A surprisingly reliable barometer for a great Asian restaurant is a modest 3 or 3.5-star rating on Yelp, and Lotus Pho fits the bill perfectly. After a long day of snowboarding, the family, famished but hopeful, stumbled upon the unassuming Lotus Pho. The interior immediately makes an impression for sure: multicolored umbrellas hang from the ceiling and wallpaper is boldly adorned with the word "noodles" among Vietnamese words I wouldn't be able to translate to you. Anyway, service was prompt as water and menus arrived as soon as we got seated. After ordering, the food followed within ten minutes too. We started out with the salt and pepper calamari which was pretty crispy, peppery, and savory. Def ideal for replenishing post-slope appetites. I also ordered the grilled chicken banh mi, and while the chicken itself could have used more seasoning, the inclusion of pâté (unexpected and typically accompanied with a surcharge) brings the sandwich to another level. The portion sizes are all generous too. My dad had the wonton soup (another highlight). The broth was exceptionally clean and easily among the best clear broths I've had in recent memory. The wontons were hearty, and the abundance of vegetables inside added a bright balance. I will note that prices are admittedly on the higher side, but understandable given the restaurant's prime location (just two min from the Heavenly Gondola). For me, Lotus Pho is absolutely worth a visit--and I'll definitely be returning. In this neck of the woods where good Asian food remains scarce, it's an easy 5 star pho restaurant.

We had lunch here a couple of weeks ago (4 of us). This is my 2nd time here (was here during their soft opening period in a previous year). The setting is very nice. Parking is plentiful. The service was good. Their menu is a combination of Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese. If this same restaurant were in LA, I would probably give it a 4, but given it's in South Lake Tahoe, it's a welcome addition to the restaurant line-up. I had the fried spring rolls and the pho. Both were good/very good. I would definitely go back.

Pretty solid food. Came in and it was empty. Easily got seated around lunch. There's many different foods here, so chances are it is not Vietnamese owned food. With that being said, be careful in expecting authenticity with Vietnamese dishes - just be open. The premium short ribs were very solid, cooked and seasoned very nicely. The dish was great. Bun Bo Hue is hard to mess up sometimes, they used the correct noodles and the broth was seasoned well, had that authentic spice. However, the noodles were lacking, there was mostly just broth. Overall, good and satisfying meal. The service was good, they were attentive.

We visited during peak season, so the wait time was quite long, but at least we were able to wait inside, which was nice. You know how people talk about a chef's special touch? Well, this chef definitely has it! Everything we ate was absolutely delicious. The flavors were incredible. Plus, the fact that they are dog-friendly was a huge bonus for me. The only downside was that the dishes didn't arrive in order, wouldn't have wanted my appetizer to come last. But given how busy it was, that was probably the reason. We loved it so much that we're planning to come back on the other days of our stay!

The pho here was pretty fantastic. The broth is solid and the greens that come on the side were fresh and plentiful. It took a really long time for my noodles to soften up enough to eat which was kind of a bummer because I was famished but after about 15 minutes of wiggling them and helping the broth get inside the noodle ball, they softened up enough to separate and eat. I was a little sad that there were virtually no veggies in the soup itself. I'm used to onions, broccoli, carrots and maybe cauliflower. Even zucchini sometimes, but this pho was pretty much just meat, noodles, broth and whatever you added from the plate of herbs, beans sprouts, lime and noodles that you traditionally get with pho. I really wish there were more veggies. Next time I'll see if I can request that they be added. The ambience is nice. It's cute and casual with lots of tables and space. Could be a cute (and budget) date night spot if it's not a special occasion.

It's nice to walk off the gondola 1 block and able to get Bun Bo Hue. Broth was good w/ noodles, brisket and Cha. No pork feet nor pork blood bc they are in the middle of no where, understandable. They forgot the bean sprouts and basil though. I didn't like that the portable POS only had 20%, 25%, 30% tips while the waitress was starring at you making the selection. I work in the restaurant industry and even this seems uncomfortable.

Yum! What a fantastic first experience of pho! The service was quick and food was hot and delicious. We ordered the egg rolls which only had meat in them and veggies on the side and then pho with hot sake and beer. The restaurant was adorably decorated too. I highly recommend this place.