Best Pho in San Francisco

Reviewer: Foodnut.com

CA

Last Update: November 2019

We are big fans of Vietnamese Pho Noodle Soup. Slowly but surely, we have eaten at many of the San Francisco Bay Area’s best Pho restaurants. Here’s our constantly evolving list of the top 10 in search of the Best Pho San Francisco and beyond. Please leave comments with suggestions for other places we should try.

  • Hit List: More San Jose Pho Places – Do you have favorites we should try?

 

Ranking in order of Best to Worst

Check out our review of real Pho in Hanoi, Vietnam

Last visit: 7/2016

Momofuku Noodle House
https://www.yelp.com/biz/momofuku-noodle-bar-new-york

171 1st Ave
New York City, NY 10003
(212) 777-7773

Yes, this is not in San Francisco, but their Chicken Pho was the best we have had. If you are in NYC and love Pho, makes sure you give them a try. Call first to verify it is on the menu

Last Visit Spring 2023

Pho Hanoi San Jose

Last visit: 8/2019

Pho Go
https://www.yelp.com/biz/pho-go-garden-grove

14271 Brookhurst St
Garden Grove, CA 92843

714-486-3207

Pho restaurant in the middle of Little Vietnam. Within a mile there are a ton of restaurants with the name Pho in it. We found this better than nearby Pho 45. Food comes out fast.
Cash only.

Two tip offs! Filet Mignon Pho plus Dragon Coriander in the plate of mix in condiments.

Pho Filet Mignon ($9 small)- Filet Mignon check, dragon coriander check. Steaming hot Hearty beef broth, ball of noodles = really good pho.

Some of the best around. Tons of quality meat, more than we have seen at other places.

Green Thai Tea was good.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Very Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

Last visit: 7/2014

Pho Filet
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pho-huynh-el-monte

2643 San Gabriel Blvd
Rosemead, CA 91770
(626) 280-1899

The SGV (San Gabriel Valley) is home to some fine Asian cuisine. We passed by Pho Filet on our last trip and ate there in 2018. Only 3.5 stars on Yelp, but way up there in our books.

Two tip offs: Filet Mignon Pho plus Dragon Coriander in the plate of mix in condiments.

Pho Filet’s Menu is very wide ranging from Pho to Appetizers to cooked dishes to vegetarian dishes.

Pho Bac (Small $7) – Filet Mignon With thick fresh rice noodles definitely hit the spot. Lots of chopped up tender beef in a neutral broth with tender wide noodles. The condiments included dragon coriander, present only at true pho restaurants.

Shrimp vermicelli noodles was a fun dish were you can wrap up the noodles and shrimp in large leaves.

Che Dau Do ($2) Red Bean Drink was above average with good flavor and tender beans.

Thai Ice Tea with boba ($2) also hit the spot.

Dragon Coriander, lime, Mint, jalapenos, and bean sprouts are also served.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Very Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

 

Last visit: 7/2014

Pho Huynh
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pho-huynh-el-monte

9706 Garvey Ave
El Monte, CA 91733
(626) 350-6688

A top rated Vietnamese restaurant in the San Gabriel Valley that opens at 7am. (SGV) Nice interior and even bathroom, plus they take credit cards. Service was reasonable. Next time we’ll visit nearby Pho Filet.

Two tip offs of quality: Filet Mignon Pho plus Dragon Coriander in the plate of mix in condiments.

Best Pho in San Francisco

Pho Bac ($7.25) Filet Mignon Pho is the thing to get here. It comes in a silver bowl so you can see that most people order it. A more neutral broth with very wide noodles. The meat was slightly chopped up and pretty tender. One of the best Pho we’ve had so far.

Pho Tai ($6.25 for small) – Rice Noodle with Rare Steak had same above average broth, a good amount of thin noodles, and tons of good meat. Pay a $1 more and get the Filet! This mean is outclassed by other shops.

They even have Pho Nuoc ($5) without meat. This isn’t really vegetarian though, due to the broth.

Dragon Coriander, lime, Mint, jalapenos, and bean sprouts are also served.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Very Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

 

Last Visit 8/2019

Pho 45

https://www.yelp.com/biz/pho-45-garden-grove

9240 Garden Grove Blvd #19

Garden Grove, CA 92844

714-537-9000

A top rated Vietnamese restaurant in Orange Counties’ Garden Grove, which is the second largest concentration of Vietnamese folks. H-mart is not far away. You would expect some great pho here. They take credit cards. Service was slightly better than average.  Some servers do not speak English.

Two tip offs of quality: Filet Mignon Pho plus Dragon Coriander in the plate of mix in condiments.

