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Category: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Outer SunsetMon-Tue., Thu-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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I really think the cheapness of the prices makes the food taste better. FOR FIVE BUCKS (ish) I got a bowl of pho half the size of a medium-sized watermelon. So generous.
I got the beef pho, my friend got the "special" beef pho, where special means the meat is tangled...looking (vs. sliced) and tastes a bit more gamey. If you ask for "everything" that means you are OK with eating tripe and fat and tendons and other non-muscle meat bits.
The food came extremely fast too, considering it was packed when I was there. In summary: instant, cheap and relatively tasty gratification for pho-related cravings.
If you like pho, then you'll like Loi's.
I have been to this small vietnamese restaurant for years now. I have not been disappointed once. The food is great. I always order the old reliable number 1! Sometimes we order the egg rolls, which are always delicious. I always order an iced coffee to go along with the meal. Yummy!
As far as the service is concern, there's nothing much to complaint about. The food service is quick and the waiter is efficient. The only thing I would mention about Loi's is that it doesn't accept credit cards. So have your cash ready.
Even though we don't live in San Francisco anymore, we always go out of our way to eat at Loi's. It's just that good and the price can't be beat!
i'd give this a 4 star review granted i didn't see a bowl of raw beef ready for use right next to the restroom 6 years ago.
had dinner here tonight with some homies after my 6 year absence (raw beef next to the restroom) loi's was my first pho experience back in 1993 and from what i could remember was a great experience.
back then, my friends and i would squeeze half the bottles of rooster and hoisin sauce and made sure plenty of napkins were near us to wipe the sweat off our foreheads.
if you want CHEAP / QUICK / decent pho come here. stay away from the 5 spice chicken. its not five spice chicken...its hoisin and a shit load of seeyau (soy sauce)
pace slowly to the restroom if needed...you may slip and fall as i almost did.
also, fellas, if you want a fresh fade - check out patty or ray at p&r beauty/barber next door.
I've been to loi's since I was little! Meaning that's a good 15 years for sure. Loi's has a good selection with good value! I ALWAYS get the bbq pork over rice because it's so delicious! It also helps that I don't have to travel that far to eat at some Vietnamese food! The restaurant is great..however the downfall is that it's a pretty small place so there is usually a wait. Also the place isn't that clean, but if it passed inspection and i'm not getting sick it should be ok!=]
Ok...this past weekend I gave Loi's another chance. I remember coming here years ago when I was in high school. My biggest concern was to use the restroom you walked through the kitchen and seeing how clean it was already gave me a stomach ache. Ugh...
I guess you could say back then I was a little more uptight than I am now. I would have automatically given Loi's a one star...dirty dirty dirty!
HOWEVER...my recent experience has changed my opinion...the pho here is actually very tasty. Not sure if its the load of msg but the broth sure was flavorful. And at $4 a bowl how can you beat that. So Cheap...
Quick service ...good food...just don't go wandering around since the kitchen/bathroom will probably make you head straight for the door.
Loi's is great, its cheap, tastes great, and the portions are much bigger than the other Viet places I've been to. Which is exactly why I've been coming here for the past 5 years.
My favorite dishes are are the #1 XL and the #27 which you can get for under $7 including tax and tip.
But there's one problem, and that's the cleanliness. Now this doesn't really matter to me since I'm not a health freak or germaphobe but to those of you who are you may want to bring some hand wipes or something.
But overall Loi's is a really great place to eat at so you should definitely check it out!
My family and I have been going to Loi's for our pho for many years and have found it to be the best and cheapest pho in the Sunset area. When dining in, the food comes fast and piled high with brisket, tripe, flanks, beef balls....everything you want in beef pho. The place itself is a hole in the wall, but that is why I really dig this place. Its pretty cutty, yet almost always packed. I don't really order much else, who really needs to? A small bowl of pho is around the the same size as a medium at other places, and is only about $4.
Also, excellent place to eat to cure a hangover. Seriously, grab a bowl of beef pho with everything in it, drink some tea, and you're good for another round.
loi's. you were my first pho (years and years ago). you devirginized my pho mind.
dirty. YEP! but, i've never been sick here. There is something about the soup...it's not like other pho. But it literally does not get cheaper or more flavorful than this place. in fact i'm going here TONIGHT.
i read all the reviews even though I've been here like a hundred times, just to make myself hungrier.
there has been cleaner pho before, but there has never been cheaper nor tastier than Loi's.
great pho and rice plates... one thing about the pho when you order the meat on the side its all smash up.. kinda different from all the other pho place, my friend said those are the left over meat but taste just as good... no problem here.... hell yeah i would eat here again one thing is the place is small and can only fit so many....
i've been here over a handful of times and the food is always great. the service isnt 5 stars but i come here to EAT and not be pampered. i recommend the beef and chicken soup combo and the bbq grilled pork over rice. yumm.
