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Pho Ban Mai

3.5 (933 reviews)
ModerateVietnamese
Closed 9:00 am - 8:45 pm

Pho Ban Mai Photos

Business Info

PHO BAN MAI ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for groups
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Pho Ban Mai

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Reviews With Photos

B8 Vermicelli noodles
Jean-Charles N.

Food is good Service is fine Prices are getting higher Mens bathroom would need a deep cleaning

Rice Noodles With Chicken Meats In Chicken Broth (Phở gà)
Jayne B.

Rainy days call for comfort food, and this pho hit the spot. Rich, aromatic broth, perfectly cooked noodles, and fresh herbs made every spoonful soothing and delicious. Exactly what you want on a cold, rainy day. Ordered Rice Noodles With Chicken Meats In Chicken Broth (Phở gà)

The best Com Bu Luc Loc in the area so tender and servings are good a lot yummy and the price is just $20.00 so worth it.
Mita C.

Will come for their com bu luc loc so good here worth the price. Also Nem Noung very good big pork inside. The service is also good im glad they are still open when i came back 6 months ago.

A2 Spring Rolls
Jerry H.

The spring rolls were nice and hefty with a good portion of meat. The fish dipping sauce was well spiced. The pho itself tasted decent, but the portion size was great

SW4 Beef Steak Sandwich
Bruski N.

Pho Ban Mai offers quick and decent Vietnamese dishes that are tasty and served nicely and hot (temperature-wise). Don't expect great service. You basically have to get one of the fast-moving staff members to the things that you need. They opted for a server-free ordering system. You basically, scan the QR code for the menu and order from there. For our large party, surprisingly only one order was messed up. Go here if you want a quick Vietnamese food because the ambiance is not very inviting.

Michelle C.

It was a cold day out and I had a craving for Pho. I came in alone and was seated in a nice comfy booth which I loved!! I placed an order for Pho Tai and I ate the whole entire bowl. If you want a delicious bowl of pho, don't hesitate to hit up Pho Ban Mai

B10 Grilled Beef Sirloin and Egg Rolls
Jose M.

This is one of my go-to Vietnamese places, especially if I'm working nearby. I think the employees are very friendly, polite, accommodating, and professional. The ease of placing an order through your phone, having it brought out to you quickly (and with high quality), and paying your tab at the end makes for a smooth and enjoyable dining experience. I love eating here and I always plan on returning if I'm in Mira Mesa. Last visited on 2/19/2026.

P1 House Special Noodle Soup
Laura J.

I got the House Special Pho and the Fish Sauce Chicken Wings to share. House Special tasted like the classic pho, with a variety of meats and hearty soup. The Fish Sauce Chicken was tasty but had a strong flavor and smell, would not recommend it for anyone who isn't a fan of fish sauce. It has a fishy flavor with a mild and sugary tang to it, it was quite sticky also probably from the sugar thickening, but it was crispy on the outside and had a strong umami taste to it.

A14 Special Vietnamese Crispy Crepe
Anna M.

First time here. I like the food we ordered satisfactory. I've had better spring rolls with the peanut sauce at another restaurant. Service is okay. We waited a bit for someone to take our order. The food did come out quick enough. Ambience is casual.

Trang P.

Fancy QR codes for menus to order online! But we preferred to order the old fashioned way with a human lol. Waiter was nice and checked on us quite often despite it being more on the busy side tonight. It was too loud either which is my preference. My first time here! I got bo luc lac which is shaken beef. It comes with fried rice so it was nice to not pay an added fee to replace white rice with fried rice. I added an egg for $1 because I'm Asian and you gotta get it that way duh. I don't make the rules. It came out sizzling and smelled so good! Annddd it burned my mouth of course because I was hungry and didn't wait so y'all be careful lol. Give them a try! 10/10!

Jeannie N.