Pho 45 Dac Biet ($7.25 small) Filet Mignon Pho is the thing to get here. Unique in that you can choose thin or wide noodles. A more neutral broth with heavy star anise flavor. The meat was slightly chopped up and messy. Lazy big ball of noodles.

Che Dau Do ($2.50) Red Bean with Coconut Milk served with Syrup and crushed ice came to us in a short plastic cup. Tender beans and nice liquid.  The bean mixture got a little dense after a while.

 

Dragon Coriander, lime, Mint, jalapenos, and bean sprouts are also served.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor –  Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

Last Visit 5/2018

Pho Ha Noi

969 Story Rd Suite 6048
San Jose, CA 95122
408-239-0888

Pho Ha Noi is a Vietnamese restaurant located in a new outdoor mall Vietnam Town Plaza in San Jose.  The area is full of high quality Asian restaurants and shops.  Their pho is some of the best in the SF Bay Area. Be sure to get a tea drink from the boba tea shop across the way.

  • They have nice happy hour specials: Mon-Thur 5-11pm.

Food Picks:
Shrimp Spring Rolls ($5.75) had 4 large pieces with a nice peanut sauce. A small dolup of chili in the sauce added an accent.

Pho Tai Dap ($9.50 regular) Rare Flank steak with rice noodle soup. They ask you what type of noodles you want. We selected the fresh wide noodles and noticed the dish came with dragon coriander on the bean sprout plate. A great sign to see these items.

Very good broth, not too strong. Nice tender noodles and beef.  This was really good.

Fresh Lemon Soda ($3.75) was also good. Fresh lemon extract and sugar on the bottom, along with a can
of club soda for you to pour in.

Just OK:
None

Would not reorder:
None

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Very Good
Service – Good
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – Yes

Last visit: 7/2014

Bun Bo Hue An Ham

740 Story Rd #3
San Jose, CA 95122
408-993-1755

A top rated on Yelp, Vietnamese Pho restaurant in San Jose right near the growing Vietnam Town Shopping complex. One of 3 restaurants in the strip mall, they had better be good. Above average interior but dirty bathroom. Cash only. Service was barely reasonable. Only Pho, no rolls, rice plates, etc.

Two tip offs of quality: Filet Mignon Pho plus Dragon Coriander in the plate of condiments.

Pho Tai Filet ($10.95 for small) Filet Mignon Pho is the thing to get here. A more sweet broth with slim or fat noodles. (Slim is more popular) We got meat on the side and received a TON of it. We shortly later ran out of heat from the broth to cook the meat! Small is definitely on the tiny size, so order at least Large.

Pho Tai Pin ($10.95 for small) – Rice Noodle with Filet Mignon and Pizzle (Penis)!  This was chewy and fairly translucent, good if you like these textures.

3 bean drink ($4.25) was not very sweet was icy.

Lemonade soda ($3.95) was light and good.

Dragon Coriander, lime, Mint, jalapenos, and bean sprouts are also served.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Fair
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

Last visit: 8/2016

SUP Noodle Bar
5141 Beach Blvd
Buena Park, CA 90621
714-521-2444

Situated in a new Asian Strip Mall, this 4 star rated Yelp restaurant, serves up lots of noodles that are surprisingly good.

Pho Filet Mignon ($9.50) Pho is the thing to get here. Really good bone broth and high quality meat.

Pho Short Rib ($9.50) is their best seller. Not as good as the Filet Mignon, but still pretty good.

Truffle Fries ($5.50) are a must get too!

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Fair
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

Last Visit: 2/17/2019

Pho To Chau
853 Villa St
Mountain View, CA 94041
(650) 961-8069

https://www.yelp.com/biz/pho-to-chau-mountain-view-2

Pho To Chau is a Vietnamese restaurant in downtown Mountain View. It was recommended by a Vietnamese person, and has been on our list for a while.
Their pho was very good, better than most around this area. Most of the better places to eat seem to be on side streets off the main drag, Castro street!
Alexander’s Bakery is nearby, for some fancy dessert action..

Picks:
Pho Bo Filet Mignon ($10.50 regular) – Any time you see Filet Mignon on the menu at a Vietnamese place, give it a go! Broth was good, meat quality was high. No dragon coriander though. This bowl was not huge..

Pho Tai Gan Sach ($8.80 regular) with rare steak, flank, tendon, tripe also hit the spot.

Just OK:
None

Would not reorder:
None

Overall – Good
Food – Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

Last visit: 8/2014

Pho Y 1

1660 E Capitol Expy
San Jose, CA 95121
408-274-1769

Also 4 star rated on Yelp, Vietnamese Pho restaurant in San Jose right near 101 in southern San Jose. Above average interior but fair bathroom. Cash only. Service was reasonable and friendly. Only Pho, no rolls, rice plates, etc.

