In an Irvine a long, long, time ago when I used to work just down the street, Pho Ba Co was a very solid three stars. Today, the restaurant is more along the lines of "three plus" stars; overall. Walked in; wasn't very crowded with the exception of a few occupied tables throughout the restaurant. The last time I was here, the restaurant was half the size that it is now... 'My baby's all grown up! Clean caps: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pho-ba-co-irvine?select=HssPedbb2j4hz3ElMPWRvw&userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ Lanh was my waitress; took my order and delivered my lunch. However, she forgot the utensils... I sat for a few minutes waiting Lanh to return or another employee but noticed that they were all sitting @ a table near the front register chatting. I got up and walked towards them and joking said, "I don't mind eating bun with my fingers but I'd rather not, it's an ugly sight... 'May I please have chopsticks and napkins?" Lanh apologized and quickly brought me over utensils and just as fast, returned to the group @ the table... 'And that is where she stayed for the rest of my visit. (Hence the 2+ stars for service or rather lack of it.) At one point I needed more napkins and flagged down a gentlemen that was exiting the kitchen area. Front, patio seating: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pho-ba-co-irvine?select=PgPATcp_zqhV2BsS9pmgkQ No. 57 ($11.90) - Charbroiled shrimp; beef, pork, or chicken; egg rolls. - Very good; a bit $$ Lunch is served!: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pho-ba-co-irvine?select=9QAZRU10YqbQ7r1y08-stg McCafe sua da ($3.75) - Good; not a fan of premade Vietnamese ice coffee Photo: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pho-ba-co-irvine?select=5y3n3gejKUboCVLZR3jOSA&userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ Grilled shrimp - detail: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pho-ba-co-irvine?select=NAPyfq2aEqI_pCidloycdw Total: $16.86 (+ tip) Grand total: $20 Rear dining area: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pho-ba-co-irvine?select=l5MRxnR5jKEKiZNhfesndg The food was very good albeit a bit pricey; ambiance was nice; service was lacking; value was good being that the bun had nice portions. Portions: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pho-ba-co-irvine?select=haxvBzWOoRoSdnz7HrdEsA Overall rating: 3 Stars *Customer service can make all the difference in the final rating. - Big Aloha! Food: 4 (Very good; pricey) Ambiance: 3 Service: 2+ Value: 4 (Good portions) read more

See all

My husband and I have been eating at Pho Ba Co for the last (at least) 8 years, but now there is something wrong with this restaurant. Today we got a large Pho Special Combo (#21 I believe), and the broth was so salty! There were only six thin slices of the rare steak meat, one meatball cut in half, and a little bit of tripe. It's definitely not $15 worth of content. The order of 4 egg rolls ( chả giò ) had only thin rice vermicelli noodles, whatever happened to the grated carrots? Portion is just getting smaller. The biggest change is this - if you order takeout, you have to tell them you want the pho in the bowl. If you don't say it, they will put noodles and everything in those white small foam container. Whether there is a management change, or the restaurant is just battling the inflation )rise cost of overhead expenses) they still need to be transparent (the bowl rule - if you don't request they don't offer). If you cannot be consistent serving up tasty food, please change back to the old recipe. We supported Pho Ba Co during the pandemic, but now, we will take a break from Pho Bac...hope they will listen and improve. read more

Yes it's just okay! I have been here multiple times back when I was still in college. Their quality did went downhill a lot. I always got pho whenever I dropped by, I noticed that overtime their broth just taste saltier and less beef-ish. Recently I have been here with my friend. I got the well done brisket like usual and she got a tenderloin beef rice which I suggested to her after reading Yelpers' recommendation. Well done brisket pho ($8.9): Like I said above, taste kinda salty and nothing special, their broth used to be really good, now it's just the same like any other pho places in Irvine or Tustin. Meat was too little and I don't think portion was big enough pho the price paid, but that's understandable since it's Irvine. Tenderloin Beef Rice ($15.25): This is just ridiculously overpriced! Beef was hardly seasoned and taste plain, I got some leftover back home and had to put lot of soy sauce to actually help brings out the flavor of the beef. This was basically a plate with 2/3 salad, white onion and 1/3 meat with a bowl of yellow rice. For $15? Seriously? Service: I just don't care to comment since it's typical Vietnamese restaurant, they were nice but certainly not attentive. Well and don't be fooled with their too-good-to-be-true Combo Plate for $17 deal. You get a plate of tenderloin beef rice and any choice of rice noodle or egg noodle plus egg rolls and one spring roll? Guess what? You can't pick ANY pho or egg noodle, it has to be a plain noodle bowl with just vegetables and noodle, so basically the $17 cover the cost of the tenderloin beef ($15.25) and two rolls. It's just the same! read more

