different dishes like the ones I have listed above. Every restaurant has their niche and I believe that the two dishes you must try are bo luc lac and grape leaves beef. Very tasty.
just my 2 cents and that aint worth shit -
Review from Josie C.
Redlands, CA
5/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Pros: The restaurant was clean. They offered lunch specials.
Cons: It was about 11:30 and the place only had a few tables of people. It took about five minutes to get someone to come out and seat me. I was seated by myself in an area where no one was at..really? Everyone that came in was seated in the area where everyone else was. It took forever to order because the server and waitress were too busy discussing their personal lives out loud at the bar. I never got a refill on my drink.
Bottom line: Food was only ok when compared to other restaurants in the area. Service sucked, which is what several other reviews had stated. It was horrible. I'd rather drive ten miles away than eat there again. -
Review from Elizabeth m.
Newport Beach, CA
4/25/2012
Not bad for Viet food in the 909.
Taste = 3.5 stars
Atmosphere = 4
Staff = 4
Price = 3
Viet food is always better when it's not fancy looking and romantic lol = good place for a date -
Review from Julia H.
Los Angeles, CA
5/11/2012
The customer service was excellent. Our server said that she was alone, and apologized that it might take longer to bring our food out. Actually, I thought it was really quite fast considering they were under-staffed as she said. I order chicken chowmein and it tasted good, but there were more noodles than veggies. The only thing I would like to mention is that the prices are slightly on the higher range, but not overly priced. I have just ate a Vietnamese restaurants with lower prices in Riverside, and I guess I am used to that. Oh well, the food tasted good and the service was nice. I have admitted I am cheap in my reviews, which is part of what might keep me from coming back right away. Still a great place to go, but with the average entree being 10 dollars, it is just slightly a bit more than what I want to pay.
-
Review from Sam B.
Grand Terrace, CA
4/2/2012
Must of the dishes we have gotten here are pretty good, a few were just average. However, we did think the Pho was very good, well seasoned and delicious.
We have been here 4 or 5 times for dinner, the service for us has always been good.
Overall I would recommend. -
Review from Kirari S.
Colton, CA
So my little sister took me here for lunch because she said it was really good.
I have to say I really like this place. The Bahn Mi is delish and so are the noodle dishes. Although the "Spicy" noodle dishes aren't spicy. They do put the jalepenos in there, but they loose heat once they are cooked.
I really like their chicken lettuce wraps. So good. Like really way better than PF Changs. Their Pho is pretty good, I don't normally come here for that though.
For a place that's in a whole in the wall, don't shy away like I did for so many years. You'd be surprised at how good this place is.
Also the inside was pretty clean, no complaints. The bathroom is kept clean too so that's always a plus.
This place is pretty cheap overall. -
Review from Angela Y.
Loma Linda, CA
1/24/2012
Chicken Pho with Water ($7.58 with tax)
There is only one size for pho at this "upscale" Vietnamese restaurant. The bowl size is what I would consider a large bowl size; however, the contents were probably that of a small bowl at other pho places because I was able to eat it without being overly full (and I have eaten pho enough times for my stomach to recognize the contents of a small bowl).
The soup was ok. It was just a pinch and dash of seasoning less or 30 minutes off of being perfectly flavorful. The pho noodles were standard, and the chicken, though sparse, was ok. The plate of dressings included the standard bean sprouts, basil, jalapenos, and lime. Overall, it wasn't bad pho, but it wasn't amazing pho either. The price for the amount and quality of food is definitely not worth it; however, you pay for the ambiance.
The restaurant is nicely decorated and very clean. The sauces aren't already placed on the table, so everything is brought to you by the waitress. The following phrase may seem racist, but every Asian who reads it will understand: the restaurant is for white people. There isn't anything special about this place that will compel me to come back to pay such Americanized prices for pho. The flavor and quality are fine, thus the three stars; however, for pho lovers who don't mind the dirty hole in the walls and who would rather pay for good food than for the electricity bill to keep a flat screen tv running all day a restaurant, there are better prices for the exact and often times better tasting pho.