Pho Tai ($7.95 for small) Pho is the thing to get here. A beefy broth with onions, green onions, cilantro, and slim noodles. We got meat on the side and received some scary looking slices. Beef actually was above average as was the pho. Surprise.

3 bean drink looked scary and authentic. Actually one of the better versions around. Strawberry smoothie was also very good.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Fair
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

Last visit: 7/2019

Made Pho You

1245 Park St

Alemeda, CA 94501
510-263-8133

https://www.madephoyou.us

Also 4.5 star rated on Yelp that was a couple weeks old.  Modern clean interior, order at the counter and the food is brought to you. Pho, 5 Spice Chicken, Bahn Mi and more

Pho Rib-eye ($11) Pho is the thing to get here. A well done broth with onions, green onions, cilantro, and noodles. High meat quality. Noodles are bought, not made by them. This dish is better than most Pho places.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Very Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

Last Visit 1/2018

Pho Dao

1631 N Capitol Ave

San Jose, CA 95132

Another 4.5 star rated on Yelp, Vietnamese Pho restaurant in San Jose right not far from the Great Mall in North Valley San Jose. Above average interior, really busy, and ok bathroom. Credit Cards ok. Service was reasonable and friendly. This place is focus on Pho, they only have a couple non pho dishes like Bun Cha.

Signature Pho Bo Kobe ($8.75 for small) has Kobe Style Beef aka American Wagyu? – Meat quality was very good, broth was not top notch, but good. Options of fresh or dried rice noodle or egg noodle. The fresh wide rice noodle was very good. They even give you dragon coriander, our observation of LEGIT pho places.

Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio ($9.75) rice vermicelli with BBQ Pork, Egg rolls, and salad was very good.  The meat quality and taste was fantastic.

Che Sen Nhan ($3.75) sweet lotus beans with longans was well made and worth ordering.

Soda Chanh ($3) lemon soda even came with the club soda can.  Also worthy.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Last Visit 12/2017

Pho Kim Long

2082 N Capital Ave
San Jose, CA 95132
408-946-2181

Another 4 star rated on Yelp, Vietnamese Pho restaurant in San Jose right near the Great Mall in northern San Jose. Above average interior, really busy, but fair bathroom. Cash only too. Service was reasonable and friendly. More dishes than just Pho.

Pho Tai ($9 for small) A beefy broth with quality chopped up rare filet mignon, onions, green onions, cilantro, and slim noodles.

3 bean drink looked scary and authentic. Actually one of the better versions around. Strawberry smoothie was also very good.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Fair
Service – Fair
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

Last visit: 6/2014

Pho 87
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pho-87-los-angeles

1019 N Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(323) 227-0758

A small family owned Vietnamese restaurant in LA’s Chinatown. This restaurant was close to our Downtown LA Hotel. Cash Only.

Better than expected food wise, although the service could be better. Service is mostly drop and forget.

Pho Tai – Rice Noodle with Rare Steak ($8.50 for small size) had above average broth, a good amount of thin noodles, and tons of good quality meat. Haven’t had a bowl with this much meat ever.

Mint, jalapenos, and not super fresh bean sprouts are also served.

Fair:
Grilled Shrimp Spring rolls ($6.75) for 3 large sized ones. Pretty average.

Thai Tea with Boba

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

Last visit: 8/2014

Pho Xe Lua – Yummy Yummy
1015 Irving St (Between 11th and 12th ave) – Next to San Tung
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 566-4722

A small family restaurant located next to venerable San Tung. Been next door many times and finally got up the courage? to eat here.

Better than expected food wise, service was decent too. Tiny restaurant.

Pho Tai – ($8.95, only 1 size) had above average broth, a good amount of thin noodles, and tons of good quality meat. Surprised us. This is also better than the much loved Turtle Tower.

Mint, jalapenos, and fresh bean sprouts are also served.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

Aux Delices

http://www.yelp.com/biz/aux-delices-vietnamese-restaurant-san-francisco

2327 Polk St (Near Union)
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 928-4977

A small family restaurant that first opened near General Hospital way back in 1975. A nice homey restaurant, a cut above the usual pho places. Extensive menu.

Better than expected food wise, although the service could be better.

Pho Tai – ($9 for medium size) had above average broth, a good amount of thin noodles, and good quality meat. Bowl was on the small size, probably should get large if this is all you are eating.

Mint, jalapenos, and fresh bean sprouts are also served.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Fair
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Maybe

Pho Phu Quoc

1816 Irving St (Between 19th and 20th ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 661-8869

Across the street from Kevin’s, not as nice but the pho is better.

Better than expected food wise, although the service could be better. Service is mostly drop and forget.

