"This place is great: lots of TVs, good coffee, and friendly waitresses."
(in 4 reviews)
"we're serving beer, wine, &sake people."
(in 9 reviews)
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M Cafe a.k.a. Lighthouse
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good for:
- Brunch, Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- None
26 reviews for M Cafe a.k.a. Lighthouse
Review Highlights
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I don't go to Vietnamese Coffeeshops often, nor do I go to Vietnamese bars, but this is one I don't mind patronizing. I never go inside because I just can't stand bad Vietnamese Karaoke. However, on a warm summer night, their patio is a perfect place to sit back, have a coffee or some beers and watch whatever game is on one of their 9 tv screens. Their Vietnamese coffee is made just how I like it, STRONG... I've been to several other coffee shops where the coffee is watered down, and not as fragrant.
The servers are ok... some are nicer than others... They all have the same "I'm a bitch" look on their face and are only nice to males... but whatever. It works for me, because I just tell my guy friends what I want, and they order it. In the end, I get what I want without having to deal with them.
The bathroom is located in the same building, but you have to go outside of the establishment, and then down some hallway, which is strange. Besides the odd location of the bathroom, I'm a fan!
In James Bond movies, M is the fictional character played by Judy Dench, the elderly lady who is in charge of MI6, otherwise known as the British Secret Service. Miss Moneypenney plays the flirty secretary who fantasizes hitting it off with Bond.
Guys are simple...all we want are hot girls, a hot grill, cold beer, and our sports on TV. Ok...you won't get any smoke on you, but M Café delivers on three of the four above. With a dozen flat screens on the outside and another 15 on the inside, you can watch any sport going on. Yes, even cricket and soccer, next to your NHL, NFL, MLB, PGA, etc.
The kicker...THREE DOLLAR BEERS! They also have a full menu of assorted snacks and food items such as hot wings, grilled oysters, sandwiches, and beef stew to name a few, but I've tried a few, and they are hit and miss. Stick to the basics and you'll be ok.
Oh yeah...Back to Bond...At M Café, you won't find anyone looking like M, but you will find lots of Miss Moneypenneys running around. Just tip them well.
this place is respectable for coffee and some drinks. lots of friends are patrons here.
BUT, this one waitress ruined it for the whole joint. 2 of us, we orderd 3 hot sakes and god knows how many beers with 2 entrees. i ask for napkins and she didnt come back for days so i asked again. she heard us talkin bout her as she walked away and approached me and ask what i said.. like really?
I'm not a person you would ussually find at a vietnamese coffee shop or vietnamese bar, but i came here for the first time to watch a boxing match w some friends. i was surprised that they have a cover fee before you enter. $10 is pretty ridiculous if you ask me. The one thing i liked about this place was that it looked pretty clean & not too ghetto looking. The girls here are very nice and ask if you want another drink before hand instead of just putting more bottles on the table when it looks empty & when not asked. ive experienced that at other vietnamese bars before where they keep the drinks coming without asking. I think this is a pretty cool place to come to for football games, boxing matches, etc.
This place is great: lots of TVs, good coffee, and friendly waitresses. They pretty much have anything you could ask for... coffee, alcohol, food, etc... I've never had a problem with the service from anyone there. I have no idea how these kids can have any drama with the place and it's employees.
cafe by day quan nhau by night.
M Cafe: 5/5 stars
Cafe is strong, they serve food, there's outdoor seating, loud music, big screen tv's. what more could you ask for.
Quan M: 2/5 stars
The waitresses that work during day time shouldn't work at night time!! They don't know what they're doing. they're suppose to poor beer and fill up our cups with ice but they don't do that. "Wsup wit that?!?"