Also of note, this place doesn't have hot chili oil. I love my pho ridiculously spicy, and the only spice they have to put in the pho is Sriracha.
Service: nothing special. We were in a hurry, so we were glad that the food came out quickly. Then again, we were table #3 in the entire restaurant at that time. My friend asked for an extra plate of bean sprouts, but the waitress forgot until we were all finished. It happens, so we weren't upset. They were very nice and constantly smiling.
Again, I don't think I would ever go back, not for any horrid reason about the food or service (which were both ok). It's just not worth it. -
Review from Julie A.
Loma Linda, CA
2/13/2012
Just got back from an early lunch. Ordered from the lunch menu, which was higher priced than I expected from a Vietnamese place. Got the lemongrass chicken, which was decent. It's more of an Americanized version of the meal, which some people may like. I prefer a more authentic experience whenever I go to a Vietnamese place.
The place was pretty clean, which is not what I usually find at Vietnamese places. However, I would be willing to sacrifice a little bit of cleanliness if it meant the food was more authentic and a little better priced.
I'll try the Pho next time, and report back. -
Review from Elise P.
Redlands, CA
12/7/2011
I'm a fan!
They are stuck behind a Subway in a strip center, so they were a little hard to find.
Once in, though, the restaurant is spacious, and decorated tastefully. I met a friend there for lunch, and she ordered for us both to share: Chicken salad (great, with lots of chicken chunks, and a light sweet dressing), chicken lettuce wraps (also with good chunks of fresh chicken and really fresh,cold iceberg lettuce), and a bowl of chicken pho to share. A lot of food for us both! I thought it was wonderful!
The service was fine, and our waitress refilled our iced tea in a timely fashion.
I would recommend to others, and I will return here again for a fresh lunchtime destination! -
Review from Hannah P.
San Gabriel, CA
11/16/2011
Good viet food. A bit more pricey, sure, but I think you're paying for better quality of food and atmosphere.
I was surprised with all of the negative reviews about service. When I went there around lunch time, service seemed to be fine and the server was sweet and refilled our waters timely.
I got the lunch special ginger eggplant, my friend got the wonton soup, both of us were happy with our food. -
Review from Hanna H.
7/8/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Good beef grape leaves dish.. but expensive compared to other vietnamese restaurants.
New addition that is good here: the bahn mi sandwiches. I like grilled chicken and steak/onions. -
Review from Lan P.
Westminster, CA
1/12/2012
This place is an upscale Vietnamese restaurant that offers high quality food that tastes delicious! When I was there, the service was excellent and the servers were very nice. I am definitely going to be coming back when I'm in the area. For those complaining about the price, it's a bit more upscale, and the ambiance is nice and it's very clean. I'd rather pay a bit more than go to some of the dirty Vietnamese restaurants in Little Saigon that look like their utensils and floors are dirty.
-
Review from Jane K.
Redlands, CA
12/31/2010
I really thought service could not be worse than Noodle 21, but I was wrong. I went here with a group of 5 people. We got seated right away which was great.
Menus were given....5 minutes pass.....10 minutes pass. Uh...really, can get anyone to get us a drink, start an appetizer, anything?! It's not like we weren't in their view, we were seating literally next to the kitchen so the waitresses kept walking passed us! Right when a couple came after 15 minutes waiting and they got seated right away and they took their order right away, that's when I got really upset! We decided to leave, but right as we were closing our menus to get up, the waitress finally comes to ask if we were ready. No kidding! We decided to stay because I hear great reviews about this place.
4 of us order pho and 1 orders pan fried noodles and we start with spring rolls. First of all, 6 pieces of spring rolls shouldn't cost $7.50! Also when appetizers are shared amongst people, shouldn't small plates be served? The food comes and we start to eat, but realize our friend didn't receive her pan fried noodles. So we wait....again. Finally the food comes out and we all eat. The pho was sweet and the noodles were overcooked. The pan fried noodles was lacking a spice to it, but couldn't figure out what was missing. It somewhat had a fishy taste to it. The spring rolls weren't that great, a bit burnt at the same time mooshy. A friend asks for a refill on his drink, and he waits....and waits, oh 10 minutes later a drink finally arrives.
