1. VERDICT/VALUE Yes, you can find slightly cheaper pho places in town; however, if you're hungry and you're in Aina Haina, Mama's Pho has a treat for you with good food, a clean environment, and plenty of seating and parking. Recommended! 2. FOOD Mama's Sampler Platter ($13.95): a summer roll cut in quarters, two spring rolls cut in half, and two chicken wings. What a way to start - it feels a little expensive, but the summer rolls with shrimp were fresh and tightly wrapped, the spring rolls nice and crisp, and the chicken wings left you wishing the platter had more than just two. Pho with Flank Steak ($10.95): Hungry? No problem. Mam's got you covered! It feels $1-$2 more than the competition until you realize the quantity is larger than that of most places. The broth is flavorful without being too sharp, oily, or salty. Mama doesn't skimp on the noodles and the beef was tender. The usual sprouts, lime, and basil are on top to add crunch and extra flavor if you would like it. 3. SERVICE We happened to have a large group of 10 and the two staff serving the restaurant did well in keeping up with us and other patrons - kudos! 4. ATMOSPHERE It's clean (not worried about looking under the table) and it's got space for small and large groups alike at the same time. The parking is plentiful in the mall parking lot, making it even easier to choose Mama's for your next pho fix! read more

Mama Pho - Pho with Flank Steak ($10.95): plenty of noodles in an ono broth topped with sprouts - fantastic! - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Vermicelli noodles tasted like formaldehyde... looked up on internet and yes it is widely used as a preservative in rice noodles. Told staff. Hi they claimed they couldn't taste it. Anyone else had this experience? I've eaten here for years and never tasted this before. It was awful. read more

This spot is located in the Aina Haina shopping center. I ordered the spring rolls and brisker, beef, and flank steak pho. The service was good. I got my order quite quick. The spring rolls were okay, but nothing special. The pho was okay. It was big and had okay flavor. There was a good amount of meat. Overall, this is a nice spot if you live in the Aina Haina area. read more

Mama Pho - Brisket, Beef, and Flank Steak Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

This was the 3rd time I've been to Mama Pho in Aina Haina. I want to really love this place but its just meh. I like that its a very clean place but the pho isn't flavorful. I like my pho with a strong broth but its pretty weak. And I'm not sure if the spring rolls in my cold vermicelli is made in house but to me, it tastes like the ones you can buy frozen at stores (sorry). The summer roll had too much vermicelli so you don't get much taste of the other things inside. read more

Mama Pho - Spring rolls with cold vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Impromptu quick bite that left us happy. The broth for the pho was clear and authentic. The Pho Dac Biet was actually pretty big for $10+. Egg rolls were a bit meh tho. Ice coffee was good. read more

See all

California approved!..... I have been to 4 pho places here in Oahu and mama pho is the best one so far!!! So full of flavors! The broth is a bit darker than expected but it was full of flavors and not bland!.... And reminds me a bit of home! Esp when you add that mama volcano sauce! (So spicy so garlicky.... so yum) I normally don't drink broth in my noodle soup but this one?! I drank about half! Can't wait to try the other dishes! read more

Mama Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Service was courteous with social distanced dine-in seating. I ordered the pho with flank steak, my wife hd the tendon Pho. The soup broth and noodles were very good but the meat was of very poor quality. I was shocked! It was made up of mostly chewy un-edible gristle, with each piece having anywhere from 50% to 95% gristle! Majority of the pieces were more than 60% gristle. So, you get it? They serve mostly gristle and call it steak. If they would only spend the money and serve good quality meat, I would give 5 stars. I will not go back again. Their loss. They will not stay in business if they keep this up. read more

After hiking the Makapuu Lighthouse Trail, my brother wanted pho AGAIN. This was one of the closest pho places. We got back to Aina Hina a little after 1:30. There weren't much people an we just sat ourselves. With a statue in the front, I wondered has anyone accidently run into or trip? They got us menus and water. I looked through their menus and didn't find any bubble drinks! I thought they must not have it on the menu. I asked where the bathroom was. It's public and you need a key. When I got back I looked and ordered the number 18. Apparently there's only one size. There is a kid's menu though. I thought about ordering from there... I asked for no onions. As we waited it felt like it took forever or it could be because we're just hungry after a long hike. My brother and dad got their foods first after a mix up. My brother asked for extra meat. My dad was had no changes and I had asked for no onions. I don't blame her for the mix up since she didn't take our orders. She's friendly. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mama-pho-honolulu?select=pibjLj2bJPpkjbxhKr5Tzw#pibjLj2bJPpkjbxhKr5Tzw) For what we got, it was a BIG bowl. I wasn't sure if I was going to finish it... Well I didn't sip all the broth and my brother was timing me?! They have little plates under the bowl. I guess for less clean up when the broth overflows and spills. As the worker came back with our check, I asked about bubble drinks. She said they didn't sell and that a lot of others have asked her about it and that maybe she should add it to the menu. They have some outdoor seating too. read more

