Buddha Lounge

I don’t recall ordering a cropduster but that’s precisely what I received when my waitress walked by… Aside from some uncertain smells I found the food to be quite tasty.

I can’t speak to the authenticity of the dishes, but it is tasty and the free delivery from EatStreet is great. I also enjoy the diversity of the menu.

Food is delicious with big portion. I always order their phở, one of the best I’ve ever tried. Bubble tea is really nice, and can be spiked. Appetizers are great as well, wings, fried shrimp, crab Rangoon, chicken skewer. It looks expensive but they use good ingredient with generous portion. Even take out box and utensils are nicer.

I’ve only ordered from this place once, but I wouldn’t be in rush to order it again. I ordered it for delivery, overtipped the guy. The orange chicken was rather bland and dry, plus did’t get very for the money.

we did not have a very good experience.
we had ordered for some soup opting for chicken, we ended up getting soup that has beef.
Chicken wings tasted as though they were not fully cooked.
Staff was very good and explained whats on the menu and what is good but it did not match with the food that was served :-(
we had to walk out of the restaurant after the appetizers round.

I am not a fan on Asian cuisine however I was surprised with the Buddha Lounge. It was a weekend and they were showing the Cotto vs. Canelo fight. I was surprised they were showing it at all. Walking into the side entrance not the front it was mad crowded at the door.
The décor is really intimate, it resembled a date night type of vibe. Im unsure if they are normally crowded this way but the space is kind of small. You can tell that thought was put into everything from the color scheme to the plates and forks. This type of attention should be noted.
We walked around and tried to find a spot to sit to no avail. After waiting and lingering around we were about to sit on in the dining room area after a couple had left. This is where they lose points from me.
We weren’t met with a waiter/​tress. The young lady who did attend our table gave us a glass of water each and didn’t come back. I literally chased her down asked her for a menu and let her know that we wanted to order. I figured I would go to the bar to order drinks since the waiter was taking such a long time. This didn’t end well either. I will admit that it was crowded and people were standing at the bar. Some of the people were drinking some were just watching the game. But the bartenders kept they backs to the bar the entire time that I was there.
I tried waving them down, flashing money, nothing worked. a gentleman asked if I were being helped as he walked by a couple of time I had no idea who he was, had I have known I would have asked him for a drink. I was able to get my drink at this point some 21 minutes later. I counted, the drinks were about 6 or 7 bucks. Very reasonable.
The food came out at a reasonable time. The best thing that was ordered would have to be the Curry Chicken Skewers. The chicken wings were also great. They aren’t breaded which usually means blandness. Not this time they were seasoned and they were only 50 cents. The fries which were battered were not good.
I would go back with or without the specials and the fight viewings. I really liked this place.

This time I ordered delivery for beef phở and curry chicken skewers, and my husband got the Buddha bowl. Although the phở wasn’t quite up to actual-​Vietnamese-​restaurant quality, it was surprisingly excellent. The ingredients came in multiple separate containers, so the bean sprouts were still crisp and the beef wasn’t overcooked. The broth was delicately flavored and delicious. Meanwhile the chicken skewers were tender and well seasoned, and my husband reports that the Buddha bowl was quite good. I hope that my previous experience with them was just a fluke, and that their food continues to be of decent quality.
I also hope that they can manage to stay in business, since the location they currently occupy has seen quite a few restaurants come and go over the past few years.

Buddha Lounge has great food, however…
Pros*
–Buddha Lounge’s kitchen doesn’t close until 2pm. GREAT!!!
–Food was on point!!! (We ordered Banh Mi, Pepper Steak w/​a side of fried rice, and the Buddah Bowl)
–Nice and clean!!! Always a huge plus****
–Alcoholic drinks came in a huge glass. Can’t go wrong there :)
Cons*
–Our server was very confused for most of the time. When he first came to our table he didn’t come with any paper or pen so he kept asking what we wanted. We had to reiterate to him multiple times what we wanted. Happened twice, once for the appetizers and again for our main entry. (Please be more prepared next time.)
–Their price is a about 2 to 3 dollars more than competitors.
Summary*
Its a great place to dine and have a few drinks. It’s a little pricier than the the norm, however, the food is great so if you’re willing to pay a few extra dollars for your food, you won’t be disappointed. If you want some alcohol, they have a nice variety of domestic and imported beers. I had a great time here, but wasn’t thrilled about how unprepared the server was. Shape up on that and I guarantee you this could be a 5 STAR restaurant. Lastly, compliments to the chef.

