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Had the pho here before and it was ok. I mean, I've had homemade pho before but my pho/vietnamese food exposure/expertise comes from eating in restaurants such as these.
The soup wasn't flavorful and rich like I am used to and really salty. I am also used to getting a lot more for the price I pay. So all in all the pho was a-ok.
The last time I was here I ordered one of their rice combo plates. I really liked the egg-vermicelli meatload-esque thing. But the meat was dry~
I come here every once in the while because its close but I really do prefer the places I usually go to back at home in the OC.
I liked this place for its convenience. It has a great location in the University Village, so they probably get a lot of traffic. The Pho is good.
I love how they thumbtacked "Vinam" over the the little poster they have! lol
I've ate here throughout my 3 years at UCR and it hasn't really changed. Now that Pho Express is closed, this is pretty much the only pho place nearby that is left. It's in University village and is quite popular. Usually you shouldn't have a problem with parking. There isn't usually any wait time when you go, they have plenty of seating, even outside. All the kids with hangovers from the previous night usually come here the next day for pho.
What I like about this place is the service, even though most of the people working there are vietnamese and have broken english, they are really nice and patient. The water doesn't taste bad. It's pretty clean. The pho is pretty decent sized and nice servings, i'm not a pho expert but it hits the spot. The vermicelli is pretty awesome too. Typical pho place, nothing too special but the only thing is that it's kinda expensive still.
By the way, cash only, no credit card.
The best affordable place to eat in Riverside. I know that's not saying much but if you're stuck at UCR give this place a chance. The food is good and they have a really wide selection. I'm not sure why the yelp rating is so low. Maybe people are expecting super service? That's not what this place is about. It's good food for a decent price. What else do you want? :)
I was sooo disappointed w/ this Pho... I'm not feelin that well, so I decided to go here for some Pho since it always makes me feel better.... It was soo greasy and it was sweet... They used regular basil!!! It was jus wrong... I was trying to go out the box.. I guess I'm going back in the box!
So apparently, I guess they have no qualms about accepting credit cards anymore because I came here with a friend after avoiding the place for nearly 6 months successfully.
Now with Pho Express closed down, the only pho close to campus is Vinam and Pho Saigon both almost equally terrible options with Pho Vinam getting the slight leg up.
I've been spending the extra gas and time to drive to out to Pho Ha on Alessandro in Moreno Valley if I want a decent bowl of in general Riverside/Moreno Valley area.
Unfortunately though, I haven't been eating much pho because I'm just totally jaded on the food quality in the Inland Empire. The Mexican food is mediocre at most places in my opinion (which is extremely bizarre considering, the demographics), the Asian food sucks, and there seems to be nothing open but miles of fast food chains.
Two weeks ago was the last time I'm ever eating at Pho Vinam again, I'm just sick and tired of it and I'm moving back to the Bay Area in a few weeks anyway.
This place is just barely "ok". Being from San Jose, I know what makes good Vietnamese food and this… Read more »
I love pho! It's customizable, cheap, unique, somewhat healthy, cultural, has a multitude of interesting ingredients, and is very tasty (honestly, who doesn't like noodle soup?).
For those new to pho this would be an acceptable place to go. The service is quick and friendly and the menu is relatively extensive. As far as the quality of food goes, this place is slightly below average pho places. When I was there it was cash only as well.
I would recommend this to someone in the area that hasn't had pho or that has an itching for it. But if you're looking for quality pho, I would try one of the other places in the area before checking this out.
2 1/2 stars
This is my first time eating at this restaurant and only my second time eating Vietnamese food. I ordered the Broken rice with BBQ pork and I thought that it was very good. I liked it enough that I want to come back and try their other dishes.
As for the credit card/cash only issue, when I visited, they were only accepting cash.
