With hundreds of delectable dishes to choose from, Mai’s restaurant offers great Vietnamese food in a beautiful setting.

A Family Establishment

Like many ethnic restaurants in the United States, a small family started Mai’s Restaurant in Houston back in 1978. The couple who opened Mai’s, Phin and Phac Nguyen, started the restaurant with the intention of making enough money to provide for their eight children. The restaurant’s name, Mai, was taken from their youngest daughter, and translates to mean “golden flower.” The restaurant thrived from its beginning, and was handed down to Mai herself in the 1990s.

In 2010, a fire destroyed the restaurant. However, with lots of support from the community, the Nguyen family restaurant was rebuilt. Today, it continues to offer food that is just as great as it was in its beginning in 1978.

It’s “Pho” You

If you haven’t tried Vietnamese food or if you’re not sure that you like it, you probably haven’t yet tried really well prepared pho. Pho, which is a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup, is both filling and delicious. At Mai’s Restaurant, all pho soups are served with mint, cilantro, lime, and beansprouts, and can be ordered with a choice of meat, seafood, vegetables, or tofu.

Americanized Desserts

Perhaps the only thing not entirely traditional about this restaurant are the desserts, which incorporate Vietnamese inspiration with the traditional American sweets. Nonetheless, the Banh Carot carrot cake is really good, and the Banh Chocolate and Kem (chocolate chunks and chocolate chips melted with butterscotch and walnuts, served with a cookie crust, and topped with vanilla ice cream) is a must try. They also offer ice cream by the scoop, banana and pearl jellies with coconut pudding, New York cheesecake, and Vietnamese coffee flan. If you don’t go here for the meal, you might want to consider going here for dessert alone.

Fajita Dishes

The word “fajita” is typically associated with Mexican cooking, but at Mai’s Restaurant, you’ll find Vietnamese fajita dishes that give the Mexican version a run for their money. You’ll receive a fajita platter with a steaming meat of choice—pork, chicken, shrimp, meatballs, steak, or tilapia—and then sides of lettuce, cucumber, carrots, bean sprouts, mint, cilantro, fried onions, scallions, and roasted peanuts atop vermicelli. Of course, you’ll also be served rice paper to wrap it all in.

Limitless Options

While the pho, the desserts, and the fajitas are all wonderful at Mai’s Restaurant, you’ll find hundreds of options on this menu, ranging from stir-fried noodles to soups to pork, chicken, seafood, and beef dishes. The fried sticky rice patties are amazing, the chicken wings are a great starter, and the spring rolls are a favorite amongst all. Great for vegans or meat lovers, those who are gluten-free or can’t get enough carbs, and everyone in between, Mai’s has something for all who are hungry. Oh, and they also offer a full bar, so make sure you ask for a wine recommendation with your meal.