Hours
| Thursday | 12–7 PM |
| Friday | 12–7 PM |
| Saturday | 12–7 PM |
| Sunday | 12–7 PM |
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 12–7 PM |
Menu Photos
Reviews
SingTrece “SingTrece”
My husband and I had a fantastic dining experience at Mama Lieu, a fresh addition to the Ithaca restaurant scene. The food was delicious, with flavorful Vietnamese soup. I had the shrimp and my husband had the Chicken. The shrimp wrap with veggies was light, refreshing, and perfectly seasoned and I loved the peanut sauce that came with it.
Beyond the food, the vibe and environment were welcoming and definitely a spot worth checking out for a great meal and a relaxing atmosphere. Highly recommend giving it a try!
… moreBeyond the food, the vibe and environment were welcoming and definitely a spot worth checking out for a great meal and a relaxing atmosphere. Highly recommend giving it a try!
Destiny Ramos
My husband and I decided to try out this new Vietnamese restaurant in town. The food was delicious. We ordered the shrimp rice paper wraps and fried chicken and veggie dumplings, which came with 6 dumplings, as appetizers. For our entrees, I got the chicken pho with rice noodles and my husband got the Bún bò (spicy noodle soup with beef brisket and rice noodles). I thoroughly enjoyed the broth, they make their broth fresh daily. The portions are generous. We were pleasantly greeted by the owner, Violet. She is such a sweet heart. Overall service was great and we felt our needs were met. For dessert, we got a complimentary scoop of ice cream as a thank you for coming in. Highly recommend coming in for a tasty bowl of pho!
… moreBeatriz Diaz
I have stopped by a few times and tonight was just great! I ordered the chicken pho and my taste buds were so very happy.
Will definitely keep coming back.
I can tell they are working hard after they lost their chef. The lady in the kitchen sure knows how to cook amazing soups.
… moreWill definitely keep coming back.
I can tell they are working hard after they lost their chef. The lady in the kitchen sure knows how to cook amazing soups.
Jeff Claus
My wife and I ate dinner here a few nights ago, and the food was excellent and the service very friendly and generous. We both had Pho Ga (chicken), which was delicious! The chicken was fresh, plentiful, and flavorful, as was the broth, both cooked/made that day, just as they should be but too often aren’t in Vietnamese restaurants in the U.S. We also received complimentary edamame, ice cream, and tea. So glad MaMa Lieu’s has opened! We’ll definitely be back!!
… moreEmily La
Big fan of having another Vietnamese restaurant in town. Although their menu is more limited compared to traditional viet restaurants, they have more unique items like banh xeo and banh mi. They also gave us free thai tea, edamame, and ice cream at the end! The food was excellent and flavorful.
… moreNhan Tran
Omg finally found legit Vietnamese food in Ithaca!! As a Viet student missing home so bad, Mama Lieu’s phở and chả giò totally hit the spot! The owner and her kid are the sweetest ever! I chatted with her in Vietnamese and learned their American dream immigrant story – they came to Ithaca almost 30 years ago and her mom originally opened what’s now Saigon Kitchen (it’s also a good restaurant and I’m excited for more good foods in Ithaca)! Even though restaurant business had its ups and downs, and her mom Lieu (hence the name) is no longer here, she’s keeping those precious family recipes and passion alive. My friend and I came in during a birthday celebration for her son and got to know them a little bit! Can’t wait to bring my Viet friends here when school starts again next semester! They’re expanding the menu and I can’t wait to try bún bò Huế and bánh xèo next. If you’re craving real Vietnamese food, this is IT!
… moreMaiia Tomskaia
Definitely one of the best places in Ithaca. The food is delicious, the service is great
… moreLeslie Ackerman
I always want to cut a brand-new restaurant some slack while they work out the start-up kinks, but the best I can say about MaMa Lieu is meh. The one person covering the front of the house was overwhelmed, and the kitchen is likely understaffed as well, as service was very slow from the moment we walked in the door. Veggie dumplings were decent but not impressive. The surprise bits of chicken found in my tofu dish were presumably accidental (but still completely unacceptable– vegetarians be forewarned). My friend said his meat dish was okay but not great. Sadly, even the space that was cute and cozy under the previous restaurant now looks pretty shabby (also, it was freezing). We both sadly agreed that we aren’t likely to return in any hurry.
… moreMaura G
The best Vietnamese food I have had in Ithaca. I ordered the chicken pho and my boyfriend ordered the banh mi. Both were excellent and very flavorful.
Very kind and welcoming servers as well. I will definitely be coming back here
… moreVery kind and welcoming servers as well. I will definitely be coming back here
Cathy Ye
The best pho place in town! I ordered Bun Bo with beef cooked to perfection tenderness. The broth is also very flavorful. I have recommended it to all my friends. They have a cute karaoke you can sing. Very friendly owner. I’ll definitely come back again.
… more