Moved to Santee a while ago and was looking for a good pho spot and Pho Mai Cali is perfect. Good…read moreprices and quality. Service is outstanding and friendly. I love the bbq combo rice plate and classic chicken pho. My family loves coming here. Nice good staple to santee!

Pho Mai Cali is a staple for me and my fiancé. We always have friendly and fast service and the…read morefood is always amazing. We have tried so many appetizers and they're all delish. The egg rolls, spring rolls, wings (the crispiest most delicious wings ever!) and the pho is always on point. We love the rare steak, well done steak and newly the veggie pho! It's so fresh! I know east county has a lot of pho options but don't miss out on our fam fave!

My bowl of pho came streaming hot in ceramic bowl with thin slices of raw & cooked beef the way I…read morelike it. Other pho place serves their pho in hard plastic melamine bowl. Second time less than 2 weeks. Arrived at 8 pm on Tuesday evening. Will come back for sure.

My son took my daughter and I out to eat here last night, and it was such a great experience from…read morestart to finish. The service was excellent the moment we walked in and continued all the way until we left. The entire floor staff were friendly, attentive, and incredibly hardworking--especially as the dinner rush picked up. You could really see them hustling, but they never missed a beat. The food was just as impressive as the service. We started with the shrimp and beef spring rolls with fish sauce, which are always a must for us. For our mains, we ordered a variety of rice platter dishes including grilled shrimp, BBQ pork, BBQ chicken, egg rolls, and a BBQ beef banh mi sandwich--everything was flavorful and satisfying. One thing that really stood out was our waiter, who memorized our entire order without writing anything down--very impressive! I also placed a to-go order for the #99 platter, and everything came out quickly and accurately. We were in and out in under an hour and a half, even during peak dinner time. When the service is exceptional everything else follows! Overall, a fantastic dining experience with great food and exceptional service!!!!

Love a good Pho! Here in Santee there are lots of options. Tried this place for the first time…read more They've been here a long time but my first visit. I had the House Special and the Egg rolls. My soup was good, it's all about the broth!! Egg-rolls were also good. They also have the robot server so that's cool. I'll be back.

The eggs rolls were super good! Definitely the best value item in my opinion. The pho was also good…read morebut I do wish the broth was hotter. It wasn't hot enough to fully cook my meat. We also got the avocado smoothie which was good but there were still some chunks of frozen avocado in it which wasn't the best texture. They did take a while to give out our food and waters but other than that the workers all were nice. Love the vibes here.

I called to make an order for pick up. I ordered 2 spicy basil chicken, level 2 and 7 spicy…read more According to my husband, the level 7 wasn't spicy but his taste buds are a whole other level. Spicy to him would be fire to me. The food was yummy. We also got mango and sticky rice. That was also delicious. We haven't tried Thai in a long time because we haven't liked any place. Now we're happy to have a local Thai place that we actually like!

For years, I was an occasional diner at Sab-E-Lee Santee, which, at six miles, wasn't the closest…read moreThai restaurant to my house, but was the closest good one. In 2024, Sab-E-Lee Santee was rebranded; it's now called "Faidang Thai Restaurant". In February 2025, Faidang was closed by the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality for these infractions: Holding Temperatures - Major; Vermin - Major; Food Contact Surfaces - Minor; Equipment and Utensil Storage, Use - Out of Compliance; Floors, Walls, and Ceilings - Out of Compliance; Impoundment - Out of Compliance. Ewwww.

It was the first time my husband and I had eaten there. We had heard wonderful comments about it…read moreand it did not disappoint. The food we experienced was delicious. With the friendly, advice of the waitress at the bar we ordered a good variety of food, without it being too spicy for me. The ambiance was perfect. We plan to go back.

