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Mai's Cafe & Da Aloha Lounge
Categories: Restaurants Hawaiian Restaurants Vietnamese Food Beer, Wine & Spirits Hawaiian, Vietnamese, Beer, Wine & Spirits
1967 E Main StVentura, CA 93001
(805) 652-2061
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
38 reviews for Mai's Cafe & Da Aloha Lounge
Review Highlights
38 reviews in English
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Review from Mel F.
Ventura, CA
1/20/2012
This place deserves at least one more star. The owner genuinely cares about her customers, goes around the restaurant and personally asks how customer's meals went. I was there yesterday and it seemed that some of the customers had never had Vietnamese food, complained how the "BBQ pork" wasn't "BBQ", I wanted to shake her and tell her "it's in the sauce" was just down the street. Mai's food seems somewhat Americanized to please our Ventura crowd, but even still these dishes seem to keep me satisfied and happy.
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Review from Matthew H.
Oxnard, CA
9/2/2011
This Pho restaurant has a excellent location in middle main st and for pho this is only restaurant of its type in ventura city, but the quality of the food is sadly lacking, the pho is watered down and bland. The service is also unfriendly which is not unusual for a asian restaurant but it is worse here than most asian places.
If you are looking for Pho try the 3 other Pho places in Oxnard before coming here.Listed in: 805 Pho King
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Review from Laura M.
Oxnard, CA
12/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food was ok, the service was slow. Won't be coming here again.
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Review from Katie K.
Oak View, CA
Mai's is my favorite local place for Pho, hands down.
The menu is small, but if you ask Jennifer or Mai very nicely, they can make any combination really, with any of the ingredients listed. I order the Pho Tai but with Vegetable. I love the broth, the noodles are soft, slimy strings of yum, just how they should be. The basil, sprout, bean tray is fresh and the meat is tender and flavorful! Mai;s makes one good bowl of Pho, and if you ask nicely they'll make it how you like it.
I always order young coconuts and spring rolls, yum and yum. Sometimes we stop in for the Dim Sum, excellent! Or change up the order with a little vermicelli dish. No matter how you play it, Mai's is a great everyday place to eat. That's a good thing, cause i eat there almost every day!! Oh and the frog legs are goodness too!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/25/2010
Mai's Cafe is back! So happy to have this place back open for business. They've moved a bit West on… Read more »
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Review from Stephen B.
Ventura, CA
10/6/2011
I looked forward to trying this fairly new restaurant. Unfortunately, the food and ambiance here are not winners. No lunch specials offered. My Hawaiian plate featured greasy, greasy chicken, old rice, and older macaroni salad. My wife's pork sandwich was dry. The interior smelled like smoke...maybe someone was smoking in the back or kitchen? I will not repeat this experience.
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Review from Joel B.
Ventura, CA
11/13/2011
Oh how I used to love Mais at the old location. It had a full bar with killer Mai Tais, friendly and interesting staff, and a great vibe in the Tiki room. Since it's move to the new location I have been 4 or 5 times to get myself some Pho or other assorted Vietnamese/Hawaiian food. Mai herself is still charming and kind, however I feel like it has lost it's vibe.
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Review from Gabby S.
San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA
4/17/2011
I was thoroughly disappointed in the menu. It was very small and non interesting and including no fusion foods. Very common foods you could get at your local L&L Hawaiian BBQ.
I ordered pho and was not impressed at all. Bland broth and tough meat.
So to go from a boring menu to bad food, one of the ladies tried to literally rush us out! She came to our table slapped our table and motioned for us to hurry up! Unbelievable and this was like 15-20minutes before their SCHEDULED 9:30pm closing time & we were about half way through our meal.
And to top our meal of, as we were walking about we heard a dog bark from the kitchen. I am 100% serious!
So, what I am telling you all is if your in the mood for Hawaiian hit up L&L and for pho try another place but not this place! -
Review from Sue D.