See all

This place jacked up their bowl of pho price so ridiculous ripped off. As of today 2/4/2022, their regular bowl of pho is $14.5 and the large is $15.45! Dude, this is just a pho! Their broth is not even slowly brewed for over 4 hours and lots of soup stocks with MSG. The ingredients are not even that much. I can't justify paying more than $10. Sorry Pho Ba, you have just lost my business. Also your sister photasia too, it's also ripped off. No more business to both of you! read more

Great service and food. Staff is friendly and food is ready fast and it taste fresh. One of my favorite places to get comfort food.

Pho Tai is solid. Value platter is perfect. Egg rolls are the best wrapped in lettuce and dipped in that sauce!! Value plater gets an optional 99 cent lemonade that is really lemony good and sweet. Going to come back and try more. read more

Out of all the Vietnamese restaurants we've been to, this one has the fastest service: both seating and food delivery. The Pho tastes healthier than most places we visit. Their ambience is subtle but nice. Outdoor seating is shared with other establishments, yet clean and quiet. Seems to be a very popular spot in Irvine! I would definitely recommend the Special com read more

Pho Ba Co - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

literally yummiest pho everrrrrr! my dad rarely ever likes food at restaurants but he absolutely loved this one. this restaurant is family run it seems and everyone was kind, quick, and attentive! all very sweet! we ordered rare steak pho, thai tea, and beef tenderloin salad. all very tasty! great place, go here! read more

Yummy！yummy！yummy！ You should try and will go back ! No.12 pho great! Try so many pho around world , this one worth to spend money and time read more

Pho Ba Co - Very good beef !!!! - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

I LOVE this pho place! I am thankful to the Yelp community for recommending such a yummy spot! We've tried both tofu & chicken pho options & they were excellent! So fresh & yummy! Not salty or over flavored! Plus - always enough for leftovers! read more

fastest service ive ever had and phos were delicious , from the time i sat down to when i left probably was 30min read more

Pho Ba Co - Tofu with vegetable and beef broth - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

Pretty solid pho place in Irvine:) I got the pho tai and the broth was a lot cleaner than other pho spots!

This place has gone downhill. I've been going here for years & thought the prices were expensive for the portion size, and that was 5 years ago. The prices must of increased by 50%. I paid $20 for a small portion of BBQ beef & 2 egg rolls with some vermicelli noodles. Price does not justify the portion nor the taste. Was still hungry! read more

Too pricey with so so food. $15 for a bowl of pho compare to $10 in Bolsa. $10 for 2 spring rolls compare to $6 for 3 spring rolls in Bolsa. Irvine has terrible Vietnamese restaurant and overpriced & overrated. It is better to drive to Little Saigon to eat pho & other dishes. read more

When you gotta have pho for Christmas, Pho Ba Co delivers! It was surprisingly lively Christmas afternoon for lunch. We had gotten takeout here before and it was decent, and decided to try the food as dine-in (no matter how good pho is, take-out pho is never as good as 'fresh' pho along with all the sauces). Service was prompt with no problems. We tried the Viet iced coffee, spring rolls, and two bowls of pho. Some places make their ice coffee really sweet but this place makes it more on the coffee/bitter side. The spring rolls were large, but pricey and not the best I have had - just didn't taste that crunchy or flavorful. The pho soup was good though and my husband really liked it. A regular/small(?) bowl was enough for me. Tiny beef though (no pun intended) for serving my 'rare' flank well done in the soup. It either means they didn't serve me the right 'variation' of pho or the bowl was sitting out there too long before my waiter got it to me. Not big problems at the very least. Would return. read more

Saw the reviews and went there, food just not very good. The pho broth has not taste. My husband ordered a beef comb, beef is very chewy. And most expensive spring rolls in the city, 2 little pieces over $10. Including tips close to $60 for a cheap Pho. Never go back again. read more

My family used to order from here all the time. It's been a few years, but I didn't expect such a significant decline. We ordered 3 dishes that totaled $65! My mother in law's beef lemongrass vermicelli was so bad, she made herself instant noodles. My chicken, vegetables and seafood chow mein was flavorless, had undercooked noodles, and lacked any sauce or seasoning. My husband's pho was equally flavorless. I understand that all restaurants are charging higher prices during these times, but these prices are exceptionally high for subpar dishes. read more

