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China Beach Bistro
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
2024 Pacific AveVenice, CA 90291
Neighborhood: Venice
(310) 823-4646
- Hours:
Mon-Tue, Thu-Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
103 reviews for China Beach Bistro
Review Highlights
"BYOB policy with a liquor store next door."
(in 6 reviews)
"...item is #22, the veggie ham and tofu in la lot leaves."
(in 3 reviews)
"The spring rolls and goi cuon are top notch as well."
(in 9 reviews)
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103 reviews in English
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Review from Arron T.
Venice, CA
1/22/2012
This comment is in response to Estella M. review from 1/22/12:
FOR THE RECORD THIS WAS OUR SECOND TIME EVER EATING AT CHINA BEACH.
Dear fellow Yelpers,
Please disregard these incredibly rude and insensitive comments. Every single customer in the restaurant was shocked at the atrocious, unprovoked behavior exhibited by this patron and her friends. My girlfriend and I were having dinner and witnessed the whole ordeal firsthand. I personally have worked in restaurants for most of my life, and I have never in all my years seen a manager bend over backwards more to amend a situation with a customer. First of all, China Beach is roughly a 20-seat mom-and-pop-type establishment, and it was a packed Friday night. The restaurant features delicious, authentic Vietnamese food in Venice, located a block from the boardwalk - to say it is unpretentious is a gross understatement. Second, considering the complaining patron claimed to not eat pork, she did not voice this concern when the food was initially served, and, to my knowledge, they only began complaining once they were completely done eating and the bill arrived. They then proceeded to declare that they weren't going to pay for any of the food they had just finished eating. One of the patrons in her party was getting so loud and rude that another couple on the other side of the restaurant was irritated enough to ask them to simply figure it out. Their original bill was approximately $100 for six people, which broke down to a mere $20 per person (including tip). A manager proceeded to cut the bill nearly in half down to $56, and this disrespectful party not only left no tip, but they didn't even sign the credit card receipt. I know this is because they brought the manager to the verge of tears, and I went over to her - a total stranger at this point - to give her a hug out of sheer compassion for her unfortunate situation. Last I checked, one alleged mistake with a spring roll in no way equates to a free meal for six people... As far as I'm concerned, Estelle M and her crew stole more than $100 from China Beach on Friday. This is a sad, pathetic, decidedly regrettable state of affairs. -
Review from Estelle M.
Los Angeles, CA
1/22/2012
Horrible service, and accidentally served me, a vegeterian, pork.
First of all I was the person who recommended this place to a group of 5 friends. We were staying in Venice for the night and decided we were in the mood for some pho. This seemed to be the only place around. I was able to convince them, and walked over. We were seated right away, and ordered right away. We ordered appetizers and every person ordered pho. Me being vegeterian, I was very specific with the owner that I wanted the vegeterian pho with spring rolls with NO PORK. Very important NO PORK.
The horrible experience started off with being served our pho before the appetizers. The waiter seemed overwhelmed and not concerned about our request to get the appetizers before being served the pho. When this was brought to the owner's attention she showed no real concern. After eating pork, that was mistakenly placed in my spring roll, my appetite was ruined. I had not eaten pork in over 8 years.
When discussed with the owner, she only apologized and proceeded to say that she was willing to comp my pho. Truly disappointed, and will never return. Better to drive a few miles and get better service and amazing pho.Comment from Duke L. of China Beach Bistro 1/22/2012
As with all establishments, mistakes do occur. When… More » -
Review from John Q F.
Venice, CA
1/15/2012
Barely serviceable Vietnamese food so close to the beach is tolerable (I guess) but "we don't give a ish" service in person and on the phone is definitely not.
For extra fun, try placing an order online and see how long it takes. Make it a drinking game ... bonus chugs for how many items are wrong when you open the bag. You automatically win if it doesn't show up at all.
I've won twice. Yay?!?Comment from Duke L. of China Beach Bistro 1/22/2012
I've attempted to message you privately to no avail. Please… More » -
Review from Phillip B.
Santa Monica, CA
2/7/2012
There's not much positive to say about this place. We live on the westside and there really is no good Pho. The food is meh. I gave them the extra star because I'll go back when I'm hungover and jonesin for Pho...
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Review from vivian l.