Quick service and wide range of items on the menu for your traditional Vietnamese cuisine. This restaurant is great for a large group of people. We came here to celebrate my brother's belated birthday on a Monday night. No issues with getting seated for 6 people. Everything we ordered from Banh beo, nem nuong spring rolls, cha ca, and sizzling beef plate with pate and egg were very tasty. Our food came out quickly. They do charge an automatic 18% gratuity with tables of 6 and more. The parking lot is huge, which is a plus. Solid Vietnamese restaurant in Mira Mesa.

Banh xeo portion is so huge, enough to feed 2 people

Best crepe banh xeo and Pho we ever had. Incredible price. The portion was so huge, enough to feed 2 people. Awesome service. Everyone at the restaurant was super friendly and made us feel like we were VIP. Grateful that Pho Ban Mai opens at 9 am, too. Thank you.

Toppings for bun Bo hue
Salman S.

Was craving something soupy and spicy during the rainy days and decided to give Pho Ban Mai a try. Ordered one of my favorites the Bun Bo Hue or Spicy lemongrass beef noodle soup. The soup was delicious with a tangy (thanks to half a lime) spicy broth and the noodles were cooked perfectly. The meat however was less than ideal, very fatty and so I had to remove most of it. The meatballs were slightly better but still not as good as some other Vietnamese restaurants in San Diego serving this soup. Will have to give some of the other menu items a try next time.

bun bo hue

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2 months ago

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2 years ago

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29 days ago

We had the bun bo hue and it was outstanding. I would go back again. The restaurant stopped selling bun rieu which was a disappointment.

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1 year ago

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5 months ago

Great tasting stir fried noodles! Fresh veggies and choice of protein in a fragrant garlicky soy sauce.

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1 year ago

Not too great. The first sip seemed promising but was quickly disappointed. I got tummyache too.

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3 years ago

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Pho Ban Mai Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Pho Ban Mai

Is the pho gluten free? and the vietnamese crepe? Sometimes they put gluten in the broth and sometimes they put gluten in the rice noodles (esp in America).

Yes pho is gluten free, I've been eating here since 2011. Idk about the crepes, never been willing to risk it.

Beer and Wine, Full bar or Nada?

I’ve only seen people drink beer not hard liquor

What happened to your Beer & Wine license? I was shocked after being away for a year to discover on a recent visit you were not serving beer!! Will you be renewing the…

Full bar, more options on Tap...

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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Hoai Hue Restaurant

Hoai Hue Restaurant

4.3(654 reviews)
11.1 miCity Heights
$$

It has been a while. But they still have the same friendly atmosphere, and those delicious little…read morerice plates. My colleagues got soup but I got a vermicelli plate with pork and shrimp. I don't know what number it is but it is so good! What I really like about coming here is that it is very down to earth. Most of the customers are from the Little Saigon area of City Heights. I do feel like I've been transported somewhere else. I didn't feel like getting the mung bean pudding so that will have to wait until next time.

Just moved here and looking for my go to Vietnamese spot. Took my mom here while she was visiting…read moreand we were pleasantly surprised! The space is a cozy mom & pop shop in city heights. The place was packed with Vietnamese so we must have been in the right spot! The fooooood: -Bun Bo Hue Great traditional flavor!! They even have shrimp paste you can add to adjust the flavor to your liking. 8.5/10 -Banh Beo chen This is more of a hue style with the ground shrimp and the fried pork skin on top. Probably my favorite dish. It was light and delicious! 8.8/10 -Banh Canh Cua A crab noodle soup with tapioca udon. The flavor was a bit bland but I added in some fish sauce and it made it better. The crab meatballs had great texture and flavor. 7/10 Overall, this place was delicious and I would absolutely come back to support this mom & pop shop.

