Brodard Express

We’ve wanted to try this miniature location of Fountain Valley’s famous Vietnamese restaurant Brodard since it opened at John Wayne Airport last year. Although it was shown online as “permanently closed,” it was still open for business when we visited, and presumably will remain so going forward.

Good news: You can get (nearly) freshly-made nem nuong rolls and multiple others here – employees are actually hand-making them on the spot – as well as banh mi, their famously colorful macarons, and other pastries. Their prices are pretty reasonable by airport standards, too; only a little higher than dining at Brodard itself.

Bad news: Almost all of the macarons we ordered were stale and nearly flavorless. The rolls were a little off the main location’s standards, too.

Despite these issues, this is still a better lunch or dinner option than virtually anything else currently at the airport, though that may change with new restaurants expected to open at SNA over the next year or so.