Ventura, CA
9/19/2011
When Mai's was near Five Points, I could forgive the wacky service and general cluelessness because I loved the Tiki Bar atmosphere and it was cozy and fun.
Now, in the new, more traditional-feeling restaurant space, the service errors and the uninspired food combine to give me no reason to return. I'd rather drive over to Pho Oxnard for Vietnamese food than to put up with being treated badly.
I don't know what their problem is, but they seem to go through a lot of servers, most of whom act like they are unfamiliar with the menu and who aren't particularly keen to learn. When we asked one about what kind of beer they had, she wrinkled her nose and said "I don't drink beer. But we have some in bottles." Well, thank you for that piece of wisdom. Not exactly what I wanted to know.
In addition, they have items on the menu that they NEVER seem to have, which is kind of annoying. They used to have excellent vegetarian Banh Mi, but then it turned into just fried tofu on a bun. -
Review from Alan R.
Ventura, CA
10/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Food is always hot, fresh and full of flavor. I get the chicken pho soup. You get mounds of fresh Thai basil and sprouts. Plus limes and peppers.
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Review from Fiona C.
Camarillo, CA
8/8/2011
This used to be my favorite place for Vietnamese food. I have eaten here many times. A couple of months ago I had lunch here with a friend, and we both ended up with diarrhea that afternoon. It was not severe, and for some reason I totally forgot about that experience and came back about 3 weeks ago with my son and his girlfriend.
I ended up with the worst food poisoning I have ever experienced. I was so sick with a fever and diarrhea that I was off work for a week, and then it took me another week to get my strength back. I lost 15 lbs during the ordeal.
Sorry, I will not go back! -
Review from Nikki P.
Ventura, CA
11/6/2010
I was craving pho, went in, didn't get it. Their pgo menu is less than extensive, but I ended up finding a killer meal anyway. Tiger shrimp and pork with vemicelli. Mmmmmmm. The staff was super friendly and the food came out quick.
The thai iced tea with boba left something to be desired, but hey, they cant all be winners.
Oh yeah, they have a Quail appetizer which is effing amazing. Yeah, Quail. As in California's state bird. I'm pretty sure that's not legal. But oh so tasty. -
Review from Jack F.
6/10/2010
For yesterday's lunch, I ordered the Pho Special ($8) which included beef, brisket, & meatballs. The broth was light in taste & color, the meat tender enough, but the egg noodles were large, heavy, and served al dente. I found that it took some skillful (and messy) slurping to consume those noodles.
If you eat here, skip the plastic chopsticks and get a fork. That said, I enjoy Vietnamese food, but this isn't my kind of place when I'm on the go for pho.Listed in: Room For Improvement, On The Go For Pho
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Review from Elvira G.
Thousand Oaks, CA
7/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Delicious spring roll BBQ at table for 2; went with my daughter about 6 months ago. Got me inspired to do my own Vietnamese spring rolls since we could see all the ingredients. I think we had about 4 meats including shrimp which were all seasoned perfectly. The waitress was super nice.
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Review from G Y.
Ventura, CA
11/12/2007
Mai's is a little Vietnamese/Hawaiian cafe and bar down by Five Points, where the American Legion hall used to be. The weather was a bit chilly and drizzly yesterday, so I was in the mood for some pho. Being 7ish on a Sunday evening, I wasn't sure what would be open, or how late. I called Mai's and found out that they're open until 11. I assume that this is in part due to the fact that Mai's has an event space known as "Da Aloha Lounge," and there was live music scheduled for later in the evening.
I got a kick out of the funky decor, with the brightly colored walls, festive signage, and curly bamboo growing in Patron bottles. The host who greeted us was genial and encouraged us to make ourselves comfortable and peruse the menu. I ordered a bowl of pho with flank and tripe, which I was happy to find available. I've been to pho places before where tripe was not served, and last time I made pho at home, I had to drive all over this town and half of the next one before I found a carniceria that had some. Other than being slightly less than generous with the basil, I have no complaints about the pho at Mai's. My girlfriend ordered chicken that was coated with mochi flour and fried, served with rice, kimchi, and macaroni salad - that was pretty tasty too.