Mama Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This is the kind of place that you will want to come back to! Absolutely delicious food, very generous portions and their volcano sauce is to die for. We usually get combination pho to go, there's a giant bowl of tasty broth seasoned to perfection, a heavy brick of rice noodles, lots of different meats and a bag of fresh herbs. It's more than enough for two people. It's embarrassing, but we got to the point when we ordered from here every day... But then there was a short period when they closed due to COVID 19 and we went on a quest to find pho that would be just as good. Alas, after trying multiple other pho places we gave up. Either there was too much noodles and not enough beef, or there was a funky smell to the food, or it was just bland. Our pho standards are now high, so we were over the moon when they reopened. Come here, you won't regret it! Take out only at this point and their hours have changed, call in advance to place your order, it'll be ready in 10 minutes! read more

Hands down the most delicious Pho I've had in awhile! I had the shrimp pho and it was DELICIOUS! The prices are great, too! Around $13-16 for a bowl. So good! read more

Mama Pho - Shrimp Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Poor service and mediocre pho. Do not waste your money o this place. I used to go when they first opened to support local businesses; now, they just do not have their act together, and have lost my support. Go to Pho Saigon! read more

We phone ordered our food at 11:30 was told to pick up at 12 noon and by 12:30 our food was still not ready. I asked the guy working about how much longer and he said 15 more minutes because they were running out of food and had to work on stuff in the back. This whole time people coming to dine in were told to wait 25 minutes for food but would get it in 10 minutes. The other guy working said "because they're dining in they get priority". We left with our food at 12:45. Never coming back. In the end the meat was still frozen and noodles weren't fully cooked. read more

We eat pho at least 3-4 times a month, but will not go back here. Worst tasting pho, not authentic flavoring at all. Normally would not share bad review but had to with this one. read more

I've had many bowls of pho in my life. This bowl was the worst I've ever had. If someone tries hard and it's not good, I'm ok with it. However this was not the case with my pho. Take a look at the meat they gave me. I ordered flank which is supposed to be lean and thinly sliced. None of the meat they gave me was edible. It was downright disgusting and a complete lack of care. Negative reviews are a consumers only way to keep things like this from happening again. They may have other dishes that are good, but the meat they gave me was just unacceptable. read more

Mama Pho - Not edible - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We originally wanted to eat at Genki but unfortunately the Aina Haina Genki closed down. We tried out Mama Pho years ago when it first opened and we didn't really care for it then but we decided to give it another shot. Unfortunately, still not a fan. The restaurant was pretty busy but we were seated right away. They must've forgotten that we had sat down because we weren't given water right away which wasn't a big deal until I tasted their satay which is pretty spicy. Unfortunately their satay isn't that tasty, just spicy. I like mine with a little more garlicky flavor to it. We ordered two regular phos with rare steak. The one thing that threw me off the most was their use of those thick flat rice noodles instead of the regular noodles used at other pho places. Since they were thicker, it tasted like the noodles weren't fully cooked. Besides the noodles, the meat and broth were meh. Not too flavorful and nothing special. read more

Mama Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We always look forward to eating at the aina haina location. We wanted to eat there because of a special occasion. We walked in because there were several open tables. As soon as we were ready to sit down, they chased us away saying those tables were reserved. We will never ever go back to Mama Pho again. I had no idea we Could reserve tables. read more

Mama Pho is one of favorite places to go when you have the "sniffles". Their pho dishes are simmering hot. Just add the side herbs & veggies, top it off with their signature volcano sauce & lots of napkins. Oh by the way, their appetizers are perfect for a quick lunch. And they sell their signature volcano sauce. read more

My go to Pho restaurant. Located in the Aina Haina shopping center, they have a good amount of seating where you can just walk in and find a table. The service is quick and efficient. From time to time, I would order take outs and the flavor is as good as dining in. Their Volcano sauce is so yummy. I would buy a bottle to keep at home. read more

