So, just earlier today I posted a less than positive review for a different pho place in Irvine that I've patronized for many years. I won't go into details here but didn't end up eating there. It was a bummer, I had a craving for pho. The good news is, that it forced me to search for a different place. Admittedly, I had neutral to low expectations- but I simply wanted pho. What a surprise. This place was actually fantastic. The servers were all very nice. They greeted me when I arrived and said thank you when I left. The food was lovely. The menu was expansive. The food was served very quickly. They smiled and earned me that the tea was very hot. I just felt special. I honestly wouldn't have known what I was missing all these years. I think I've found my new "go to" and only have to drive ten mins further for it. The only downside is that the parking is a little congested but if you go around the corner toward the medical building there seems to be plenty of space and it's only a short walk to the front door. I liked the food and service so much that I ordered something to go as a surprise for my husband. I'd definitely give this place a try. Oh, they make a fresh/home made lime soda that's amazing and have a few other drinks that look incredible as well.... but I'm not a sweet drink person so didn't try them. I'm not a big soda person either but was curious so ordered the lime one . It was refreshing. read more

Absolutely love this place! Hands down the best pho around the Irvine area. Their charbroiled pork comes with garlic rice and soup on the side! Their pho steak and brisket is to die for as well. Definitely recommend considering they adhere to social distancing & have heat lamps outside if you choose to dine there! The staff moves quickly and it seems to be pretty popular (given good reason because I truly enjoy this place) read more

Yummy food. The flavors are so good. Would come back again. We got our order quick and ate outside. Perfect food for a cold night. read more

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Favorite pho place for our family. Fresh ingredients and always fast. They used to have other location for large amount of party orders which I miss a lot since my kid always used to order one type of dish with multiple quantities. read more

Pho Ba Co is the sure fire place to go if you want quality Vietnamese food! They have a variety of delicious dishes to choose from and everything I've tried so far has been good. I recommend the egg rolls yummm. And the drinks are 10/10, make sure you try the Black Sea drink!! read more

I came here with my cousin. I'm a bit of a pho snob. I mean I love pho. LOOOOOVE pho! So I can be a bit critical. In my review on pho it's all about taste! I think the pho was decent. We also tried the fried egg rolls. They were alright. Yeah, overall everything was decent.... BUT... not as good as the pho I've had in Alhambra, Westminster, or Vietnam. (I know you're like.. duh). I guess what I'm trying to say here is if you live close by I think it's a convenient pho spot. I think if you want really good pho you could explore a few other spots nearby. read more

I'm getting pho at Pho Ba Co and the white family next to me is killing me: The lady is like "the first time i went to a Vietnamese place...I wasn't sure because you know...Vietnam is such a baaaad country". And then they were like where do I poke the straw (in their boba cups). And the other lady in their party was complaining they don't have veggie broth. And then they ended up going on about how great the Great British Baking show was. I hate them. Despite all that, the pho is really good, and the white family next to me also approved. I'm mostly vegetarian, but not picky about meat based broths. They have a veggie and tofu pho with the beef broth and it is delicious. I've had it for take out and in house, and it was solid both times. Super fast service (literally just a few minutes between ordering and the pho arriving), cheap, and tasty broth. read more

I have been coming here for over a decade so I am very surprised to find quality decreased. Very sad to say that the food is not worth the price and lacking customer service. read more

As a half descendant of the Vietnamese bloodline, I've always tried my best to avoid pho in restaurants, mainly because it isn't as good as my mom's recipe. However, when I tried this place, it was actually sufficient enough to satisfy my half-Vietnamese taste buds. It's delicious and perfect on a cool winter evening for sure. Though the overall dish is quite exceptional, my only complaint is that more protein could've been provided. Additionally, the noodles could be less chewy and hard. Nevertheless, I'd recommend this place! read more

Dining here was a delight. The beef tenderloin over rice was well-seasoned, tender, and generously portioned. The beef spaghetti impressed me with its savory sauce and perfectly cooked pasta. Both dishes offered a memorable and satisfying dining experience. read more

I took a guest to Pho Ba Co couple of months ago and have since not gone back. Why? 1) Pho Tai regular size was so full of noodles you could barely see the broth. 2) Broth is becoming more sweet. No longer the rich broth I loved. 3) Rare beef was not good. Thick and tough. 4) For the price, they are incredibly stingy with bean sprouts and cilantros 4) My guest who loves pho was not impressed and I felt embarrassed because I touted Pho Ba Co as the best. It no longer is. read more