I want to come back to Mai's for lunch sometime, as I noticed that they serve banh mi thit nuong (my favorite Vietnamese sandwich), and I may want to try the pork adobo as well. -
Review from Rod C.
Camarillo, CA
12/26/2008
First impression:
They are now located on Main St in Ventura. We went here during lunch and noticed construction going on. Cool writing on the walls. Needless to say, construction during open business hours is not a good thing! Smelled like wet carpet and smoke. At least they had hot running water, so they can wash their hands.
Now the review:
I tried the pork adobo out of curiousity. The meat seemed cured/salted....in a way that was not fresh. Not the soy/vinegar taste I'm used to, more like salted cured country ham. The pork bao were definately of the frozen variety. The pho was lacking......Save your pho appetite for Pho Saigon in Hueneme because they kick a$$. It's seems like a cool hangout at night. They have a bar with good selections and cheap well drinks. -
Review from Corazon R.
Los Angeles, CA
11/27/2007
Hawaiian and Vietnamese food. Let me count the cultures!
Once upon a time, I was very adamant about avoiding restaurants that did the multiple genre/culture deal. I've learned my ways since, but it's still in my system I guess when I had a look of trepidation on my face when it was suggested we go there for dinner.
What sold us on going in the first place was the fact they had Pho. I really thought I'd be getting a nice, hot bowl of broth, but upon perusing the menu, I noticed they had an awesome selection of Hawaiian dishes as well as one Pilipino dish, which made me happy, but I didn't order (cause it would pale in comparison to my papa's cooking). Instead, I went for mochi flour fried chicken, which was good, along with the macaroni salad. I had a bit of the kimchi thinking it was a salad, and that sucked. It wasn't so kimchi-y anyway, as it seemed it wasn't pickled long enough or something. A surprise on the menu is their selection of Vietnamese sandwiches. I don't eat them but it's good to know they have them all the same.
The interior is very festive and cute, and matches the whole Hawaiian-Vietnamese cuisine; the place is festooned with colorful Hawaiian decor with Vietnamese paintings on the wall. The people who work there are very friendly and nice, and they've got a full bar so you can get your drink on.
This is definitely a place where I'd like to come back to just to be able to try the different dishes they offer there. Even better, they're open late (for Ventura) and is stumbling distance from one of the most diviest bars around, BillyO's. -
Review from Justine T.
Santa Barbara, CA
2/4/2009
Cháo Ban, Yelpers!
Mai's Cafe is a Vietnamese spot right next to Billy O's tavern off the lovely and infamously twisted 5-point Intersection. Before today I had been there several times but only on Wednesday nights and only to the spacious and festive back room known as "Da Aloha Lounge" to drink some beers and catch my friend's band-- Pacifico.
While the place is usually pretty packed during the evenings, the always classy Sneaker Pimp and I were Mai's only guests for lunch today. The atmosphere is young and fun, with a Hawaiian influence complete with tiki men, drink umbrellas, and framed hula girls. Over the years, guests have been allowed to doodle on one of the walls and the comments run the gamut from sweet to satisfactorily obscene which goes to show that Mai's is a favorite with the younger Ventura locals.
Upon opening the menu, the first thing that struck me were the prices. Ooooh, the prices. We had picked Mai's for lunch because we were in the mood for something quick, delicious, and CHEAP. Not so, my friends. Both appetizers and entree's ranged from $5.95 to about $10.95, with beverages starting at $2.75. There is a section of Dim Sums for $2.99 and they all looked so yummy but much to my disdain, they are ONLY available Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. BOO!
