Mama Hong's — Restaurant in Burbank

If you think Mama Hong’s is a great experience, let me give you the honest truth—it’s not. And I can prove it.

Context: My only previous experience with Mama Hong’s was takeout—the delicious Spicy Garlic Tofu/Chicken Noodles and their Spring Rolls when I worked nearby. If a restaurant’s takeout is good, that usually says something about them! So, last night I brought my wife there to introduce her to entry-level Vietnamese food.

The food: Meh. I ordered something new, my wife tried the place for the first time, and I left thinking: Where’s the Mama Hong’s flavor? Where’s that home-cooked taste? My beef noodles tasted like the sauce came out of a bottle. Nothing had pizzazz—just bland.

We ordered the Shaken Beef Garlic Noodles (me) and Shrimp Fried Rice (her). We split our dishes and were shocked at the kid-sized portions. We actually left hungry. I would’ve been more full eating at Chipotle. And for the price? You’ve got guts serving so little food for so much money.

The experience: We waited 20 minutes for a table (not bad for downtown Burbank on a Sunday). The place was packed, music was loud, tables crammed close together—you hear everyone’s conversations and smell everything from the kitchen.

Our waiter (let’s call him Jack) got us water and took our orders quickly. The food came in under 20 minutes. So far, not terrible. But then...

While we were finishing eating, I saw Jack walk out the front door. Plates got cleared by someone else. Then we sat for 15 minutes, waiting for him to return. He never did.

I went to the counter and asked another server (Jill) for the bill. Instead of letting me pay right there like takeout, she insisted on bringing it over. One minute later, she shows up with the handheld register. I ask if I can pay cash. She says yes, drops the bill, then walks away—even though I had the cash IN MY HAND.

We waited another 10 minutes. Still nothing. I went back up to the counter. Jill finally took my cash, but then we waited another 15 minutes before anyone brought back my change. I could literally see it sitting on the counter the whole time. Eventually, Jill noticed me glaring and rushed it over.

And right as we left—25 minutes after finishing—Jack finally strolled back in the front door. If he was on break, fine. But don’t abandon your table and leave your guests stranded. And don’t use fake politeness as a stalling tactic while you drag out simple things like paying a bill. Show some real respect.

I should’ve asked for the manager, but if that was him, he was drowning in takeout orders—and clearly not paying attention to the dining room.

Bottom line: If you want Vietnamese food, go elsewhere. Especially if you expect quality food, decent portions, and...

What the heck happened within a few months??!! Surprisingly disappointed. The staff here is absolutely wonderful, friendly and attentive. Throughout the years, this was the usually "group" lunch or dinner spot. Unfortunately it has declined in presentation, flavor, quality and quantity.

We had the fried egg rolls, spring rolls, the Traditional Combo Pho and the Shaken Beef. The fried egg rolls were okay and not melt in your mouth delicious as before. The spring rolls were not appetizing. The sliver of meat in the rolls were dry as well as the shrimp, too. Definitely not fresh because it didn't taste or feel fresh. On some parts of the clear wrapper of the spring rolls, there were portions of the roll that were a little tough as if they were sitting under a heat lamp or in the "window" for a bit or the wrapper was a little too dry when rolling it causing the wrapper to be chewy. The lettuce on the inside of the rolls didn't look so great either.

I honestly believe that our food was poorly made by ignorant chefs. By the way, I had the Shaken Beef Salad. If I were to make food at any restaurant, I would definitely not let anything slip by such as any little pieces of brown, wilted lettuce and leaving the butt end core of the lettuce in my salad (it was a huge piece that I found hidden underneath). Why would you even serve that? The salad dressing had no flavor at all. Looked amazing but had no flavor. It caught me by surprise that I had to let my husband try my salad. The beef and onions for my Shaken Beef were not seared. The beef was tough, over marinated and overpriced for the small amount I received. My beef tasted like it was cooked in too much liquid causing the meat not to be seared and chewy. What you see in the picture is what you get. No, there's not much underneath - just big chunks of onions. The little bowl of pho broth that comes with the dish tasted exactly like the powdered pho soup base you can purchase at the Ranch market. It was super salty and the broth did not have one drop of fat floating on top at all.

Disappointing. Did they change the chefs or owners? What happened to quality of the food, too? They don't even care if the ingredients aren't fresh and they'll still make your food! The whole meal left such a bad taste in our mouths that we're never coming back. Oh, we sat in front of the register by the kitchen and were annoyed by all the gnats flying around us while we ate. That's kind of gross if you...

The food - is absolutely delicious.

The pricing good.

I'll let the other reviews and pix let you in on the various well made dishes; this here is about Thai Ice Tea which I live for, Pho, and the servers. .

If you're a Thai Ice Tea aficionado ask for it to be served SEPARATED - MILK & TEA! They use to do this automatically back in JAN 2017. The luxury of this tea presentation, and fine milk-freshly-brewed-tea taste, coupled with the delicious food lead to my 5 star review.

But as of August -- busy tables have had this fine restaurant revert to pre-mixing their tea, a great disappointment for me as it does make a difference. . I had to remove a star for the loss of this luxury. Thankfully - we can still request it to be served separately (and the food's still impeccable )..

You've never tasted TAI ICED TEA in L.A. - until you have it here. Most places in this city give you a sweetened already mixed version... blech.. This has actual tea, with the milk served separately if now asked for - hanging out on top for you to mix at whim. (SUGGESTION : first taste brown tea underneath before mixing - delicious.)

WARNING : If you're a first timer with PHO, I suggest you ask how to put it together once served.. request fork if need. PHO is delicious -- if you put it together with all the trimmings, lime, sauces. . Sounds easy but might look daunting if never done before.

The servers are really fast moving around here - !!! Might have to reach out to grab one if you're in a hurry, but they're very accommodating, and...