The Pho is good but the thing that really lowers the rating for this place is the prices. I understand that it's the only Pho place around, but even so it's kinda expensive...I believe it's like $6.75 for Pho Dac Biet where you can get it for about a dollar less. The service can also be a bit bad sometimes, I remember one time when my friends and I asked for some extra onions and the lady gave us a death stare....Jeez
I live in Orange County with the Vietnamese district, so I should know what good Vietnamese food tastes like. This isn't quite that. But it is/was a good substitute when I was living in Riverside for college.
Parking was average for a college campus plaza, it's hit or miss. The decor of the restaurant itself was average too (but it used to be an Indian restaurant so it still has some traces of that design). But, if you were cheap, and you were hungry, it hit the spot. It was extremely affordable, especially for a college student, and the portions were pretty large.
I always either got pho tai sach (pho with beef tripe and raw beef on the side) or spring rolls. Their pho was average, I've had better. But their spring rolls were pretty good. I happened to go many times after class just to get some to go.
Overall, it's good and it'll do for when you can't have the real stuff.
Bad service, greasy floors, food is OK, only reason I come back to this place is because its the only decent pho place in riverside, which is very sad.
The servers there are asking for no tip, they are always so rude, never polite and gives you dirty looks when you ask them for something. I don't get it, if you don't want to work today, stay your asses home.
Pho Vinam. Is nothing like Pho from VIETNAM!
Instead you should go home and pour yourself a bowl of msg and eat that. I'm sure you'd be able to enjoy that more yourself.
The floor was so greasy, I'd think I was riding a slip and slide on the way to my table. Though the grease is questionable; since when pho consist of grease anyway?
I drank about 4 cups of water and it was not a bit satisfying. I've never had pho that consisted of such MSG. I could hear my heart trying to pump the salt through my body at the rate I was slowly trying to consume this outrageously sodium filled bowl.
The tea cost extra. In my opinion, this is the only Pho place that charges for tea. Typical asian service. Ignored, slow, and tip begging. Jeez come on, I'm sure there has to be SOMETHING good about this place.
One of the worst Pho places I've experienced. Even if it's the closest to the UCR campus, I'd rather wait to go back home to San Jose, than be forced to eat this!
A typical Pho experience.
I walk in, sit anywhere I can find an open table, asked if I am ready to order after a minute of sitting down because the servers just automatically assume I studied the menu for homework the night before.
Now here is a NOT so typical Pho experience.
The floor was greasy, I could figure skate and do a triple axle in my shoes! Where is this nasty grease coming from? We aren't eating kbbq are we? Not too big on the cleanliness are we?
The service. Wow these bitches look meaner than the Jina's at kbbq places. You are lucky I did not get your name or you would have been referenced as fill in the blank ______ for all bad Pho service reviews. One of them actually gave my gf's friend the dirtiest look for asking for chop sticks! Then my other friend, happens to be a guy, asks for something and she is all nice. Was ______ strictly hating?
I originally asked for Pho with meatballs but quickly got rejected that option because meatballs were out. Bummer. I ended up with a regular Pho which was edible, but not really what I wanted. I know it would not meet my cousins expectations if I were to take him here. He would have stopped and said no after tasting the broth.
You do not even want me to mention my broken rice experience. I am not a believer of left overs, ever. Ask my gf, she can vouch for me 24/7, 365 days of the year. Heck I even finish her leftovers if she cant finish her meal. I could not finish the charbroiled beef broken rice dish. The rice was just ehhh..
The beef spring rolls is probably the best thing I can give credit to. Dipped with the fish oil, this is the best dish here.
See you when I see you. NOT!
I've been here three times and had pho - noodles with broth, no meat. ($4.75 includ. tax.) Also had the iced coffee with condensed milk ($2.25 includ. tax) - which contrasted nicely with the soup, which I made extra spicy with the red sauce.
When you feel a bit under the weather, or a bit hung over, this is the place will do fine with the basic pho. The broth isn't too greasy and has a good flavor.