Service was slow as there seemed to be one cook in the kitchen and one waitress working the bar and dining area but c'mon people! We are the only two people heeeeeere. When I finally got my fresh-squeezed lemonade it was perfectly sour and the waitress was very friendly, asking if it needed more sugar and handing us the remote to change the channel on their big-screen.
We split an appetizer of the Samba Shrimp which consists of five butterflied shrimp on skewers, grilled up and dressed with a mix of Cock Sauce (Sriracha for you laymen AKA Thai-style hot sauce AKA God's gift to food) and a little mayo. The shrimp were delicious but made a small dish for the price (a little over $7).
For the main shebang, we each settled on a chicken Bánh Mi, which is a Vietnamese sandwich on a french baguette. Stuffed with carrots, lettuce, cilantro and shredded chicken they were simple and satisfying although with a bread as crusty as a french baguette it seemed a bit dry and a little sauce would have been really nice (maybe some more of the Sriracha and mayo? YUM!). The sandwiches came with a bowl of clear, vegetable soup with cabbage, carrots, and broccoli that wasn't really my style due to the slight sweetness of the broth but Sneaker Pimp sucked it down in about a minute flat and declared loudly, "UGG! I could LIVE off this stuff!"
We split the bill down the middle and it cost us $14.12 each, pre-tip. That was about double what I would have liked to have spent. Choosing a Vietnamese restaurant, which are generally known for great food and even better prices, we expected to get in and out for about $6-8 a piece.
That being said... atmosphere? GREAT! Fun, bright... a mini-vacation. Service? A little slow but friendly and accommodating. The food is a little over-priced but leaves your tummy full and happy. My advice would be to check out Mai's on a night they have live music or wait until the weekend so you can try out the Dim Sums on the back of the menu for great fun and cheaper eats.
Tam biêt, Yelpers! -
Review from Brandon S.
Olympia, WA
12/4/2007
We first went to Mai's just after it opened about a year and a half ago while the American Legion Hall was still going strong. The front of the house wasn't quite decorated yet and we were the only ones in the restaurant , but there was bingo going on in the back room and a steady stream of bingo players coming and going. Yeah, the atmosphere wasn't quite right, no doubt. The food was good but all we could remember was the atmosphere, so we never went back until this weekend.
Too bad. We missed out on bahn mis and pho within a five minute drive for over a year. We've been driving to Oxnard for pho this whole time and lamenting the fact that you couldn't get a bahn mi in all of Ventura County (there must be another place somewhere?).
Thankfully they've finished decorating and they don't play any bingo in back anymore, so now it's a pretty comfortable place. We especially liked sitting in Da Aloha Lounge near the fireplace listening to some Hawaiian-tinged rockabilly. It was very warm and relaxing and is actually a pretty cool place now.
The food is solid. Not spectacular necessarily, but tasty and definitely priced right. Neither dish was more than seven dollars. Six dollars is a little much for bahn mi but only because I used to get one twice as big for two bucks in Seattle's International District. But you do get a tasty soup with it and I felt like I got my money's worth.
I'm so glad we gave Mai's a second chance. Thanks to all the previous reviewers who convinced me to go back.Listed in: My Fav Ventura Restaurants
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Review from Don M.
Ventura, CA
2/23/2007
Great Vietnamese food in downtown Ventura. The Vietnamese noodle bowls with BBQ shrimp or pork are EXCELLENT with lots of fresh mint and bean sprouts. The soup bowls are also very good. It's casual, with a slightly tiki/elks club feel to it, but the excellent food in the funky decor is what makes the place special. Mai's is great for lunch too!
Although I haven't used it, they also have a big banquet room in the back and she offers to cater outside events.
If you're cheap, you can check out the local "smart shopper" and "penny savers" for coupons - there are often decent lunch and dinner coupons in there.
EDIT MAY 2008: Sorry to say, they've been skimping on the quality of the food -
- The meat is no longer very good quality in the BBQ pork ... seems to be lots of gristle and not that fresh.
- The lettuce is not fresh and tender... seems old and tough like it's the outside leaves. And there are some mystery leaves in it that look a lot like garden weeds.
