I didn't think Pho Cali could be better. I've been here so many times for #91, Pad Thai, Pho, vermicelli bowls, Fresh rolls, pancake, etc. Today I had the best meal yet. Coconut Shrimp vermicelli bowl with onions and peppers. #117c for those who order by number from menu. I am not kidding when I say that this might be top 10 all-time meals for me. I could sleep peacefully if this was my last meal. I can't tell you how much I love love love this place!!!! read more

Their Veggie & Shrimp Pho is delicious being my favorite choice there. It's usually easy to find parking space nearby. read more

The Vietnamese crepes are my favorite thing on the menu. So light and crispy! We also had some spring rolls which were tasty too. Great meal and reasonable for downtown Sarasota. read more

Hadn't been here for a while because of Covid. Wow! As delicious as always. The coconut lemongrass chicken is amazing. Also, the fish in a clay pot is incredible. The most tender and delicious fish! The owner is so nice and friendly. We had a great meal! Thanks Pho Cali! read more

An authentic Vietnamese restaurant in Sarasota! This is the real deal. I walked by the kitchen and saw all the giant metal bowls for mixing massive quantities of food like any Asian cook uses (not me), hand mixing I'm sure, no utensils large enough to stir what's in there. Kitchen looked very clean too, which was a plus. I swore I'd never eat at another Pho or Vietnamese restaurant after some frightening experiences and stories back home, but Pho Cali can be trusted as far as I know. There's no frills with this place. Simple decor, tables and chairs, simple service. Come in, order, eat good food and go. Expect lines at lunch peak hours. People love the pho here, but my very favorite is #38 (beef salad) and #79 (pork with vermicelli) . The meat is so flavorful, charred just right and salad is light with not too oily dressing. If you like traditional Korean kalbi, I'd pass on #33. It's good, but not the same hint of sweet among other flavors. A favorite of most diners is #53C, so if it sounds good to you, I'd check that one out too. read more

Pho Cali - #38 in back and #33 in front. - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Something to explore before the classical guitar concert in Sarasota. We have decided to stop by the downtown area of city of Sarasota. Follow by Rachel M review 2013, we decided to visit this place. The location is great in the downtown of City of Sarasota. We have sat down and order our food. We have inform our server we have concert on the way and we have 40 minutes to dine. Our appetizer came with less than 7 minutes. we have ordered the house special appetizer. It contains 2 fresh rolls with vermicelli noodle wrap with broil shrimp in the rice skin roll, 2 wonton skin wraps and deep fried, and 2 fried shrimp spring rolls. the appetizer is great and tasty. The material is fresh. Our main course came in 5 minutes after the appetizer. We have order the quail fried rice and Vietnamese Pho with different type of slice beef and tripe and tendon. The pho is delicious with the broth prepared correctly. The quail fried rice is delicious and they are prepared in the high BTU wok. The Quail is deep fried with sweet soy sauce. Although they are not as the standard we have in Tampa, but they delicious enough to eat. It is finger licking good. Overall the service is fast. We are in and out the restaurant within 40 minutes and arrive to the concert with 3 minutes to spare. read more

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Best fresh rolls in Sarasota, forever. We are fortunate to have a viet of this quality in town for so many years. They do a wonderful jog with lemon grass chicken read more

Good location, quick service, and yummy food. Pho Cali is a must try in the Sarasota area. You know a place is good when the whole restaurant is packed during lunch time :) Food: pork chop rice dish with pickled veggies and cucumbers. I was sad it didn't come with a fried egg - bo luc lac/ shaking beef: Came on a salad bed and with a side of rice. Well cooked and flavorful read more

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As a 'tourist', my family and I tried this restaurant (and we've had our share of Vietnamese cuisine). We felt the food was good but priced slightly higher than other Vietnamese establishments. The worst part was the female host. When we walked in, there was no 'hello', no smile, no 'thank you' throughout our meal. When we asked her a question, she acted like we were asking her to do us a favor. The other 2 male workers were very hospitable. Sadly, her poor attitude left a bad taste in our mouth. read more

