Pho 99 Noodle & Grill
Category: Vietnamese [Edit]
11819 Wilshire BlvdSuite 106B
West Los Angeles, CA 90025 (310) 312-7881
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Garage
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
55 Reviews for Pho 99 Noodle & Grill
The reason that I gave this resto a 4 star is because there were more tastier Vietnamese restaurants that I've tried, but for the west side, this is pretty much close to the top. The broth of the soup was tasty and the size is pretty good, although it's a little pricey, but this is the better vietnamese food you would ever find on the West side.
Friendly waiters, pay at the cashier is kinda weird, but it's all working out good, always full of people during lunch time, totally recommend the fried chicken plate and of course their Pho combination.
I think the pho is pretty genuine. You know how I can tell? All of the options are made with pork broth. Don't eat pork? Tough. None of that pansy chicken/vegetable/seafood broth here, hippie.
Which I can respect. I had the bún instead and it was awfully tasty. The chicken had a great grilled taste and the "shrimp sausage" had a surprising flavor and texture you don't find every day.
I must also note Pho 99 also serves banh mi, which isn't so easy to find on the Westside. Though a little pricier than you might find in Westminster, and the chicken was chunked instead of shredded, it's still a mighty fine sandwich.
Tip: don't get the spring rolls - less than ordinary, I thought.
I have no qualms about my hatred of cilantro. The smell and taste causes me to gag and the mere thought of cilantro being in my food causes me to protest and cry in the loudest decibel possible (well, perhaps I exaggerate, but I do despise cilantro).
This past weekend my boyfriend needed a heaping bowl of pho to ease away his pounding headache along with a slight hangover. As pho on the westside goes, I only know one place. One single place. Pho 99.
I do not like pho. I actually despise pho. I think pho is slightly a notch under cilantro. YUCK!
BUT.
Pho 99 was where we were going and I needed to make due. Normally pho has cilantro and I was determined not to let the evil green suckers ruin my weekend, so luckily my eyes latched onto vermicelli noodles. My eyes quickly ran over the description and cilantro was nowhere to be found. YES!
My big bowl of vermicelli noodles were topped with tomatoes, bean sprouts, lettuce, grilled shrimp and pork and an egg roll. This was a great refreshing bowl of goodness and a great surprise for Susan J.
It was all together a great day. My boyfriend got rid of his headache and hangover and I was able to enjoy myself to a nice bowl of noodles sans cilantro. A great find and another lesson in which I learned that Pho restaurants can't all be too horrible.
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Yelp totally let me down on this one. I was craving pho and this place was close and had stars galore, so we gave it a shot. I had the signature beef pho. The beef was low grade and there were big chunks of lard floating in my soup. Ok, I get it - fat is flavor. And yes, obviously there's going to be fat in beef pho - but this was excessive and just plain gross. I was finding hard balls of a gelatin-like substance up in there!
The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars is because the service was good and my friend liked the shrimp spring rolls.
Great pho in LA is proving elusive. I will continue my quest though. Once thing's fo sho - there will be no mo pho 99 fo this mofo.
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sad, there are like no vietnamese options on the westside. ugh. well, this is one of the few acceptable options. the pho is decent. i actually usually go more for the vermicelli or rice combos, which are pretty good.
food comes out QUICK... and the expressionless old waiter obsessively fills my water glass, which is nice. quality and price are definitely not as good as outside of the westside, but it's good enough for me to get my vietnamese food fix.
This place is so bad I won a free lunch for 5 dropping my business card in the fish bowl. I'm not going to take it... My friends might stab me.
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The thing that stands out for me at this place is the fact that they give a lot of meat! I will definitely come back. Although it may seem expensive for pho...its also on wilshire...they do fill your water so frequently, the service is good compared to other places.
This place gets 4 stars because it's the only decent pho place in the area and because they serve tofu/veggie pho. I know it's not traditional but it's damn good.
The service is typical of a pho restaurant...minimal interaction and quick service. If you're lucky you may catch some sarcastic jokes from the waiters.
It definitely satisfies my pho craving without having to go all the way to the OC.
* Don't forget to bring cash for the tip - they don't let you put this part on your card.