Photos
Hoai Hue Restaurant - Interior

Interior

Hoai Hue Restaurant - Broken rice with grilled beef and shrimps

Broken rice with grilled beef and shrimps

Hoai Hue Restaurant - Banh bok loc

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Goi Cuon - Rolls and rolls

Goi Cuon

4.5(896 reviews)
11.7 miHillcrest
$$
Family-owned & operated
Vegetarian friendly

This is my go to local spot for a quick bite to eat! Never disappoints me and fresh food every…read moretime. MY FAVORITE!! First off, the staff here is so friendly and it's family owned. Always providing amazing recommendation and the service is fast. Second, any item here is delicious. Never had such a unique spot offer spring rolls of any sorts. I love the combo spring roll #1 for only $14 you get a variety of spring rolls and dumplings with a side of soup. Such a good deal! I also love their vermicelli dishes, Banh mi, and pho. If you're looking for a delicious spot in the Hillcrest area, I recommend stopping by for a bite! Food: 10/10 never disappoints, delicious and hearty Service: 10/10 so friendly and fast Parking: 8/10 small parking lot but easy to find spots to park!

So many options for spring rolls! Visiting from out town…read more I love spring rolls so had to try this place. They have combos available. You can use class pass to purchase here. The service was good. They recommended something my boyfriend could have (shellfish & nut allergy). He got the chicken pho I tried shrimp roll, shrimp & Crispy snack roll & beef pho roll. The crispy snack was delightful. Enjoyed the crunch within the roll. Came with 3 sauces- coconut, peanut & another one i dont remember but it was similar to peanut sauce. All tasty You order from the menu at table or you can place to go order at counter. Its smaller space in strip mall.

Photos
Goi Cuon - Eggs Sandwich

Eggs Sandwich

Goi Cuon - Shrimp sugar can rolls, beef rolls, crispy Vietnamese crepe rolls

Shrimp sugar can rolls, beef rolls, crispy Vietnamese crepe rolls

Goi Cuon - Chicken salad bowl add avocado

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Thanh Tinh Chay - Banh mi

Thanh Tinh Chay

4.9(1.4k reviews)
11.2 miCity Heights
$$

Not sure if I trust some of these negative reviews, since some of them even said they didn't eat…read morethe food. Others you can't even see their profiles. So, I'll leave a legitimate review along with pictures. Initially, we were ambivalent about trying this place due to the high prices but they also have an exceptional rating on Google and Yelp. 4.9 on both Google and Yelp, that's rare. We bit the bullet and headed there. Parking can be tough but luckily we found parking in front of the restaurant. It was free after 8 pm on a Tuesday. If you go earlier or on the weekends, I would read the parking sign more carefully. There might be free street parking on the left side behind the restaurant. Don't quote me on that. Like I said, parking is not as easy as other places in SD. There are quite a bit of tables to sit in. It wasn't busy when we went. Yes, they do have a very large menu with like 1,000 items. We are not vegetarian or vegan but we have tried vegan places in Denver, CO. We ordered eel Helen pho roll, crispy beef chestnut and pineapple banh mi, and duck wonton noodle soup. The owner also gave us complimentary desserts, vegan corn pudding and vegan creme. She also gave us cookies and two cups of that delicious special water to go. That special water is hands down one of the best drinks I've ever had. Prices range $22-30. -eel Helen pho roll 5 - not real eel but this was very tasty. I like that the rolls don't fall apart easily. -crispy beef chestnut and pineapple banh mi 5 - the bread has a crispy exterior and the inside is moist. The chestnuts and pineapple really pair well together. I devoured this fast. -duck wonton noodle soup 5 - I really like the broth and the noodles. -vegan corn pudding 5 - this has corn with some coconut. It's a light dessert. -vegan creme 5 - this tastes like the real thing. I honestly wanted more.

Holy shit I am so impressed!!! We found street parking right in front. When we walked in we were…read moregreeted by Tran and seated right away. She went through the menu with us and gave us water. Water that tasted so freaking good! She mentioned the recipe is from the Middle East. Tran was so amazing! Plenty of seating inside. We found this restaurant on google searching vegan restaurants. This place did not disappoint. To be honest I knew it was going to be good cause being Vietnamese myself, my mom always used fresh ingredients!! Everything I ate tasted like my mom's cooking and that is extremely rare! Everything we ordered was 10/10!! I have no complaints from anything we ordered. It is expensive but you definitely pay for the quality of the food and you can taste it tooo! Can't wait to come back!!

