Pho Vi Hoa
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- 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
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
99 Reviews for Pho Vi Hoa
So everyone comes here for the pho . . I don't do pho. I DO however, do roasted meat with lots of rice. (I am particular to their shrimp and pork dishes). The long lines out the door at lunch do not lie; this place serves up hearty food with great prices. And I kind of enjoy the b*tchiness/impatience of some of the wait staff, makes me feel like I'm back in Asia.
I highly recommend getting here on a weekday BEFORE noon so you can get seated right away. If you wait until noon, you will have to wait in line.
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Service wasn't really pleasant as a newcomer.
Environment is really dark.
Busy lunch on a Sunday.
Rice plate with chicken and peanut sauce is pretty darn good.
Beef pho noodle soup is good and fresh.
Price seems a bit higher than normal, but I think that's to be expected with this economy... around $7 to 8 per plate.
That pretty much sums it up.
This place is great. Great big dishes. A little more expensive than some hole in the wall viet places but justified prices with the portions. Very well done and enjoyable. Slightly better ambiance then most too (ie: no florescent lighting).
The pho here is the best I've ever had. Granted, I haven't been to that many other pho places, but still. The broth is flavorful, the noodles are nice and chewy, the meat is good, and they load you up with onions and spring onions (yayuh!). I've also tried the pork vermicelli bowl. The first time I had it, it was amazing. The next time, however, it left a funny aftertaste in my mouth. Maybe the fish sauce had gone bad, I don't know.
I've only ever come here at lunchtime, and the line goes out the door for days. Having said that, it moves pretty fast considering how packed the restaurant gets. But be prepared to be herded like cattle when being seated, and you might have to share a table with other random people because of seating shortages. The waitstaff can be a little pushy and seemingly impatient, but because they're usually old Vietnamese people it's kind of endearing. I especially find it cute when the little old Viet lady with the short curly hair screams out "EXCUUUUSE ME, MOVE PLEASE" hella high pitched and with a crazy fake grin on her face as she rams her cart of dishes through the crowd.
The food is decent here. I like the location because we can go for a quick supper after work. The service is stoic, borderline rude.
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This is a very good pho place to go to. Good price, good food, fast service, and spacious! It's more of an 'eat-and-leave' sort of place, so good thing there's coffee shops right next door! Overall, good food for good price and time efficiency!
Since I have dinner here during winter about once a week, its not possibly less than 4 stars. I'm a return customer! (Ok yes, i also work and live within 4 blocks but..) It must be good. And it is.. Good for what it is and not for what it ain't.
The service here is not polite, but it doesn't pretend to be. Its a "wham-bam-thank'you ma'am" sort of set-up. The reason my soup comes 5 minutes after placing my order is that they barely take a minute to chat with me before moving onto... making my soup. Fair. Nice-ities are overrated in a setting like this.
In my book, its a ton of food for a very cheap price. After a workout, i'll often stop in and order the large chicken broth (i know.. i'm a coward but its how i like it) with no noodles, extra veggies and meat.. The hook it up! Its more food than i should be allowed to consume (esp in the short time period i actual DO comsume it in) and yet, with tip, its $13.00. To me, that's bargain.
Anyway, i say-- Yum, fresh, quick.. A place i usually go alone for dinner with some work and they still give me a cosy booth to fold into. My vote is YES.
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I come here a couple of times a month because it's so convenient. It's not the best Vietnamese food you'll ever eat, but the restaurant is visibly clean and it's cheap. Service is efficient, but don't expect a smile or someone asking you how your meal is.
I can only speak to the pho. Definitely on the list of pho places to go in the Bay Area, but nothing mind numbingly great. Condiments were rather skimpy. The pho was probably not quite hot enough but the flavor was great and the meat in the dish was good.
The pho is nothing spectacular, but there aren't a lot of choices in the area anyway so I'll probably get it again sometime. I remember the waiter making fun of me ordering in vietnamese the first time I went, like he thought it was cute. It's definitely better than the bun thit nuong cha gio/vermicelli bowl with pork and egg roll-"juust one!"...reminds me of anjelah johnson imitating vietnamese people at the nail salon: www.youtube.com/watch?...