Santa Monica, CA
2/6/2012
came here on a sat afternoon for pho. beautiful day to eat outdoors near the beach. the food was good (had shrimp pho), but the service was great. the older gentleman serving us was the cutest thing ever. he was extra careful to place everything in its proper place - even lining the chopsticks up straight (slow but precise) - and smiling the whole time. so freaking cute i could die! great location (except for some noise from traffic in the busy intersection) and reserved parking spots for the restaurant. i will def come back. i hate venturing east of santa monica to eat, so great find.
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Review from Michael S.
Marina del Rey, CA
China Beach Bistro gives the Beach crowd a chance to satisfy our Vietnamese appetite where Venice meets the Pacific ... actually where Venice Blvd. meets Pacific Avenue. This small restaurant shares a free (yes, FREE in Venice) parking lot with a liquor store (anybody say BYOB?) on the corner.
Since this is the West Side and not Westminster, the prices are more than what you may be used to forking over for quality not quite up to the standards of Little Saigon. On the plus side, it's convenient and it has some common Vietnamese dishes like Pho, Banh Mi, Soups, Rice, and Vegetables.
Olivia and I split an appetizer of Cha Gio (Fried Spring Rolls). The lightly fried rolls had Shrimp, Pork, and Sauteed Veggies. At least, that's what the menu says. They were warm and ready to eat. Just ok for $5.
She was in the mood for a Banh Mi ($6!!!) and got the Beef version. The meat was juicy and tender and the oven-baked Baguette was warm. With some sliced Chili Peppers added for oomph, the Banh Mi turned out alright despite being double/triple what you are probably used to paying for a Banh Mi sandwich in Garden Grove.
I got a Ca-Ri Ga Soup. This $10 Lemongrass Chicken Curry Soup was loaded with huge chunks of Sweet Carrots and Potatoes. The dark chicken meat was chunky and the soup really needed several scoops of Thai Spice to balance the coconut. My favorite part of the soup was adding a $3 Baguette to the order. Sure it's overpriced, but at least it was warm, soft, and fresh.
Did China Beach pacify my Vietnamese cravings? Yes. Would I drive out of my way for it? Probably not. It's a good choice for convenience when you absolutely must have Asian/Vietnamese food in Venice.Listed in: Asian in L.A., Good Dining, Vietnam
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Review from Wendy P.
Venice, CA
10/10/2011
I'm torn between "Meh, I've had better" to "A-OK"...especially in this area.
Things that are "A-OK"
-Their Pho. Their broth is better than A-OK, even compared to pho places in Westminster. They just don't offer a lot of variety
Things that are "Meh"
-Their so called Vietnamese sandwich. Just because it's disguised in french bread with pickled carrots does NOT make it a Vietnamese sandwich. Why is there shredded iceberg in my sandwich, and why is there a vinaigrette dressing? Where is the garlic mayo? Where is the pickled daikon and cucumbers? No maggi? THIS IS NOT A VIETNAMESE SANDWICH. Meh? More like BLEH. The pork was good though. At least they did that right. Thank you.
Their Goi Cuon LOOKS like Goi Cuon, but something is missing. It might be their peanut sauce?
And why are they serving Chinese style egg rolls as Vietnamese egg rolls? Where is the pork? Where is the glass noodle? Why is this so hard?
Le sigh...I might just have to accept the mediocre that is China Beach Bistro...don't even get me started on Pho Sho (BLEH). I'll take what I can get. -
Review from Naamah A.
Los Angeles, CA
Updated - 10/10/2011 2 Check-ins Here
It's my second time there because I loved the food so much the first time I'm back for a delicious Pho. Why 1 star then? Horrible service this time from the front lady who seems to be the manager.
Now that I got my food, it doesn't taste that good and they were very cheap on the meat.. I'm not going back: my new place by the way for PHO is PHO SHOW in Culver city! GREAT FOOD, WONDERFUL SERVICE!!1 Previous Review:
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11/20/2010
Try the Vietnamese crepe special!! Awesome :) And indeed best Pho I had for a while!
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Review from Marcelo G.
Venice, CA
Small little restaurant with great varieties of dishes. I ordered the fried rice w/ chicken and it was delicious !!!! They don't sale any beer or wine but next this place there's a liquor store :)
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Review from Sharr K.
I was a little skeptical trying pho around this area.... they offered "healthier" & vegetarian options on the menu which makes sense considering it's in the heart of Venice.
La Lot Chay - veggie ham and tofu rolled in jute leaves, very healthy but surprisingly tasted okay. I thought texture was a little weird.