Loi's chicken pho is the best I've had. It comes out hot and packed with flavor. Glorious notes of savory, sweet, fragrant, salty come out as you devour your pho. The imperial rolls are good as well as the 5 spice chicken. But really, get the chicken pho, dress it up with some mint, lime, jalepenos (and/or whatever else you like to eat with your pho), let the flavors meld together and simmer, eat your imperial rolls in the meantime, then... it's time to dig in! What comfort! What pleasure! What warmth and happiness!
And be forewarned - the prices are dirt cheap (I believe $4 for a small bowl of pho)! So don't expect sparkling tabletops or porcelain when you go to Loi's! Fill your tummy and you're good to go!
I do not dare to step inside the kitchen/bathroom but I heard that the bathroom is the size of a table. I don't want to ruin my appetite and love for my favorite Vietnamese hole in the wall :)
Get number 1 or number 2 (I don't know the difference-- can someone tell me?) in size M for only $3.95!!! The beef laid on top of the noodles is raw so make sure you sink it into the soup for awhile before consuming. The broth is extremely herby and flavorful! I love! $10 can usually feed two :D
I had the Bun Cha Ha Noi. Prices are great, service was fine. A little small, real hole in the wall.
Highlight was using the restrooms to wash my hands - you have to walk through the kitchen to get there. Not sure how it passed health inspections.
Only critique, and this was just my mood at the time, the place felt really really tiny, and I felt somewhat rushed as it was dinner time and I was occupying a table for 4 (I was alone). They might want to put in some tables for 2. But that's just me finding something to nit-pick.
Would definitely go there again - would like to try their Ban Cuon.
Standard Chinese/Vietnamese hole-in-the wall restaurant. If a Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant isn't dirty, then something's wrong with it. Clean ones are highly suspect. Don't come in expecting a great "ambiance", good service, or cleanliness and you'll be fine. Besides, you come to these types of places for one reason, and one reason alone - the food. Speaking of which...
Their grilled pork is awesome. Either over rice or in their bun thit nuong, you can't go wrong. Make sure to get an extra egg roll. They make their own soy milk too.
Cheap, good, and consistent. I'll be coming back for more.
A tiny hole in the wall but hey the pho is good and they're SUPER cheap. I don't know any other pho place that you can get a small pho for under 5 bucks! I'm just going to eat here instead of the other pho places on irving because why pay more for the same thing?
Growing up out here and I can't believe I never found this place before. $5 for a big ol bowl of pho. Can't beat that! Their rice dishes are really good too.
Not much to say other than, they are friendly, very mom n pop like, they are super cheap, and its tasty.
I'm a fan!
From SF to Orange County, no doubt, Loi's have the best Bun Rieu!
Loi's is definitely the best vietnamese restaurant in the city. While the restaurant itself is not… Read more »
The 36 Health Inspection Review doesnt scare me. I go here twice a week... small pho with beef and chicken, add an cha gio for a buck.
I use to come here a lot to eat pho.
All of the dishes are okay, they taste like the standard pho dish. You really can't mess that up.
That would earn them 3 stars.
Unfortunately, this place is DIRTY!
I don't mind rinky dinky dirty asian restaurants - because usually those are the best, but this one is way past the line.
I've seen mice on a few accounts at this place, but that didn't bother me as much as the server. The server put his stanky as thumb in my soup - bandage and all!
I can only imagine what was under his band aid. But I sear, each and every time I order pho here, this guy has his thumb two inches into the bowl and in my soup! Gross.
I'd much rather go up the street to 20th (around there) for pho. Bigger, cleaner, and better pho.
For the most authentic and delicious Pho without going to actual Vietnam is Loi's.
This is the place you bring someone from out of town that wants real pho that matches those of the streets of Vietnam.
The broth is great and the special beef that they serve is really good. It is rare beef that cooks while in the broth.
It is a really small place and not the best aesthetically . But it is authentic food. Fits no more than 20 people, even less. Get to go if you want.
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Edit - 11/02/09
I have to come back to change my review on this hell hole. The service loses 3 stars.
The guy waiter in there is rude as can be. Fool didn't sit us or anything when we walk in, so we just sat where ever.
