Brodard Restaurant

I remembered Brodard being better. To sum up my experience from this past weekend: overrated.
The newly expanded dining space is the only improvement from my last visit in 2007. Their famous nem nuong sauce was too sweet for my taste. My friend and her mom tried the mi quang, once famous and very popular here. They said it was only okay. The noodles were not chewy and gorgeous like the ones at Hue Oi. Definitely go to Hue Oi for superior mi quang.
Service was polite, but very slow. So don’t come here if you’re hungry, you’ll be hangry very soon – long line, long wait time, and then more waiting. Not fun.
Perhaps coming when they first open will offer a slightly better time, but probably won’t change the lackluster flavors of their renowned specialties.
Before introducing my friend to Brodard, I told her this was the quintessential OC experience. Don’t think so anymore. We’ll probably pass next time we’re in the ‘hood. So many other places to explore.

I’ve never really craved for Vietnamese food until I met Brodard’s spring rolls.
For me, all Vietnamese place, except this place are almost the same.
Their spring rolls are the best! I’ve tried several different places, no place comes close to this one.

There’s no doubt that Brodard’s Nem Nuong Cuong are delicious! The portions of juicy pork, veggies, and crisp egg roll skin, paired with the amazing dipping sauce are absolutely perfect.
I am also a huge fan of vermicelli bowls, so this is my go to dish at most Vietnamese restaurants. I ordered the bun cha gio thit nuong, with egg roll and BBQ pork and it was great! I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for something refreshing with great flavor.
My only problem was that I was so excited to eat my meal I ended up pouring the whole saucer of fish sauce into my bowl and regretted it later when I ended up with soggy noddles at the bottom of my bowl.
Now my only gripe with the restaurant was their horrendous service. Granted, we came at their peak hours on a Saturday night, and I came here already expecting the service to be sub par, but this was just bad. My tip would be to come in knowing what you want to order and order absolutely everything when the waiter first takes your order (including water, spoons, god forbid an extra napkin or two) because you will likely spend the entirety of your meal trying to flag someone down again. Once we were finally able to get someone’s attention, we had to ask two separate waiters for a round of waters, and they didn’t end up arriving at our table until we had finished our meal.
Parking on the other hand was very easy despite the restaurant being packed. I always park in the lot behind the restaurant and have had no problems finding a spot.
Overall, I would recommend this place if you are in the area and want some amazing spring rolls but service is definitely hit or miss.

some friends invited us here, which was great because they knew exactly what to order and share so we could taste as many dishes as possible! We noticed that they ordered almost all the items with pictures on the menu, so go for that if you don’t know where to start! Get the famous pork and shrimp rolls for sure, but try and share as many different things as you can, they are great, there is at least a part of them that you’ll enjoy. The service is fast, they bus the tables in a minute and you can order 30 sec later! They sell dessert too, take that to go, they need the table for their next customers!

After hearing about this place on numerous occasions, I decided to finally give their spring rolls a try. I ordered the combination of nem nuong and chao tom spring rolls.
The chao tom was good and the nem nuong was just okay, nothing spectacular. Don’t get me wrong, they were better than any restaurant I’ve been to. It’s just that my mama specializes in making nem nuong at home so I don’t usually order them at restaurants.
The peanut sauce was very DELICIOUS and light. Maybe a little too light though, since it tasted a tad bit watered down, but it was still very enjoyable.
The spring rolls were of average size, rolled tightly, and easy to eat… I definitely approve! (My rolling skills are on point though… I’m a regular at twisting up some tight fattys!!)
For anyone who doesn’t eat spring rolls on the regular, I definitely recommend stopping by! I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Came here on the recommendation from a friend after a day at Disneyland. The parking lot in the back where this restaurant is located looked so much sketchier than the lot on the other side. It was like driving into 2 different parts of town.
Upon entering the restaurant, you put your name down on a list and wait to be seated. When we arrived around 6pm on a Saturday, the wait was less than 5 minutes. Not bad at all. After being seated, we ordered their famous pork spring rolls. YUM! The pork spring rolls are very tasty here. Their dipping sauce is as good as everyone says. The people at the table next to us each ordered a plate of pork spring rolls for their main and only meal. They knew what they were doing.
We also ordered a rice plate and a seafood phở type bowl (I don’t remember exactly). Both were excellent and portions were fair.
Service was good, too. Someone checked on us and refilled our waters throughout. When one of our orders didn’t come, someone yelled back to the kitchen to hurry up and get it out. When he dropped the plate off at our table, he apologized for the delay.
If you are in the area and want some bomb pork spring rolls, come here!