Com Chien Ga - chickien fried rice....nothing spectacular (big portion).
Goi Tom - zesty shrimp salad, pretty tasty and fresh with lots of veggies(big portion).
Bo Kho - soupy beef stew with carrots & potatoes....taste like soupy beef stew (nothing spectacular).
Pho - beef noodle soup, the meat can be sliced a little thinner, a little too thick than typical pho....again nothing too spectacular. It ain't no Pho 79 but it's the best we've got here.
Parking is mostly okay but a major problem on the weekends due to the beach crowd.Listed in: Asian Persuasion!, Venice!, Light options for those…, Southeast Asian Food
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Review from Peter G.
Venice, CA
7/28/2011
OK, so first let me say that I live literally down the street from this place, and I walk here all the time to have some tea and a bowl of soup. Its possible that I hold a slight bias for the local spot.
Anyway, on to the review. Parking can be a bitch in the summer because its beach/tourist season. They share a lot with a liquor store. The food: its "pretty good" depending on what you get. Their pho is certainly not the best I have experienced, but its absolutely not the worst. The broth is a little sweeter than most pho places, but its actually pretty flavorful. Their pho ga (chicken pho) is OK. The chicken meat that they use is... well, its not great. The beef pho is also pretty average. Not great, but not bad either.
Their other menu items are good. They have some rice dishes that I liked a lot. Their vegetarian dishes are surprisingly delicious. The sandwiches they serve here are also very yummy. I recommend those. They don't serve alcohol here, but you can buy booze next door and bring it with you. They don't mind. For a lot of people, this alone will prompt them to 5-star this place LOL.
The service is not what I would call 5-star. Its pretty much "have seat, tell me what you want, and I'll bring it out in a few minutes." But, to be perfectly honest, I go in there so much that the staff know me and I am usually treated very nicely. For the average customer... some people might be unsatisfied with the service. For example, if you don't ask for more water, no one will bother to refill it for you.
The price is reasonable, but is probably more expensive than the majority of Pho places out there because its literally on the corner of Venice Blvd. and Pacific. Prime real estate in a tourist-saturated (and bar-saturated) area.
In summary, if you're local and looking for decent grub within walking or biking distance, you won't be disappointed. If you're visiting Venice as a tourist... well, first of all don't block my driveway when you park... but secondly, give it a try. You could do worse in Venice, trust me. -
Review from Alessandra M.
Los Angeles, CA
11/9/2011
Chicken salad is light, refreshing, delicious and ample. The service was friendly. No complaints.
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Review from David A R.
Venice, CA
10/20/2011
Decent pho. But I haven't had much else there worth writing home about.
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Review from Jess C.
5/19/2011
HUGE PROPS for being BYOB. That's a star right there.
The pho is pretty ok, nothing spectacular. There are a good amount of veggie dishes on the menu, but they are very stringent ab
The banh mi is weird. They use weird seasonings and over-flavor it. I added a huge amount of sriracha just to mask the taste. The bread is good and crispy at least.
The service is slow though. They seem to do a lot of take out and haven't figured out how to best prioritize dine in vs take out orders. Come in with plenty of booze and be ready to wait.
In conclusion - if this place is walking distance or pretty close for you this is a great find. If you're driving in, there are better places to go ESPECIALLY for the amount you will pay here. -
Review from Andy K.
9/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
You know, for being named "China Beach Bistro" this place has above average. Barely. For the area, this is probably the place I'd go to, although the parking is crap for my lowered car. The kid working there looked like he was 10 years old too. They didn't give you little sauce things either..which was lame. Either way, this place is lightly above average at best. If there were more stars, I'd give it 6/10.
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Review from Brielle H.
Venice, CA
10/28/2011
The only thing better than the food at China Beach is their service. Genuinely friendly staff, I love seeing the owner in the kitchen giving it a sincerely mom and pop touch. I have never been unsatisfied with anything I've ordered its always full of flavor and love that its BYOB.
My personal favorites are the spring rolls and "bo la lot" for starters and the entree curried chicken bowl and a freshly opened young coconut. I love me some spices and their selection on each table is great. The sandwich is delicious its always a tough choice.
Its a great cultural addition to the community. -
Review from Megin O.