I said hi to him after he brand us water, and he just ignored. I know he's probably a refugee and didn't go to school, but man come on its basic human etiquette.
So all that aside, I don't really care for. He came and took our order after we try hard to get his attention, then listen to this: He comes over and fuckin dont listen and just jot some bs down his paper and guess what? HE GAVE US THE WRONG SHIT WHENT HE ORDER CAME !
We order two number 1, one large and one x-large and a shrimp roll, but bam! He gave ONE number 1 and the eggroll. I had to walk up to them and ask them did they make a mistake. And when they gave me the new order, it was the X LARGE ONE, not the LARGE I had ordered !
I mean dude man just piss me the fuck off. I do not know what the hell is wrong with that guy, but he need to get his head check.
We didnt even finish ordering and he just walks away. The restaurant wasnt even busy... I mean come on. God dam it I dont know why this piss me off so much. Fuck this place.
Fe, Fi, Pho, Fun. The soup takes me longingly back to Vietnam and was an excellent comfort dish on a cool, foggy evening.
I am not a super expert on Vietnamese food but I have been to Vietnam before and I love the delicious beef broth soups with vermicelli noodles (Pho). I have tried 5 or 6 different restaurants in various West Coast cities in the past but have yet to discover anything really amazing in the past on my own (though I was taken to Vung Tao in San Jose and it is to die for, but pricey).
At some of the other restaurants I have been the Pho is filled with really, really fatty and tough meats including tripe and the soup is left with a floating film of rendered fat which grossed me out. But at Loi's the meat in the #1 Pho (special beef) was very, very tender, lean and delicious and it the was the best Pho I have had. My friend also had the #1 Pho and also enjoyed it immensely. I liked having the Sriracha, fish and dark sauce (similar to Hunan) at the table to customize the taste to one's own liking.
The BBQ pork over rice with a spring role was also incredibly delicious as well. The cold shrimp rolls were OK, but a bit basic in flavor so I would recommend people try something else for an appetizer.
After reading the reviews that described Loi's as "a hole in the wall" I was expecting a real dive and was pleasantly surprised to find the restaurant to be clean, maintained and not at all dumpy; I would describe the decor as simple, functional and basic. The service was also incredibly efficient and fast, though not overly chatty/friendly at 6PM with 3/4 of the tables occupied.
What really amazed me after the amount of great food was the price - 2 Phos (1 med/1 lg), 1 order BBQ pork/rice/spring roll, 1 order of shrimp rolls all for $20+tip and we finished with a ton of leftovers to save for lunch tomorrow.
If you have never tried Pho, or have not liked it in the past give Loi's a try and you will surely find it equally enjoyable.
I will definitely be back.
Dinner for two for less than 13 bucks?? Hell yeah son.
The place may be tiny, it may be dirty...you might even see the server's thumb in your soup when he serves you. but who really gives a shit when its dirt cheap and yum yum to your tum tum. Their bun rieu (noodles with tomato crab paste) is amazing, same as their rice plates and other pho soups. Can't go wrong with #1..you won't find rare steak at another pho restaurant as good as Loi's.
Since it was a cold friday evening we decided that a nice hot bowl of pho would be our comfort food. We chose Loi's over our regular place, only because it was a place we haven't been to yet. It's a really small restaurant, a hole-in-the-wall, nothing fancy about this place at all. The menus, utensils, and all your sauces are all on your table. The tables are pretty close together too..only one walkway separates the tables across the rooms. Probably no more than like 12 tables there.
We ordered the ex-lrg #1 pho ($5.95) and a northern pork noodle dish ($5.75) - the table next to us was having eating the northern pork noodle dish, and it looked pretty good. The pho was pretty good tasty, the soup wasn't bad - but I've had better. The pork dish was yummy - they give you a plate of rice noodles, lettuce, mint/basil/cilantro, and the bbq pork is in the fish sauce and you can roll up the meat in the lettuce or just eat it as is in a bowl.
I didn't like the fact that when we got there the waitress came with cups of tea...and right when she was going to set it on our table she was distracted and started talking to the people walking through the door that she ended up spilling HOT tea on my bf's arm! It was another waiter that saw it, quickly ran over and grabbed the tea from her hand and put it on our table and apologized. This is such a hole-in-the-wall place that when I asked for our check, the waiter just told me the total! That was kinda weird. Overall, its cheap and not a bad place to get your dose of pho comfort food.
small hole in the wall that offers northern Vietnamese cuisine, don't let the oily menus and wet utensils scare you off :), number 25 and 10 are super tasty. it can be a bit cumbersome for parties of 4 or more but the affordability of their plates makes up for cramped seating and wiping down your chopsticks and spoons. they take plastic as well , a rarity for any food joint on Irving...go .. go now.