Pho Tai – ($9.75 for medium size) had above average broth, a good amount of thin noodles stilled balled up, and not much of the very good quality meat. They also have a fatty beef version.

Pork Rolls ($8.75) are a change from the usual shrimp ones.  Good but again skimpy on the meat.

Mint, jalapenos, and not super fresh bean sprouts are also served.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Fair
Service – Fair
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

Pho Huynh Hiep 2 – Kevin’s Noodle House
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pho-huynh-hiep-2-kevins-noodle-house-san-francisco?osq=pho

1833 Irving St (Between 19th and 20th ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 664-0469

A small family restaurant with several locations; SF, Oakland, Concord, Walnut creek, and Daly City. They take credit cards!

Better than expected food wise, although the service could be better. Service is mostly drop and forget.

Pho Tai – ($7.25 for large size) had above average broth, a good amount of thin noodles, and tons of good quality meat. Surprised us. This is better than the much loved Turtle Tower. Huge bowl. Kids size costs $3.50. On another visit, the Pho was average, so beware of this inconsistency.

Mint, jalapenos, and not super fresh bean sprouts are also served.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Fair
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Maybe

Last Visit: July 2017

Tín Vietnamese Cuisine
937 Howard St
San Francisco, CA 94103

Yelp

An upscale Vietnamese restaurant in the middle of SoMa district, not far from Moscone center. The food is solid but feels a little Americanized. Very busy when it opens for lunch, but thins out around 12:45. Service helps you order fast, but then fades to not much..

Food Picks:
Spring Rolls ($8) had large shrimp and a really nice peanut sauce.

Pho Bo ($10) had an average broth, not a lot of noodles or meat. Passable but not exciting.

Bun Bo Hue ($12.50) was a little lacking in heat, lacks the ‘parts’ real places have, but also was passable.

Just OK:
None

Would not reorder:
None

Overall – Good
Food – Good
Decor – Very Good
Service – Fair
Value – Good

Would we come back – Maybe

Last Visit: August 2017

Co Nam
1653 Polk St
San Francisco, CA 94109

Yelp

A nicer Vietnamese restaurant in the Polk gulch area. Short concise menu. Not enough servers, so you have to flag them down.

Food Picks:

Pho Tai ($10) had an average broth that was too sweet, average meat.

Just OK:
Spring Rolls ($8) had one shrimp and lots of vegetables.

Would not reorder:
None

Overall – Good
Food – Good
Decor – Good
Service – Fair
Value – Good

Would we come back – No

 

Pho Ao Sen Oakland chicken pho

Last visit: 2013
Pho Ao Sen
1139 E 12th St
Oakland, CA 94606
(510) 835-5588

Pho Ao Sen is renowned to be one of the best Vietnamese Noodle houses in the San Francisco Bay Area. We finally got a chance to visit them as we were passing through the East Bay.

Pho Ao Sen serves up some of the most liked Pho in the Bay Area. Give it a try, the prices are very reasonable.

Pho Tai Chin Nam Gan Sach ($6.75) Sliced eye round steak, well-done brisket, well-done flank, soft tendon, and tripe – Meat quality was average though. A classic bowl of noodles. Good broth and noodles and lots of parts.

Pho Ga- Chicken Noodle Soup ($6.75) Rice noodle served with our long-simmered chicken broth and tender shredded chicken accompanied with house blended ginger sauce – another rich bowl of broth and noodles. It was interesting that the chicken was served on the side for you to dunk. We ordered some rare steak ($2) which was a nice added touch.

Bun Bo Hue- Hue Style Spicy Beef Noodle Soup ($7.95) Beef –based broth cooked delicately with essence of lemongrass, dried chili and variety of different spices simmered to perfection. Served with thick rice vermicelli garnished with scallion, onion, cilantro, and laksa leaves along with tender beef shank, poached pork, bean sprouts, cabbage, and thinly sliced banana blossom (Bun Bo Hue Enthusiast? Cubes of congealed pork blood are available) – a more interesting bowl of noodles that were very spicy and full of weird parts.

Thach Che ($3.25) Agar Dessert drink was fun with its multiple pieces of dessert. They did add a little too much ice to the drink.

OK: (Order if you like this dish)
Che Thai – Thai dessert drink

Che Ba Mau – Three colored Bean drink

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Very Good
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – Yes

Tamarine Palo Alto Kobe Beef Pho

Last visit: 2/2014

Tamarine
546 University Avenue (At Tasso)
Palo Alto, CA 94301
650-325-8500

http://www.tamarinerestaurant.com

Tamarine is a popular Vietnamese contemporary restaurant in downtown Palo Alto on busy University Avenue. They focus on small plates and serve food family style. Tamerine features light, but flavor-intensive culinary delicacies of Vietnam.