The food tasted very fresh, they have a huge menu, and the service is fast and friendly. We went on Saturday for lunch and it was very busy (maybe farmer's market over flow) and had two different kids of bun and soft drinks for $27. The only bad thing is that it was hard to find a parking spot on Main street. read more

Pho Cali - Bun with shrimp paste tofu and chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Best chicken curry EVER! The service was excellent. You wouldn't expect such great food in a tiny place like this. The staff was beyond friendly as well!!! Everyone at the table thoroughly enjoyed their meals. I would recommend the chicken pho, and the chicken curry! For sure the best Vietnamese food i've ever had. read more

Pho Cali - chicken curry - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

The special Pho was good. Quick lunch crowd. Clean n nice place. Not cheap. But not a whole lot is in this day and age.

This is the best Vietnamese restaurant. We been going there for years and we travel 45 minutes just to eat there. My favorite is the Beef Stew under the authentic dishes. My wife loves the #76 salad and the Pai Thai. My mother in law loves the Pho with the chicken leg. The service is fast and the dishes are hot. Harrison is very friendly and is always willing to help you with your order. read more

Firstly the food is authentic fresh and delicious. The service was swift and plenty of servers were around to help. Mostly I want to say that these are honest hardworking great people. I left my gift from my husband at the restaurant in bag with no markings. They held it and kept it safe until I figured out that I had left it there. I will be back again and again to support this delicious and wonderful business. read more

2020 it was OK. The value, did not exceed the cost. The taste is very good, portion was small. We had the fried appetizer, which was good. It was a nice amount of food. But it was overpriced. I guess that's what happens when you're on main street. That's OK. If you like Vietnamese food, you may want to give it a try. I got a primo parking spot. That's why we ate here. For the entrée if it just would've been a little bigger. Just about two dollars overpriced for each item. read more

Good location with many public parking. Restaurant is clean. Staff was friendly and welcoming. We ordered 2 Vietnamese Crepes/pancakes which is a crispy crepe type with shrimp, bean sprout, onion and served with vegetables dipping in fish sauce. Two thumbs up. The crispness of rice flour mixed in turmeric powder gives you a mouthwatering color of yellow and the combination of shrimp and bean sprout are just perfect. - Second dish was Lotus root salad with shrimp dipped in mixture of fish sauce. Excellent taste. The balance between the sweet and sour of dressing was also perfect. - Finish our meal with a bowl of Pho. What can I say. Pho Cali, you have made our day. Lol. We'll definitely be back for more. read more

Pho Cali - Lotus root salad with shrimp - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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I'm from California and have eaten lots of pho. This place tops them all. The broth is so flavorful with hints of cilantro and Thai basil. The meat extremely tender and well seasoned. For appetizers we had the fried oysters. Fried perfectly with light batter, tender and juicy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Also served was Papaya Slaw: shredded papaya with spicy beef jerky on taro chips which was delicious! Whenever I'm in town ( I have family here) I will most certainly come back! The staff was wonderful and friendly and welcoming. Thanks for a wonderful meal! read more

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We shared takeout with our son and his girlfriend and really enjoyed it. Got a pancake stuffed with various meats and veggies, a couple different curries and a noodle dish- everything was very good. read more

The food was tasteless except for the bottle of salt they poured on it. It was also horribly expensive for small portion. The service was sub par, and the male working inside (possibly owner) asked me rudely as I walked inside, what do you want? Normally I would never go here, but I went because it was recommended by a Viet Namese woman. Awful food and rude service. read more

Great pho! We try to find a pho restaurant to go to wherever we live/travel. Sarasota's Pho Cali is an excellent addition to our list! We absolutely enjoyed our late lunch!! read more

Love this place. Their lemongrass vermicelli bowl is the my favortie dish in Sarasota. I get it with vegan (no fish sauce) and with tofu. I also like their coconut-lemongrass options. read more