The service is horrible, and they are so unsanitary it's disgusting. Since we sat next to the kitchen you can see how they prepare drinks and whatnot behind the counter. If you grab ice with your hands and throw it in the water cups to serve to customers, that's disgusting. If you then come back and dip your hands into a dirty bucket of water and wring out the cloth and go wipe down a dirty table, and then come back to fill the cups with ice with your unclean hands, that's disgusting. I'm sure many restaurants do unsanitary things without you knowing, but to do it where customers can see, makes you totally lose your appetite.
The quality of the food isn't good. I don't understand some people with their sense of palate because if they think this is the best thing since sliced bread, they haven't experienced what good food tastes like. I just thought everything had a sweet taste to it, overcooked, and overpriced for what they offer. I'm pretty disappointed, since I was looking forward to this place. I wouldn't recommend this place and wouldn't go again. Best vietnamese restaurants closest to the IE is in Alta Loma/ Rancho Cucamonga area. Go to Pho Saigon, it's worth the drive! -
Review from Laura C.
East Orange, NJ
12/4/2011
My first time eatting Vietnamese food and most certainly not my last. The food was delicious and priced reasonably. I had the spring rolls wrapped in lettuce and cilantro with the peanut butter dipping sauce for my appetizer with a coconut water. I also had a refreshing asian salad and a lentil soup which filled me up immediately. For the entre, I highly reccomend the Garlic Chicken or the Ginger eggplant. It was a great outing and I am looking forward to traveling to the west coast once again for more delicous A Dong food.
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Review from Michelle M.
Los Angeles, CA
11/5/2010 1 photo
Trust the bad reviews on this place. I tend to be a bit more optimistic than I should be when I read bad reviews. I had to learn my lesson the hard way.
Service: Yeah, service is slow but I have to commend the two waitresses for working their behinds off. The service is slow not because of these two's lack of effort, rather its because the place is usually packed with customers who have no idea what authentic Vietnamese tastes like.
Food: I should've walked out the door when I noticed that no condiment caddies were on any of the tables (e.g., sambal, Sriracha, hoisin sauce). I ordered a bowl of grilled chicken with vermicelli noodles. When my order was placed in front of me, no little bowl of fish sauce accompanied it. Rather, I got a condiment bottle which I assumed was watered-down fish sauce (I could only assume as no one came by to see how I was doing nor could I flag either of the waitresses down). The portion was quite small, chicken was chewy and overcooked, and all the other ingredients seemed bland. I had to steal a bottle of Sriracha from a neighboring table.
If you have never had Vietnamese food, like overpaying for poor quality and quantity, and/or don't want to drive to LA or OC for good Vietnamese food, go ahead and eat here.Listed in: My quest for Búntastic Bún
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Review from Julian N.
Buena Park, CA
10/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
FOOD: 4 out of 5 stars.
Consistently good. Cubed steak, braised tofu, ginger eggplant, lemongrass tofu, salt & pepper shrimp, garlic chicken, summer rolls, spring rolls, pretty much everything is good. Pho seems to be of the instant variety (the broth tastes like it's from powder and not from hours of cooking beef bones) and probably because of that, the pho never comes out hot enough.
SERVICE: 2 out of 5 stars.
There are good days, and there are bad days. Lately, it seems like there are more bad than good. When Yvonne is there (I think she is part of the owner's family), the service is noticeably better. When she's not there, the service is slow on a good day and unbearable on a bad day. To say that their service is slow like a tortoise ... is just an insult to all tortoises. And too often, you have to ask for things 3x-4x before you actually get them.
CONCLUSION.
The food is good that it warrants repeated visits, but the lack of service makes me hesitate every time I crave their food. I should probably just do take-out from now on, except that certain items don't do well in a to-go box, e.g. items that need to be served very hot and condiments that are normally available table-side. My biweekly visits turned into monthly visits, and now to quarterly visits. *sigh* If they had just average service, I'd be back to eating here every other week. -
Review from Valerie C.
