On a cold night when I was battling some sort of flu, I sought to alleviate it with a hot pho soup…read more Unfortunately, my experience at Tealicious was very unpleasant. I was already weary about my wife wanting to try a pho place located at a gas station, but I decided to give it a shot. When we arrived, the place was completely empty. As soon as we walked in, there was a foul smell that seemed like it was being masked with the strong fragrance of dishwashing soap.
After speaking with the young girl at the register, we ordered what she said was the most popular item, the #1 Pho Special with rare steak, brisket, tendon, tripe, and beef ball. While we waited, I went to wash my hands and noticed the bathroom was very poorly kept, which was another red flag. When the food finally arrived, I was a bit grossed out to see visible blood on some of the meat. I figured that wouldn't be an issue since the meat usually cooks itself in the hot broth, but that's where the biggest problem came in. The broth was only lukewarm.
Even though I'm not a huge fan of extremely hot food, pho should be steaming, especially on a cold night. I tried eating some because I was hungry, but I couldn't get past how warm it was. We let the girl who served us know, and she kindly offered to microwave it. While not ideal, we agreed. When it came back, it was still nowhere near the temperature pho should be. It was honestly impossible to enjoy, especially compared to other pho restaurants.
We ultimately asked for a refund, which they were kind enough to provide. What stood out to me was that after our food was served, the workers seemed to be debating what temperature pho should be served at. One mentioned the boss trained them one way, while another claimed something different. That lack of consistency was concerning.
I do want to add that the young lady who helped us was very professional, polite, and kind throughout the entire experience. Unfortunately, good service alone couldn't make up for the poor food quality and improper temperature of such a traditional dish. For that reason, I would not return nor recommend this place if you're looking for good pho. There's definitely room for improvement, especially from a management standpoint.