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I come here whenever I'm in West LA and craving pho cause it's too far to drive bar to the SGV. I've had better pho. It's ok. It gets the job done and satisfy the craving. Heh. Service is fast. I don't really fancy the parking structure and they close really early.
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3 Stars for being the closest Westside Pho place around. Not as rad as the Pho Cafe in Silverlake but if you are definitely craving it go here. Get there early because they were very vigilant about closing up early when customers came in right at the cut-off at 9 I believe. The shrimp Pho was not to bad. I need to re-visit you.
pho-king great!!!
ha...ok, but really...this place is the ONLY authentic Vietnamese noodle house i know on the west side (and that pho reign place on sawtelle doesnt count!)
love their fried egg rolls, pho (rare steak, tendon and brisket for me) and their vermicilli dishes are pretty good too. while it's pricier than the really really authentic places in westminster or k-town, i understand cuz they're in West LA.
This is the closest place for pho I can find. It's pretty good, but not great. It satisfied my pho craving for a non-exorbitant price (about $7-$8/person with tip but no drinks), so this place is okay by me. I got the #1, the pho with all the stuff in it (couldn't even tell you all the things that are in it). The first thing that I noticed was that there weren't any thinly sliced rings of onions in it. I think that made it not taste as good as other pho. Also, the tripe (yes I eat tripe!) was a little tough. I know tripe is supposed to be at least a little chewy, but this was like...rubbery. Everything else in the pho was pretty good. Noodles were as I expected them to be. If you're on the west side and NEED pho, this place ain't bad!
Don't get confused and accidentally go to the buffet next door, though. I did that. It was embarrassing. Also, they don't let you leave the tip on your credit. Tips are credit card only, but you can use your card on the rest of your meal.
I've been craving Pho for the longest time and since the weather's been cooperating as of late, I decided to get some with my foodie in crime Soy.
You wouldn't notice this place at all if you're not paying attention, but it's in the same center as the buffet (city?) and Subway.
The service was very attentive and friendly the entire time we were there. Our waiter was very quick in filling our waters and even didn't give us slack for just hanging out waiting for our buddy Tim to join us.
I ordered the Spring Rolls as an appetizer which Soy said she wouldn't have any, but I'm glad she did, because sharing is caring and I didn't want to fill myself with Spring Rolls.
On to the Pho!! I ordered myself a large bowl and even though it was a bit on the pricey side for Pho, it was really good. It didn't have as much meat as I'd like and was missing meatballs (I believe it's extra), it was one bad mo'pho'n bowl of Pho!! I doused it with Siracha and sprouts and went to town. Totally hit the spot. Then my foodie in crime suggested chicken wings to finish it off! lol!! Bomb!! So, we went to Furaibo, read my review.
Thanks again Soy for introducing me to this place, now I know a good Pho place in the Westside to bring my friends. *flashes W*
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A good pho fix for the westside. The pho, Vietnamese coffee, and fried rolls are delicious. Not the friendliest restaurant, but the service is quick.
Very casual and in a strip mall.
It's a little pricier than other Vietnamese restaurants you can find in the OC, but worth it for the convenience.
For what it is, this place isn't bad. Sure, I paid close to $10 (with tip) for a large bowl of pho; but it's the Westside, is that really surprising to anyone? Service was fast. Soup was nice and hot. Like the fact that they take credit cards. Now you KNOW you're on the Westside if you go to a Pho place and there isn't a "Cash Only" sign. Thanks for the recommendation, Jamie! Now I need not worry my pretty little head next time I'm craving Pho.
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Best pho I've had on the westside so far...MUCH better than China Beach. Pho Tai is good...douse it with sriracha and lime and I'm a happy man. Service is fast and they refill your water frequently, which is nice when I'm sweating bullets from the sriracha! It's very convenient that they accept credit cards.
Next time I go for Pho I'm trying Le Saigon and will report back.
This is my go to Pho place. Great broth. Get the larger size for fifty cents more. The spring rolls are light and fresh. Lately I've become a fan of the House Special Bun, good if you're a bit tired of noodle soup.
Did not have the pho, but had some kind of noodle dish with grilled shrimp. The shrimp was sparse, but what there was of it was tasty. Too much noodle, with little else, for my taste. The home made fresh lemonade was tart and refreshing. It was clean and service was prompt. There are very few pho places on the Westside - think this is about as good as you can get.