Colton, CA
5/26/2010
Loved coming here after church for a nice Sabbath lunch with friends. Beware service can be horrendously slow! Don't expect your drinks to be refilled.
Top 3 dishes:
1. Eggplant
2. Lemongrass with anything, beef/chicken/tofu
3. Spicy noodles
Would skip:
1. Pho
2. Clay pot dishes
Lunch deals are excellent. Portion size is adequate. But I prefer family style so bring your mama and your daddy on over. Mine actually love it here! -
Review from Thao L.
Los Angeles, CA
9/21/2007
The name of the restaurant roughly translates to "The East."
I go here for Vietnamese food whenever I am in the Inland Empire, which is rare nowadays. A D^ong has a fond place in my heart back from the days when the first resturant (which no longer exists I think), was in Colton.
Back in the 90's, all the API students went there when they had a craving for Vietnamese food and couldn't drive to the San Gabriel Valley and before the current proliferation of Vietnamese restaurants in the Inland Empire. After a 7 or 8 year absence, the owner (and father of the family) remembered me. "You're the same, all that's changed is your face. Welcome back." The daughter Eileen now runs this place in Loma Linda.
I thought of this place because Matthew recently made me carmalized cat fish (or cat fish in a clay pot). There are two Vietnamese rice dishes which are the litmus test for a Vietnamese restaurant, the cat fish in a clay pot and lemongrass chicken. Both are delicious at A D^ong.
The Vietnamese iced coffee is made the way I prefer my iced coffee. You're given an individual coffee filter over a coffee cup with a well of condensed milk at the bottom and a glass of ice. Pour the excess water from your ice glass into your water glass so you don't have watered down iced coffee.
My Yelp Friend Hen A. is right when he points out that the entree names are a little diferent from other places so do read the description of the dish. A D^ong also has several vegetarian options, maybe because of it's location in Loma Linda, where there's a large Seventh-Day Adventist community. -
Review from Yazmin W.
Yucaipa, CA
6/5/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Looking for some real authentic flavorful vietnamese food? This place is delish! If I could eat here every day I would. If your looking to save some. Money, the lunch special is from 11 am - 2pm and includes salad, soup and your main order with rice. They also have brown rice available as a substitute which is often what I prefer for health reasons :). My absolute favorites is the spicy lemongrass lunch special with brown rice, the clay pot rice bowl, and beef cubed steak lunch special. You also must try the chicken spring rolls appetizer which you wrap in lettuce, mint and dip in fish oil. Absolutely delish! Check it out!
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Review from Marisa F.
Victorville, CA
6/11/2008
This is a nice little spot in a strip mall .
Despite the strip mall status, the place was decorated pretty hip with deep red walls and some asian artwork The atmosphere was casual with a aire of an attempt to be slightly upscale.
I went during lunch hours where the lunch specials were a list of about 12 items that came with soup, salad and rice for 8 bucks. The portions were a moderate size, and the flavor of my lemongrass chicken was light , slightly spicy and delicious.
I'd totally go back, actually I was thinking about going back sometime this week!! -
Review from QuesadillaAssassin Q.
Loma Linda, CA
5/23/2011 2 Check-ins Here
i will update this on my next visit -
i didnt try Pho like most people i know, i choose the Vermicelli with beef, i ask for extra beef everywhere cause they are always tight with the portions everywhere, which by the way was an additional $2 so vermicelli was over $10 for me. The waitress had a real nice attitude and smile was kinda slow on refills. What i noticed about this Viet place was that they dont have or at least didnt have most of the extras most places have for the vermicelli. i gave it 3 stars because the beef was not hot it was warm so i'll give them a 2nd chance. oh yeah and one waitress is clumsy she trip once and dropped glasses another time so beware of her -
Review from John L.
