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Pho Cow Cali Express

4.3 (2.3k reviews)
Open • 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

Pho Cow Cali Express Photos

Business Info

PHO COW CALI EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

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

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Recommended Reviews - Pho Cow Cali Express

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Michael G.

We tried their location at UCSD CAMPUS and liked the food there, so we are curious to try here. There was a long line outside when we arrived, but my wife still wanted to try this location, so we stayed. The guy in charge of the waiting list was nice to let us know that we were next in line but it's very close to the bathroom, and he doesn't recommend and asked us if we wanted to wait for a better spot so we waited a bit and got a good spot like in the middle of their restaurant. My wife ordered a lot as usual for us , some tasted good and some did not , mostly a few of the foods we ordered were a bit Salty for us on this location. So for us, we like the food better in their UCSD campus location. At both locations we tried , the service was really quick.

Flank Pho
Rosy C.

We got pho, three color jelly, egg rolls and spring rolls. I loved it all! The pricing was amazing compared to most spots in SD. The dishes were each around $12-$14. The service was great, they sat us quickly, took our order right away and we didn't wait long at all to be served. The ambiance was nice. It was clean and they run a tight ship on making sure everyone has what they need.

Vegetarian pho
Nina H.

Waited about 30-40 minutes for Friday night dinner at this restaurant, and seeing the number of people lined up outside definitely set my expectations for something exceptional. I ordered the vegetarian pho and liked that the vegetables seemed to be cooked before being added to the noodles. My waiter also mentioned that upgrading to the large would only be an extra dollar, so I said yes please thank you. The broth itself, though, wasn't as flavorful as I was expecting. To be honest, it came across as pretty bland. The tofu, on the other hand, absolutely fried me with how humongous the pieces were. It was as if the chef took the tofu straight from the container, cubed it into six enormous pieces, and tossed them into the bowl with a fervor that matched the dinner rush. A generous touch, nonetheless. The restaurant was completely packed, and it was pretty clear that the waiters were overwhelmed but doing their best to keep up. Given the Friday night rush, I can understand why more attentive service probably wasn't a priority. Overall, the experience wasn't bad, but the long wait and high expectations made the underwhelming broth stand out more than I would have liked. It really just closed out my work week with an "ok" stamp.

Presh N.

Even during this heat wave, I was still craving pho! I can't get enough of their broth. It's incredibly clean, flavorful, and tastes like homemade pho. Their shrimp spring rolls are also a must-order every time I visit. The service is always efficient. They move through the waitlist quickly, seat guests promptly, and the food comes out surprisingly fast. It's one of those places I can always count on for a satisfying bowl of pho.

Been here for many years
Jerry H.

The food here is consistently very good for a casual neighborhood restaurant. The restaurant is spacious and has lots of tables. It's a popular place. We love their bbq meat dishes love the bbq filet mignon plate either rice and salad. Their spring rolls are bigger and very tasty. The egg rolls are crispy and made to perfection. The service is very fast and efficient. For a quick and gods lunch or dinner, come here.

pho tai
Kayla Y.

not a bad place to stop by for some pho! i will say the line gets insanely long and the waitlist is by paper, so you just have to stand and wait for your name to be called. i will say it is kind of absurd to not have a digital system in place if you're extremely busy. the food is okay, pretty big menu! i'm not from the area and have definitely had better back home with bigger portion sizes for less. it's a really big restaurant with plenty of seating, so for it to be extremely busy must mean it's probably one of the top places in sd for some pho!

Medium pho with rare steak and brisket
Alice C.

Great pho, egg rolls, and Viet coffee! Very solid spot for your Vietnamese food fix. Came in the morning and lots of people already, but we didn't have to wait to be seated at all. Got our eggrolls first and then our pho, both came very quick and tasted amazing. Interior is very unique with painted walls as well almost giving like a ocean tropical ish vibe

Nicole X.

Surprised that I haven't yet reviewed this place since I feel like more often than not, if I'm in Mira Mesa, I am stopping by Pho Cow Cali. I often come during off-times for meals so there isn't really any wait, but most recently when I did come during peak lunch hour with what looked like a really long waitlist, they're honestly so efficient and ran through that list super fast. They're in a plaza with a large parking lot too so no need to worry about finding a spot. My go to orders are the large sizes of the special combo pho and then the well done version of that essentially. They are scarily fast with their pho orders yet it still tastes great every time. I probably should try more of their rice/noodle dishes which look really good as well, but I just always come here when craving soup. Sometimes if I'm craving boba but not trying to spend a lot, I will get a drink here too as well. It does come fairly sweet though as a warning.

Rice plate
Erica C.

Casual vibe. Lots of parking. Food was solid and so so affordable. There were a lot of employees so service was fast. I got the phone mignon, pho dac biet, and a rice plate.

Thuy C.

Wanted to try this pho spot because of its amazing reviews. Went during lunch time (1:25) and there was a wait/ line there was 7 people ahead of the line and it took about 15 minutes to get inside. The food was a total miss. I ordered the specialty pho, egg rolls and 2 color dessert. Everything was bland and didn't have the flavors I was hoping for since this place was rated so well. Overall the wait for this spot is not at all worth it. What I will say though is their customer service is amazing the best out of all the pho spots. They are clean, quick service and there are people actively making sure condiments are stocked, perhaps this is why they rated it high. Service, 5 stars, food, 1 stars = 3 stars total

Menu
Cloe T.