The noodles were overcooked, soft, cohesive. The meat looked like the just threw 3 big flat pieces on top. Do they not give a damn for presentation because it's takeout? I am a fan of the original way--skewered grilled pork with a smoky (not burnt!) flavor in smaller bite size pieces. Eating with chopsticks and a knife is a no-no for me. The eggroll paper was the cheap kind, definitely not an 'imperial' style. Healthy portion of noodle/meat/salad ratio though, if you are simply trying to satisfy your hunger. It's got a lot of room and tables, and has been far from vacant upon arrival.
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I have been going to this restaurant for a few years, but recently the food has gone downhill. The Pho is ok, but don't ever eat their grilled chicken and rice noodle dish (B-8) or probably anything chicken. This is the second time I tried B-8 this year (was hoping the first time was a fluke) and both times the meat was over grilled - some pieces were almost the consistency of jerky.
Like the others have said the service is rude and when you are alone they pretend like you don't exist once they have thrown your food on the table. Today since I couldn't eat the chicken I wanted to take it home for my dog - it took me forever to flag someone down and even after the hostess acknowledged me twice she still didn't come over or send anyone over. When I went up to pay she helped 3 other people who weren't in line before she took my money.
Since there are so many Vietnamese restaurants around - I see no reason to patronize this one again.
I eat lunch here a lot. They are usually packed during the lunch hour but the people shuffle through pretty quick. I usually get a bowl of Pho and spring rolls so I haven't tried any of their other lunch items. I can say the soup I usually order is excellent. The service is quick and courteous. I like all the chewy bits like tripe and tendon so I usually go for the:
P-12 Pho Dac Biet Bo Vien
Eye Round Steak, Well-Done Flank, Brisket,
Tender Tendon, Shredded Tripe,
Meatballs Noodle Soup
7.75 6.75
Large Small
I have tried the Pho Ga and it was pretty good too. Some times the broth served at a noodle house can be kind of salty but they seem to have it down to a science and it tastes good every time.
This is where I go to meet up with my Palo Alto friends. The broth is clean and clear, the bun is also very tasty. I''m a fan of their grilled shrimp, and their grilled pork. It's freakishly clean for a pho place, which is great, but I think they charge an extra dollar a plate just to make sure the plates are clean. Thus no 5 stars. They've also gotten orders wrong before, and it took the head waitress to correct the problem, when they forgot drinks, or gave us the wrong table's food.
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The pho place near my work.
It's pretty darn popular, esp. of course, during prime lunchtime 12-12:30PM.
Pho is one of the ultimates in comfort food. Warm, satisfying, filling.
I always get the bowl that has everything in it - the thin meats, tendons, meatballs, allathat. Then I put some beansprouts, a few leaves, squeeze of lime wedge and hot sauce to give it a little kick. Yumyum!
I know it might not be healthy, but the best part of pho is the salty, flavorful soup. The soup in this place is ok - decent.
It's a good lunch at Pho Vi Hoa. Oh yeah, and always get a Thai Iced Tea. Vietnamese Iced Coffee is good, too, but Thai Iced Tea is where it's at. all that and a bag of chips, two turntables and a microphone
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SHORT & SWEET: The best Pho this reviewer has ever consumed; clean; fast; friendly; comfortable; great interior; busy at lunch; wonderful owner who builds customer relationships; try the seafood pho; spring rolls; rice dishes; avoid nothing.
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Nice, clean pho restaurant in an area where you'd least expect it to be in. Service was so-so. When we walked in on an evening at around 6pm, the place wasn't so packed. There were six of us and the waitress tried to seat us in a row of tables set up for ten. There was another party of four at the end of the row. Seeing three other empty rows of tables in the restaurant, I suggested that we'd rather sit there and she wasn't very happy. She even threw the menu down onto our table when we sat down. Um. Yah. Enough's said.