7/23/2008
There are so many good dishes here. A quintessential favorite is the beef cubed steak. My favorite is the beef grape leaves. Essentially making your own summer rolls. It can be shared with a group as an appetizer. It's fun and delicious. My favorite chicken dish is the kung pao chicken. Seems so much better than the classic chinese kung pao chicken. There are many good vegetarian options too. Lemongrass with tofu, braised/soft tofu in brown sauce. Eggplant is just ok in my opinion.
I really like the pho here, but some of my more die hard friends claim it strays from true vietnamese pho in many ways.
Prices have been rising over the past few years but are still reasonable.
They can also hold large parties.
Their service can be a little slow during peak times. -
Review from Allison M.
San Jose, CA
5/30/2009
Many people say that A Dong doesn't have 'real' Vietnamese food. But, I don't really care because they have delicious food! I'm not a fan of Pho so I won't even judge the pho at this place.
Don't know what to order? I can help with that!
Appetizers
1. Spring Rolls-fried spring rolls with choice of meat that you wrap in lettuce with assorted veggies and dipped in rice vinegar. An absolute hit!
2. Grape Leaves-ground beef wrapped with grape leaves that you wrap in rice paper with mint leaves, cilantro, and sprouts, dipped in rice vinegar. My favorite appetizer! The only problem is that it costs about $13 for a plate of 6.
Noodles
1. Chow Mein-egg noodles with mixed veggies, choice of meat, and gravy.
Entrees
1. Garlic Chicken-chopped chicken breasts with garlic and chili flavor
2. Beef cube steak-if you get this as an entree (not a lunch special) you will get this on a sizzling plate. The steak is chopped into little cubes and cooked in a special soy-sauce based sauce. It is delicious!
3. Crispy Basil Fish-battered fish topped with basil/chili sauce. It's one of the more pricier dishes but it's definitely worth it.
The only down side about A Dong is that servings are very small. Each dish is good enough for one person-not much sharing is encouraged with such small portions. Nonetheless, it's an absolute treat to be able to eat here and I love that the servers know me by name. Such a friendly staff! -
Review from Elizabeth W.
Washington, DC
1/12/2009
This is probably the best Vietnamese place that I've been to in the Inland Empire (and one that I would consider going back to!). The prices are definitely higher than your typical Vietnamese joint; but when there are only 3 or so in the area, they can monopolize (and do).
I've read posts that they are "Americanized", but I just find this place to be "cleaner". Their food is pretty authentic, and tastes great. Its a good place to come and get your Vietnamese food fix. -
Review from Ashley G.
Redlands, CA
9/13/2011
So I have been to this restaurant many many times and every time I question myself as to why I come back. Besides the vermicelli being yummy, theres really no other reason to come. After today I will definitely never ever go there again. The service is abosolutely horrible! Today's scenario has pretty much happened every time. After being sat my sister and I waited 10 minutes waiting for...drinks...our order to be taken...anything really...even a hello would have been nice. The server walked by us many time and NOTHING! We should have taken a hint, seeing as no one around us had their food or even drinks. After asking for the manager I waited another 5 minutes. Finally I left. I called and spoke to the manager, she was somewhat nice but seemed as though she had never managed a restaurant. she said she never really has a way to know how many servers to schedule. Really!?!?! Then don't manage a restuarant. She told me "most people call in their orders before they come to sit and eat that way they don't have to wait". I'm sorry but when I come to eat a "nice" sit down restaurant I shouldn't have to order ahead of time in order to not wait a ridiculous amount of time. Anyways to sum it up...I've had a simialr experience every time I have came...horrible slow somewhat rude service. Today was definitely my last time. Noodle 21 is only a mile or so a way and waaaay better service. I highly recommend NOT coming to A Dong unless you have 3+ hours to spare to enjoy a meal.
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Review from Food F.