This is a fancy upscale restaurant in a totally different class when compared to the others on this list.

Kobe Beef Pho ($15) Sliced Kobe beef blanched with star anise, cinnamon & ginger beef broth; served w/ rice noodles & herbs. Wow this is a tour de force must get. Strong star anise flavored broth, excellent beef, and some thin delicate noodles. Far better than those cheap pho restaurants. Bean Sprouts are preloaded unlike most versions. Tamarine gives you some Sriracha sauce, lime, and plum sauce on the side.

Wok Pho Beef Noodles ($14) Wok-flashed rice noodles tossed with Chinese broccoli, flank steak, eggs & soy sauce was spot on. Almost like Chinese Chow fun, the noodles were wide and soft, while the quality of the meat really shined.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Very Good
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – Yes

Vung Tau San Jose Spicy Lemongrass Beef noodle soup

Last visit 1/2014
Vung Tau
535 East Santa Clara St
San Jose, CA

Vung Tau is a Vietnamese restaurant in San Jose (near San Jose State) owned by the same family as Tamarine Restaurant in Palo Alto. Having heard good things about this place, we decided to give it a try the next time we were in the vicinity.

Spicy Lemongrass Beef (Bun Bo Hue) ($8.95) Rice Noodle Soup was pretty authentic, filled with thick beef slices, shoulder, and even beef blood. Very spicy, and lots of tender noodles in a robust, strongly flavored broth. The usual bean sprouts, mint, etc came with this dish on the side.

Ba Nam Sa Dec ($9.75) is a seafood noodle soup which we had with rice noodles. Again you have the option of selecting from rice, egg, or glass noodles. A large, deep fried shrimp cracker was found floating at the top of this nice dish. Two large tiger prawns and a small crab claw were immersed in a less flavorful broth than our other noodle soup.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Very Good
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – Yes

Pho Cong Ly San Jose Beef Pho

Last visit: 2/2015
Pho Cong Ly
460 E William St
San Jose, CA 95112

Pho Cong Ly is located in Downtown San Jose near San Jose State University. It recently opened and was already pretty busy.

Decent decor, clean, and surprisingly good service and very well done food.

Goi Cuon ($6.95) – Spring rolls with pork and Shrimp, included an excellent peanut sauce. Pacing was off, as this arrived after the Pho.

Pho Tai ($8.95 for medium) broth with strong flavors, thin noodles, and supposedly Filet Mignon as their meat. One of the better ones around the Bay Area. Medium is a pretty big bowl.

Com Bo Luc Lac ($10.95) was done well and a great deal at this price. Far better meat than Ben Tre in Millbrae.

Pho Tai Nam Sach ($8.95 for medium) If you like tripe and brisket, go for this solid noodle soup.

Sinh To Bo ($3.50) Strawberry Smoothie was good but took a long time to arrive.

Tr Thai ($2.50) was also decent.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Very Good
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – Yes

Last visit: 8/2015
Nem Nuong Bistro
4631 Spring Mountain Rd Ste 102
Las Vegas, NV 89102

Nem Nuong Bistro is located in a typical strip mall in Chinatown, Las Vegas.  We needed a respite from the Strip and all the high priced food there. Choosen due to 4 stars on Yelp, next time we’ll hit the one with less stars a block away.

Fair decor, clean, cash only and drop and go service, and good food.

Pho Tai ($7.95) Rice noodle soup with rare steak – Broth was above average, meat quality was slightly above average.  Noodles were dumped in and still in a ball, but proved to be very good.

Coconut drink was really good.

Overall – Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Fair
Service – Fair
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – Maybe

Last visit: 5/2014
Pho 2000
637 Larkin St
San Francisco, CA 94109

http://www.pho2000sf.com/

Pho 2000 is located next door to Turtle Tower. We have been meaning to come here for a while, but usually opted for Turtle Tower. Finally got up the nerve to just say no.

Fair decor, clean, cash only and reasonable service and good food.

Pho Tai ($6.89 small) Rice noodle soup with rare steak – Broth was above average, meat quality was also above average.  Noodles were dumped in but proved to be very good.

Overall – Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Fair
Service – Good
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – Yes

Last visit: 5/2014
Pho 54
2874 Alum Rock Ave Suite B
San Jose, CA 95127

Pho 54 is located in the Alum Rock area of San Jose near the road to Mount Hamilton. A Vietnamese friend recommended it so had to give it a try. They pointed out that few place include sawtooth coriander along with the mint, bean sprots, etc. Pho 54 is one of the few.

Fair decor, clean, cash only and reasonable service and good food.