Finally came here for the first time. On a Saturday for lunch around 1pm, it was pretty crowded. We got seated in about 30 mins after putting our name on the list. Got the Nem Nuong Cuon (pork spring rolls) (4/​$ 7), & they were really yummy! These came out minutes after we ordered them! What makes it stand out from some other places I’ve gotten spring rolls from is the crunchy fried wrap in the middle, & the dipping sauce. I also got the Hu Tieu Thai (clear noodle soup with ground pork & seafood), which had really yummy broth. I’ll definitely come back for more spring rolls & to try another dish. They also have macarons that’ll try out the next time I come by since I already got my sugar rush from their iced black coffee. Mmm…

Unilocal challenge 2016 (²²⁄₁₀₀)
Been wanting to try this place forever and finally went into town to try! We came at around 1pm and I was so surprised it was kinda crowded. We only waited about 10 – 15 minutes too and there were about 5 parties ahead of us.
They’re known for their Pork Spring Rolls and bro… their spring rolls are BOMB. Probably the best spring rolls ever had! The Shrimp Spring Rolls were great as well. They have a combo that comes with two each!
I got to try the Pork/​Shrimp/​Eggroll Dry Vermicelli Noodle and the Shaken Beef. Both plates were delicious! The shaken beef was so tender and the tomato rice was good.
Don’t forget to grab some macarons on the way out! They’re so soft and yummy! $ 1.50 a piece! Service was good and fast.

−−19÷100 reviews for 2016–
Brodards is the KING of spring rolls. I literally just come here for their nem nuong cuon aka grilled pork spring rolls. It consists of grilled pork, lettuce, cucumber, daikon, carrots, and mint. What makes it extra special is the fried egg roll wrapper that is wrapped around the fresh veggies, under the fresh rice paper. It gives it that extra, delicious crunch… And of course, mostly anything «fried» tends to make food taste better haha. I’ve tried the regular spring rolls without the fried layer and it was good but not great. It was like any other spring roll.
They have plenty of other dishes as well. Such as their beef stew, phở, and other rice dishes (that I have yet to explore)!! I’ve had the beef stew and it reminded me so much of a Filipino dish called «menudo». It had a tomato base and was a bit oily. It came with a baguette but I feel that it should’ve been better paired with rice. It was pretty good though.
By the way, they also have fresh coconuts, boba milk teas, & macarons for dessert. $ 1.50 /​macaron. They’re soft and chewy, just the way they’re supposed to be :)

Thousands of Unilocalers are not wrong — Brodard is spectacular. I wasn’t even hungry when I stopped by, but once the food came out, I couldn’t stop eating.
Pork spring rolls: Flawless. Juicy, flavorful sausage, leafy greens, whole spring onions, and crunchy egg roll pieces all wrapped up and ready to dip in heavenly sauce.
Banh khot: Little cups of goodness. Golden egg batter cups, shrimp, mung beans, pickled veggies, served with probably every herb you could think of to add on.
Phở Thai: Twist on traditional phở with PEANUTS in the broth. Sold sold sold.
The above + two Vietnamese coffees came out to $ 25. Service was friendly, food came out fast, and I already want to go back.

My first time having nem nuong was on this trip, and I was hyped about trying about this place since I’ve heard so many good things about it. First off, this place is incredibly hard to find! It’s inside in the back side of a mall. It looks like there’s another entrance with parking through the back. Then when we got there, the wait was crazy! Expect a long wait if you show up around meal times.
But it was well worth it! The nem nuong was delicious! It comes with orange sauce that just needs a straw because I could drink that whole thing up! We also ordered a shrimp spring roll which wasn’t anything too special and the banh khot I was not a fan of. I could however eat a whole plate of nem nuong all to myself! It comes out pretty fast when you order it, but we ordered our rolls without cilantro and it took a while for them to come out since they needed to wrap special ones just for us. Hands down, the best nem nuong I’ve ever had! I’d skip everything else and just get a ton of nem nuong! YUM!

The only thing I really truly love about Brodard are those crack spring rolls, (nem nuong cuon-​pork spring rolls) I can handle all four of them on my own, what’s sharing? They are probably the best I had in the OC, thank goodness I live down the street so I can get my fix whenever. They go for $ 4.50 for 3 and $ 6.00 for 4 or you can have your choice for some shrimp paste rolls, 3 for $ 6.00 or 4 for $ 8.00. And that sauce, man, add some chili sauce to that, and now were talking! Downside, they are only great fresh, don’t even try saving them the next day, its truly not the same experience.
Other things I’ve tried, most of them are just OKAY. Not a super highlight, like I can get the same stuff for cheaper at other Viet restaurants. It is a bit over priced but not too bad.
Service is SLOW… So if you have one of the servers at your table you better be ready to order or else it will take you another 10 mins to flag another one down.
Parking… Oh that’s a whole other animal. I try to avoid that back lot cuz that’s a cluster f@$k. I park on the side with 85 degrees is located cuz I can get parking no problem with no wait! So there’s a heads up!
Another note, they close on Tuesdays so don’t try coming unless you want a disappointed face when you were looking forward for some spring rolls!