Redlands, CA
12/1/2009 1 Check-in Here
A Dong is located in a strip mall at the corner of Mountain View and Barton. In the phone book they are listed as A Dong II. They did have an original restaurant on South Mount Vernon in Colton but it is long closed. This restaurant is very popular in Loma Linda. I visit mostly at lunch and it is usually packed. My family loves the place, I have some qualms about A Dong. First is the price, it is decently priced with the lunch menu but I think the regular menu prices are too expensive. Second is the service, the food is often slow to arrive and it is hard to pay and get out once finished with the meal. This does not seem to stop the locals from packing the place during lunch.
The Pho is good, lots of meat. The broth is a little sweet for my taste. It is accompanied by a nice side of the usual veggies and spices. I usually order one of the lunch specials. They have a great dish with bits of very tender seasoned cubed steak and onions also the the chicken with baby corn and mushrooms is great. The lunch is served with a small cup of vegetable soup and fried or steamed rice. The portions are small and I am hungry again soon after lunch. The lunch special only runs from 11-2pm. They have a variety of soups on the menu besides Pho. One of my favorites is the Lemon Grass with Shrimp. They have a vegetarian menu section also. Open Monday thru Saturday 11am to 9pm.
Food ***
Ambiance **
Service *
Cost $$
Repeat - Yes -
Review from Mina K.
Los Angeles, CA
10/5/2010
A-Dong is located in a strip mall on the corner of Mtn View and Redlands Blvd in Loma Linda. Having lived in the Inland Empire on and off for about seven years, I've been to A-Dong at least 30+ times. Throughout the years, one factor remains consistent: terrible service, and I mean TERRIBLE (UNDERLINE 100X) SERVICE!
Before I begin my rant, my repeated visits came from the fact that their table grilled beef dish is excellent, along with a couple of other dishes (Braised Tofu with Brown Sauce, their anglicized version of S&P Shrimp). Plus, Loma Linda is not blessed with a plethora of foodie delights so A-Dong is occasionally thrown into the food equation.
Tonight's visit was especially atrocious. Surprisingly, we were seated when we walked in (The last two times I've attempted to eat here, our party has walked out because we were not seated and after waiting ten minutes, decided we would try for something else). Restaurant was about 1/3 full upon arrival but of course, it took a good ten minutes to get our order taken. Waters arrived about ten minutes after the order, so twenty plus minutes after we sat down. When the rice papers for our Table Grilled Beef arrived, we asked the server for sambal (seeded chili), the pickled jalapenos and peanut sauce. These items were MIA and continued to be MIA until we asked for the items twice more. One of the servers finally brought them partway through the meal, at least half an hour after the original request. We asked for to go boxes 3x as well. The boxes must've been hiding because they sure didn't appear on the table at any given time. Tired of waiting, I walked up to the bar counter and the server says with a snappy tone, "Do you need something?", at which point I ask for the boxes again. Let's keep in mind that I had asked this same server for the boxes twice before...so I especially applaud her on her stellar service. The owner brought us our check in a timely manner but of course, no one came by to pick it up so I had to walk it up to the counter again.
The table behind us asked for extra jalapeno peppers for pho several times and finally got them when they were almost finished with their noodles. The table in front of us waited for over fifteen minutes to get their order taken.
Even though A-Dong has decent "americanized" Vietnamese food, I highly doubt I will be returning by choice.
Note to restaurant: Please hire more servers and re-train your current servers. Longer wait times are expected on Fri/Sat nights but on a Tuesday night when the restaurant is 1/3 to 1/2 full? -
Review from I I.
Costa Mesa, CA
10/17/2009
This restaurant has a few chains in San Bernardino. This was not too bad. Fancy Vietnamese food would be how I describe it.
I remember for their eggrolls they had a nice little setup on how to set up your dipping sauce for it. Little details that I like. -
Review from Eileen S.
Norwalk, CA
8/25/2011
i gave it a 2 because the ambiance is cute but pho shouldn't be this expensive. i love Vietnamese food. this place killed it for me and i will never go here again!
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Review from Zahra N.
Los Angeles, CA
2/24/2009
Where do I start? It's probably the cleanest Vietnamese place i've been to.... BUT.... the food is mediocre and the service is HORRIBLE.