This is a semi-​live review:
We call…
Us: «I’d like to place an order for pick up.»
BL Waitstaff: «Ok, have you been here before?»
Us: «No.»
BL: «Go ahead.»
Us: «We’d like an order of the chicken pad thai.»
BL: «What kind of pad thai?»
Us: «Chicken pad thai.»
BL: «What kind of pad thai?»
Us: «Chicken. Chicken pad thai.»
BL: «Ok, okay anything else?»
Us: «The beef green curry.»
BL: «Ok, did you want that one with chicken?»
Us: «No. Beef. Beef green curry.»
BL: «Ok, The Chicken Green Curry.»
Us: «Beef! Beef green curry.»
BL: «Anything else…»
Us: «Spicy tuna rolls.»
So, needless to say, ordering takeout was quite a challenge. They assured us it would be ready for pickup in 30 – 40 minutes. We went to get our order in that time period.
Walk into Buddha Lounge. There are 4 or so college kids sitting at the bar drinking and eating Asian food. The dining room is somewhat hidden past the bar. Parking is somewhat of a nightmare Buddha Lounge is on Cambridge along with the UWM dorm building.
We were the only takeout order so it was ready immediately. Brought it home asap for consumption.
Chicken Pad Thai: large portion, flavorful, delicious, love it!!! Recommend! We didn’t ask for a spicyness level and it was perfect however they made it. Yes!
Green Curry w/​Beef: Amazing!!! Again, large portion (however I always desire more rice). The fresh bamboo shoots in the curry are wonderful! I love all the veggies (no onions — yay!!). Spicy but not overwhelming. Yes, yes, yes!
Spicy Tuna Roll: The BIGGEST roll I’ve ever seen. I love the fact that the fish was marinated in the spiciness rather than adding spicy mayo on top of the roll. It wasn’t overly spicy either. The pieces are insanely huge, fresh, and delicious. YES!
The menu is diverse with various Asian dishes, sushi, and American favorites (burgers, chicken sandwiches, and a very intriguing loaded french fry dish). It’s relatively close to my Shorewood residence and I foresee myself ordering takeout often. They also deliver!
Despite the slight headache ordering, I overall LOVE Buddha Lounge. Hope to update my review soon: D

I was hoping to luck out like one of the better reviews, but no such luck. I ordered general tso chicken and pepper steak– home delivery. Was told it would be delivered in 25 – 30 minutes. Dinner arrived an hour after I placed the order. I asked for brown and fried rice with meals and received white and fried rice. Pepper steak serving size was minuscule. Taste was just okay. General tso chicken was decent but not the best. Overall, I was underwhelmed, by the overpriced samples that were delivered. I should have cooked tonight

The Chicken Pad Thai is DELISH! Original is a bit spicy for me, the staff is always very accommodating and happy to make the dish more mild. Love pairing this with the Crab Rangoon!

I’ve gone here a few times with some coworkers as well as ordering to go w my significant other. I thoroughly enjoyed their food, esp an all vegetarian version of the phở. And it was huge! I had three separate meals out of it. Wait staff is friendly and attentive, restaurant is chill. I feel that I get a great value for what they charge. Also, I’m not sure why this place is rated so low.

I ordered for delivery and was charged more for both items than was listed on the menu I had gotten in the mail two weeks earlier — «it’s outdated.» Then, the laab I paid $ 14 for was literally 3 bites worth of food. Very disappointed. Don’t recommend.

We went with a group of four for happy hour. The appetizers and drinks on special were very flavorful and very inexpensive (2.50 — $ 6 for an appetizer). The service was excellent. Our waitress was able to split our group’s checks in 2 minutes after splitting food between four people. I would definitely recommend this restaurant. I was very surprised not to see more people when we went.