Best pho in the Palo Alto area. I'm from SF, so this place doesn't measure up to some old faves in SF - but when I have a craving or want something warm & comforting, then Pho Vi Hoa will do. I typically have the pho and my bf gets grilled dishes. His fave is the onion wrapped beef. Everytime I go, it's packed. Service is iffy - they can be rude. But the food is good and they're quick. But we all know we don't go to these places for the service.
The Pho is good and consistent. The service is typical of a pho house, but that doesn't matter to me. One of the cleaner pho houses you'll probbaly visit. I like to go a few times every month during lunch. Price is fair enough. I'd recommend going there.
Great Pho place and one of my general favs in the area. Averaged going about once a week with a regular pool of friends when I lived in PA and I look forward to it any time I'm back.
Mostly, the broth is flavorful and there's just enough meat and noodles in the pho to fill up on, and there's a nice selection of non-Pho options to keep everyone happy. Rarely a wait even though it's regularly busy. Believe it's open from 11am-11pm daily so it's one of the few places open this late in the area.
The food is undoubtedly cheap. The service was ok. However, be warned if you are allergic to MSG because they do use a lot of MSG in the food.
I never thought a pho place could be "soooo Palo Alto" and still be this good. And I know it's not Palo Alto, but "soooo Palo Alto" transcends geography.
It's definitely more expensive though, than other pho places. But, for the extra dollar you pay per dish, you get:
1. chopsticks already paired up in paper sleeves
2. no thick film on the sriracha and hoisin bottles - they actually feel clean
3. going from #1, I felt a lot more at ease with the cleanliness of the utensils...even though I still wiped my spoon and little hoisin dish (I let the chopsticks go though!)
Is that worth it for a dollar?
Also, this place gets CROWDED, so if you go for lunch, go early.
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Been here a couple times.
But on this 7pm Sunday evening, there was a line out the door. The line moved quickly and they seated us in under 5min.
The order took a while to show up, but it was good. Got the large P-14, egg noodle, extra noodle, and a side of porkchops. Yea, I was hungry.
If I were to do it again, i'd get the Small, and something other than porkchops to try.
Bathroom floor was wet, almost slipped.
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I have to say, I'd probably give this place 3 stars rather than 3. If you're looking to get a quick, tasty Vietnamese meal, this is a good option. Their spring rolls are monster-sized and flavorful, and I've nothing bad to say about the pho or the noodle bowls (just skip ordering a shrimp dish, as they are scant.) All around, the food is good, if marked up a bit.
The downside is that I can't recommend anything beyond takeout. The restaurant itself is lacking in atmosphere. There's minimal dcor and little light, but rather than setting a mood, it only promotes a cave-like experience. It kind of reminds me of an old Pizza Hut. And sorry, you don't get bonus points for cleanliness--it's a restaurant! It's supposed to be clean! Don't stand at the door when you arrive; take a seat rather than waiting for a server to grunt at you or wave vaguely to indicate you should sit. Make sure you're ready to order when the server bothers coming to your table or you may never see them again. In general, service is brusque, bordering on dismissive. It's not the type of place you'd feel comfortable having a lingering, sit-down meal.
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So my cousin JUST clued us in on this place, and we have gone back 3 times in 2 weeks.
Totally great deal, we've gone in for lunch and then take out when I got too lazy to cook dinner.
The pho is kickass because they give almost as much meat as noodles. I hate it when it's like 2 pieces of beef and a pound of noodles, which is most places in the area. They don't hold back on the meat here, and the broth is tasty as well.
We've also tried both the fried spring rolls and fresh spring rolls. Both were also generous with filling and very yummy.
Oh, and once we got the spicy stir-fried lemongrass chicken rice plate. It was also very good... and the vietnamese coffee here is always a nice side drink.
Don't go to the others... this is the only one in the area that is worth it.
The good:
- reasonably-priced spring rolls
- clean! (including clean chopsticks)
- friendly!
The bad:
- if two people order two dishes, the first will come out right away and the second will take so long that the first person is already done (this happened to me, and I saw it happen at other tables)
- need to go to the cash register to pay (that was not obvious)
- below-average chicken pho
Grungy good pho wins again over slightly classier but not so good pho.