M Cafe is relatively new only being a few years old. The venue's pretty big too and the place looks like there was money put into it. I would rate the environment about an 8.5. I like how they set up their plasma's for all to see from any angle. The patio is also pretty big too and is a big hit during the summer. I've been here many a time to catch the game while enjoying some good scenery ;)
Speaking of scenery, it seems like they have upgraded on their staff because some of the waitresses there are really smokin' hot and their service is really good too. My tea is never empty and they really come around and make sure of that. They serve the typical Viet coffee shop drinks like cafe sua da and smoothies but they also serve food too like sampler plates and a few Vietnamese dishes.
You can also get free wi-fi access and during the winter you can bet that their heat lamps will be on full blast as well as their bumpin' beats. So come out for a smoke and some nice eye candy too.
Van The Man Must Try : Cafe Sua Da (Iced Vietnamese coffee)
This place is pretty nice. You can tell no expense spared. They actually serve beer and wine =D other then that , the service could use a little work. Some mija came to take our order, seems like she was on some D or something. I mean acting really shy quick to take an order and not even let a person take there time explainin what i want.
Smh @ her , but anyways real nice place over 20 plasma screens playing sport etc. outdoor smoke lounge and Lee's laundry mat next door if you want to do your dirty laundry =P
I'll be back.....
First time here. I went there for my coworker farewell party night for some drinks n food... Girls are nice and friendly... Just what u need for night outs and game days...
Definetally the spot to go to if you like coffee, beer, hot waitresses and sports... and hot waitresses lol...
I was amazed on how many plasma's they had showing almost every game that is on that night. I believe five directly above the bar, nine in the lounge, and nine outside in the patio.
Friendly waitresses and great service. The place is quite roomy and the music is always playing. I got stuck on the touch screen video games they have there, still trying to beat the top spot lol.... I haven't tried the food yet, but I intend too... Overall, its a great spot to go too...
My first Vietnamese coffee shop experience! My friend suggested we come here after I mentioned I've never been to one... he joked that I should get "broken in" first... since this place isn't like the 'hardcore' shops. We sat inside and the place wasn't very packed, but it's probably because most of the patrons chose to sit in the patio area. The decor is nice and very contemporary, and there were multiple plasma tvs mounted on the wall, along with 2 projector screen tvs on either side of the restaurant.
We were served right away with iced tea (mine had a tiny bug in it though, so I didn't drink it) and the girl took our drink orders. Everyone but me ordered the Vietnamese iced coffee. I ordered a white mocha shake, and I made sure to ask the girl if it was WHITE mocha, and she nodded. Later on, another girl (Hispanic) comes to tell me that they were out of mocha, so I asked for the menu. I ended up on an avocado shake but couldn't help but notice that there was no "white mocha" on the drink menu. Hmm, maybe there was a language barrier with the first girl then.
Anyway, I would say that the girls here were attractive and dressed more conservatively than most coffee shops elsewhere (according to what I've heard), which was refreshing... SEE, girls-- you CAN be sexy without parading around in a bikini.
Ok, first of all, the name: This place is now temporary renamed to "Lighthouse cafe".
Secondly, the waitresses: I found them wearing comfortable clothing, not "minimum".
Thirdly, the environment: Its big, clean and new. It is a very nice place to go online. Nice pop music (loud but not hurting your ears). I spent afternoon playing online poker and its great. You will find a lot of older asian men outside smoking or playing chinese chess. There are huge TVs inside and outside. Nice patio.
Finally, the food: Don't order the philly cheese sandwich. I think the menu is a little bit "limited".
Overall, I like the place. If you like decent music, nice place, nice service, online, then you will like this place.
Baz
I was probably in a very unhappy mood when I went here that night because I wanted some fries and jasmine milk tea at Quickly's while most of the guys wanted coffee and tea ... and a cute waitress.
Anyway, I was convinced to go after being told that the smoothies would be good. Liars. The strawberry and avocado (oh, how asian) smoothies were alright ... okay, maybe it was pretty good, but I still would have rather had some jasmine milk tea for $3 LESS.