One of the first bowls of pho I've had, and it was tasty, though I don't have much to compare it to. The broth was light and flavorful, meat was good quality, and overall a good portion of food! Server did try to argue with me when he brought the wrong item out and I had specifically pointed to the menu item when I ordered, so that was annoying, but overall, not a bad place for pho. read more

This place is popular and on chilly nights, it's typically packed. There's a clipboard right outside the front door where you can write down your name and wait patiently for a seat. There's indoor and outdoor seating. Service is below average but food comes out quickly and it's tasty. PBC is generous with the proteins in their bowls of pho. The pho broth is delicious. Opt for the large bowl for only +$1. I'd say that PBC is a great option in Irvine when you don't want to drive all the way to Westminster or Garden Grove. read more

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If you love Pho you will love this place!!! I love soups of all variety but this is my go to Pho place in Irvine. Especially for door dash delivery. The broth is amazing by itself but I like to add sauces at the half way point. I would recommend asking for additional sauce. Sometimes it does not come with a bowl if you order it so be prepared. Now let's talk egg rolls! Amazing crunchy on the outside and yummy on the inside. They also cut a hole on top of the container so they do not get soggy! Their chicken fried rice is good as well. Chicken and veggie rice noodle dish is amazing but needs more sauce for the flat noodles. read more

Met up with a friend here on a Sunday night for dinner. It was crazy busy! There was lots of bustling and families coming in and out of the restaurant. I ordered the pho tai which is just pho with rare steak. The steak was cut into thick slices, so not your typical thinly sliced beef. The broth looked pale yellow. It tasted regular...nothing special. I definitely didn't taste the herbs from the broth. And the noodles seemed a bit over cooked. But other than that, the pho was alright. We also ordered egg rolls. They tasted a bit weird...not your typical short and fat egg rolls. These were skinny and long. The filling tasted too much like flour. When I drank the water, I saw black specks at the bottom of the cup. That totally grossed me out and I didn't drink anymore of the water. Not sure if I will be back, nothing stuck out to me. And it was crazy packed here. read more

Pho Ba Co - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

Aite all you haters out there need to stop coming here so that we can get our pho in peace in times of dire (hangover) needs. My friend (and fellow yelper Brennan L., holla) came for Friday lunch and luckily we got seated right away with no wait. I got spring rolls as I always do at pho places, as well as an order of rare steak pho. I was surprised they didn't have a vegetarian option, but I ended up eating all the meat because it was pretty good. The soup was fire. Okay maybe I just really needed it but it was surprisingly good, very comparable to authentic pho joints in Westminster and 626. I guess I underestimated it because of the makeup of the clientele, but then again, I had bookmarked this place for a reason and I mentally thanked fellow yelpers who had led me to Pho Ba Co. One thing that brings this rating down: the spring rolls. They were absolute nonsense. It was probably the worst spring rolls I've ever had and I was even more annoyed because of the state I was in. And the peanut sauce isn't even peanut sauce. I promise I wasn't tasting things...somebody else please tell me that their peanut sauce is the worst you've had, so that I know I'm not going crazy! I know I'll be back, but no thanks for the spring rolls! Skip! read more

Pho Ba Co - Pho rare steak - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

Best Pho I have had coast to coast. New York, Maryland, Nevada, Arizona, Florida none better than here. I have been eating Pho here for 19 years. Delicious robust broth!!! read more

Pho Ba Co - Sorry could not wait ate the noodles before taking the pictures! - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

The pho was good for the first sip until I saw a fly in it. Didn't know I ordered extra meat with my pho. I called and they told me they would send a replacement soup, and I would have to drive over again to get it. read more

Pho Ba Co - Extra protein in my pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

Portion size with take out is abysmal. We order 2 pho tai large and they are the smallest portion I could imagine for pho at almost 13-4 dollars. Shame on this location. read more

Pho Ba Co - Horrible portion size for take out. This is a large pho tai with a spoon for scale - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

Food is decent. Service is friendly. However, with tax and tip, a large bowl pho is more than 20 bucks. For this price, the portion is too small. read more

Good food, I go here all the time. Quality Vietnamese food. I usually order to go on my way home from work. Its always ready for me once I get there. They'll remember your usual orders as well if come here often enough. My moms Vietnamese cooking is way better of course. But since i cant have it all the time this place is just as good. read more