Photos
Thanh Tinh Chay
Thanh Tinh Chay - Fried eggplant, vegan cafe sua da and a fantastic noodle dish recommended to me. Vegan, gluten free, and so tasty. Yummy yum yum.

Fried eggplant, vegan cafe sua da and a fantastic noodle dish recommended to me. Vegan, gluten free, and so tasty. Yummy yum yum.

Thanh Tinh Chay - Water they serve, it has lychee and lemon.

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Water they serve, it has lychee and lemon.

Kingfisher - The flan was a great end to the meal

Kingfisher

4.3(686 reviews)
13.8 miGolden Hill

Exceeded expectations! We stopped by for a date night, had…read morebeen by years ago and hadn't been back due to the crowds, somehow got 2 seats at the bar on a Friday night. The space is beautiful with that SoCal casual fancy (love it, hate stuffy dressed up fancy atmospheres). The staff were friendly, attentive, knowledgeable, definitely were helpful in making informative recommendations. The efforts put in are Michelin level. They notified us multiple times of the automatic 20% tip that's shared with all staff which I'm honestly fine with. We got the Pig Ears Salad (recommended by the bartender, the best, most surprising dish, 100%, will never find this anywhere else in the world), eggplants (they were still good and plentiful but not our favorite), and the dry aged duck ($$$$, the confit duck made me uncontrollably laughed and gnaw on the bones praying to extend the moment). I will always get the pig ear, and I was initially skeptical of the price of the duck but left feeling it was worth it. We left with leftovers and it's a good amount of food. Overall, excellent meal, great service, so happy it's at a point that we can do walk ins, and will be back!

I throughly enjoyed my dining experience at Kingfisher. My partner and I had a reservation here and…read morewas seated promptly after we arrived. The hostess had a note for our anniversary celebration. They also printed a little celebatory note directly on the menu - a great personal touch. Our server was friendly and answered any questions we had. We ordered the beef tartare, smoked aged duck, and the deep fried sand bass. For the drink we ordered the Seasame Soirée. While our food came out pretty slow, I'd say it was worth the wait. We also enjoyed 2 complimentary glasses of bubbly while we waited as part of our anniversary celebration. The restarant itself is decorated beautifully with a jazzy ambiance. The interior had bits of gold and green with a beautiful pearlescent leafy wallpaper. The bar is located in the center and also doubles as a centerpiece to the restuarant. Restrooms are located in the back - there we many private, clean and spacious rooms. Below is a summary of the food we ordered: Beef Tartare (5/5) - Savory, sweet and spicy beef tartare dressed in fish sauce and thai chilis. Paired alongside fresh herbs like cilantro, shiso, argula and radicchio. The sesame rice crackers were light and airy. Smoked Dry Aged Duck (5/5) - Perfectly cooked, sweet and salty aged smoked duck paired with rice noodles, herbs and 2 different sauces. I appreciated the many ways you can wrap and enjoy the duck. I do wish the slices of duck were either smaller or thinner - it's hard to eat in one bite. Whole Fried Sand Bass (4/5) - I'll always order a whole firied fish wherever I go and this was no expection. I loved the sweet & sour ginger sauce. The fish was a bit over-fried in my personal opinion, but the inside is still very soft and tender. Sweet & Sour Rice Noodles (5/5) - Aboslutely delicious! Slippery and cold rice noodles dressed in fish sauce and other seasonings. It's not overpowering at all and goes great with the Whole Fried fish as well. Seasame Soiree Cocktail (5/5) - A very unique drink made with gin, ginger, coconut, seasame seeds and more. It was very fragrant in the best way. The flavor really develops after the first sip. I love how nutty and decadent yet light this drink is. Overall, I had a great experience here and this is one of the top restaurants I've had the pleasure of enjoying in SD. Highly reccomend especially if you like Vietnamese food / fish-sauce forward dishes. (At least for the dishes I ordered)

Photos
Kingfisher - Interior

Interior

Kingfisher - Hokkaido scallops $39

Hokkaido scallops $39

Kingfisher - Tamarind Chicken Wings

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Pho Ban Mai - vietnamese - Updated May 2026

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