Best pho restaurant ever. Location and atmosphere are great! Located in the ainahaina shopping center. Their pho is very very tasty and has good aroma, eat together with fresh basil, bean sprouts, jalapeño, and lemon. I added sriracha sauce and hoisin sauce too. I strongly recommend this restaurant. Should try! read more

Being Vietnamese myself, I'm used to the delicious home cooked meals my mom always spoiled us with. Since moving to Hawaii, I've been on the search for a Vietnamese restaurant that can satisfy my cravings. Mama Pho is my friendly, neighborhood Vietnamese place. What we love about this place is the convenience, plenty of parking, the place is very clean, service is always prompt and pleasant. Their menu has a decent variety and flavors are good but for all my Vietnamese people out there, I should add it's not 100% "authentic". I've found that they've used slightly different ingredients than the authentic recipe would generally use but that's only because I'm used to home cooked, regional food from mom. If you only care about the flavor and presentation then this place will satisfy read more

Mama Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Chicken pho was good, broth seemed a little sweet. But $17!? Pho Kapahulu is just as good (if not better) and the chicken pho is only $9.50! I also like the sweet ladies at Pho Kapahulu so I try to go there as much as possible. read more

Meh. There are so many good restaurants now but Mama Pho's commercials are so tempting that my mom and I decided to eat there after our Costco run. It was...okay. I tried something new and it wasn't tasty so it was kind of a letdown for me. My mom said that her lunch was okay...nothing exciting and not necessarily one of her better lunches. I tried the Mama Special Sauce and it was HOT. The service and people were nice. The food was bland but the sauce was too hot. read more

The food was good but when i came in at 7:00 with my friend we walked in and no one greeted us and so we sat down a table by the door and one worker came in and the person that gave us ours menus and said "next time you come in waive us down so we know that you guys came in." There was 3 workers and only two other tables of people eating in. 3 other tables of two came in and the workers didn't say anything to them like how they made a rude comment to us. The only good worker was the blonde hair guy with glasses the other two were not good with customer service. Guess I'm never going back now. read more

Always our go to for fast service and great pho. Large portions and the broth is great. We rarely eat in at the Aina Haina location as the ambience is so so. Take out is our preference read more

First dining out meal. Hit the spot! Lots of noodles in our pho noodle bowls. Yummy spring rolls and their special beef stew was tasty with a strong lemon grass flavor. Thank you also Mama Pho for supporting health care workers by providing free lunch to Kaiser Permanente in May. read more

Keeping this review quick and simple: clean, tasty and affordable!! It's nice to have Pho in a place that's clean not only in the eating area but in the kitchen as well. The kitchen is immaculate. The food is great. I've never gotten sick from eating anything Mama Pho's has to offer and I can't say the same for other Pho places in Hawaii Kai. So happy mama pho came to Aina Haina! read more

Mama Pho - Spring - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

Oh, you silly little Yelpers. Why wouldn't you rate Mama Pho at least 4 stars? This place is great and I will definitely come back. Are you coming here for a big bowl of pho? Well, bring a jacket because that big 'ol bowl of hot soup aint gunna keep you warm in this joint! They got the AC on mega blast. Maybe they've got snowmen in the back making the food... I ordered the grilled pork vermicelli and it was a very generous portion. Lots of meat, fresh veggies and crisp lettuce. They only give you one eggroll (I'm accustomed to two), but that eggroll is perfectly crispy and crunchy. I loved this dish. Service is very friendly and the place is clean and bright. I'll be back and I'm lookin' forward to it! read more

I'm picky when it comes to Vietnamese food because duh, I'm Vietnamese! I'm spoiled with homemade pho so you can't blame me. I always see this place when I am at pieology and wondered but wasn't adventurous to try it until a co-worker brought her left-overs to work. I was amazed at how much pho she had for left-overs so I told my boyfriend we needed to try it! A lot of the restaurants with excellent pho is in Chinatown and so they're not opened late and I hate finding parking. This place is a trip to make but there is a ton of parking and it's HUGE and clean! My boyfriend and I ordered "Mama's special pho" which is basically the combination. I was surprised how huge the bowls were but I was not going to let it waver my decision until I get my chopsticks into that bowl. When our huge bowls came, I was still not really impressed. I started mixing my bowl up and was amazed how much meat was in the bowl.. Normally the meat to noodle ratio for me is super off (too much left over noodles) but I was actually left with a ton of meat! For $12.95... it was a great deal! My boyfriend is happy I finally found a pho place I am happy to go to. I always refuse to grab pho because I've eaten it my entire life.. But Mama Pho has won my heart :) Please stay consistent! I am excited for them to open in Ala Moana ! It'll be closer to me, but for now I will make the well deserved trip! read more