I moved to Los Angeles in March, however, prior to that I had the opportunity to spend a couple months in San Francisco. While walking one day in the cold and rain, I stumbled across Loi's. Upon entry into this unassuming little hole in the wall, I had no idea what to expect. After a brief once over of the menu, I went for the bbq beef pho. What came out was at first not what I thought. A side of grilled beef and a bowl of broth with noodles.
But upon further exploration and a single taste, I found myself slurping up the last noodles and eating the meet as though it would be my last meal.
Without question this is the best hidden gem in San Francisco when it comes to pho. The kicker only thing I did not like about this restaurant was the price. My bill was $6 including a diet coke. I think they should raise their prices by at least $4 a serving that way I can make sure to have a table the next time I want a seat!!
If you're looking to try good Vietnamese food, this is the place to go. This restaurant is pretty authentic even if the restaurant itself doesn't look appealing. The place is very small with only a few tables and chairs (which appears to be fairly sticky too). It's pretty loud in there if you dine in. If you're looking for a neat, quiet place to eat at, this is not for you (but definitely order to go to give the food a try.) Even though this place had a hygiene/ health score on the low side before, they have now significantly improved their score.
I've been eating here since I was a little kid and I've been coming back. There's a large variety of Appetizers, Pho, Cold Vermicelli, Rice plates, etc to choose from. This place is even better because the pricing is beyond reasonable. You'd spend no more than about $6 or $7 for a huge bowl/ plate of food. Give the place a try! :D
I can't figure out the soup base! It just does not taste like pho...
Good thing is, this place is hella cheap.
#1 Large & #2 Medium = $9
Also, I discovered the tiny little flat screen sort of above the door.
I've been here more times than I would like, but it's my boyfriend's favorite pho restaurant.
The…
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For the most part this place can easily be described as a hole in the wall. barely having enough sets to fit a couple of dozen people at most and with their old style decor, one would seriously question how clean this place can be. With that said however this is by far one of the cheapest Pho places you can find anywhere these days. If you come here with a friend and have a small appetite you can easily get outta here spending less than 6 bucks at most for one person. I love how their menu may be small but they offer great rice dishes along with the traditional Pho soup. I know there are many other places along the street that people like going to more, but at the same time I just want friendly service without the massive amounts of people in there.
If your really worried about the health score, don't be. They have improved a lot over the course of the past few years so it's a testimony to see how Chinese places can have scores over 80! It may not be the best place to take a date, but it is a cool place to take some friends and have some fun at the same time. Your gonna get here what you would get anywhere else and have the option of ordering specifically how much you want. Trust me and come here when you have the chance to, you wont regret it.
I think this place has the most inexpensive pho you'll ever eat. I think it's RIDICULOUS how expensive most pho places are nowadays. Most of the time the portions are pretentious; don't be tricked cuz it's usually the noodles and soup that fills you up. Anyway Loi's is this small, hole-in-the-wall restaurant that is super affordable. It isn't the cleanest looking place but I haven't found any weird crap in my soup yet (phew!) so it's all good. The staff is kinda rude but what do you expect from a place like this. The food is average; pho is pho, every place pretty much tastes the same. The downside is that they don't have bun bo hui (sp?) which sucks cuz it's bomb. Hard to find parking since it's in on Irving. I would recommend if you're running low on cash and want a quick bite. I got a medium size number 1 for about $5 including tip and tax. Thumbs up for a poor college grad like me!!
This place is a hole in the wall. Very dirty. Every spoon has a piece of leftover from someone's meal. My mom hates this place because it's dirty, but my father doesnt mind it so we came here with grandma ... This place is small, with small picnic like tables but packed with people. When we walked in, my dad bumped into someone he knew from vietnam -- must be authentic restaurant. Anyway, the Pho was good. The only weird thing is the raw piece of sliced beef that I was supposed to get. What I actually got was a piece of what looked like ground beef, but not really ground beef because it was in a slice ... more like a piece of meatloaf. But hey I like meatloaf so it doesnt bother me. The biggest buzz kill about my experience here today was this deuche bag who sat next to me (not my grandma). Maybe it was his loud humming of this annoying song, or speaking loudly to his timid girlfriend who didnt speak at all. She was probably a rental. Throughout the meal I wanted to sock him in the face because of the lack of intelligence in his one sided conversation. "I really like this song" ... "I want another taste of this soup" ... "Nice day today" ...
