Lilly's Café

Lilly's Café is that girl. This was my first time visiting (even though they've clearly been THAT place forever), and now I'm mad I waited so long. From the moment you walk in, it's cozy, welcoming, and full of character. There's literally a wall of awards, Gambit's Best Of, Yelp awards, and even "WHEREY'AT" recognition. They've earned every one of them, because Lilly's lives up to the hype! I ordered: * Matcha Milk Tea - 10/10. Creamy, flavorful, and now has a chokehold on me. I'm coming back just for this! * Grilled Chicken Rolls (appetizer) - 10/10. Fresh, tasty, and perfectly wrapped. * Spicy Tofu with Rice & Veggies - 7/10. The flavor great, but was a little salty and wasn't hot at all. * My friend had the Spicy Shrimp Pho - 10/10 After our meal, we stepped outside to take a few pics and Lilly came out to greet us. She was so sweet and just genuinely grateful. She shared how blessed she feels to run Lilly's and that energy made the experience even better. Fast service, flavorful food, and unmatched hospitality. I'll absolutely be back.

We wanted to give this place a try while we were in New Orleans because it kept popping up in my search results. After seeing it come up so many times, we figured, why not? Unfortunately, it turned out to be a big disappointment and honestly felt like a waste of our time and money. This is not authentic Vietnamese food, not even close. Starting with the Pho, the broth was the biggest letdown. It lacked the depth and richness you get from broth that’s been slowly simmered with beef bones and spices. Instead, it tasted flat and overly salty, more like a powdered soup base than something made the traditional way. The grilled pork dish was also very disappointing. When I order grilled pork, I expect actual grill marks, a bit of char, and that smoky flavor. What came out didn’t resemble that at all. The meat was dry, bland, and tasted like it had been pan-cooked ahead of time, refrigerated, and then reheated. It definitely didn’t taste fresh off a grill by no means. The spring rolls were another surprise, and not in a good way. Vietnamese fresh rolls are typically packed with herbs, vermicelli, and protein, but these had what tasted like a basic salad mix inside. It felt like filler rather than thoughtfully prepared ingredients. The egg rolls were forgettable as well. What was most disappointing is the idea that visitors might try this place and assume this is what authentic Vietnamese cuisine tastes like. It’s not. We ate what we could and left the rest behind. I can’t recommend this place, especially if you’re looking for traditional flavors. If you’re visiting New Orleans and craving Vietnamese food, I’d suggest venturing outside of downtown for a more authentic experience and attentive service. honestly, I think it pops up on the G-search a lot because it sits on the popular Magazine St.

Great spot with delicious food and even better value! Lilly’s cafe was a pleasant lunch affair for our group of six. We had a combination of summer rolls, fried shrimp rolls, and vegetable rolls. I had these for my main, the other people in my group had pho. We phoroughly enjoyed our food. A great restaurant to escape the typically greasy cuisine of the south. Highly recommended visit. Lilys have clearly won many awards for their outstanding restaurant (pictured). I have never particularly understood some of the more brothy Asian cuisine such as pho or ramen. I understand it’s nice, as people I’m with often request it, but to me it is somewhat boring tasting, and does not fit my typical meal time requirements. Certainly a suitable dish to be had when escaping from the heat.

Awesome place! Very authentic and tasty food and Lilly's recommendations went down very well indeed. Very filling plates and too tasty to stop eating.

Let me say I was not my best when visiting Lily’s cafe but just what I needed after my wedding night! Cured the hangover right away with their delicious pho!! The broth was soothing and not overly salty and well balanced! The noodles were perfect and the meat ratio was generous! The bahn mi was also delicious with just the right amount of crunch and softness. The summer roll was also perfect, and again the ratio of filling was generous!! The restaurant got packed fast as this was around lunchtime but there were a fair number of customers getting carry out too! I would highly recommend getting there earlier if you can. Lily herself even came by to check on everybody and greeted everyone despite how busy it was!