Pho Tai ($8.95) Broth was above average, but not too rich. Noodles were dumped in and still curled up in a ball. Meat was very average.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Very Good
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – Maybe

Last visit: 6/2015
Pho#1
568B E El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087

Yelp Page

Pho #1 Vietnamese Restaurant is located in a stripmall, right next door to popular Bon Chon Chicken.

Good decor, clean, takes credit cards and reasonable service and good food.

Pho Tai ($7.95) Broth was slightly above average, but not too rich. Noodles were dumped in and still curled up in a ball. Meat was slightly above average.

Vietnamese lemonade was well done.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Very Good
Service – Good
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – Maybe

Last visit: 5/2015
Thien Long Vietnamese Restaurant
3005 Silver Creek Rd Ste 138
San Jose, CA 95121

Yelp Page

Thien Long is located in a Vietnamese shopping center in East San Jose. Our original destination Hai nam was closed, so this was a secondary choice. Their cooked dishes appear better than the pho.

Good decor, clean, cash only and reasonable service and good food.

Pho Tai ($8.95) Broth was average, but not too rich. Noodles were good. Meat was very average.

Overall – Good
Food – Good
Decor – Very Good
Service – Good
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – Maybe

Last visited September 2014

 

Bodega Bistro
607 Larkin St
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 921-1218

Bodega is located down the block from Turtle Tower. A fellow foodie suggested this place.

Pho Tai (Small Bowl $7) Uses rare Fillet Mignon, so we were very hopeful. The quantity is very small, meat is very good of course, but their broth was fairly bland. We would lump this in the same category as Turtle Tower.

Overall – Good
Food – Good
Decor – Very Good
Service – Good
Value – Good

Would we come back – Maybe

 

Last visit: 2013
Pho Tan Hoa
431 Jones St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 673-3163

This restaurant is located in the gritty Tenderloin of San Francisco. We have passed by many times and got up the guts to park and try their Pho. Quality is decent, but it may not be worth the risk.

Pho Dac Biet (Medium Bowl $9.30) House Special well done brisket, flank, tendon, tripe, beef balls & slices of rare steak had a superior broth with tons of beef parts. The medium sized bowl was pretty big and satisfying.

Pho Ga (Small Bowl $8.85) was slightly smaller but had quality chicken and some tender noodles, that were medium width.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Very Good
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – Maybe

Last visit: 6/2018
Pho Ga NHA

930 Story Rd

San Jose, CA 95122

408-298-1688

Pho Ga NHA is a popular Vietnamese restaurant in San Jose across the street from the new development.  They specialize in chick dishes.

Pho Tai ($10.50) with Filet Mignon came fast and was different than our higher ranked places. A subdued broth with lots of meat.  Good but not great broth.

Pho Ga ($9.50 small) Chicken Noodle Soup with shredded chicken – was their most popular dish. A steaming hot bowl of the same rice noodles topped with chicken.

Chicken Leg with sticky rice ($11.50) has the same nice chicken as other dishes.  Nice Hainan Rice with medium amount of flavor.

Overall – Good
Food – Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Maybe

 

Last visit: 1/2015
Pho Vinh
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pho-vinh-san-carlos-3

1065 Holly St Ste A
San Carlos, CA 94070
(650) 637-9238
http://www.vinhpho.com

A small family owned Vietnamese restaurant right off Holly Exit of Highway 101. Its located in a strip mall with several other restaurants including Emilias Peruvian.
Better than expected food wise, although the service could be better. Service is mostly drop and forget. Had to chase to get the bill several times.

Grilled pork Spring rolls ($5.95) for 4 medium sized ones. Not much pork, but reasonable rolls filled with lots of veggies.

Pho Tai – Round Steak ($7.45 for regular size) had above average broth, a bit less noodles than most, and slightly less than average amount of meat. Meat was thin and reasonable quality. Broth was fairly robust and the noodles were pretty skinny. Better than Saigon City in San Mateo . Ben Tre in Millbrae may have better broth. Not as good as the top places in Oakland, but all in all solid. Most folks should order Large Bowls ($8.45)
Mint, jalapenos, and bean sprouts are also served.

Pho Ga – White meat Chicken ($8.45 for large size) was also above average. Lots of pulled chicken meat. Most folks will need this size to fill up.

Bun Cold Vermicelli Noodles with grilled prawns and Grilled Pork ($7.45) was recommended by the server and hit the mark. Lots of tasty pork along with 2 small prawns. The noodles were warmed by the included fish based broth.

Next time we should try the Shaking Beef.

Overall – Good
Food -Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

Last visit: 1/2016
Four Seasons Restaurant
721 Larkin St
San Francisco, CA 94109

Four Seasons Restaurant is located on the next block up from Turtle Tower. We have been meaning to come here for a while, but usually opted for Turtle Tower or Pho 2000. Finally got up the nerve to just say no.