Parking is difficult here, BTW. Full of hungry college students with lean pockets. Oh, those days I remember well.
The pho here was just like the 3-star description "A-OK." The price was reasonable and the service was on point today. The waiter even pointed my girlfriend in the right direction for which Vietnamese coffee she should get. I got the #1, your standard extra-large pho and I added extra meat balls and rare meat to it. My girl ordered the same thing, but the small version of it (which was not that small). We also got an order of Vietnamese egg rolls which were great! I just wish they gave us bigger lettuce leaves to wrap the egg rolls in, but oh well you can't win them all. Another big plus about this place is they accept debit/credit card transactions. A lot of good pho places don't do that unfortunately.
Recommendations: #1 standard extra large pho for the hearty appetite or #2 smaller version of that for the hungry but not starving tummy. The egg rolls were delicious too and the coffee was on point, nice and bitter like I prefer. Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact name/number, but if you as for a suggestion I'm sure they'll point you in the right direction.
Warnings: Parking at the University Village has and always will SUCK. Gosh, nothing has changed since my freshman year.. in 2002! Also this place might not be as good as Pho Vietnam in Moreno Valley, but it certainly gets the job done and with better service too!
I've been here numerous times during the last few years. In the beginning, I didn't like this place, but they have actually improved over the years. They even have an "A" for cleanliness, which is really weird for a Vietnamese restaurant.
The food isn't the best you can get, but it does help to calm those Vietnamese cravings when theres nothing else around.
The pho and bun thit nuong are safe bets if you're trying this place out.
Staff is also really friendly and nice.
We've been here twice now and the soup has been excellent both times! We took the vegetarian route the first time, but was disappointed to find American brocolli in the soup; however, the broth was so tasty that it made up for it. The next time we came we did the full #1 - extra large with rare beef, tripe, tendon, brisket, and we ordered extra rare beef and onions on the side. They give you all the herbs (basil, mint, etc.), which are fresh and abundant.
The spring rolls are good, and they have various types including veggie, grilled beef, pork and shrimp, etc. It looks like they have a lot of broken rice dishes, which we're planning on trying next time.
The service is good, fairly friendly. It's great for a quick tasty bite.
Mango smoothie. Check. In fact, they have quite an extensive list of smoothies, I want to try the other ones, as well.
I had the Pork Sandwich, and it was well-seasoned and delicious. The decor is homey, get a booth if you can. Unless you have something against booths?
Oy.
The service was friendly and relatively attentive. I didn't have a problem.
If you're nearby on campus or just passing through, it's a good place to go for lunch.
This place is alright. Came here a couple times for dinner because I go to UCR and this is the closest pho I can get to with no car and by trolley.
This joint is clean, tables are a bit sticky though. Nothing too fancy. Service is good and the workers are nice. The price is nice and cheap.
I have only tried and always get the pho noodles with the beef meatballs which was pretty yummy. The soup/stock they use here for their noodles is actually really sweet. It's sweeter than any pho I have ever eaten so far but its not that bad though. My boyfriend has gotten the pho noodles with the steak, tendon, and meatballs and he though it was alright but same about the soup. I guess I will go here now and then when I am craving "sweeter" pho haha ;O)
I have had very little to eat here. However, I am now living in the area and will be back. To me, the extensive menu is impressive and refreshing, especially after being so frustrated trying to find Vietnamese places that sell things other than just noodles Los Angeles.
The spring rolls were mega-sized and crisp and fresh. The chicken curry with rice was good. Rice dishes seem to be the most overlooked Vietnamese staples in LA offerings. Yet, in Vietnam, rice is more of a staple than noodles. Go figure. Typically, we are missing probably 2/3 of the actual cuisine.
The prices were reasonable which I and, I am sure, the many nearby UCR students can really appreciate.
Love. It is expressed through hundreds of ways, the most typical being the usual dozen roses, a diamond ring, a goodnight kiss, and etc.