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This place was introduced by one of the yelper~ thx again
this place is much better than Noodle planet\
combo pho is good, but the fast service is even better
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I put two stars there because I know some of the wait staff there. They are great! I know them from the pho restaurant I use go to near the city of industry. However, I cannot be as enthusiastic about the food their. The broth is lacking; the flavor just feels like it's almost their but falls short of being good. They're definitely conservative about the amount of protein they put into the pho and spring rolls. The price is typical of west Los Angeles, but you just don't get your money's worth. If the traffic wasn't so bad, I'd drive the 10 or 15 minutes to the valley to get real pho.
I'd recently ate here with a friend who has been in the US for about 3 months from Vietnam, the food was good... But my friend had made a commented " the ingredients weren't exactly the same like back home".
Over all the Pho was very good...
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I had pho here a while back and can't really remember too much except for my friend saying that it was too expensive. Pho in his opinion should be no more then $6 for a large bowl. Your really paying for convience and overhead in West L.A. which is fine because you could sit in traffic for hours to go to a good pho restaurant but cost you $30 in gas (my car gets 12mpg).
The place was clean looking and other then the price being a little higher then the norm. I think it was pretty good. This stuff is addicting the truck loads of MSG is what makes pho taste so good just like doritos chips you can't just eat one.
Whoever invented MSG should be shot!
It all started with one magical night at Cabo Cantina. My friends and I were starving drunk animals and were seeking a place of refuge. The one of my friends suggested, "How 'bout some Pho??"
WHAT the pho?!
No joke, I literally come here every week. I even stalked the hell outta them by calling them non-stop for takeout. Granted, this place was the first time I ever had Pho.
This place must put cocaine in their broth because I literally have dreams about hitting up this place after I get out of work, starving like an animal.
I always get their seafood pho -- shrimp, calamari, fish cake (ummm) and crab meat (fakey).. regardless, I fucking love it. The broth is awesoooome. If anyone one else can convince me of another Pho restaurant on the westside, I'm fucking sold.
Oh yeah, I'm an avid debit card user, and for some reason they can't add a tip on your purchase.. which sucks for them, not really for you. But they are nice people, tip accordingly.
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I had the pho bo tai chin. The broth wasn't very good. It was very thin and not meaty at all; there was no substance to it. I got 3 pieces of chewy tai that was a little too thick and well done by the time it got to me. The chin mean fell apart in my bowl and I had to hunt around for bits and pieces of it. $8 for this? Please. Over priced and not worth it.
There are no bows or bangles about this place. If you come in search of pho, you'll get pho. I really like the eggrolls, too. If you come in search of atmosphere and elegance, you won't find it. It's a simple place: bodies to bring out the food, a place to sit, a table full of condiments, wooden chopsticks ready to go.
On the Westside, it's probably your best bet for pho. I think the soup is tastier than that I've have at Le Saigon (which probably means more MSG). I prefer Noodle Planet but hey, parking here is much much easier. Visit!
Spring rolls were definitely lacking the herbs! My boyfriend wanted to try something new, so he got the seafood noodle soup with egg noodle and it was super bare. I had the pho which was decent but the prices and the selection of other things makes me want to go to Le Saigon on Santa Monica in West LA instead. The people that work at Pho 99 are Vietnamese so I had high hopes but I was let down. pretty hard.
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It's been too long since I've ordered the pho here, but from what I remember, I ordered the pho tai and thought the broth was pretty delish. Maybe I'm immune to MSG, because I didn't have the same problems previous reviewers had after eating here.
The other day, I came here for lunch and ordered the noodles with the grilled beef. I don't know what's in that beef, but I haven't had meat the flavorful at a Vietnamese restaurant in a long, long time. My lovely dining companion ordered the same dish, only with grilled chicken, and it was just as good! I just wish the serving was just a leeeeetle bit bigger because I inhaled my food in about 10 minutes. Or maybe I was just really hungry.
I like that you can pay with credit cards here, but hate not being able to add tip to the credit cards since I rarely carry cash.
Oh yeah, this place has those delicious sandwiches, and I don't know of any other places in this area that serves it.