Fair decor, clean, credit cards ok and reasonable service and good food.

Pho Tai ($8.50 small) Rice noodle soup with rare steak. They actually have dragon coriander as a condiment. A Good sign but alas.. – Broth was sweet and average, meat quality was average.  Noodles were more carefully placed and proved to be very good.

Overall – Good
Food – Good
Decor – Fair
Service – Good
Value – Very Good

Would we come back – No

Last visit: 2014
Phuong Nam Restaurant
1615 Clay St
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 663-9811

Located in a reasonably safe part of Oakland, we gave the Pho a try here. It is decent but not as good as Pho Ao Sen.

Pho Tai ($8) Their broth had a reasonable amount of body, noodles were of medium width, meat quality was average.

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent
Would we come back – Maybe

Turtle Tower San Francisco Pho Ga

Last visit: 2015
Turtle Tower
645 Larkin St
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 409-3333

Turtle Tower is a very popular Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco with several locations. We have dined at the original, located in the heart of the gritty Tenderloin District of San Francisco several times. They moved recently to a nicer location with higher prices.

This place is very popular, but we find their Pho just slightly above average. Northern Vietnam style pho comes with no bean sprouts, basil, or hoisin sauce. It does include jalapenos and lemon.

Pho Tai ($6.75 small) came fast and was different than our higher ranked places. A subdued broth with little flavor, wide noodles, and a skimpy single slice of meat. Meat quality was slightly above average.

Pho Tai Gau ($7.80 large) Rare and Well-done Beef (Flank or Brisket) Noodle Soup was a classic bowl of piping hot noodles along with tender beef. This definitely hit the spot although a recent version at Tamarine was even better, albeit at almost double the price.

Pho Ga ($6.20 small) Chicken Noodle Soup – was their most popular dish. A steaming hot bowl of the same rice noodles topped with chicken that still had bones and skin.

Che Ba Mau ($2.95) Three Color Bean Dessert – was a bit sweeter than most, and it also possessed lots of firm beans.

Overall – Good
Food – Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

 

Last Visit: 2016
Huong Lan Sandwiches
39055 Cedar Blvd Ste 116
Newark, CA 94560
(510) 792-8999

This place is sandwich oriented by its name, but make no mistake, they serve pho, rice dishes, etc. We find their Pho just slightly above average.

Pho Tai ($7.95 small) Noodle Soup was a classic bowl of piping hot noodles along with tender beef that looked horrible but tasted ok. Broth was average as was the noodles.

Dac Biet Bun Tom Ca Rach Gia ($8.95) or Shrimp, Fish with rice noodles was actually better than the Pho.

Che Ba Mau ($2.95) Three Color Jelly – was a bit sweeter than most, and it also possessed lots of jelly. They have several other jelly drinks that are pretty authentic.
Overall – Good
Food – Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Maybe

Last Visit: 2017
Ly’s Vietnamese
1779 Lombard St

San Francisco, CA 94123
415-563-1927

A Vietnamese casual restaurant in the middle of the expensive Marina district.

Pho Tai ($7.95 small) Noodle Soup had average broth and meat quality.  Nothing special.

Overall – Good
Food – Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Maybe

Last visit: 2016
Golden King Vietnamese Restaurant
757 Clay St
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 217-6888

San Francisco Chinatown has several Vietnamese restaurants with a similar name.. Golden this or that

Pho Tai ($6.75 small) came fast and had decent meat quality and broth. Average noodles.  Solid buy nothing exceptional.

Overall – Good
Food – Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Maybe

Ben Tre Millbrae Pho and BBQ Chicken

Last visit: 2014
Ben Tre Vietnamese Homestyle Cuisine, Millbrae
219 El Camino Real
Millbrae, CA 94030
(650) 689-5588

Ben Tre has Three locations on the San Francisco Peninsula. A friend suggested that we give them a try, so we dined at the Millbrae, CA location. They are more than just a Pho restaurant, they call themselves a Vietnamese Homestyle Cuisine restaurant. We found the South San Francisco location about the same as Millbrae, even though the owner runs South City.

Pho Tai Gan Sach (Rare Beef, Tendon & Tripe) ($7.95 for large) – nice large size, slightly above average broth that was more robust than the last Oakland Pho place we dined at. The rare beef was of good quality.

Pho Ga Quay Chao (5-Spice Chicken Noodle Soup) ($8.95) Baked chicken, marinated in lemon grass & rich herb sauce, served w/ a separate bowl of pho noodle soup. This was an interesting dish with chicken that was juicy and tender along with lots of tender noodles. This is a stand out Pho, compared to other restaurants.

