Our History

In 1978, roughly three years after settling into the United States, the Nguyen family opened a pool hall on Westheimer and Dunlavy, (which now stands as a tattoo parlor). Shortly after, they moved to Bell street to expand their pool hall to a more elaborate Billiards and sandwiches establishment called Mai’s Bida (meaning billiard in Vietnamese). This was a 24 hr, 7 day a week operation that the family worked strenuous hours to serve their patrons. After numerous requests and realization that the majority of their revenue was generated from the food sales such as their delicious Vietnamese sandwiches and dishes, Mai’s Bida relocated to its current home on Milam and became the Mai’s restaurant as we see it today, a full service Vietnamese food establishment. They broke out the old family recipes and polished their taste buds determined to provide quality Vietnamese meals.

Originally started by Phim and Phac Nguyen as a means to support their migrant family of eight children, Mai’s has flourished to fulfill both a need and a vision. Mai’s restaurant was the first Vietnamese restaurant in Houston, making it a pinnacle among its competitors to be the first to introduce Vietnamese cuisine to Houston, but also an establishment that is in a league of its own. Mai’s has been the “late night spot” since its doors first opened in 1978. The fact that the management chooses to keep its doors open into the wee hours of the morning in order to accommodate Houston’s night life spectators has attributed to much of the restaurant’s success. In 1991, Phim and Phac decided their years in the service industry were long over due and handed down the business onto Mai Nguyen, the daughter in which the restaurant’s name was inspired. In Vietnamese translation, the name Mai represents a golden flower that never dies yet continues to blossom throughout each of the four seasons of the year. Mai Nguyen has certainly lived up to her name as well as the reputation of her restaurant.

Today, Mai’s has a strong following of regulars that clearly represent the diversity of the City of Houston – from college, medical and law students, to club-goers and downtown business professionals alike, through every ethnic group. With its vast and extensive menu selections, Mai’s Restaurant offers a serving that is surely to fulfill any appetite – from strict vegans to the downright meat-lovers or the seafood delighters. Their regulars are not just limited to Vietnamese folks searching for some home cooking – Mai’s has rapidly become a hang out, a dining destination for all ethnic groups. Mai Nguyen would be proud to say that she feels that the cooking she has offered for decades now has become part of the local cuisine in Houston, whether it be a 3am bowl of noodles or a family-style meal for any gathering.

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