I love getting these when I’m in the area as this is my favorite place for Vietnamese spring rolls! Instead of noodles, they add egg roll skin into the spring rolls instead and the texture combination is awesome. The sauce that accompanies the spring rolls is so good too!
I’ve only gotten carry-​out so I can’t say anything about the dining experience. And even though the lines may look overwhelming to order, I feel like they go pretty fast and I haven’t waited too long.

Got here at 11am and only had to wait about 5 mins to be seated.
The Nem nuong cuong was super good. For $ 7 you get 4 pretty large grilled pork spring rolls with veggies and the crispy eggroll inside. Their sauce is like crack sauce! Wish I knew what was in it so I could make it myself.
We also got the egg noodle/​dried rice noodle dish with pork and soup on the side. Was pretty good, however I’ve definitely had better. I liked how they added quail eggs to it. Also got the bun suong (shrimp pâté soup?) which was pretty good. Overall, this place is really known for their grilled pork spring rolls, the other food is just okay. Prices are pretty cheap for me, however compared to the general Santa Ana area, it’s pricier.
Place is large and open. Prices are reasonable and service is great! Parking is just so-​so.

SPRING ROLLS fo sho! From the wrapper to the Pork to the little crunchy treasures, this Spring Roll is the Beyonce of Spring Rolls. It’s the real MVP.
The hype is real ladies and gentlemen. I had to see for myself and I was not disappointed. I didn’t even eat anything else. I don’t even know if they have anything else and don’t care. I’ll always come back here and just order 16 Pork Spring rolls. This review is solely on the Pork Spring Rolls.

Always so busy whether it’s to dine in or to go.
I highly recommend their nem nuong cuon with extra sauce. Best sauce I ever had.
Services isn’t so great because it’s always packed. Must flag down waiter and waitress.
6 rolls is about $ 11-​$ 12.

11÷27÷15: Really, no need for another review on this place. If you’re Asian, I am sure you’ve heard of this place from friends already. You also already know that you’re here for their special spring rolls. I really just wrote this just cause it’s what I do, but well, anyway maybe you’ll find at least my opinions on specific dishes interesting…
1. Nem Nuong Cuon (Pork Spring Roll) $ 7.00 /​4 rolls: So, I probably don’t need to repeat what everyone has already told you – yeah, they’re the best there is. In California anyway. Lots of meat. Wrapped well. Bigass chives running through the whole thing and out the butt. And of course plenty of that crunchy egg-​roll skin stuff they’re famous for. The only thing I found somewhat strange is they don’t put any vermicelli in this – I personally think a little would be good to give it some density in the middle. But anyway, best there is. ¹⁰⁄₁₀
2. Chao Tom Cuon (Shrimp Spring Roll) $ 9.00 /​4 rolls: Same deal as #1 but with shrimp paste. ¹⁰⁄₁₀
3. Nem Chua Bo (Especial deli cured beef paste wrapped in banana leaf) $ 6.00 (6 pieces): I’ve had this at another Vietnamese place before, and believe it or not, it costed even about 50% more! Anyway, I guess they must be labor intensive, but really not that much pay-​off. Just a meat «sausage» with some pretty hot fresh pepper in it (probably raw jalapeño), and some raw garlic. This version is a little annoying since they wrap the meat in plastic candy wrapping, inside of the banana leaf. Totally don’t get why since obviously the banana leaf ain’t touching so there’s no added flavor. Just for show. Anyway, I’d skip it. ⁴⁄₁₀
4. Banh Khot (Luna Rice Cake) $ 7.50: This one’s pretty cool. Basically whole medium-​sized shrimp inside little tiny bowls made out of fried egg batter. Comes with the usual Vietanmese lettuce wrapping stuff – mint, basil, and something else I dunno the name of. Some sliced pickles too. Looks cool. ⁵⁄₁₀
5. Com Nieu Tu Xuyen («Tu Xuyen”-style Clay Pot) $ 10.95: A nice variety of seafood here – imitation crab, shrimp, and squid. Also some quail eggs and some other peas. I believe it was on a bed of rice, but I can’t remember and I can’t tell from my picture. Anyway, I remember it was okay, but nothing mind-​blowing. ⁶⁄₁₀.
6. Banh Mi Ca-​Ri De (Spicy goat curry) $ 10.50: Mmmm… some of the best goat I’ve had, of any cuisine. The meat was very tender. I dunno if you’d consider it a good thing, but the goat doesn’t taste like goat at all – not tough or stringy like some I’ve had, and zero gaminess. I would say it tastes closer to stewed beef. The sauce is super packed with flavor too. Totally excellent. ⁹⁄₁₀.
So, bottom line, yeah the spring rolls are the best, but you already knew that. I think the other dishes range from standard to very good, but takes up the whole range…
⁴⁄₅
#vietnamese #springroll