Have to admit, arrived feeling hopeful with low expectations (due to previous reviews). It was excellent. Waitstaff was attentive, friendly and provided knowledgeable rec’s. Had spring rolls with grass-​fed beef (hello.how many places in Milw provide GFB); Orange chicken (lightly fried and sauce was light with a hint of sweetness, not overpowering with fake sugar like most); and lastly the Red Curry with chicken. The curry bowl was heaping and sorry, Thainamite, but they added real pineapple and it is waaay better. Side of brown rice was more than average restaurants serve and was perfect amount.
Atmosphere is a lot of red but clean and neat. Even the bathroom was better than average. I will def come back again.
It’s nice to have a restaurant fighting for quality and not sacrificing for cost just to keep customers. For cheapsters, you can go to
for a discounted gift certificate for this place, if they are still available. Give it a try!

Red curry with tofu ($ 12): The curry sauce was nice, with some heat to it. The veggies were carrots, bamboo shoots, and red and green peppers. I loved the way the tofu was cooked– it seemed like it was lightly fried first and therefore had a bit of a texture on the outside while staying creamy on the inside. The peppers, unfortunately, were undercooked.
Buddha burger ($ 10): my boyfriend works in the area and this dish has become a go-​to for him and his co-​workers. The French fries were cooked to perfection!
The atmosphere is cool on the inside, though the restaurant itself is on a pretty quiet end of North Ave. Seriously though, it’s walking distance from the corner of North Ave and Oakland, so there are plenty of things to do after dinner.
This restaurant is located in an area populated with college kids, dive bars (some with very good food), and fast food joints, and I believe that being surrounded by this will be the biggest challenge to this place.

I walked in and the atmosphere was nice. Clean, and fresh looking. I was craving pad thai and I order a bubble tea along with it. Overall the staff was friendly. The food bland until I sprinkled the lime over it, then they favors really started to come out — yet still a little on the bland side. The bubble tea, tasted like bubble tea. :)
Since they are a little newer I’ll check back in 6 months to see if they have stepped their spice game up. It should also be stated that I just had thai food in New York, so they had a lot to live up to.

There people complaining about price, but I think that’s because we have a horrible culture of $ 5 meals and cheap beers in Milwaukee. With that, the food was great! Their meats are from clean animals (cage fed & antibiotic free), their seasoning is tasty without being overwhelming, and they have a couple tasty Sake options. On top of that, they give you your choice of delicious truffles for desert.
It’s unfortunate that people used price (and it isn’t THAT expensive) to rate this restaurant and not food quality, aesthetics, and customer service which are all up to my standards.
Will definitely come again!

$ 16 for a bowl of Phở? Are you kidding me? And the rest of the prices are just as bad.
Just to add some context. Here is the highest rated Phở place in NYC. Arguably, one of the most expensive cities to live in.
How much is a bowl of Phở at Saigon Shack? $ 8.
How about in Chicago? $ 9
If you want good Vietnamese food from people that aren’t trying to rob you… then check out these other places.
If you pay more than $ 9-​$ 10 for a bowl of Phở then you might want to get your head examined.

I won’t be complaining about the price as the reviews did before me, because I think most readers get it. It’s pricey, but if you’re into food, this is a place to try.
The Crab Rangoon were really light and crispy. The thought that there might not be enough cream cheese inside passed through my head, but then I remembered that I’m a fat american and probably shouldn’t be eating that much cream cheese in the first place. But really, I usually end up taking out a lot of filling in normal Rangoon, so I appreciated the lightness of these little guys.
The Buddha Bowl was fantastic and HUGE. The protein included are shrimp, which were deliciously grilled, and pepper-​seasoned steak. The bowl is filled with cool (like the temperature) noodles, vegetables, and lettuce which make for a light dish despite its size. If you’re into spice, ask for an order of the hot oil to add some kick and flavor. The little spring roll that’s included in the bowl was on point and gave the meal an extra crunch. There was so much food I had dinner for the next night, too. Readers be warned: they give you mini bowl of fish sauce to add to the noodles. I like fish sauce, but if you don’t, you won’t be missing much if you don’t add it.
The boy ordered the pad thai, which is the reason I’m giving the Buddha Lounge three stars instead of four. I really disliked the Pad Thai at Umami Moto, and this pad thai was similar to that. I didn’t try the chicken, so I can’t comment on that, however, if you like a more sour sauce on your noodles, then this plate might be for you. The SO liked it enough, but even he wasn’t quite sold on it.
I wouldn’t not come here again, especially for that amazing Buddha Bowl and I definitely wouldn’t discourage anyone from at least trying it.