We played a few card games and watched TV from their wonderfully arranged flat screens. We brought in my friend's dog, and I guess they didn't mind, so I was a little happy with that, since I'm an animal lover. The cute waitress was nice to us. Good service.
Maybe I'll change my mind if I ever decide go back and try a Cafe Sua Da/Iced Coffee since I hear it tastes good here.
It looks new, clean & nicer than most "coffee shops/viet bars" I've been to. It's a bit more Americanized & I think that's why I like it. The food was really good here. It's a good place for guys to go watch the game because they have like HELLA tvs all over the place. It must be like heaven to them! We went here recently. There were about 10 heads & we got a whole bunch of food & beer-- in the end, the bill came out to less than $300 & we were expecting a lot more. Overall, it's a good hangout place if you're looking to kick back & chill.
I've been coming for a couple beers here and and there and some sake. It's chill. Not a place if you want the full blown nhau experience. The waitresses don't do a good job of keeping the ice and beer flowing. Sound system is not made for Karaoke.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
12/10/2008
Sometimes I like going to dark, loud, dirty, and smokey coffee shops, but most of the time, I prefer… Read more »
did i hear alcohol and karaoke!!??!!
we're serving beer, wine, &sake people!!
we also have a wide selection on our menus now..
shashime with ur sake bomb u said? hah. anyway, m cafe is still a great place to be when drinking coffee, chillen and chatting w the friendly waitresses, or maybe even singing while urrr tipsyyy. sounds fun? heck yaa! so come check moi and me friends out!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/23/2008
i have to give it a five star..
this is a great place to go, great environment, good food, and its… Read more »
update: the "bo kho" is really good and served in a generous sized bowl with two small loaves of French baguettes. The VNese sandwich is good, but the bbq pork can be fatty if that's not your thing.
FWIW, started to charge an "entrance fee" during big-time PPV events broadcasts (e.g, $10 for UFC100, boxing matches). Not sure what's the charge, or if any, on other events.
update: they have specials on certain nights of the week. the "muc kho"=shredded dry squid was just too salty. the "xoai song"=green mangoes with pepper/salt dip was great! there's a couple new waitresses, or three. hooray beer!
update: the espressos are not strong here, so i order it black...so was the comp tea, heck the avocado shake too. didn't expect it to be that full, but this place was packed for the Pacquiao/Hatton fight and was fun. hooray beer!
My current favorite SanJo VNese cafe. I chose "moderate price range" only because you tend to want to stay longer than expected...and you will want to. Anyway, others have already said: large cafe, high ceiling, airy patio (most peeps sit out there), many plasmas (most seats have good view), decent foods and drinks, etc...but also serves beers and beer foods. hooray beer!
Came here to come chill with my buddy. They closed down a while back and reopened. It's now nicer than before with a limited menu featuring sandwiches, chicken wings, onion rings etc.
Ordered a Cafe Sua Da (Vietnamese Iced Coffee w/ Condensed Milk) for $4 w/ no tax. It also comes with an iced water w/ tea flavoring.
Service is by Vietnamese waitresses wearing very little.
What do we get for ten dollars?
Every ting you want.
Everything?
Every ting!
Sittin' at home watching Arsenio Hall
So I got the black book for a freak to call
Picked up the IPhone, then dialed the 7 digits
Said, "Yo, this Waltski, baby! Are you down with it?"
I arrived at M Cafe, walked thru on the door
Not having no idea of what the afternoon had in store
I'm like a dog in heat, a freak without warning
I have an appetite for Vietnamese, 'cause me so HUNGRY!
Me LOVE You Long Time!!!
http://www.youtube.com...
Highlights:
- M Café is the official South Bay Vietnamese Sports Café!
- Once again.....It's CASH ONLY!
- Over 15 plasma high definition screens with all the major sports and news channels. Screens are displayed indoors and outdoors.
- Indoor seating with well over 60 seating capacity
- Outdoor patio seating with fully canopy for the rain cover and complete with outdoor heating. Cigar friendly environment.