I love Pho Ba Co. I've been coming here since I was a little girl and it's been so amazing to see it expand. In high school I would get the student specials and the a great deal. I really like the combo plate, you get a spring roll and egg rolls and pho or the value platter is also an awesome option. It's a great value for the amazing taste. If you want to try something unique, get the tri color bean drink . It's so yummy and packed full of unique flavors. Since I moved to LA, it's hard to get this but when I'm in town, I always come back here. read more

Pho Ba Co is delicious. Every time, dine in or delivery, the order is correct and tasty. The grilled chicken is one of my favorites.

I've been coming to Pho Ba Co for many years and this place has never once disappointed! :) It's definitely my go to spot in Irvine when I don't want to drive all the way to Westminster. The food always comes out super fast and is very flavorful. I always get a #11 Regular (Well Done Brisket Pho) and each time it's always been a 10/10. The staff as well are super sweet! Today was an especially cold day and I had forgotten my jacket like a dummy. Thankfully the staff noticed and was more than kind to bring out a space heater for my boyfriend and I! Thank you Pho Ba Co staff for all you do! :) I'll be back soon! read more

This is a great place to grab pho in the Irvine area. They have a large selection of pho, egg noodles, rice dishes and drinks. I've also always received friendly, efficient service from the staff. I love any noodle soup with char siu pork. Yum! read more

I wouldn't recommend this place if you are looking for authentic Vietnamese Pho. The broth is bland and dull. We were looking for authentic pho stopped here after 4 stars yelp review. However, we were all disappointed. The Pho had no flavor at all. I gave three stars for the service and clean interior. read more

Pho was absolutely tasty. Saturated with flavor. Staff was very pleasant and attentive. read more

Pho Ba Co - 11. Well Done Brisket Rice Noodle Soup (PN) - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Pho Ba Co is the best pho place in Irvine, imo. The broth and noodles are decently solid and the egg noodle soup isn't bad either. Prices have gone up in recent years, unfortunately, but the to-go combo deal is pretty nice. Service is fast too! read more

Disclaimer: I am pretty critical on pho restaurants since I did my time at a pho restaurant for over a year. I learned how to make the broth and essentially create it from scratch. Now that that's out of the way, service was 4/5 stars and the food was 2/5 stars. I will have to say Pho Ba Co might have the best service I've ever received at a pho restaurant. They constantly check up on you and make sure your drink doesn't reach the bottom of the cup. I was really impressed especially since the pho restaurant is really authentic (all the workers are Vietnamese). In regards to the food, it came out almost instantly which made me really excited (it was less than 5 minutes almost). The first thing I noticed were the side veggies, the bean sprouts were not of the best quality. They were on the cusp of going bad it seemed, but because I was putting it in my piping hot soup I didn't pay it much attention. To my disappointment the broth was very weak tasting and tasted similar to places that use powder instead of meat bones. The noodles were stuck together and the texture was not firm enough. With that being said I still ate all my food. One thing I've learned is that I will eat any pho (bad, mediocre or amazing). Will I come back? Probably not, I'm not usually in Irvine and if I am there, there are definitely way tastier alternatives. read more

Pho Ba Co - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

I went to Pho Ba Co for lunch around 11:30. There was plenty of empty spots to sit so it was really for out big party to get a spot. I ordered pho #19. The broth was really tasty. Couple of meats in my meat were slightly chewy but overall i would say it was good. The Vietnamese coffee comes with small ice which is my favorite. Also remember they don't accept Amex. read more

Amazing food, great service, very hearty, all at a reasonable price love the old Vietnamese ladies that remind me of my tiny Asian grandma

Delicious bowl of pho. Sat down quickly. Ordered quickly. Served food quickly. They are very efficient and friendly here. Would recommend.