Pho Cali - Many delicious vegan options. This Lemongrass tofu dish is my favortie dish in Sarasota. - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

I didn't order well, yet still very good and enjoyable. I had combo stir fry and had entree envy when I saw servers taking plates to other tables. Will go with another option next time. read more

Very good crowd for Saturday lunch. The eggrolls were delicious. PH with veggie broth was sweet to the taste. Bún with veggie eggrolls was delicious but be sure to ask for soy sauce otherwise you'll get fish sauce. read more

Pho Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Yum yum in my tum tum. The pho is the bomb, but the staff is what makes this place so great. Also really enjoyed the the shrimp and pork spring rolls. :) read more

Pho Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Had the Pho Tai Bo Vien (rare beef and meatballs). I was disappointed in the dirty broth and could taste the impurities in it. Presentation was nice and the rare beef was great, but the soup was not hot enough to quickly and fully cook the beef. The barely cooked beef and the impurities in the broth contributed to an ok bowl of soup. As for the fresh rolls...on the skinny side, but flavorful. Overall, the meal was not worth the expense. 1 order of spring roll and 2 bowls of pho = $34.00 or $36.00 = way too much! read more

The wonton soup was about the best I've ever had. The mixed stir fry with noodles had fresh vegetables and spiced just right (I had them make it spicy). Will come back again and again! read more

I didn't think I would get good pho in Sarasota. The place won't disappoint. Wait is a bit long and the place is packed. Portions are large so come with an appetite. read more

Pho Cali - Hu tieu pho ga - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

The owner is rude, disrespectful, never came over to ask how the food was, meanwhile greeting and asking other customers how everything was, I haven't been there in over two months because of his attitude.. food is good, not great.. Will never go back. read more

One of our most favorite restaurants in Sarasota. The service is always very friendly. There is usually a wait, but it tend to always go quick. The Pho is always on top of its game, and the chicken dish my fiancee gets is always spicy just how he likes it! This is a must try! read more

The worst thing about Pho Cali is they close for what feels like FOREVER in the summer. The food is always fresh and delicious (try the quail and shrimp fried rice or the Pho Tom, or the vegetable pancakes). The servers remember us every time and treat us like family, even bring us our usual drinks when we walk in! The owner is always available, the grand father (we secretly nicknamed "the bouncer") smiles and keeps things moving. The chef runs a tight ship and Pho Cali is just a great hole in the wall kind of place. DON'T GO! You will just make my wait in line longer. ;-) read more

Service was excellent, food was tasty, just not sure why the lunch special prices are still so high for not huge portions. Wish there was a 4.5 star but just didn't have that 5 star experience. read more

Pho Cali - beef short rib lunch special and pad Thai house special - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Came for dinner. It was busy. Lots of return customers. Ordered shrimp and pork spring roll. They were good. Then ordered the seafood pho. It was pretty good. Thought it could have a little more in it but still good Nice place to go. read more

Pho Cali - Seafood pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Great food, friendly staff and a breath of fresh air for this area in Sarasota. We visit yearly during the holiday season but this was our first visit to this restaurant, wish we knew about it sooner! The food is authentic, served quickly and is very reasonably priced for the area. A good sign was that this place was PACKED on a random Wednesday night. We didn't go to crazy on what we ordered, some pad thai and beef meatball pho noodle soup. Everything was great and we left absolutely stuffed and with leftovers. This will be a new go-to spot during our yearly visits! read more

Craving for pho, we found this place on Yelp. It is located right on the main street where all the hips are. We parked at the public parking garage which is free for 2 hours and walked one block. We were seated quickly. Ordered pho with brisket and rare steak and beef friend rice. Both dishes were delicious. For two dishes and iced tea, our bill came out about $36. It was pricey $13 for the bowl of pho and $15 for the fried rice, compared to other vietnamese restaurants. Portion was small for the price. read more