With all the high reviews, I thought we were set for success coming here. I love Vietnamese food so I was super excited coming here — one of the epicenters of Vietnamese food in California. The line was so crazy. It went out the door. Oh yah, good luck finding parking on a weekend. You basically have to tail a guy/​girl leaving the shopping plaza to get a spot because parking is pretty competitive.
Back to the restaurant… We ordered to go so the wait for our food was about 15 minutes. I got a dessert — banana with jack fruit, deep fried. It was okay. For lunch, I got a chicken combo that came with the shrimp paste and egg cake on broken rice. My husband got the meet combo with an assortment of different meats — pork, spring roll over bun. The total of this meal was about $ 28. It wasn’t too expensive for two. The food looked impressive. There was a lot of it but it just didn’t taste good.
My chicken was a total disappointment because I thought it was like bbq chicken/​lemon grass chicken that you get at most Vietnamese places (something like the fried pork dish but instead chicken). I was utterly disappointed because it was ¼ chicken that was just lightly seasoned and fried with the skin on top. The chicken was so dry. When I go to restaurants, I want stuff that I can’t make at home. It seems like they just took chicken, put some salt, and fried it. There was nothing special about the chicken at all. The shrimp paste was a little better. The egg dish was okay but nothing to write home about. I could make better egg cake. My husband’s dish was okay but I thought his egg rolls were neither crunchy or flavorful. It was just kind of soggy. The only redeeming thing about his meal was the pork. This was seasoned much better.
The lady who took my order was super nice. I thought for a busy restaurant, I really appreciated the friendly service. Too bad their food wasn’t that great.

I was in the OC area to get lunch with an old co-​worker. When it comes to «the best spring rolls,» this place is highly recommended. I came here on a Saturday afternoon for two and waited almost a good hour. Is that a ridiculous wait for Vietnamese food? Yes, but I was in no rush and I’ve already waited years to try this place, so what more was an hour? It gave me time to catch up with my old coworker in the meantime.
First of all, it’s located in the back. or you can go through 85 Degrees to get here. I was confused at first as I’m not familiar with the area. We ordered 4 rolls of the pork spring rolls (nem nuong cuon) and I got the bun bo hue suong ($ 8.25). I usually enjoy a bun bo hue, but liked the addition of the shrimp cakes. The broth was strong in flavor and noodles were soft. As for the spring rolls, they were delicious with the sauce, but I was only able to eat one. Overall, food was good but nothing exceptional. Their service was also pretty quick as they’re rushing to get people in and out of the restaurant. Our food came within minutes of ordering. As a result, solid Vietnamese restaurant but not exactly worth the wait if you’re starving.

This is one of the rare non-​phở Vietnamese restaurants I wouldn’t mind taking or recommending to non-​Vietnamese friends. Sure, sometimes the service sucks just as bad as any other cheap Vietnamese restaurant, and now and then there’s a rude server, but the nem nuong or pork rolls are delicious as is the peanut sauce (not too peanut buttery, if you know what I mean).
Obviously you must have the nem nuong aka pork rolls here since it IS a nem nuong restaurant. I can’t think of another restaurant in the area whose rolls can rival Brodard’s. My only gripe is that the price has increased. It used to cost $ 4.50 for 3 rolls or $ 6 for 4 rolls, but I was here recently and it was $ 7 for 4 rolls. Not a huge hike but I always want more for my money.
I’ve tried some of their other dishes such as bo luc lac aka shaken beef (filet mignon cubes) and phở ap chau (fried rice noodles with veggies and your choice of protein), and while they were pretty good there are other places that do them better and cost less. The banh xeo or pancake was oily and just yuck. Don’t bother getting that here.
It can be hit-​or-​miss with service and sometimes even food, considering items are pricier than other Viet restaurants in this neck of the woods, but factor in the large location and decent atmosphere of the restaurant, it averages out to a solid 3.5 stars in my book.

O