See all

After hitting up the Hawaii State library in downtown earlier in the day, I ventured off east. I hadn't had Pho in a while, since that Market City Pho noodle shop that opened up just recently. I flipped on my Yelp iPhone app and saw that there was a Pho restaurant in Aina Hina Shopping Center. Pretty sure it was relatively new. Unless of course, I don't come down here very often anyways. I like Green Papaya's Pho, but I wanted to see if there are others who could do it better. I read Sara T's review of this place and I was sold. When I got there, I was greeted by the bus boy, who offered me a menu and directed me to the table that was closest to the door on the right hand side. All seem well at first. When I wanted to order, the bus boy was serving orders and and busing tables. For the life of me, I thought he was taking orders too! He didn't look my way, when I looked his way. Only until the lady came out from the cash register and talked to the other people next to me, I signaled the lady and finally got to order. 10 freakin minutes of waiting! blah. So I got #10, the special Pho with assorted meat and rare steak with an order of summer rolls. The summer rolls were ok, room temperature. Wish it was heated though. The bowl like Sara T said was pretty huge, but actually, the portion of soup that they gave was not that much. I should have asked for extra noodles for $1.00 extra. Oh well. The Pho was blatantly average, let me tell you. I put everything into the Pho and mixed it around. After eating a few bites, I squirted some of the hot chili sauce to give it some character. Love the hot stuff. The restaurant itself is small and quaint. Picture a large L&L restaurant, but a vietnamese place. It was set up like that. The place was kind of full when I stepped in for a late lunch, but at least they were busy. The place was clean and each table was well equipped with hot sauces, soy sauces, napkins, and spoons. They take major credit cards so that's a plus.Plenty of parking at the shopping center, so that's always good. Unless you come here during peak shopping and meal times, parking can be a commodity. But this place is good, just a bit on the average side. Still searching for GOOD Pho. read more

The other night, we wanted to eat dinner at Pieology, but the line was way too long and our tummies couldn't wait. So, we decided to visit Mama Pho, which is right next door. Mama Pho is actually bigger inside than what it looks like on the outside. It's brightly lit, clean, and lots of tables to accommodate big families. The menu is pretty straightforward. Appetizers, rice plates, pho, and cold noodles. The usual Vietnamese favorites. We to order the spring rolls. They were nice and crispy with a good amount of filling that included glass noodles. I tried the Lemongrass Chicken & Tofu Rice Plate. The chicken and tofu were savory and I liked that it included jasmine rice with toasted garlic flakes in top. My boyfriend had the pho with rare beef slices. The broth was pretty tasty and he especially liked that he could substitute the pho rice noodle with egg noodles. All in all, we liked Mama Pho, but not enough to make this our go-to Vietnamese place when we have the craving. We're still looking for that place after our favorite spot closed. The search continues. read more

See all

Very nice place I enjoyed eating there . The Pho and there spring roll was very good . The staff very friendly and prompt service little on the pricey side but I'll go back again read more

When I walked In I noticed that it was very clean , which is always a good thing. I also noticed that it was slightly quiet. The the food was great. I had gotten the tendon pho which was made to perfection. read more

Mama Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Service was disastrous. We waited so long for our food that my usually very patient hubby finally flagged down a purple-shirted waiter and asked about our order. Ten minutes later, his steaming bowl of pho was plunked down in front of him - which made me wonder if our order hadn't been placed until we asked about it. Ten minutes after that, I still hadn't gotten my tofu bun, so hubby stopped another waiter, and off he went to check. While we were waiting (and waiting), we watched what was going on and felt the three waiters - it's not a very big dining room - were flitting about but not accomplishing much. They certainly did not go in the back to check on how the food orders were coming along or if they'd even been placed. Several people that were seated after us got their food before we did. I found that very irritating, especially when coupled with the fact that no one checked on us until we asked them to do so. Finally, after almost 45 minutes (this is not a fancy restaurant by any stretch of the imagination) my bowl of noodles arrived. By then I'd lost my appetite and hubby again stopped a waiter and asked for a takeout container. I kid you not; for an untouched bowl of noodles topped with vegetables, fried tofu and a spring roll, said waiter brought over one of those small foam containers that fit a single hamburger. What is this place?! When hubby went to pay our tab, he was asked which was our table. Hubby said, "The one over there that had to wait long time." He got a very perfunctory, totally unapologetic "Sorry." What I heard in that one word was, "Yes! Please Yelp about your unsatisfactory experience here tonight!" So here you go -- read more