Irvine, CA
5/20/2011
I usually get the pork bun. It's good. Fresh, crisp flavors and a good portion of yummy pork on top... mmm! I've also had the shrimp bun which is also pretty tasty. My bf always gets the pho. It's hard to get good pho in this area and he says it's decent here. The cool thing is that if you feel like having a beer you can just go over to the liquor store 50 feet away and grab a six pack and bring it back to your table.
The service is pretty good most of the time. They seem to do a lot of take out here. Parking can be a problem because they only have three parking spots, and street parking can also be crazy. -
Review from kree a.
Venice, CA
5/7/2011
It's amazing what we transplants give up to live on the westside. I knew moving here meant giving up good food. Even truer to that statement, it meant giving up good Asian food. I could begin my reviews of every Asian eatery west of the 405 that way. The upside to this is I have definitely honed my home cooking skills, and it has helped keep my wallet fat.
China Beach is a perfect example of this. I'm craving pho, but don't want to drive to Alhambra or Hawaiian Gardens, so I go here. It's walking distance from my house, the owner is nice, and it's walking distance from my house.
Yep, that's it.
The pho resembles pho, in a chicken mc nugget sort of way; it's very processed looking, tastes nothing like the original, but does the job.
The banh mi is a better option here and their egg rolls are crispy where they need to be too. But something is definitely missing...organ meat, animal fat, screaming vietnamese grandmother's? I don't know. -
Review from Van V.
Culver City, CA
5/15/2011
Very happy to be able to have a bowl of chicken Pho with the Venice breeze. They also serve a good VN chicken salad the kind you have with nouc mam.
The broth for the chicken Pho is not too bad imo compared to other places found on the Westside. I also had their Ga Ca ri or Chicken curry,that too was delicious. I plan on coming back to try their beef stew and what not. over all I enjoy the food and the atmosphere.
word of caution, if your in a hurry , this place is not for you, try the fast food drive thru down the street. service is good, but an extra helping hand is also a good idea. : ) -
Review from Katie T.
Venice, CA
2/23/2011
Boooo...I was craving Pho and on the west side this was the only option. Unfair. Very unfair. I ordered my pho and was excited to try pho out of San Francisco. They served me my pho and guess what...THERE WERE NO NOODLES!!!! Huh??? I know it was a while since I had pho but have things changed that much? They only served me the broth! I normally don't complain but I had no choice. When I asked them about the noodles, they told me they don't serve noodles with their pho unless requested, with of course an additional charge. Never in my life have I ordered pho and not been served noodles.
And don't get me wrong, I know my pho, I grew up with pho, it runs through my blood. I've been to Vietnam multiple times and had amazing pho and this place was just a disappointment. -
Review from Paul F.
Los Angeles, CA
5/8/2011
Delicious pho on the westside! I have to go all the way to Golden Deli in SGV to get a pho that is as good as China Beach's. The spring rolls and goi cuon are top notch as well. There is a large selection of vegetarian dishes as well-one whole side of the menu is meatless dishes for the more enlightened among us.
No idea what's up with the "no noodles" review- I've eaten here at least 40 times over the last 6 years, always gotten the pho, always gotten noodles! As it's a small family business, maybe they were running out? Puzzling, but I'm sure it was a fluke. Do not fear, noodles are here!
Park in the public lot between the North and South Venice Boulevards, they only have 3 (tiny) spaces out front. -
Review from Ling L.
Los Angeles, CA
4/21/2011
There aren't too many options on the west side for Pho or Banh Mi, but if you have that craving, this place just hits the spot. It's not fancy, it's not the most mind-blowing Vietnamese food you'll ever have- it's just a nice, cozy local spot where you can get your fix.
Oh, and I ordered a Pho for lunch today and it definitely had noodles, as every other time I've had Pho. I don't know why Katie T. didn't get any. -
Review from Shannon S.
Los Altos, CA
10/10/2010
So I LOVE pho. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Just moved to Venice from SF and have been CRAVING a big steaming bowl of pho. I usually went to my local Pho spot in the bay area at least once a week, and since moving down to socal have only had it once. :(
So now you know, I know my pho.
I was skeptical about going to a pho spot in Venice, being that I didnt see a very big asian population in the area, but it was close so eh.... I would try it out.
4pm Sunday afternoon. I see two parking spots out front and go WhooHoo! Those spots have never been open! My lucky day!
I follow a couple into the restaurant (empty restaurant) and the friendly hostess tells us to "sit where we want". The place is cute and small. About 4 tables outside, maybe 5 inside. I took the round table by the window after the couple ahead of me sat themselves at another table.