- They never seem to have mint anymore as a garnish. What's up with that?
Finally, I witnessed an incident where I thought I saw a staff member salvaging the meat from a table of half eaten dishes after the people had left. I sure hope it was for their dog... In all cases, I was shocked to see her picking meat out of the half eaten meals with a pair of chopsticks and consolidating it into a little bowl. You probably don't believe me, but I saw it with my own eyes: cross my heart and swear on it.
On the bright side, the staff is still super friendly!
I used to really like this place when the food was fresh and I did not fear for my health there. Sadly, I won't be going back. -
Review from donna c.
Denver, CO
5/21/2009 2 photos
Thumbs up for a Cute Bar!
Thumbs down for the parking in the back with no lights...which is really scary if your alone and is your first time going to Mai's (that was me tonight) so i parked in the front cuz i didnt feel like walking in the dark looking for the back entrance. Scary!
thats all i have to say about this place...for now. the food didnt look as appetizing to me.
so i didnt get to try anything on the menu http://www.yelp.com/bi... but i did get to listen to some good live acoustic by yul v. and susan d. http://www.yelp.com/bi... hopefully they'll be performing there one night you decide to check this place out. -
Review from Shekinah L.
Oxnard, CA
6/30/2010
Their pho broth is spicy and delicious although the serving isn't as much as other pho restaurants... but what they lack in quantity they make up for in quality.
In my opinion, their boba is probably one of the best ones around Ventura County. It's not too soft. it's chewy and just right.
Also, I like that they're open late. I can satisfy my late night pho cravings here before they close at 11pm. Other restaurants usually close at 9pm. -
Review from Meg T.
Ventura, CA
12/14/2007
Two words..... MAI TAI'S... I have yet to eat there. but the Mai Tai's at Mai's are better than any I've had even in Hawaii.. This place is Ventura's best kept secret!!! Kareoke, great drinks... fun atmosphere... Right next door to Billy-O's.. its easy to find and a great late night hang-out.
Cheers! -
Review from Tim K.
Oak View, CA
3/7/2007 5 photos
This was my first time having Vietnamese food there last week. My friend Von Tiki loves the place and insisted on taking me there despite my protests. " But we are a mile from Corrales, let's go there" ( I will write a review for Corrales but I'm sure it is already on Yelp. No, we were going to Mai's. He says I always eat Mexican food anytime and I must branch out. Boy was I surprised. We had the pho lunch special which is a soup you add a lot of stuff to your liking to and the best spring rolls that were wrapped in rice burritos and were not fried. We also had a Mai Tai from the Da Aloha Lounge that shares the place with Mai who is one incredible chef.
It was so good that I took my girlfriend there protesting the next night as she didn't want to go. " I have never had Vietnamese food and don't think I'll like it. " No, I insist we go, you must branch out and try new things" Now she can't wait to go back and try some of Mai's different dishes. The duck in curry sauce was her favorite.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Ryan H.
Ventura, CA
4/22/2011
Mai's Cafe serves up some of the best food around, period. Her phô will part the clouds on a rainy day. Everything on the menu is quality and delicious, leaves me feeling great every time. The atmosphere is bright and clean in the daytime, warm and glowing at night. The staff is always friendly and attentive, service is fast and it's all very fairly priced.
If you like food, I would recommend trying Mai's.
I start thinking about those little eggrolls, wrapping them up in lettuce with the cilantro and the mint and the sour leaf, and dipping with the sauce and my mouth starts watering and something takes over me. At this moment, nothing else will do. -
Review from Art C.
San Jose, CA
4/7/2008
The stars were for the awesome staff. Very friendly and genuine. I was excited about the Vietnamese / Hawaiian mix, hoping it would be something interesting, but it seemed to be mostly Vietnamese with a Hawaiian menu in the back, nothing too special. The Vietnamese food was not good, I've had much better. The drink I had didn't impress me either.