However, nothing says love like understanding that when your girlfriend is on her rag, with menstrual cramps shaking her body in jolts of pain, a cold sore the size of Rhode Island on her lip, stomach growling from no food in 6 hours, and pleading "I'm hungry" about 50 times in the car alone, you simply take her to Pho Vinam and fill her up with cheap hot pho and thai tea without a single word of complaint. You don't mind the small cramped tables, the service is quick and fast and brings out the food in less than 10 minutes, and the portions are decent enough to satisfy your ravenous girlfriend. To top it all, you take her home, kiss her gently on the cheek, and let her sleep off her pho-induced food coma.
Now that's love for you. :)
I've had pho everywhere from temecula/riverside/monterey park/alhambra/oc. The pho here is not very good. The problem is in the broth. Good pho broth is the primary building block from which deliciousness comes and this place is sorely lacking. Pho broth takes a long time to make and this place tastes like it uses the pho broth cubes and dumps a ton of msg to compensate.
The other thing that was severely annoying was the wait staff. Just after we received our food, the staff took all the condiments and utensil tray from our table and put it on the patrons that had just sat down at the table next to us so we ended up borrowing the various sauces and spoons from them.
Overall, if you want to eat vermicelli in msg soup with terrible service, go to this restaurant.
The pho is here is what you expect. I'm from 626 pho there is way better. More competition. It's cheaper and the portions are bigger. I like pho huang in rosemead and mai dung in el monte. They're better!
They jacked up prices yet again!
Pretty standard pho place, pricing seems about right. Not as good as Golden Deli in the SGV but Golden Deli isn't very close to the Inland Empire.
Great alternative to fast food for us students at UCR. Their pho noodles are quite the standard affair and so are their rice plates, the egg loafs that come with the rice plates are a little subpar but I've had much worse, I hate admit.
I do say though they make some pretty good prok chops.
The decor of the place is cozy but a little "run down" as well. Not that it looks anything like a bar in the bad part of Detroit but the side tables could use a little refurnishing. For the most part the place looks well kept enough and if its a nice day outside then take an outside table (although Riverside weather rarely permits anything above 70 degrees and under 85 degrees)
The service here works, nothing subpar or superior about it. I have no qualms with the several times I have been here.
I LOVE THIS PLACE. This is one of the few places I go to often in Riverside. I always order the pho with no meat. However, for those vegetarians, this is NOT a vegetarian option. They still use beef broth. They have vegetarian options on the menu, but pho is not one of them.
They charge extra for using credit/debit cards. -1 star for that.
Oh, how I miss thee! I love how close this place was to my apartment, and it's open until late!
Besides pho, my favorite is their broken rice dishes... oh-so-yummy. Their pho is pretty dang good, broth is tasty and meat was fresh. I like the variety of drinks also at this place.
Definitely a good place to go to when you have a hangover, yup.
This is located in the UV but I've only been here once and that was recently. Anyway, I like the interior decor of this place, it actually looks like they put effort in designing it. I wish this place was bigger, but I think it just felt cramped because we were sitting at a table and it was very close to a sink and small storage area. I'm sure it would feel perfectly fine sitting in the booths.
I think the service could be better, they don't seem very patient or friendly. My friend ordered #81 and they brought out the 80 instead, and after my friend informed the lady of that, she didn't really say anything or express any emotions, and just looked at a receipt and went back with the order. It's not really a big deal, but she seemed rather cold. The right order was brought out later.
I didn't feel like eating pho so I ordered some sort of loaf, I think it was Egg Loaf, or something like that. It comes with rice. It was okay... maybe a bit bland, but then I've never ordered umm loaf at other vietnamese places before, so I can't compare. I think it'd taste better with some Sriracha. But not for me... I can't take spicy.
They do take credit cards now, I paid with credit, but I guess they didn't used to? Because my friend was saying that they don't.