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Pho broth= D
Beef= C+
Herb/garnish plate=C+
Noodles= C
This place was really not my cup of tea, would not come back. Lifeless broth ruined my pho experience.
Who in the world votes for these Best Of... lists anyway?!?! We came here because it was voted Best Pho in some magazine or newspaper or something. We figure it can't be all that bad. And it wasn't. But, Best Pho?!? Not even close. Now, in regards to the service? HORRIBLE! In fact, I would say that it actually ruined my experience there. For one, when we walked in, no one sat us down. They looked directly at us, but didn't do anything. After waiting awhile, we just sat ourselves down. Strike 1. Menu? Uhm, strike 2. Took some flagging down to get one. They took our order and the food came out pretty fast. However, I asked for extra lime and never got it. Strike 3. I mean, it would be okay if the place was packed and they forgot, but there were 3 other people in the restaurant at the time. And just for good measure I will give them a Strike 4, those 3 other people were seated promptly and given menus at the same time.
I'd give the food 3 stars, but without good service, the whole dining experience was brought down to a 2.
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Meh. Won't kill you, but won't get your rocks off, either. And that's all I have to say about that.
It's nice to have a pho place nearby that doesn't drown their soup with msg. The interior reminds me of Las Vegas (neon signs, dim lights, people in dark corners) and is much cleaner than the typical pho house. Prices are higher... some meats were on the tough side but the tripe and tendon were good. I would definitely go back and it makes a good substitution for driving out to San Jose.
boyfriend sez: where the fudge is the chili sauce?
Suprisingly good vietnamese place in an area where there aren't a ton of pho places as in other areas of silicon valley/east bay. Spring roll are delicious and they give you a ton of the peanut sauce which some other places skimp on.
The two times I've been here for lunch have been a 4 star experience and a 2 star experience, so I'll take the average.
First, the 4 star experience:
Went in with a group, waited in line but got seated promptly. Food was not stellar, but tasty enough to get the job done. Was impressed by their efficiency, but a little annoyed that 30 seconds after menus were thrust at us, the waitress seemed to be insisting we order NOW. Wanted a quick lunch though, so didn't complain and it was overall a positive experience.
Now the 2 star experience:
We were seated at a table with strangers who were already in the middle of their lunch. When they got up to leave, they seated more strangers in their place. The thirty-seconds from menu delivery to compulsory food ordering was present again with this visit, so I still have no idea what's really on their menu. It's my observation that there's an unspoken, but palpable sense of "HURRY UP, EAT, GET OUT!" during the lunch rush (aptly named) here. Except, that is, for one detail...
Everyone else got their food and ate most of it, but my fried rice was never delivered. We asked about it twice, and both times the person we asked simply disappeared without a word of acknowledgment. It was eventually delivered more than halfway through our meal, leaving me once again feeling hurried to finish out of common courtesy. It was delivered hot, but just wasn't very good. The shrimp was mushy and flavorless and the rest of the ingredients were just okay.
All in all, I probably won't go back for awhile, but the place isn't off my happy list forever.
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UPDATE: 3.75 hot cocks. Was 4, but they served me totally LAME, watery broth and broken noodles on my last visit, so with heavy heart I am deducting .25 cocks. Granted it was veggie pho, but still... bad form!
Original review:
I have eaten here probably a hundred times over the past four years. Yes the prices are slightly higher, and their noodles may not be the most impressive I've had (note: sometimes they are stuck together in a big clump) but you get what you pay for in cleanliness, atmosphere, consistency and service. And can I just say *spotless* bathrooms. And meticulously filled and wiped sriracha and hoisin sauce bottles that always look brand new. I know, I KNOW, none of this matters to the hardcore amongst us, but I can honestly say that I have eaten here more times than anyone else who has Yelped it thus far (I challenge anyone to that statement :) and I remain firm that it is a solid, upstanding pho restaurant with very nice ambience (well, at least at dinner -- lunch rush can be kinda hectic but there is space enough for everyone to sit comfortably) and zero attitude.