There's a garage in the structure where this restaurant is located that validates - the sign out front says 90 minutes free with validation.
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I knew I'd (partly) regret moving west of the 405 if I couldn't find good pho, so before moving I gave Pho 99 a chance to let me be one of its regulars (if it has any (the rest of the review won't use this many parantheticals)). I was regretfully disappointed with the quality of the food here. It probably seemed like a good idea to be one of the only pho places within miles, but it appears to me that that was the only reason for opening this shop.
The soup was so-so, the veggies subpar like subprime, and the size oh-so-westside. On the other hand it was clean and had nicer chairs than most pho shops I've ever been to. Unfortunately for me, you are the only pho I can walk to now, so I'll probably be back because it's too hard to live without. Well, that or I'll just have to go for a drive tonight when I get phorny again.
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I"m torn between 3 and 4 stars.
I rounded up considering i still come here when I crave pho.
I love pho.. my friend asked me.. how i felt about having a constant bubbling pot of soup in my kitchen.. and i told him it would go great next to my live in sushi chef.. sigh.. a girl can dream.
anyway.. pho 99.. how i thank you for saving me from driving 30 miles back home to the 626.. but i know you cannot compare to my pho-king hot spots back there.. i don't know about Pho King itself.. i've never been but please pardon my pun.
the soup doesn't come out scorching hot as I would like.. their veggies are not as fresh as i would like.. the noodles are mostly over cooked.. and sometimes they run out of limes and give you lemons.. and tell you that those are limes..
but the flavor is decent.. portions are decent..
watch out for the big long daikon piece in the egg rolls.. it just gets in the way for me.
i always get the combination pho.. the one with tendon and tripe and the other kinds of meat.. at least that's the closest i get to the ones back in the 626.. don't ask me what it's called.. it's just the one with all the crap in it.. the good crap..
they do have a pretty damn good thai iced tea.. i try to refrain from ordering one because one just isn't enough once i take a sip from the straw.
Broth: Pretty Good
Noodles: Too chewy, blegh
Meat: Unusually tasty... for some reason I haven't had beef as tasty as here.
Tripe: Was slightly salty, but not bad... it seemed like it was a bit not fresh.
Portion: A little small
Price: A little pricey, cept dunno why everyone is pissed abt the price... if you know anything about business, Westwood has ridiculously expensive rent because it's a famous place, thus the expense is passed on to the customer.
The noodles are pretty bad though so I want to give this 3.5 stars but as I can't I'll do 4 stars.
Oh yeah and on a side note, I amusingly saw that this is North Vietnamese owned... what tipped me off is 1. the logo which shows a Viet lady in North Vietnamese dress and 2. the labeling of pho in the menu as distinctly N.V... I guess they don't know too much abt the history. N.V.'s original pho just has broth, meat and noodles: no veggies. When it migrated down south, S.V. are all about the veggies so they added a few spices and veggies... this is the kind in 99% of pho places (I have yet to find a place with pure pho, I'd really like to try it... there HAS to be a place somewhere...)... but anyway, the little rivalry between N/S still amuses me (central doesn't seem to figure in the rivalry like Nor and So Cal... central Cal doesn't matter either lol)...
Oh yeah Tips need to be in cash... we didn't have any cash so we were unable to leave tip... lol... oops.
Oh yeah and someone mentioned MSG... I didn't feel the effects... maybe cuz I've gotten used to it. But hate to break it to ya'll, all good pho has at least a little MSG. I've had pho w/o MSG at a few places and my mom cooking it, and it tastes like WATER... they and my mom didn't reduce cooking time either.. it was boiled for the full 3 hours. Even home cooked pho has MSG in it... my aunt who cooks the best pho, guess what, uses MSG. Sooo... there's no way you can get around it. Just don't eat pho everyday and you won't get cancer lol. I actually was looking at some popular junk foods and they also have MSG... Believe it or not, Cheetos have MSG (monosodium glutamate... read the ingredients label).
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2 Stars, only because this pho place gets +1 for being clean.
I was so disappointed. I always look forward to a nice big bowl of hangover-helper, but the broth here was really quite bland.
Meh.
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This is the best Pho you can get around UCLA, but that's not saying much..