I don't write a lot of reviews, but this place was so damn good I had to come find it's yelp just to write how delicious it was. My husband got the charbroiled chicken pho and said the chicken was so moist and delicious. I got the pho tai (rare beef) - I don't have a huge appetite, I rarely finish a large bowl, but I was practically licking the dish! The broth is the best I have ever had -- so flavorful and so GOOD! I ordered because they were close by to where I was at the time but i will be making a special trip to come back for sure! New favorite pho restaurant! read more

I tried this place recently and had an nice experience. The restaurant is popular and very busy. The service was quick and friendly. I ended getting pho and it was flavorful and good. The prices are reasonable and I would recommend this place when you are in the area. read more

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Best pho in the Irvine area. The food is authentic, and the service staff is friendly. I'm a skeptic when it comes to pho, because most of the pho places in the Irvine area are not good. Plus, I know how much time and effort it takes to make a good batch. I've made it myself, and to do it correctly- the traditional way- it takes well over a day. Sometimes I don't feel like doing it myself, so I come here to satisfy my pho cravings. I think they do a great job- I'm always happy when I get there to when I'm done with my meal... walking out of the restaurant feeling perfectly full and content. The portions are generous- they give you more meat than most pho restaurants in the area (always a plus) & the broth is delicious (Very IMPORTANT- the broth must be good) Most pho places are lazy and will pour in a bunch of nonsense like MSG into the broth to give it more "flavour" (MSG gives me a headache- I'd know right away), and that's not the case here. I wouldn't be coming back to this restaurant if they took MSG shortcuts. The prices are also very fair & again- the service staff is always so friendly! I will be back- five stars. read more

Amazing food and top-notch customer service! I have been eating since 2006! Quality of food never changes!

Pho Ba Co is in a strip mall so the parking situation is okay. There's pull in spots in front, but it can get kind of congested and chaotic during peak times. I've never not found a spot, but sometimes it's just more anxiety inducing. I'm not sure how I've never reviewed pho ba co because it's been my only go to pho place since I moved to Irvine in 2013. Their pho is the absolute BEST in Irvine for the price, size, flavors, quick service, and convenience. My go to is the 12 regular (rare steak and well done brisket) and it has never disappointed. The large size is too much for me, but I know a lot of people like it when they're hungry and it's still great value. I don't think I've ever had to wait for a table since it's a decent sized place, and the staff is always fast and attentive. They don't let you split the bill on multiple cards, but Venmo really comes through when you're with big groups here. I've been craving pho in other cities before and have waited because I know that pho ba co is better tasting/price. It seriously is the BEST in the area. It's not a gourmet fine dining experience by any means, but it's exactly what you want out of your local pho restaurant. read more

I've been coming to pho ba co for many years and I have to say that I am never let down. Their pho recipe is the best in Orange County! I was getting take out pretty often during Covid and I really appreciated the attention to detail when it comes to packaging my meal to make sure that it tastes just as good at home. I know times have been tough and I did notice the slight price increases in their menu but I will still stay loyal because food, wages, utilities have gone up and I get it. Well worth the price! 10/10 service always. read more

I got the brisket & rare steak pho. The meat is really good here and most of the reason why I would come back again if I am in the mood for pho. My bf got the chicken rice plate, which was also pretty tasty. The service was a little slow, but understandable since there were so many people during lunch hour. At least they know how to make good pho~ read more

Pho Ba Co - Brisket & rare steak pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

This was a fairly close spot for me and the hubs, compared to garden grove or westminster, and we were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food. I usually don't like rare steak, but the meat here is very soft and their other toppings are also delicious and on point. The broth is on the lighter side, but it can be refreshing for those of you that have that preference. They gave a ton of noodles as well, and I couldn't finish my small (not-so-small) bowl! They also give the whole spread of sauces and condiments, which is a bonus (not all places have fish sauce). In addition, spring rolls were giant and well made (very rare i get god awful spring rolls though). Only comment was that the service was meh...we were seated in the corner so perhaps we were overlooked? We never got water refills (hubs had to drink mine as he's a sponge) and no one got our check so we had to walk up. They did look a bit embarrassed and apologized though, so I'm thinking it was just a bad spot to be seated. I'd definitely come again, regardless, especially when I could hear hubs smacking his lips a few hours later going 'Mmm, that was some good pho." :) read more

Pho Ba Co - Big spring rolls! - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