Pho Cali - Fried rice with beef & Pho with rare steak and brisket - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

I came in today on a Monday and was surprised that they had a full house! There was a waiting line. The last time I came was many many years ago (before I started yelping) and I was really really not impressed. Since then I have not been back. The only reason I came was because I was having lunch with my mother and an acquaintance, who chose this place. Boy was I surprised how much this place has changed. They offered a much bigger selection on their menu, including many authentic dishes. I took a picture of the store when we got seated, however when the food came out, it looked so delicious I didn't remember to take pictures until we were finished with our meal. We had: -Drinks (we had to ask for the drinks menu): I had the coconut juice, which I know comes from the can, but I can tell it's from the brand that I like, so good there. My mom and friend had the Salty Plum drink. I tried a sip.. it wasn't bad kind of taste like lemonade, except with plums.... -#8 Banh Xeo Tom Thit (Pork & Shrimp Vietnamese Pancake) appetizer section - There was a Vietnamese family sitting at the next table, who ordered the same thing and when they took a bite, one of the lady was said "wow, it's good!" and starting speaking in Vietnamese, which I can't understand, but THIS is why I ordered this dish. It's very crunchy and flavorful! Fresh and huge shrimp! -#126 Banh Bot Loc Tom Thit (Tapioca Cake w/ shrimp and pork) in appetizer section - This was my mom's favorite out of everything we ordered. It looks like clear dumplings made from tapioca and filled with ground shrimp and pork. -#48 Pho Tai (Pho with rare slice beef) - the broth was very good and I didn't feel greasy when I finished (unlike some places). The beef was really raw when it came out, which is good, but I feel like maybe they didn't bring it out as soon it was ready, because it took awhile before it finally looked cooked, which means the soup was not as hot as I would like it, however it was still fine. The beef was really really soft, which my mom loves, but a bit too soft for me (I think it just depends on which part it was cut from and a matter of opinions....I'm picky). Overall, it was great. -#125 Tom Yum Soup - The soup was a bit sweet for my taste, but I can tell they made it fresh and not just from a can. They had really yummy large fresh shrimp in it. However, I must deduct major points because at the bottom, we found a rectangle strip of plastic in the soup (maybe a seal from a seasoning or something).... at least it was not a hair, which I find absolutely disgusting. The waitress apologized and took the soup right away. We said we did not want another one, because we were already pretty much done with our meal. Soon after, the owner or maybe manager, came out, apologized and said he took it off the bill. -#78 Bun Tom Nuong, Thit Nuong, Cha Gio (Rice Vermicelli Noodle w/ Grilled shrimp, grilled pork, and egg roll - presentation looked good, it came in a big bowl. I actually didn't have this, but the friend that ordered this said it was pretty good. This restaurant used the largest size for shrimp. It was the biggest shrimp that I've seen used in Vietnamese restaurants. It was really fresh and pretty sweet. I would go back just for these shrimps! Overall, I had a great experience minus some issue, which I admit, is a pretty big error, however the flavor was pretty good and they were professional about it. The price is a bit higher than most Vietnamese restaurants I go to (pho was $2-3 more than my usual), but that's probably because there's only like 2 decent Vietnamese restaurants around here. PS. They do not take Discover card. (Others are okay, not sure about American Express) read more

Pho Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Pho Cali was recommended by Chef Judi Gallagher when we first moved to SRQ, I was working retail and recognized her from TV and asked her for a reasonable but tasty restaurant. And WOW, was she correct. Excellent food! We have been to Pho Cali at least 30+ times since they opened and the food is the best value in SRQ, if you enjoy FLAVOR and FRESH ingredients. Our favorites are #53 Pho shrimp noodle soup, # 78 Bun tom rice vermicelli with grilled shrimp, grilled pork and egg roll, there are so many choices to pick you must go back several times. The service is very quick for the amount of servers, we feel a bit rushed because they are always busy, but it is CLEAN and they have the best fresh fruit boba's around. The menu is never ending! By far, Pho Cali is one of the best in SRQ. read more