The server, a mid-50's german (??) lady goes to take their order, and then comes over to me.
The menu was a bit (ahem) simple. I asked her if she had tendon and tripe available in the beef pho. (my favorite part). She said no, because it isnt very popular for the area. I had thought as much since it wasnt on the menu at all, but was testing my luck.... sometimes places dont post funky ingredients/menu items... more of an "animal style" thing where you just have to ask. :( I tell her I might need a minute in that case because I really had my heart set on some tendon and tripe. She tells me the oxtail soup is nice though and walks away.
She comes back and instead of a nice "so what do you think, do you want to try the oxtail?" Because I DID want to order the oxtail soup after she suggested it.... I wasnt in the mood for a rich broth but I do enjoy oxtail...she says...
"So I might have to ask you to move if we get another large party in here because this is our only large party table" WHA? There were THREE people in the ENTIRE place, I had been instructed to sit where I wanted AND there was a table 5 feet away that could seat EIGHT people. AND it was four pm on a sunday. WOW.
She basically wasnt going to ask me to move now, not even when she first greeted me, but after I was going to order, she was going to tell me to get up out of my seat and move to a smaller table. (and probably move all of my food over as well)
I am sad. Sad that I dont love this place. Sad that they have dumb-downed their menu, sad that the staff is so rude, sad that they have 3 customers and 33% of them had to leave because they werent welcome, sad that I didnt find my pho spot to go to every week.
I have NEVER done this but my response was, "I guess I should leave then" and walked out.Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Elina K.
Los Angeles, CA
7/25/2011
I am a little obsessed with Bahn Mi's, so when I saw one other place besides Pho 99 on the westside that had a bahn mi, I of course, had to try it! DISGUSTING is all I can say. It was wayyy to vinegary and soggy as can be. I threw it out after about 2 bites. Complete waste of money. :( I really don't understand how you can serve something like that. Didn't try the Pho, so I am not sure how that is, but definitely do not order the Bahn Mi!
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Review from Josie D.
9/5/2010
Food: The food is OK.
Location: I enjoyed sitting outdoors.
Service: Shrug, it is what it is.
It's nothing out of the ordinary. So far good location is the primary reason I came here. Probably won't go out of the way to come. -
Review from Josh Z.
Los Angeles, CA
6/19/2010
It's amazing how much certainty can come from reviewers who have no idea what they're talking about. To the reviewer who wrote "Each and every time I call and ask for Pho or Bun they ask me what number is it on the menu. How can you operate a Vietnamese restaurant if you don't know what the hell Pho or Bun is????" Well... how can you write a review of Vietnamese food when you don't know that there's more than one type of pho and of bún?
This is surprisingly authentic Vietnamese for being so close to the beach. It's operated by real live Vietnamese people cooking real live Vietnamese food. It's not fancy. No bamboo walls and wooden lamps and Vietnamese music serenading you over the gentle lapping waves of the Pacific -- it's just a basic mom-&-pop joint in a strip mall.
The phos aren't the very best I've had, but the other dishes are above what you'll find elsewhere on the westside, especially the weekly specials. Ideal for a quick lunch.
Bottom line: if you're planning a fine Vietnamese dinner for somewhere in greater LA, this ain't it. If you're in Venice and you feel like Vietnamese, this is a delicious, solid bet. -
Review from Lori K.
3/29/2010
I work in Santa Monica and I love Vietnamese food so I'm grateful that this place is mere minutes away from my office. Sometimes I feel like the luckiest gal in the world when I walk out of my office and spot the Nom Nom truck in front of RAND, but for days when that's not the case, it's nice to know I can drive over to China Beach Bistro.
Parking is tricky, but since I'm a lucky girl I've never run into any issues thus far. Everything I've ordered here has been delicious and fresh. It's a real mom and pop operation and I can appreciate that and therefore during the lunch rush if things take a few minutes longer than they should I don't get frustrated. There are tables outside for beautiful sunny southern Cali days and a cozy seating area inside for colder days.
Since I can't exactly pop on down to Westminster during my lunch breaks for straight authentic Vietnamese...this place is just right for my west side Vietnamese fix. -
Review from JT Ross I.
Los Angeles, CA
1/20/2009
Favorite dishes are:
Bo La Lot
Goi Ga
Goi Coun (Veg or w/ shrimp)
Pho Ga
Com Dac Biet
Tips: BYOB. Go just after sunset and sit outside. -
Review from Liz O.