My "go to" Pho restaurant in east Honolulu! Love this place as they are always friendly and quick with the Pho! The broth is sensational and they never skimp on the fixings! My favorite Pho is with rare steak and meatballs; I'm always impressed at how thin they can shave that steak! Always served with a ton of bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, jalapenos and lime; I always have some leftover so if I get a "to go" order I usually have enough leftover basil and cilantro to add to a few meals in the coming week. Their Volcano sauce is fantastically hot!! Basically a great meal for less than $10. BYOB as well... There may be fancier places for Pho but none more tastier! read more

Mama Pho - Volcano sauce and they aren't kidding!! - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The first time I came here was less than a month ago and I've been here many times since then. This place is that good. Located in the Aina Hina Shopping Center, there is ample parking available. The restaurant is usually not too crowded, so I have never had to wait for a table. The service is good and quick, which I always appreciate (especially when I'm hungry). I've only had their spring rolls and the pho tai (rare beef). Both of which are delicious. The spring rolls are deep fried perfection. The pho is one of the best I've ever had. The beef broth has good flavor by itself, but when you add the chili oil to it, it just takes it to a whole other level. The portion size is very generous. It is very filling - one of my friends that can eat a lot gets full off of just one bowl. I've eaten a bowl of pho and two spring rolls and its held me over for two meals. read more

Best Pho & Lemonglass chicken! They're full of flavor & so fresh! I hope "Chopsticks & Rice" people learn how to cook from this restaurant.

Budget cuts of beef. Tough and smelly. This is the worst Pho restaurant on Oahu and I wouldn't be leaving this review (even if their food is bad) if they didn't turn the blame back on me as I asked how to better order (because I wasn't gonna write them off on just one strike, misunderstandings happen and I wanted to give benefit of the doubt) The issue: Putting aside the fact that beef tastes mediocre, They don't serve their Pho as pictured, order item 17. They claim that they serve the meat uncooked only when "to-go" even though the picture shows it in porcelain dishes (or whatever material, not in to-go styrofoam). Ok, that mismatch between actual food and menu picture is confusing, but not a crime. So I ask the waiter "how can I order this properly next time, so I can get it as pictured?" And he then goes (abridged) "Well, you have to tell us before you order it next time if you want it a certain way." No kidding. That's why I asked. I was done with this place. I was being pretty decent I think by trying to make this into a misunderstanding or simply my own fault for presuming things will come as pictured. But then telling me I didn't order it right when I asked precisely if I should have ordered it right is just a bummer. There's plenty of places to go eat Pho on Oahu, like in Kaimuki or To Chau. Make sure it's never here. They don't care, and perhaps arguably more importantly, their Pho is the lowest quality in the entire island, possibly state. read more

Nice, clean, and friendly place. I got the fried egg rolls - GOOD! And the chicken pho, good broth base and perfect amount of chicken. The Thai ice tea was good too. The prices are a little on the expensive side for pho noodles. read more

Mama Pho - Fried Egg Rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all

I'm not that big of a Pho fan, wait, let me explain....I'm not a big soup eater, so Ramen doesn't rank for me either. But when I am sick, pho is a definite go-to for me. Mama Pho is hubs' favorite pho place on the East side, and knows his order #17, a Mama Pho special. I wound up horribly sick and congested, and hubs offered to pick me up Pho. I know I can't really finish a whole thing of pho by myself, so I phone ordered his #17 with extra soup and extra noodles (additional cost of around $5) and it basically supersized our order, enough so that we both had pho and there was a little left for me for the next day. (I know, some will be appalled that I would allow my noodles to sit in the soup overnight, but it works for me). I added as much hot sauce paste as they gave, and it cleared me right up. Mama Pho has a really tasty broth, and the meat is also tasty, you can sub egg noodle if you don't like the traditional noodle, and they are quite friendly there, definitely one of the better pho places on the East side. read more

Had #12 pork and rice and tofu & 2 fried pork roll, also got the coconut tapioca. Everything was excellent. Tofu was cooked just right, slightly crispy outside. Can't wait to come back and have the pho. read more

Mama Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

See all