Also, note that you might experience some miscommunication here while trying to order. I'm sure everything will work out, of course, but if that's something you really can't stand, then yeah, just pointing it out.
This place is great when you're in Riverside and you are craving Vietnamese food!
This place is even greater because they take credit card!
Recently though, their prices went up along with everything else in this world. but their quality is your typical vietnamese food which a good thing.
Being vietnamese and all and being in the riverside area, it's hard to find good vietnamese food. Pho Vinam is decent. Their portions are more than enough for me and they aren't shady on the meat or vegtables.
Come here if you want some pho or vietnamese rice plates!
It's quite simple really because I base Vietnamese cuisine on three items:
1. XL Pho and it's broth
2. Spring Rolls
3. Bun!!!
Pho, rolls, bun (say that five times! HA!)
Their water is clean, the staff are nice (especially the older lady, she's so nice), the food is not too salty or too bland, and the price is not bad. It's close to campus and convenient, what more do you want?
Came here since it first opened, but not very often. I come probably once every 2-3 months. I prefer eating any "asian" food near rowland heights or LA. Anyway, the price is riverside-like, meaning they charge more because the competition just doesn't really exist.
So when the place first opened, the service was pretty good for a pho restaurant. I was actually impressed by the nice servers and prompt water glass refilling! These are very hard to come by at a pho restaurant imo. But as the time went by, the service degraded to the typical pho restaurant service. It doesn't really bother me much since I expect no better anyway.
The food is decent. I can't really say with confidence that their pho is better than the place down the street, but I think it might be slightly better. BUT!! I think the main reason I find myself eating here now is the fact that there are more english speaking servers here than at the other place.
If you could, I say just drive to rowland heights or walnut area for some pho. Probably not worth the gas money, so go when you have to go out there anyway! If you are in riverside, though, you probably know better than to expect great asian food here anyway.
Best pho in riverside. This is the first place I started getting non-Pho dishes. I actually started exploring other vietnamese cuisine here. They have really good charbroiled beef and pork chop dishes. The vietnamese rice is different for sure then the usual krn one i eat but its do-able.Apparently they have really good egg loaf as well all though I won't touch that stuff. I also LOVE their vermicelli its the best I have ever had and during the summer in rside pho is out of the question so this is the best choice. Service is...okay... sometimes they are a little negligent but its all good I dont expect too much out of pho places. The spring rolls are also really good try the beef ones!!! I only knew of the shrimp ones before I came here...and Ben F loves the banh mi here. I would say everything on the menu is pretty good. love the outdoor seating so I smell a lil less gross afterwerds!
WARNING occasionally they claim they dont take credit cards...its freakin whack but just argue ur ass off and dont give in!
Very small place. But they have seating.
The food was very good. Very fast too. Great portions and super cheap! I loved the pho here. I also loved the rolls and their rice plates.
I remember that they were very ESL, but friendly!
Better than Pho Saigon -- fast service, fresher food, cleaner bathrooms. The mango smoothie was delicious, the chicken pho perfect for when you have a cold.
You can judge a Vietnamese restaurant by 3 things on their menu.
1. Their pho.
2. Their vermicelli.
3. Their pork chop and rice.
You can't say service because service is Asian restaurants is always verylackluster in quality so you can't expect much anyway. I'd have to say after coming here pretty often I can give this place 4 stars. They got their 3 bases covered, plus they serve up an awesome avocado smoothie and a very enticing looking lychee and jelly drink where there's lychee fruits at the bottom and jelly floating at the top. Their drinks take a while to come out though; expect to get your drink after you've midway finished through your meal on busy nights.
Tip: I know you're probably fans of Lee's Sandwiches but if you like Vietnamese style sandwiches I suggest you try the BBQ sandwich here. It tastes more homemade and authentic and it's served toasted and warm! And it's only $3.25.