If you can't make it to Little Saigon, this is probably your safest bet for Vietnamese food in Irvine. The food here is a little above mediocre, but it does have its merits. The savory peanut sauce perfectly match the smooth texture of the spring rolls. Pho bowls are reasonably portioned and tasty, but broth does not seem like it is made from beef stock. Atmosphere is casual and service is friendly and prompt. Recommended if you can't leave the Irvine area. Otherwise it is probably best to venture out to Little Saigon. read more

Pho Ba Co - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

quite a popular Vietnam restaurant, open for many years, lots of group dinner here. PHO and other BBQ rice plate is good. read more

See all

My spouse and I come to this WONDERFUL restaurant every chance we get! Quality of the food is great! Presentation is good. Portions and prices are just right. Staff has always been courteous and friendly. Even during the pandemic, they've accommodated our cravings and served us. Thank you to owners, chefs, management and staff! Keep up the good work! read more

I stopped by this location after craving pho so on my way home I decided to have dinner at this location because it had such good ratings. I was seated almost immediately in a 4 person table by myself. They took my order quickly and the service was fast as most Vietnamese restaurants usually are. I ordered the Number 10 Rare Steak. This was my first time trying rare steak pho and I thought it was delicious. This place is definitely better than most of the Vietnamese restaurants that I've tried. After I was done, it did take a while for the waiter to come by with the bill because it got so busy. This place can get packed because during the end of my meal, there were people by the door staring at me eat while sitting at my empty table of 4. This location is very clean. The restaurant is located in a small strip mall of little shops and other businesses. They have unisex restrooms. read more

Mint fresh on some ingredient such as deep fried tortilla. Some bbq port were even sour due to too old.

I have been going here for years. It is solid but not as exceptional as it used to be. The menu has changed so I wonder if the two changes are related. read more

I came here with my Mom for a late lunch. I've been here a couple of times before, but I've never made a review. It's still my favorite pho place for sure. For starters they play Kpop inside, BLACKPINK and TWICE from what I heard. To start we got the pork shrimp spring rolls and for our entree we split a brisket pho. All our food came pretty quickly. Spring rolls came first then our soup shortly after. The spring rolls were fresh and I liked that there was more veggies in it than rice noodles. It made it crunchy and light. The sauce was yummy too. It was sticky, savory and sweet. Perfect for spring rolls. I did catch a hint of fish sauce in it, but it wasn't overpowering. It was just right. The only thing is that the pork was a little dry. Our pho was delicious. I loved the brisket. There was a good meat to noodle ratio. Normally there isn't that much meat. It was a great lunch. read more

Pho Ba Co - Shrimp and pork spring rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

Yummy authentic Pho ! Service was quick, perfect little whole in the wall!! Would come again

I never ever really have a craving for pho just because I am super picky with pho and the area of Orange County that I live in isn't really known for having delicious pho. That and I grew up eating it and my mom makes it and I've had it back in Vietnam and I'm pretty much sick to death of eating it. Anyways so when Ken wanted pho, I suggested going to Westminster. He said no, so I said fine, and turned to Yelp. Pho Ba Co was one of the top results and with 4 stars and over 800 reviews, it had to have been good. So off we went, the place was pretty easy to find and it was super clean and nice. The menu is pretty straight forward, appetizers, pho, egg noodles, and broken rice dishes. We got the large pho and the char siu and fish ball egg noodle soup. The food came out shortly after we ordered and before Ken ruined his pho by squirting a ton of Hoisin sauce into it, I tried it out. Verdict: you know what it's not bad! The broth wasn't as clear as I would have liked but it definitely had very good flavor. The veggies they provided were plentiful and fresh. My gripe though is with the noodles, they were stuck in a huge clump that were extremely hard to separate. Usually that means that the noodles were cooked a while beforehand and just sitting there. Despite that though the pho here was actually pretty good, it was a bit pricier than the pho you would find in Westminster/Garden Grove though. The egg noodles were okay, I would recommend coming here for more for the pho than the egg noodles. The broth was good but it seemed to be missing something, I can't quite explain what. I love egg noodle soup so I guess I'm really picky with egg noodles soup too. Also my egg noodles came with meatballs not fishballs, not that I'm complaining but I just thought it was amusing. The char siu was not as good as I hoped either, it was a bit bland. I did like that they had shallots in the broth. Anyways, if I'm ever craving pho and don't want to drive over to Westminster or if my moms not making any, I would definitely head over to Pho Ba Co read more

Pho Ba Co - Large pho with rare beef and filet - Vietnamese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Pho in here very tasteful, gonna come back for more beside the quality of the food staffs in here make me feel like members in family

Cool place. You can eat outside which is perfect if you have a dog friend with you! This place is pretty packed on rainy days and lots of people huddled to pick up to go orders read more

Egg rolls tobe appetizing. Staff are nice and friendly. Black sea with boba was amazing. Yummy