The waitresses act as if you're doing them a favor being there. The manager/owner (lady they call boss) has an eternal stick up her ass. Let us call her the Lunch Special Nazi. If you want the lunch special make sure you get there a half hour before 2 pm or god forbid you have an encounter with the Lunch Special Nazi. "No lunch special for you!" Even if you're in the restaurant doors before 2pm she makes a big deal about it.
Then unless you look Asian don't expect chopsticks. Every time we go I have to go out of my way to ask for them. Maybe I'm not Asian but Yes I can use chopsticks... thank you very much. So after asking her nicely for 2 pairs of chopsticks... she only brought us one pair... then walked away and when I asked for another pair... she came back, rolled her eyes at me and said, "I know." Wow.... never again. The food is decent but if you want your food thrown at you, then I suggest trying Dick's Last Resort. -
Review from Chloe P.
Beaumont, CA
7/16/2009
I love the grape leaves appetizer.
I love that the place is clean (quite unusual for this type of establishment)
The pho isn't bad either.
But everytime I eat here, I'm SUPERrthirsty for the rest of the day. Too much MSG? I don't know.
It doesn't stop me from going back, but I won't go regularly. -
Review from Melissa T.
San Bernardino, CA
7/20/2010
I am giving A Dong 2 stars because of their amazing beef pho. I have found myself craving this dish and only order this when I come here.
Now let me say that if it were up to everything else I would have rated this with 1 star. The service is awful. Just terrible. A coworker & I enjoy the pho so we have come back but we know that we can only go on days when an hour lunch can turn into perhaps an hour & 15 mins or so. Which is sad because it is not too far from where we work so we should have plenty of time to enjoy the food & even hit up an ice cream store afterwards.
Everytime we have come we have to stand in the front of the restaurant next to the "Please wait to be seated" sign. We stand there & look at the 20 or so empty tables & wait until a waitress pops her head out from around the corner to say 'We'll be right with you' and often times the 'we'll be right with you' turns into about 5 minutes or so. Then we are seated, our drink order taken & that is when we are usually first forgotten. The menus will be down, the drinks half empty before someone shuffles over, takes our order and again disappears. When the food comes out, we eat, but rarely are we asked for a refill on our waters, or able to flag anyone down for one. Waiting for the check is a whole other story. Usually by the time the bowls have been sitting empty for quite a few minutes, someone will come over and hand us the check but then I have found it is better to go to the bar and simply hand over the check to pay rather than waiting at the table. Our lunch might turn into an hour and a half if we did that.
Overall A Dong is pricey (I would NEVER go there for dinner prices) and the service sucks. But that pho is so very good that I will return and endure. Wish me luck! -
Review from David L.
Fullerton, CA
10/13/2008
I really don't get what everyone else sees about this place. Being from Orange County and Vietnamese I know Vietnamese food pretty well. I came here for lunch with some co-workers and I ordered the grilled pork with broken rice. The food was good but the portion was tiny! On top of that the price was way more than I was used to paying for this dish...almost $8. Ridiculous!
So being that I'm Vietnamese I ordered my food in Vietnamese...duh! That waitress with braids says, "I'm sorry, I'm not Vietnamese. I don't understand." Fair enough. I ordered in English, but then I looked around. None of the workers were Vietnamese either. Weird. Our food came out and I noticed the portion of the rice right away. It was like they packed a thimble with rice and put it on my plate. Can't they see that I'm a pretty big guy here? Meaning I need lot's of food to fill me up! Lame. They didn't give me any fish sauce with my meal which is customary for this dish. I saw a bottle on another table and I grabbed it. I asked the lady for hot sauce. The fresh chili paste and she offered me the Sriracha sauce that people put in pho. I said, "nuh uh, not that." She said, "oh you want the one with the seeds!" Seeds? wtf?! "Yeah, I want that one...thanks!" Turns out she was the only Vietnamese person in the whole joint.
I payed around 10 bucks for some tiny ass plate of food. This place made me miss the OC so much. The decor is nice and the place is clean, but you can tell from the menu and the staff that this place is not made for Vietnamese people. Also, you can tell by noticing that not one customer was Asian.