Parking is always spotty at night. Although they have their own parking lot, it is in the same UCR University Center where all the late night college students (mostly Asian surprise surprise) come out to enjoy their Fatburger, late night boba cafe eats, Denny's, and pho.
Open until 11pm.
Update 4/25/08
The service here has improved. I particularly like the broken rice plates. The only thing is that it is always crowded and I usually like sitting in the booths for privacy and they are always taken.
Pho: The Pho is good, I always request it extra hot if possible. Lots of noodle and meat is ok. The Pho is really hot and I like that. I increase to one more star. Desserts are excellent too.
Drink: Coffee is good, but I could use larger portion lol. Sugar cane is delicious, and they add a bit of lemon to it.
Nice place to eat when you have extra money to spend. =)
I love Vietnam food.
Okay, I don't venture out of the OC too much for Vietnamese food. But now that I work in Riverside there will be certain days that I will have an urge for some PHOOOOOOOO. Anyway, my co-worker (the person shall not be name) took me to this joint and swore it was the best out of the 3 that were in the vicinty of our offices. WTHeo? If this is the best of the 3, I don't even want to know about the other 2!. The broth was bland, the noodles weren't fresh, the meat were tasteless and very few of it. O and it took more than 10 minutes to bring out a stinking bowl of Tai Nam Gau Gan Sac! BOO.
On the brighter side (if there is one). My other co-worker tried the com tam bi...that looked pretty good. I will try that next time. Moral of the story - just say no to PHOOOOOO in Riverside.
Bolsa Rules!
Well, the food isn't that bad, it's actually okay. The reason why I'm giving it 1 star (wish I could've given it 1.5) was because of their service and the owner. I asked the owner, don't we UCR students get a discount? (cuz we students need as much money as we can get) She says in her fobby vietnamese accent ,"No, if we give you discount we go out of business, it alwedy cheap enuff". I was like.. wtf? anyways homegirl told me to just say "Then I'm not f*ckin paying for the food", but hey I dunno.. foods alright though.. price? iono Westminster so much better but for Riverside.. its OKAY
I came here with a group of 5 to take it to go. (2 Asians including me, 1 Black, 1 White, 1 Mexican). They wouldn't give us extra hot sauce too!
I got their charbroiled beef with rice and an eggroll.. I asked for the discount because it was $9 just for my "special order". There's other pho places that are better.
NOT WORTH THE $9 I PAID!
Cons: At normal lunch/dinner time hours it gets so packed and service slows down a little, so I just go for a slightly early lunch or later dinner. And they charge $1 extra if you want to use your Visa, so bring cash!
Pros: They have quick service, good food, good prices. Good location, too. The soup is tasty, portions are generous (I always leave a little too full after a regular size bowl of Pho). The rice dishes are excellent, too. This is probably the best Vietnamese restaurant in the University area...or at least for a 5 mile radius.
Honestly. I've been to so many pho places, from Lil' Saigon, to North OC, to a few in R-side...short of Vietnam. I must say this is one of the best pho places. They've started giving you a little less for your money, but NO matter. What you get is so spectacular, it's okay. I've had their other dishes, but mostly I just get the pho here, and SHIT is it good. The broth is so complex with the beef, the lime juice, the cilantro, onions and basil. The noodles are soft and tender, and slippery. You can add a tad bit of spice, and the meat is just right for what you pay for. The service can be a little....cold, but they are never slow. CASH ONLY!
Such a fantastic deal for the money, I am so glad this place is still around. They offer the standard fare for a Vietnamese place at really good prices. The service is informal and fast and the wait times for the deliciousness are very, very low.
Riverside, CA
Category: Vietnamese
Riverside, CA
Category: Ethnic Food
Riverside, CA
Category: Martial Arts
Riverside, CA
Category: Vietnamese
Riverside, CA
Category: Vietnamese
The experience was so bad, I think it killed 1/2…
I love pho. Its my go to meal when I am in need of…
I've only been working in Riverside for two months…