6/29/2009
China Bistro offers is located right by the Venice Boardwalk. They offer an array of Vietnamese dishes, including my new found love for Pho. I had the chicken PHO. PHO' eight dollars. Great price for the amount of soup you get. The broth is extremely flavorful and the garnish (bean sprouts, basel and lemon) that accompany the soup kick it up several notches in flavor.
i have also tried the fresh spring rolls, which are served with a sweet & tangy peanut sauce. I didn't really care too much for the spring rolls (noodle, mint, tofu) -- but the Pho is great.
I don't think there are many Pho restaurants within the Venice area -- well, none that i've encountered. I would give this place a try if ever you're in the mood for something hot and delicious and moderately cheap. -
Review from Ken N.
Venice, CA
4/20/2007
I'm addicted.
Mainly because of the Five Spice Chicken, but also because of the sheer pleasure of "discovering" a place that you've walked past a billion times and wondered...could this place POSSIBLY be any good? , then discovering, YES! It's in a tiny little spot in a tiny little strip mall in a tiny little parking lot on the corner of Venice Blvd. and Neilson Way, and the odds are, it COULDN'T be any good. On the other hand, if it wasn't, why has it been there for so long? We haven't found any good Vietnamese places on the Westside, and having moved from SF, that's kind of a bummer, but we didn't know what we were missing until we took a chance on this place.
Admittedly, it wasn't THAT much of a chance - one of my best friends and co-writer of THE MIKADO PROJECT told me that she met Anjelica Huston here after I told her that I had my own Anjelica Huston meeting (she must be the nicest celebrity ever) - but that whole conversation had me thinking in a Homer Simpson kind of way "Mmmm...Vietnamese food..."
Anyway, my wife had the Vietnamese Pork Meat Loaf (way better than you might think) with a fried egg sunny-side up (again, better than it sounds), salad and rice, while I had the Five Spice Chicken, Butterflied Shrimp, and beef strips on a stick (that's not the name, but I can't remember what they called it): Verdict? Oh...my...God! We...are...hooked! Yes! Yes! Yes!
Another reason to say, I love Venice. It's Asian, it's funky, it's by the beach...it's LA. -
Review from Kevin A.
7/3/2007
WAS THAT A JAPANESE GUY WITH AN AFRO WIG & A POGO STICK?
Yes it was... and he was just one of the crazies I spied as I perused passers-by from my perch at the China Beach Bistro. This place serves up the best Vietnamese fare west of the 405 in a relaxed family environment while providing endless people-watching entertainment.
Highlights:
+Bun with grilled pork
+Free parking
+BYOB policy with a liquor store next door
+Reasonable prices
+People watching
The only negative is that there's no public restroom so go easy with the beer (unless you want to get up close and personal with the canal across the street). -
Review from Laura Y.
Los Angeles, CA
5/20/2007
If China Beach's broth could talk, it would be like, "Oh... I don't really want to make anyone angry; let's just keep it conservative so I do not offend."
And here I am, like "Dude, OWN the anise and the charred ginger flavors! It's what makes you great! Let it all hang out and if people can't handle it, then they can just go someplace else!"
Broth: "I don't think that's a very good idea."
Me: "Okay, but I don't know if I want to come back here again because of that, plus you're too expensive and don't have enough meat; I see that your beef balls are sliced which means you're too stingy to go all out, which seems to be your M.O."Listed in: PHO EVA
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Review from Sanaz M.
Venice, CA
6/3/2011
I have had better Pho. That being said, it's a nice little place if you feel like having some Vietnamese food in Venice. I usually get the Pho with rare beef. Best hangover food or cold remedy.
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Review from Sunny B.
Venice, CA
8/3/2010
Dinner for two with one appetizer and one thai iced coffee and desert for two with coffee cost me $60. The pho was ok but it was my first Pho, I loved the veggie spring rolls. My Dad likes it a lot and gets the same thing all the time, a chicken combo thing that is always good.
There are better places but it's close by and decent. -
Review from Matthew K.
Venice, CA
9/16/2009
One word decription: Westside
Pro:
Location
good food
Con:
Price
So if this Vietnamese restaurant was in SVG or Westminster, it would get 0 stars at best. It's in Venice, where there are no Vietnamese restaurants for miles and miles. And because they recognize this, they charge a huge premium for their food.