The entrance and parking is a bit sketchy. Parking in the back was dark and didn't feel all that safe. The entrance seemed to be hard to find.
There was some hip hop show that night, and a lot of people kept walking past our table constantly the entire night. Smoke from smokers outside kept wafing into the restaurant, and the doors were kept open while it was pretty cold inside.
It's dark, and not a great sit down place. I would not come again. -
Review from Yul V.
Oxnard, CA
5/25/2009
Good location! Good service. But the food and menu, eh. The menu doesn't even correlate with what's being served in the cafe. I mean, why would the menu say they serve FLAN, but not have it. Apparently, they are undergoing a new menu. This place reflects as the essential mom and pop cafe with a bar trying to make ends meet. Well that's my opinion. They must make their bread and butter from the bar. because unfortunately their food here wasn't appetizing what so ever. I love Vietnamese food. TO DEATH!!!! And giving me only a few ounces of bean sprouts and 2 slices of jalapenos along with my Pho noodles will not make a happy YUL. Geez not to mention that the prices were jacked up! I eat at my local Pho place and get tons more for less money. I guess that's what I get for trying something new.
Bathroom!!! YUCK! Jesus. Disgusting! Graffiti! Urine on the toilet seat. This place is a definite hovering over the toilet place. lol
I'll come here again, but only if I'm performing or craving PHO at a poorly designed interior dive. I'd rather eat at PHO OXNARD and that's very far-fetch for my standards. PHO SAIGON all the way! -
Review from Loye B.
Fresno, CA
9/10/2010
Crap, Ive eaten at all the authentic Viet places in Los Angeles and OC. This place is an overpriced fake imitation. They dont even use fresh indgrediants. Ill take the Viet places in OXNARD than this crap hole. Why pay 8 dollars for a small sized bowl of packaged broth pho,when I can go to Pho So 1 in Oxnard and have the real thing for 5 bucks...Use your brain.
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Review from Melissa T.
San Diego, CA
1/29/2008
My boyfriend and I came here for dinner having high expectations for Vietnamese AND Hawaiian food. However, it disappointed us.
We came in the back way and it was really weird. We weren't sure where to go and when we walked in there is a small dining area. On the other side of the room is a lounge. On the same night we came, there was a hip-hop performance in the back room. So when we sat down to eat, there was a lot of people walking by us. It was uncomfortable and awkward eating.
The restaurant is Vietnamese owned. They give you HUGE food portions. We did not try any Hawaiian food, so I don't know how it fairs. The price for the Vietnamese food is a bit pricey compared to many other places. I have definitely had better Vietnamese food.
The staff are VERY nice and friendly. -
Review from Adam H.
Camarillo, CA
3/31/2009
Killa grindz! Well Iggy can whip it up; and the Vietnamese food is great. Very laid back atmosphere and great Mai Thais at the bar. This place is right next to Billy O's with parking on the street or in the back.
If you enjoy a quiet place with just a couple regulars at the bar then Mai's is for you!
The food is good, and Mai Thais are best on the mainland. -
Review from Bailey B.
Boston, MA
1/8/2011
Yeah I used to like this place back when it was at the old location. Probably because it was the only Vietnamese place around. Both their food and service have gone downhill. I went there the other night with a gift certificate with no expiration, but they refused to accept it because it was from the old location! It's the same owners! All they did was move locations. Needless to say there are better Vietnamese places with more pleasant people elsewhere. I won't be back.
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Review from Frank P.
Ventura, CA
1/20/2011
I went here during lunch with some co-workers since we hadn't been yet. My food was ok, but the main thing that turned me off was that somebody else with us got a sandwich-type thing and the bread had spots of mold on it. He pointed it out to our server, and she took it away and returned with another sandwich (who knows if the bread was from the same batch?).
The service was pretty lousy too- almost borderline rude. -
Review from Mike S.