Furthermore, the beef broth is almost always 90 to 100 percent on-point (meaning you can taste the star anise and other goodies, not just the msg) and isn't that what we are all here for people?
I coulda sworn that I recognized some people here that were working at another pho place before......
Anyway.. this is slightly ($1-2) nicer than the places on Castro.... nicer setting, more of a comfortable atmosphere, and a slight upgrade on the utensils etc.
About the same menu as usual. Not somewhere to go out of your way, but a decent bowl.
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When I go to DIRT cheap, I expect DIRT cheap, total bill $25 & change.
Ordered:
#1 Pho, large, with extra meat, no charge for the extra meat, BONUS
2 spring rolls, shrimp and sliced beef, okay, more veggies please!
1 papaya salad, no meat, add shrimp, add $, WTF!?!? Meat is standard.
2 watered down ice teas, NO color
Facilities are clean, but their soup spoons were not, Sriracha stains.
Great location. Bustling restaurant and lightening fast service. Great for a quick, healthy meal, be prepared to pay higher prices, b/c of their sky high rent.
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I've been to a couple of "pho" restaurants in town, this place offers the best noodle soups. (i don't expect something fancy in pho restaurants)
but tables are not clean, waiters are generally rude (they don't say hi when you get in there, throw menus on the table, etc.). but you have to be calm if you want to enjoy their cheap but good soups. I always try to ignore their behavior, and this works most of the time.
The major problem with this place is that it is packed to the hilt at lunch, last time we went on a weekday, the line was out the door! Pho isn't the best I've ever had but it gets the job done. My gf and I both felt that the amount of meat you get is far less than other places, and we usually order those bowls of soup with about 4 different types of meat.
I'll start with the pros. I really like the chicken pho. It's certainly the best I've found anywhere. I like that chopsticks aren't wooden. The waitresses are friendly and if you go there enough like we did, they'll remember your order which adds a nice touch. The booths are really comfy and they're good about getting people in and out so you usually don't have to wait. The prices are also reasonable.
Now with the cons. They aren't great at keeping your water refilled, and I like my pho ga really spicy so this is a major problem. I prefer vegetarian pho and there's isn't great here. They don't have many vegetables in it and the broth is a little odd.
Overall, I love this place and I will keep going back.
This is by far one of the best Pho restaurants in the South Bay. My older brother suggested this place since he has eaten there twice before and he knows that this place serves lots of noodles. And that this place is much pricier than the usual Pho restaurants.
This place is very good. For one, this place gives you lots of noodle. As much noodles as beef.
Sure this place is the most expensive of all the Pho restaurants in the Bay Area and particularly the Silicon Valley, but at the same time, it is worth it. After all, it is located in Los Altos.
Two suggestions: 1)Bring your appetite. 2)Prepare for a very long wait as my older brother tells me that this restaurant is extremely packed and that there is a line out the door during weekday lunch.
Finally, this place is much cleaner and very good looking than the regular Pho restaurants.
Hands down, this is the BEST hangover recovery food for the next morning. Did 20 shots the previous night?...you need some pho magic! You really can't go wrong with any of the food items on the menu, though I prefer the noodle soup myself. I would also recommend trying the iced vietnamese coffee as well. Service can be a little iffy at times, but when is the last time you've seen an Asian place have good service?
Within the immediate area of PA/MV/LA, it's hard to find pho much better. The pho place on Castro in MV is a huge disappointment compared Pho Vi Hoa. Pho To Chau on Villa St. might be comparable (in terms of food quality...but not in terms of cleanliness of location), but I can't say as I haven't been there for a long time.
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Small portions (smaller noodles, lesser meat) for Pho noodles compared to other Pho restaurants in the bay area and they charge 50 cents more than other places. I guess it's because it's in "Los Altos".
The soup/broth regardless was good and light (tasty). The spring rolls were fresh but the dipping sauce was so-so.
The place is pretty clean too.
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