Phuong Trang has been a San Diego staple for decades. It first started in Linda Vista in 1988,…read moreserving traditional Vietnamese family-style meals before moving to its current home on Convoy in 1992. Today, it's one of the most well-known Vietnamese restaurants in the city, and after this visit, I can definitely see why. One of my favorite things about coming here is the location. Even though it's right in Convoy, parking has never been an issue for me. I usually avoid the area because finding a spot can be a headache, but Phuong Trang has a large parking lot that makes stopping by so much easier. I came in for a quick takeout lunch. One thing to know before you go is they don't accept Apple Pay, so make sure to bring a physical card or cash. The staff was incredibly welcoming. They greeted me when I walked in, gave me plenty of time to look over the menu, and never made me feel rushed. That kind of hospitality really stood out. I ordered the Char-Grilled Beef Vermicelli and the Shrimp, Pork & Jellyfish Salad. The salad comes with shredded green papaya, celery, cucumber, carrots, shrimp, pork, jellyfish strips, fresh mint, crushed peanuts, and shrimp chips.The salad was refreshing with plenty of shrimp and jellyfish throughout. I especially liked the crunch from the green papaya. My only complaint was that the dressing felt a little one dimensional. I wish it had a little more brightness to bring out the fresh herbs and vegetables. It was still enjoyable, though. The Char-Grilled Beef Vermicelli was my favorite of the two. It came with vermicelli noodles, fresh herbs, pickled daikon and carrots, crushed peanuts, plus five grilled beef rolls wrapped around scallions. The beef had a delicious smoky flavor from the grill. The only downside was that the inside of the rolls was a little chewy since it didn't get the same char as the outside. Even so, every bite was packed with flavor, so it wasn't enough to take away from the dish. Between the friendly service, quick turnaround for takeout, and solid food, I can see why Phuong Trang has stayed so popular for all these years. I'd happily come back and keep working my way through their menu.

I was craving the catfish again today, and thankfully they had it! We paired it with a side of pho…read morebroth to balance the flavors, plus the beef cube slices with vegetables and fried rice. Everything was delicious, and we left very satisfied. The service was good! The workers are nice and helpful!

This is a go to spot for me for a good bowl of pho…read more The service is fast. The place is clean. And the food never disappoints. I got the #31 bowl of pho with a side of rare beef. Out of all the pho spots in San Diego this place is pretty solid.

Great to have Vietnamese cuisine out here. Me and the fam stopped by on our way to lake Jennings…read more The owner was very kind and sweet. She was super helpful. We ordered the pho dac biet which is their house special and some banh mi. It was authentic, although I wish they had pâté on it. The pho broth was clean and yummy it had shrimp along with some meat. I'd recommend it since it's their house special!

Restaurant was very hot inside. They don't use a/c in the middle of summer. No napkins. Silver ware…read moreand chopsticks are in a container at the end of table. Seemed unsanitary as they looked dirty like they were used and put back. Tables weren't cleaned. Drinks come in very small cups. My daughter enjoyed her vegetable pho. I did not enjoy the tofu and noodles I ordered. I thought the noodles were large not skinny and the tofu tasted and felt like wet scrambled eggs. Wanted crispy tofu but it is very soggy and unflavored. Vegetables were soggy and overcooked. I didn't eat my food and told the lady at the register it was not what was expected and I didn't want it. She did not care or attempt to offer something else. I paid and threw away the food. Waste of money.

Saigon Star is the standard. Period. This is the best pho…read moreI've had -- not just "good," not just "solid" -- the best. Every time I think about trying another pho spot, I don't. Why would I downgrade? THE BÁNH MÌ BREAD IS REALLY CRISPY (NOT SOGGY). some of the less-than-5-star reviews are @#%% RIDICULOUS! People complain about the smallest, most ridiculous things. One night I was having dinner there and a "KAREN" was complaining because the credit card machine temporarily wasn't working. What exactly were they supposed to do -- magically fix technology on the spot? s**** happend! Meanwhile, another guy stepped in trying to calm the situation down and be the peacemaker. Honestly, that moment said more about the complaining than it did about the restaurant. Maybe I should leave a review on the behavior of some customers instead. This isn't fast food -- this is culture, tradition, and hard work! I love Vietnamese people in general and employ some of them . Their families take pride in what they do, and it shows.!!! If you're looking for authentic, high-quality Vietnamese food made with care, this is it. I'll keep coming back. Every time.

Love coming to Saigon star for a quick and easy dinner in my neighborhood. I've ate here many times…read moreand the food and service are both always consistent. The pho broth is well flavored, not too fatty or greasy, the noodles are always cooked perfectly and they do not hold back when it comes to the serving of meat in your bowl. The ambiance is really cute and homey as well. There's always many people eating but it's never packed/never has a wait. There servers are always so sweet. They come by to check on you and as soon as your water is empty they bc old around with a new one.