But all in all, I will come back to this place if not for the food, but to seek out their sanitary score and take a picture of it if its really 42!!!
Food is flavorful.
Friendly service.
I ordered 3 types of meat rice dish.
They didn't really have that but they knew what i wanted and accommodated.
You can do it!
This place is so dirty it's disgusting. There are flies everywhere in the dining section so I can't imagine what goes on in the kitchen WHERE THEY MAKE YOUR FOOD.
Besides, this is yet another "Vietnamese food made by Chinese for Chinese" place in SF. If you want real Vietnamese food that's made by Vietnamese for Vietnamese, I guess you'd have to trek down to San Jose.
Ok, so I have to admit that though I have frequented Loi's for nearly two decades (yeah, I'm an old fart), it isn't technically my first choice for pho. However, the owners of this restaurant, the Lois, really went above and beyond the call of duty, and I want people to know the experience I had here.
The food itself is very "home-style" if not exactly authentic. Their beef is sliced differently than most pho places, which makes it more tender so long as you keep it from over-cooking in the broth. They serve beer, and they often play Chinese movies on an LCD television near the ceiling (if you want to watch though, you will have to face the door--there's only one tv!). They also serve soymilk that is slightly bland, but very reminiscent of hole-in-the-walls in Hong Kong.
The reason Loi's has pushed over into 5 stars is their amazing service, mainly on Mrs. Chen Tu Loi's end. She not only was quick to greet and assist one of the elderly in my party, but she remembered what our orders were, even though we had not frequented the restaurant in nearly 5 years! She also prevented a mishap when my grandma attempted to take a hot bowl of soup on her own. Mrs. Loi really blew my mind that day. She was at all times gracious, respectful, and full of smiles. Big up Loi's!
Loi's is one of the better Vietnamese restaurants in San Francisco. Having gone to SJSU it reminds me of your typical downtown San Jose Vietnamese Restaurant.
Loi's is not much to look at, tables and floor are sticky - it's like dinning in my grandmother's kitchen in North Beach. So if you are a neat freak this is not your place. Menus are worn, restaurant is noisy...Hey the food is excellent, the staff is friendly - so give Loi's a try but parking on Irving is tough.
So so Vietnamese food; not sure how clean this place is.... some of the stuff you see in the kitchen will make you wonder.
The Bun Bo Hue had pork blood cubes in it... not good. The tall bald guy is in fact kinda rude, but.... the restaurants in this neighborhood aren't known for their customer service.
Every time my friends come to SF from out of state, as happened last weekend, I take them here for authentic North Vietnamese, Hanoi-style street food. My meat and potatoes are the bbq noodle soups, but when I get a hankering for the Bun Cha Hanoi, nothing else satisfies!
Been coming hear since it opened in the mid-1980s.
Wasn't happy when the original owner, the present…
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im surprised by so many negative reviews. Yes its a little grimmy, but thats part of the charm. I've eaten at about 4 Pho restaurants on Irving alone and this one is by far the best.
If one were to stick Loi's bbq chicken on a bed of shredded cabbage and put along side it two scoops of rice and one scoop of macaroni salad...
....and this plate were to be served in any plate lunch spot in the 808....
....this place would SELL OUT aka 86 this chicken plate every single damn day....
....and the owners would be rich.
Just a thought I happen to have every single time I eat in this beat-up, hole-in-the-wall Viet spot.
If you're from the 808, you'll understand.
Their bbq anything is still the KABOOM!
Their fresh shrimp rolls are the best I've had in The City.
Ultra-wallet friendly!
No can go wrong!
We go to Loi's for the BBQ items.... Everything else is secondary and just comes along for the ride.… Read more »
Sad to report that the last few times put us off Loi's - ingredients were burned, meat super fatty and waaay to much smoke flavoring used, all in all phogettable.
2 1/2 stars
Update: Found out after second visit that it was renamed Loi's in spite of some outdated signage… Read more »
Just stumbled upon this gem a few weeks ago. All my friends had been raving about this place so i decided to check it out.
Loi's is a total hole in the wall. Typical Irving street restaurant. But holy cow, their pho is good. It tastes quite different from other pho places, but i just can't quite get my finger on how it's different.... But it's different in a good way! And 4.75 for a large bowl of pho!?!? count me in! How the hell is this place so cheap!?!???! IT MAKES NO SENSE!
Anyways, the pho is awesomely good and the price just makes it that much better! Go now!
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
Category: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
Category: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
Category: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
Category: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
Category: Vietnamese
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