I tipped the waitress just because she looked great. I remember thinking when watching her walk away, "Wow yeah, with an ass like that she's definitely not Vietnamese!...lol" But would I come back to this place? Hell no! -
Review from hen a.
6/5/2007
vietnamese cuisine....standard rice plates rangin' from five spice chicken to cubed steak....noodle choices...rice vermicelli...pho combo...spicy seafood noodle soup....chicken noodle soup..'n' more......"crispy spring rolls" (fried egg rolls)......"summer rolls" (spring rolls)....
menu item naming not standard..far from the norm..."americanized" naming....catering to non-vietnamese...presumed....restaurant is clean...service gentle and reserved.....not the average fast paced 'n' loud vietnamese joint.....one order of crispy spring rolls comes with individual small plates and individual bowls for fishsauce dippin'....double dip as you please...."americanized"....
food average.....portions petty....pricing few cents higher....rice plates or most items priced around $7 before tax 'n' tip...great for vietnamese dining...without the standard vietnamese atmosphere....Listed in: vietnamese cuisine
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Review from Doug V.
Lawrence, KS
6/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
I had the combination Pho and it was good. The spring rolls were also good. The location is not the best but it was clean. I would recommend this place.
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Review from Heather M.
Riverside, CA
10/16/2010
Good service, really yummy pho. Tried some of my friends salad, and the dressing was amazing. I'll be going back soon.
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Review from Jen C.
Palo Alto, CA
3/3/2008
This is an upscale Vietnamese restaurant serving typical Vietnamese food at steep prices. The decor and ambiance are decent, and the food is typical. The service is horrible. If you come for lunch, t's pretty much guaranteedt hat one person will not have gotten his/her food by the time everyone else has finished dining. Also, we once found a hair in the filet pho, and told the waitstaff. The waiter told us he'd get us another bowl. The bowl he gave us the second time had either the same hair in it, or another hair. That was totally disgusting. I guess if you don't feel like making the trek either to Riverside or to the ghetto which is San Bernardino for Vietnamnese food, this place will satisfy cravings. But personally, I'd rather go to the ghetto for my food fix than spend too much money for crappy service. This place gets 2 Inland Empire stars.
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Review from Diana T.
West Los Angeles, CA
1/3/2008
Food itself was quite delicious but it's hard for me to pay more than $5 for a bowl of pho coming from norcal. The chicken pho was delicious with clear broth, white meat chicken, and noodles. It came with basil, sprouts, lime ($7). The bf ordered the lunch special lemongrass chicken which came with rice, salad, and a bean soup ($7.25). Everything was delicious but the rice plate portion was small and I'm not sure he would've been full if I hadn't given him the rest of my pho. I'd come back here though since there doesnt seem to be a lot of Vietnamese options around here.
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Review from Abe F.
Colton, CA
3/5/2009
Had lunch here today. Service was pleasant enough but the food was somewhat forgettable. I'm not a big fan of pho, the only thing they serve here which other Thai/Asian fusion places don't in the area. The Thai/Chinese dishes they serve aren't as good as those I've had at legit Thai and Chinese places. If only they served good Bahn Mi here, then I would have something to write home about.
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Review from Todd C.
Klamath Falls, OR
4/13/2008
I enjoyed A Dong. There aren't many Vietnamese places in the eastern Inland Empire (read: this is all I know of in Loma Linda/Redlands/Yucaipa/Banning/Calimesa/Cabazon). I'm not Vietnamese so I don't know that this wouldn't be a nice option for a student at LLU craving some (however bastardized) Vietnamese, food. However, I went as a food adventurer which is all I have to distinguish me. Anyway, one time went with the family for a birthday and as noted by other reviewers, it's a pretty low-key atmosphere, quite formalized and austere. Everyone enjoyed their food. They make the most of a limited floor space and A Dong is quite popular in Loma Linda. Can't really comment to the quality of the food as compared to other Vietnamese restaurants, but my taste buds were quite satisfied.