Places like Pho Cali have no need for Yelp! Owners of restaurants turning their tables three or even four times per lunch service, every lunch service, are too busy cooking and serving to bother with written reviews. All the critics they need are standing in a line at the front door waiting to eat. Dissection is pointless in the face of appetites with cash. Pointless and unnecessary. Whether Pho Cali is an authentic Vietnamese experience makes no difference, although it is close to the real deal. The food is sufficiently exotic to wake the most jaded punter, so that if your palate is fatigued by endless bland-o burgers and fried mystery meals, your choices are clear: go Vietnamese, go Indian, go Thai - go anywhere without a 'grille'. Or 'American cheese' for that matter. Fast food be damned, get Pho-ed. read more

***WARNING*** I just spent the last 3 days sick like a dog after eating lunch here and taking and extra meal for dinner from this restaurant and I know it was the food because it was all I had to eat that day and just an hour after lunch I started feeling colicky and after I ate the dinner within an hour I had cramps and started sweating and feeling sick and end up with diarrhea for 3 straight days. This is the first time visiting this establishment and is also the last time. Another thing is that I agree with the others reviewers that the owner is rude and lacks the courtesy needed to run a restaurant. read more

Located on Main St. in downtown Sarasota, this is one of the best asian eateries on the street with the most authentic Vietnamese. We have been eating here for three years and then stopped going because we were tired of being treated terribly. Mostly by the male waiter that works there. We even tried eating there during off hours, so that they would not be busy and were still treated like crap. I tried another angle and brought my Vietnamese friend with me, and he treated him like crap, too! Is there another approach to be treated well at Pho Cali? The food is wonderful however, so don't let the hatred coming off of the wait staff get you down right? My favorite appetizer is their Tofu Goi Cuon, $3.50 for 2 rolls. Their's are the most flavorful and fresh that I have had in the Tampa Bay area. The Pho (about $6.75) is amazing! The noodle are perfect and not soggy, the broth is full of flavor and tastes like homemade, and the veggies and herbs are always fresh. The rice plates are good, too ($7.00). Actually, everything I have had is superb and very authentic. Clay Pot dishes are quite nice with a balance of black pepper and sweetness $8.95. Their pickles are fresh and somewhat spicy, sweet and sour pickled radish, cabbage, and carrot (additional side about $2.00). They do not have Bahn Mi (Grilled meat sandwich). They also have Gai Lan (about $7.50, Chinese broccoli), which is rare to be seen anywhere but an authentic Chinese restaurant. They do not serve and Vietnamese desserts, such as my beloved Che Ba Mau (sweet bean and jellies w/ crushed ice and coconut milk). They do have blended milk only varieties of bubble tea (around $4.00), but are not very happy to make it for you. Once I did not receive the tea until I was done eating my meal, and had to ask for it 4 times. In conclusion, we now only go to Miss Saigon when eating Vietnamese in Saraota. Their food is not as good, but they have Che Ba Mau, Bahn Mi, and treat us nicely. read more

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It is sort of funny, I've been going to pho cali since it opened and often eat there for lunch every other week and I haven't bothered to review them in all this time. I've never been disappointed with the food at pho cali. But my recommendation is take a chance and try something different here. YOu may be comfortable with getting one of the basic stir fries or some fried rice but go wild and get the fish in clay pot or Hue style bun cha (#86). there is a lot of good food here and just pic something different and you'll probably be pleasantly surprised. It is true, the service can be a bit jarring here, but it is not that bad and has improved over the years. Maybe it is because I come in often and the staff now knows be that I think that, but know what? it is always packed and if it was really that terrible of service it wouldn't be so busy. Go, enjoy, and try something other than fried rice and you'll be surprised how much you really enjoy fish sauce when you don't know it is there. read more

Pho Cali - Number 86! Yum! - Vietnamese Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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