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I ordered the bun ga nuong (grilled chicken vermicelli noodle bowl). Flavor of the chicken was just as expected, and chicken was juicey. I ate outside, despite the 84 degree weather, but staff checked up on me several times to make sure everything was good and water was refilled. Service was quick which was great because I was on my lunch break. When I asked for a to-go box, they came back out with not only the to-go box, but a bag and a new container of nuoc mam to pack with my leftovers. I appreciate their attentiveness, friendliness, and quick service. read more

Great food, super friendly service from this very nice restaurant. The pho soup, the meats served over rice noodles and the egg noodles soups are all excellent, served hot and with fresh ingredients, especially the basil, sprouts and other fresh veggies. The people here really work super hard and keep the place running. They are always very friendly and willing to provide whatever you need to make your meal great. read more

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The service here was amazing... each employee was attentive and checked on us regularly. I liked that they had outdoor and indoor seating. The outdoor seating wasn't impressive but the fact that there was seating outdoors was enough for me. The indoor dining area was clean. It wasn't overly crowded which was comforting. I felt the food was expensive. It was good nonetheless and there were a variety of options but I had a hard time moving past the costs of some of the items. Overall, I'd recommend and I would go back. read more

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The pho broth was so watery when I last went to visit and for the price that I had paid with tip I was a little disappointed.... The service was pretty nice thought because the server greeted me and asked me if I had any questions. I guess I'm just disappointed with the quality of the food rather than anything else. read more

Their "large" isn't a large at all. I saw other people order a regular and it looked exactly the same amount of noodles in the same exact bowl. The noodles weren't even full, I didn't bite into them at all and they were all chopped up and I couldn't grab them at all. They were all cut up and small and I had to put them on the spoon because of how little the noodles were. Some of the noodles were like 2 inches long and I didn't bite into them, it came like that in the bowl! Wtf? Their broth is decent (not great) but don't come here. It's a total waste of money. I've never felt so jipped. Honestly goes a long way. Go to pho79 where the pho is good and the portions are as described. I won't support a dishonest business like this. If you're desperate and there's NOTHING else around, sure. Never coming here again. Edit: I edited this review from 1 star to 3 stars as they explained what happened to the bowl and apologized. They made it clear what happened and why it wasn't ok. The owner seems like an honest level headed person and that this was a mistake on an off night and that it's not normal. I think I will try them again in the future just for this fact. Let's be honest here, people don't take criticism to their livelihood lightly, warranted or not. So I do appreciate the honesty and transparency and willingness to address criticism. So rare in businesses these days to be honest. Thanks Kieu. read more

very decent pho shop with good service! And good food. I like it! prices could be a bit better.

Have been coming to this place since 2008 - fast forward to now and the food sucks. Portions are ridiculously small in a large pho, meat (literally 4 pieces) in the soup, and the service is bad. They must have changed owners because this place USED TO BE GREAT. I ended up just leaving my food, paid and walked out. Never again recommending this to friends as the best pho in town. read more

Pho Ba Co - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

This place is ridiculously expensive. I hear all the talk about inflation and prices going up but was hit in the face of realization here than anywhere else. I came here to grab lunch with a co-worker and we paid $60 for lunch for 2. Never coming back here again. read more

Thank you for consistently serve great tasting pho and entres- been going here for almost 25 yrs.

Where do I start? First off two phos and four egg rolls is over $50... that's absurd... if anything I expect decent service. They over charged two phos where there is suppose to be a sale but if you don't Inform them of their own sale they'll overcharge you. Did I already use the word absurd? Did I mention they forgot to put in the egg rolls in the order? And then gave me the excuse that the kitchen didn't get the order... so am I suppose to tell the kitchen ? Am I suppose to put the order into the kitchen? What does that even mean? If you don't mind paying double for Vietnamese food then sure go here but keep in mind you could be getting sushi for the same price.... maybe I'm being harsh on this review but again two phos and no egg rolls costed me over $50 I'm not driving back for egg rolls.... read more

Over rated. Over priced. Bland. First and last time I'm coming here. Portions are decent for the bo bun. But the shrimp spring rolls (with hoisin sauce not peanut sauce) are not worth $11 plus tax. That's double the price of any other Vietnamese spot I've been to. Avoiding this place . I eat out 330 days a year to a different restaurant nearly everyday, and Vietnamese food is high on my list, this place is mediocre , the staff were inattentive and unfriendly, I felt pressured. Avoid read more

Pho Ba Co - Overpriced , over rated , bland - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California