- Compact casino and lotto game machines (I never touched these machines so I'm clueless on why its so popular with the Asian community).
- Serves iced coffee, hot tea, juices, and soda beverages... Sorry no alcohol here.
- Vietnamese sandwiches for $4.00 (Not bad if you just want a meal on the go).
- Xoi Hai Dang - Manda's big recommends! This is a sticky rice plate with all the traditional Vietnamese style fixings of pork, ham, chicken, green chai, shallot, and tiny shrimp.
- Friendly Waitresses - Yes, I have to admit this is the Vietnamese version of Hooters. Eye candy for get you to stay longer and strike up conversation with them. Bring your hospitality and etiquette here. These ladies are divas!
- Parking - They have a gated lot. At first I thought I was parking into a private lot and then realized that this was part of its property.
- Great for Families: No way! This is where your coffee buddies, uncles, dads, male co-workers, and maybe your lady friends that don't mind "kicking it with the fellas" hangout.
- Major Kudos to Manda and Coco for introducing Ron L and I to your "bn gáis" (girlfriends) that work here! =)
Oh me HANG OUT HERE LOOOOOOOOOONG TIME ! ! !
How do you say "Hooters" in Vietnamese ?
A friend of mine took me here to show me that girls from his part of the world can grow - he has convinced me alright!
This is a spacious cafe, with ample seats inside and (for the nicotine lovers) outside. A number of tv screens ensure that every once in a while you have something else to watch! Do bring a megaphone if you do intend to talk to whoever is sitting across you - the noise from all around drown out any sounds.
Nothing special about the coffee here, but a great place to waste away a evening when there is nothing else to do.
I am told there are a dozen places like this around here, and this is the best. I can't say which is best until I have seen them all! Will keep you posted.
Dude! it's a cafe place need i say more?
Anyway, they have pretty good coffee and food (the rice with chicken is awesome) My friend and I we kick it here a lot and play cards and dominos. the server is pretty good looking too, but i can't stand a words she said. heheheehe all i said is coffee and rice and that it. try to carry the conversation longer and i will get loss. hahahaha
they have 15 flat screen and a giant projector inside and karaoke so you can scream and watch sport to your heart content. Check it out.
This is the place to be to watch all your games and have a beer or two, (possibly with me! jp I work hereee) large variety of food on the menu and large heated enclosed patio for your smoke break, if you do happen to smoke. Comfortable couches so that you and your friends can lounge and hang out. We are all very friendly here and hope you can join us sometime!!!
Big. Clean. Comfortable. And oddly enough, quiet. Not that "quiet" is what I seek in one of these places, but I suppose that's what one can expect the Sunday morning of a New Year's weekend...
Coffee was nothing to write home about, but the wait staff was everything I could have hoped for - hot, friendly, and attentive.
It's definitely worth a visit, and I'm planning a return trip during one of the busier times to see more of the help.
They got hella tv's, it's actually an awesome place to grab coffee and watch the game. They always got the channels on sport games. And they got audio for it, you can actually hear the game. :D they got hella outdoor heaters, so you never have to worry about being cold sitting outside. free wi-fi, you can get your work done here while having music, sport, and coffee. oh girls too, but i'm more about the coffee.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/23/2008
Probably one of the better Vietnamese coffee shops out there. There are plenty of girls there, and… Read more »
Probably one of my favorite coffee shops in SJ. The outdoor patio rocks, wooden patio with two LCD screens. There's also an indoor part which is quite large, no smoking in there. I'm not a big fan of places with smoking indoors because it gets hella stuffy, I mean, I'll still smoke inside because it's convenient, but I feel like I'm going to die in there sometimes. Girls are very attentive and pretty good looking.
41/2 stars. Pretty good. Drinks have no tax and im using wifi right now. The inside is really nice. in a wierd location. fruits and def. fresh. nice atmosphere looks like a fancy restaurant