Price: Lunch for 2
$30 -
Review from Enna C.
Venice, CA
10/27/2011
they have good pho and fried rice. always delivery.
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Review from Nelle M.
Santa Monica, CA
3/11/2011
Want a tasty lunch/dinner for under $10? You've found the right spot. I'm not sure how authentic it is, I'm not Pho expert, but I've been coming here for years and I plan on going back. The menu isn't huge, but the potions are big and the ingredients are always fresh. Also, they have awesome vegetarian options. If you are looking for outstanding service, you may be disappointed. But if you are looking for the best liquor store parking lot turned restaurant in Venice Beach, I think you will be pleased.
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Review from Olivia D.
10/9/2007
My family wanted to eat Vietnamese, and since we live near Venice and didn't want to drive too far, we were stuck with this place.
My brother said he had read good reviews on China Beach online, but we could see walking up to the tiny restaurant that it was a total dump. Inside, there is a counter and two tables. Outside, there were four rickety metal tables like the kind you see on the sidewalk in Vietnam in a small, rickety, wood and screen enclosement. There were only Caucasians in there, which in any Asian restaurant is a bad sign. When Asians forsake an Asian restaurant, you can bet its because the food is bad. Since we had already paid $4 a car to park at the lot across the street and the kids were starving, we decided to stay against our better judgment.
We sat in the outside area, next to a young couple. The woman read aloud to the man the entire time we were there from a Kurt Vonnegurt novel while he occasionally nodded thoughtfully. Now, I'm a fan of Vonnegurt, but I think reading his books aloud in a restaurant is just a tiny bit pretentious and annoying.
We had the bo la lot for $7.50, marinated minced beef inside la lot leaves and charbroiled. I thought this was the only thing they served that was very tasty, except that they didn't serve it with whole leaf lettuce to wrap it in. They served it with crappy shredded iceberg and carrots. I had the bun thit nuong, cold vermicelli topped with a skewer of barbequed grilled beef and a spring roll for $7.50. It was the worst bun I'd ever had. First of all, it wasn't even cold. The noodles were hot! And it was served with more crappy shredded iceberg lettuce, warm, chewy (not crisp) giant cucumber slices (not julienne), carrots, soggy whole peanuts (they should have been roasted and ground up), a frozen Chinese eggroll filled with carrots instead of Vietnamese nems, and the sauce was so weak, I had to pour 5 ounces in there for any flavor at all. On the plus side, it was a big portion.
Do not order the pho here. I am a total pho fanatic, as I must eat it at least once a week, seek it out whereever I go, and am usually able to make do with mediocre pho in whatever country I'm in. I can say with total confidence that China Beach has the worst pho I've ever encountered. The most accurate description for the broth that I can think of is that it reeked of dishwater and armpits. How the hell did they mess it up so badly? Luckily, it was very weak and watery, so the few spoonfuls I managed to get down did not kill me.
Avoid this place at all costs if you enjoy authentic Vietnamese food. -
Review from Tami R.
Santa Monica, CA
12/4/2006
I went here because both Yelp and cityserach ranked it pretty ighly for vietnamese food and I was looking for some Pho to make me feel better.
The Pho was OK, but I agree with AJ that the beef in the broth was weird. I ordered BBQ shrimp for my friend who doesn't eat chicken and it was bland and needed more sauce.
Bottom line, its fast, its easy, its vietnamese, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go there... but they do have online ordering hmmmmm. -
Review from annie k.
Los Angeles, CA
12/20/2007
Vietnamese comfort food for Westerners. Usually I'm the first person to decry inauthentic Asian places but I'm a fan of China Beach. Good, healthy food. Very vegetarian friendly, not that I'm completely vegetarian, but I really enjoy the flavor and texture of the vegetarian meats. Interesting female owner, born in Vietnam. If you don't go into it as a pho snob or faux hater you may become a devotee.
update 3/4/08: I'm rarely the person who gives much higher than average reviews, but I'm still a fan. My favorite item is #22, the veggie ham and tofu in la lot leaves. Other superb items are the chicken satay and five-spice chicken. Great veggie fried rice. The chicken curry was tasty and different.
I guess it depends on what you're looking for. I don't eat pho. I don't eat meat besides chicken and seafood. I think the food here is healthy and often delicious, and at worst merely satisfying. This is my go-to delivery restaurant when I'm exhausted from work and come home to Venice.