Overall – Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Very Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

Last visit: 2015
Quan Ngon

2511 Noriega St
San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 566-3275

Yelp Page

Quan Ngon is a popular Vietnamese restaurant in the Sunset district of San Francisco. Northern Vietnam style pho comes with no bean sprouts, basil, or hoisin sauce. It does include jalapenos and lemon.

Pho Tai ($7.95 small) came fast and was different than our higher ranked places. A subdued broth with little flavor, wide noodles, and average quality slices of meat.

Overall – Good
Food – Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – No

Last visit: 2014
Pho Vi Hoa, Los Altos
4546 El Camino Real
Los Altos, CA 94022
Phone number (650) 947-1290

Located almost next door to popular German shop Dittmer’s in Los Altos right near San Antonio Rd and El Camino, this restaurant serves up slightly above average pho.

Picks:
Goi Cuon ($4.15) for 2 cut up spring rolls. Good quality and really good peanut sauce.

Pho Tai Chin ($7.75 small) was a good size for lunch. Meat quality was average as was the broth.

Pho Tai ($7.75 small) was slightly above average.  Good noodles.

Pans:
Che Ba Mau ($3.50) was way too thick and needed more liquid.

Overall – Good
Food – Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Good

Would we come back – Yes

Last visit: 2014
Saigon City
418 E 3rd Ave
San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 340-8878

Very popular and busy restaurant just on the other side of the train tracks from downtown San Mateo.

We found the service to be pretty bad drop and go, and the food to be average at best.

Pho Tai – steak noodle soup ($5.95 for medium) decent broth, Very good meat quality and noodles.

Overall – Fair
Food – Fair
Decor – Fair
Service – Poor
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Yes

Last visit September 2014

Perilla

836 Irving St

San Francisco, CA 94122

(415) 564-9980

This place has very average Pho, we recommend you go visit Kevin’s near 19th Ave instead.

Overall – Fair
Food – Fair
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Good

Would we come back – No

Last visit: 7/19/2014
Chicken Pho You, Millbrae

292 Broadway Ave
Millbrae, CA 94030
650-692-8865

A Chinese run casual eatery emphasizing Vietnamese cuisine.  They actually sell some nice Chinese tea rolls.  The sweet ones are really good.

Pho Rare Beef ($6.25 small) Their version has wide Chinese style noodles, though the broth is very good. Lots of cilantro is floating on top. Meat quality is fine. Not authentic, but satisfying. Ben Tre, around the corner, is more authentic.

Overall – Good
Food – Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Maybe

Mamas San Mateo Beef Pho

Last visit: 3/2014
MaMa’s Vietnamese Cuisine

2456 S El Camino Real
San Mateo, CA 94403
(650) 572-8822

This low profile Vietnamese Restaurant has been here for a while. It is pretty popular even though it doesn’t have the best location. We like it better than their arch rival Saigon City.

Pho Tai – rare steak noodle soup ($6.25 for medium) decent broth, average meat quality and noodles.

Pho Ga – chicken rice noodle soup ($6.25 for medium) decent broth, reasonable chicken quality.

Overall – Good
Food – Good
Decor – Good
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Maybe

Last Visit: January 2015
Them Ky
717 Ellis St
San Francisco, CA 94109

Yelp 3.5 stars

Next door to Hai Ky Mi Gia, which is famous for duck noodles. Unfortunately they were closed so we ate next door. Pho Tai had too sweet a broth. Lots of average quality meat. Good noodles. Go around the corner instead.

Overall – Fair
Food – Fair
Decor – Poor
Service – Fair
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Maybe

Last Visit: April 2014
Pho Little Saigon
2978 S Norfolk St
San Mateo, CA 94403

Very popular Vietnamese restaurant located in the Marina Supermarket complex.

We found the service to be pretty bad drop and go, and the pho to be average at best.

Overall – Fair
Food – Fair
Decor – Poor
Service – Poor
Value – Excellent

Would we come back – Maybe

Not worth the visit: Chez Saigon, Belmont

 

Do you have any Pho suggestions?

Restaurant Map:


Overall Rating: (Extraordinary! 4)

Come Back?

Food Rating: (Extraordinary)
Service Rating: (Extraordinary)
Atmosphere Rating: (Extraordinary)
Value Rating: (Extraordinary)

Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Alcohol:Beer, Wine
Attire:Casual
Parking:Street
Reservations:Yes

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1 Comment

  • Pho Hanoi, San Jose
    April 22, 2023 at 9:15 pm

    […] Service – Pho Hanoi had fair service. Not enough server = hail them to get stuff done. The young server did know the menu well. You pay by going up to the cashier. Verdict – Pho Hanoi serves up some of the best Vietnamese in the SF Bay Area. Excellent Pho and Bun Cha that we have not see anywhere around here. Also try Best Pho in San Francisco Area […]

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