San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA
7/22/2010
FOR ALL IT'S CUTE DECOR AND NICE EXTERIOR MURAL, THIS PLACE BLOWS. I'M JUST NOT ENCHANTED BY THE OVERCOOKED NASTY CHICKEN DISH AND MYSTERY MEAT. Lastly the whole "me speaky pidgin" just doesn't work for me. I prefer surly Chinese waiters at the Dim sum restaurtants in L.A. and Vegas. Maybe we just ordered the wrong stuff.
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Review from Justin D.
Camarillo, CA
8/10/2010
Worst possible food I've ever had. If I could write a review so powerful it put them out of business I would. If you enjoy flavor and food I would avoid this place like the plague, if you enjoy over salted everything and soup that tastes like Robitussin then you found the right place. Go anywhere else for god's sake, the garbage of any other restaurant probably tastes better then this place.
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Review from Robert G.
San Jose, CA
6/21/2006
Mai's Cafe in Ventura California is definitely a hidden gem! The owner, originally from Hawaii cooks some of the meanest Loco Moco & Pork Lau Lau I have ever had and he runs his business true to the "aloha spirit" of hospitality. They have a small tiki bar there as well where the bartender (Sarah Pugh, love you girl!) serves em up stiff while always engaging you in hilarious conversation. FYI, there is a stripper pole oddly enough behind the bar and if your game to actually jump on it for a whirl while they play IZ's version of "over the rainbow" feel free! Great locals spot, genuinely nice people and the perfect place to eat and pre drink before a night out on the town.
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Review from Charlene O.
Ventura, CA
6/29/2008
Yummmm....I had the vietnamese rolls and the Pho, sooo good. Tender chicken, clear noodles, and just the right amount of fixings to go with a clean delicious broth; fresh basil, lime, jalapenos, just fantastic!!!!!!! The staff was warm and accomodating, Mai came out and said hi. I'll definitely be back.
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Review from Dylan H.
San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA
6/10/2010
Mai's Cafe is delicious place to get pho. It's right by Ventura High School, same block as Petes. The Chicken Pho is my favorite and if you ask to get a super bowl ( $2 more) and divide it into two bowls its only $11 with tax and tip. Its cheap and delicious. Service is great and food is plentiful. When you get the Pho you have to add the Hoisin sauce which is on the table or else the soup itself lacks flavor. Its a great spot, the only complaint is that its a little open therefore your experince doesnt feel private as most restaurant are. Besides that its a great spot to eat and I would recommend this spot for anyone wanting a affordable but nice date.
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Review from Glenn C.
Camarillo, CA
9/10/2009
good food but a little on the skimpy side. i was expecting bigger portions, thinking that the restaurant was of hawaiin type, but that's the theme of the bar, which looks like a fun place to hang at night, will have to check out some other time. live music while u eat and great service. Also, loved the random sharpie writings on the wall, very unique!
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Review from jacky b.
Oxnard, CA
10/19/2008
okay, reading the other reviews i feel kind of bad for giving it two stars, but hey, i almost gave it one.
i've only been to mai's once, because i performed there (i'm in a band). i'm not sure if it was the day we went there, or everyday, but i did not like the food. my sister ordered the pho, and i've had much better elsewhere. i had the sandwhich, and it was okay. nothing out of the ordinary.
i was disappointed, because the restaurant seemed cozy and looked like it would be host to some nice home cooked meals...but no, my standards weren't met. if it weren't for me performing there in the future sometime again, i probably wouldn't go to eat there. my friends that went to go out and support the show weren't happy with their meals either; some got the fried rice and said it was too dry, others got another soup and said it tasted funny. overall, the prices are too high for the not-so-high quality and taste.
if you're in the mood for GOOD vietnamese food in the area, hit up Pho Saigon in hueneme, sorry guys, but even the water there tasted funky at mai's.
as for the hawaiian half of the bargain, i didn't try anything on the menu from it. i probably won't go back to attempt though.