It is on the high side of pho prices, and I don't think i've ever gotten such a small amount of noodles for that price. The soup is kind of fatty (there are oil droplets floating on the top) but the taste is above average. The spring rolls were chewier than usual, and it bothered me. I can't complain about the ingredients in the pho because there were a lot (I had the seafood pho). The egg rolls weren't bad, but they weren't good either.
If you come here, stay away from the appetizers.
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Overweight grumpy Vietnamese men. Strip mall atmosphere. Delicious pho.
EDIT: Beware the MSG.
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For a pho place located on the Westside, this place is pretty damned good. My favorite pho places are usually located in the valley or Westminster (of course), and this one can hold its own.
I'm not even entirely sure if there are any other pho places around, but if you're looking for one in the Westside/Santa Monica area, look no more, this is it, steps away from Cabo Cantina and mere blocks away from where some dude killed O.J.'s wife.
From the spring rolls to the actually noodles, Pho 99 will impress you. And the place is actually clean with functional furniture...made out of real wood, unlike the ones in the valley where you're practically sitting on lawn furniture.
Overall, this is highly suggested for your pho fixes, and you don't have to drive to the hell that is the valley or the anus that is Orange County.
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Okay, I lied; there is one more place for pho on the Westside. I just wish I could report that it is worth it.
I whined a while back that Le Saigon is too pricey, but at least their pho is not SINGING WITH MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE. Really, I'd rather pay out the nose for my pho and know that I am not going to pound down five glasses of water straight after, or suffer a mild allergic reaction from evil flavor enhancers. Jesus, guys, just take special care with the broth and you won't NEED chemicals to make it taste better.
3 stars because it's clean and open late. Otherwise: ucch.
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YUM!
Okay, I'll say more: I had the vermicelli noodles topped with an assortment of pork, grilled shrimp, and some kind of fish cake. It was delicious and very refreshing. My only complaint would be that the portions are rather small for the price, but as someone else mentioned that's not surprising given the location. My dining companion had the bahn and couldn't stop raving about how great it was.
I'd definitely go back for the signature pho.
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Decent quality pho, especially considering the other options in the area...which are actually very few. The pho is actually pretty pricey (around 7 bucks for a big bowl), but what do you expect...it's Brentwood. I think for that much, you could probably feed an entire village in Vietnam. Anyhow, they have all the usual suspects on the menu...pho, broken rice with pork chops, banh xeo (I'm keepin' it real), cha gio...I don't remember seeing the hardcore Vietnamese stuff like the fish in the clay pots or hot and sour soups. Anyhow, it is what it is...overpriced Vietnamese food cooked by ethnic Chinese peeps (they're Chinese but can speak Vietnamese. I've actually heard them and can understand them as well...) for the white folk in Brentwood.
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I think I just got ripped off. Maybe I'm too spoiled by non-westwood prices, but man, this place was a rip off! It was like $7.50 for my pho. That's ridiculous! I think the portion was a bit smaller than other places too.
The broth tasted ok, but my noodles were very stuck together. Overall a disappointing experience.
It probably didn't help that the waitress was yapping on her cell phone as she served us. Also, I found it weird that on the credit card bill, you are unable to leave a tip. "Tip is in cash!" they kept telling us. Luckily I had enough to cover it, but what if I didn't!?
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We love this spot for good Pho on the Westside. We are often torn between this place and Le Saigon on Santa Monica Blvd. This Pho is consistently delicious and I've spotted "Cheech" gettin' his Pho on here, so people know whats up...Service is good, super cheap...You should go :)
My friend Sarah needs to go to Pho rehab. I went with her last night, and the entire staff knows her by name, and has her order memorized (I think she goes at least 3 times/week). Which isn't surprising, because the pho is pretty delicious.
Pho 99 is great because it works in all kinds of settings... We've been there for lazy dinners, drunk munchies, and best of all, hangovers. I'm telling you, a bowl of Pho will ease even the meanest hangover. And the staff won't look down on you even if you're a hot mess.
If you're a pho-expert, then maybe you won't be as satisfied as I am with Pho 99. But if you're a white girl like me and you like soup and friendly people, than it's a great choice. Tip: add the hoisin and the rooster sauce, along with the jalapeno slices if you wanna bring spicy back.
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