The service was good, although the overall atmosphere was just average. The prices are very reasonable, and we didn't have to wait for a table, which was a plus. The food tasted pretty good overall, but I felt the Vietnamese soup broth had quite a bit of MSG. One interesting thing about this place is that some of the Mexican staff can actually understand and speak a little Vietnamese, which was a nice surprise! Overall, it's a reasonably priced place with decent food and good service.

Canary H.

A decent pho place for when you're craving your mom's noodle and rice dishes, but you're too far to get some. But if I had the choice, I'd make the drive to Orange County just for some good pho. This was my first time visiting this place, and I had to put my name on the waitlist. There were 8 parties ahead of me and it only took 20 minutes in order to get seated. We all ordered pho, and the server was quick to bring out the food. He also brought nước béo for me when I had requested some, which i thought was unique because not many restaurants offer it, even though it's for pho connoisseurs. If you're reading my review, I'd suggest you try it with your pho (it's beef fat with scallions in oil to enhance your soup). I thought the soup was lacking in comparison to the pho places in OC. The meat wasn't as tender or flavorful, but the aroma was great and powerful. Again, not bad for a random location in San Diego. The inside was bigger than you'd expect; it seated numerous tables. The floor is sticky to walk on( but they serve customers constantly. I don't think I'd be back, but it's not a bad place to go to.

Appetizer menu
Erina T.

I really enjoyed food, they serve food really fast, tasted great although there always has line, but it worthy to wait. Must try.

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Pho Cow Cali Express Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Pho Cow Cali Express

Do they do delivery?

Nope. To go orders are pick up only.

Do they accept apple pay?

They bring out your check and you’re expected to give them your card.

Do they still have outside dining?

Just inside dining.

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

I think it is! My previous partner was gluten free (otherwise she could get super sick) and we ate here all the time!

Is there a min credit card charge?

There is no minimum for CC

View All 7 Questions

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4.3(1.5k reviews)
6.1 mi•Kearny Mesa
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We had lunch on a weekday at around 11:30. The parking was full, but we were lucky to find a street…read moreparking around the corner from the restaurant. The place was crowded with the lunch crowd but there were tables available. No reservation necessary. No waiting lines out of the door. We were seated immediately. The ambiance is of a relaxing dining room where you can actually enjoy conversations without being rushed. It's a nice place to meet with friends and family to catch up over delicious and reasonably priced food. I had well-done steak pho, and my friend had steak vermicelli. We ordered vegetable spring rolls to share one each. Everything was delicious. The well-done steak in the pho was not overcooked. The pho had so much meat, and the condiments were fresh. The soup tasted great with deep garlic tastes although it was salty so I did not really drink it. The service was prompt and attentive. They came to refill our water a few times. We need to go to the cashier and pay. It's in a small mall in Kearney Mesa, so the lunch time parking is tough, but expect that, it's an excellent place.

First time dining here and I knew it had to be good because the wait time was about 30 minutes…read more Check-in at the kiosk and get a text with your number in line. Make sure you check your unknown numbers if you didn't get a number because I didn't realize that and I checked in three times. Overall, waitstaff were really friendly. Most of the diners were young on the Saturday afternoon we went. Just a few families. Very simple decor but clean. Satisfied with food portions, quality, & price. I like that you can order 2, 3, or 4 rolls for an order and they are a good size. The pork paste rolls were the best I've had. Their dipping sauces are delicious too. Parking is hard to find in the shopping center's lot but there seemed to be on-street parking.

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3.9(2.6k reviews)
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Phuong Trang has been a San Diego staple for decades. It first started in Linda Vista in 1988,…read moreserving traditional Vietnamese family-style meals before moving to its current home on Convoy in 1992. Today, it's one of the most well-known Vietnamese restaurants in the city, and after this visit, I can definitely see why. One of my favorite things about coming here is the location. Even though it's right in Convoy, parking has never been an issue for me. I usually avoid the area because finding a spot can be a headache, but Phuong Trang has a large parking lot that makes stopping by so much easier. I came in for a quick takeout lunch. One thing to know before you go is they don't accept Apple Pay, so make sure to bring a physical card or cash. The staff was incredibly welcoming. They greeted me when I walked in, gave me plenty of time to look over the menu, and never made me feel rushed. That kind of hospitality really stood out. I ordered the Char-Grilled Beef Vermicelli and the Shrimp, Pork & Jellyfish Salad. The salad comes with shredded green papaya, celery, cucumber, carrots, shrimp, pork, jellyfish strips, fresh mint, crushed peanuts, and shrimp chips.The salad was refreshing with plenty of shrimp and jellyfish throughout. I especially liked the crunch from the green papaya. My only complaint was that the dressing felt a little one dimensional. I wish it had a little more brightness to bring out the fresh herbs and vegetables. It was still enjoyable, though. The Char-Grilled Beef Vermicelli was my favorite of the two. It came with vermicelli noodles, fresh herbs, pickled daikon and carrots, crushed peanuts, plus five grilled beef rolls wrapped around scallions. The beef had a delicious smoky flavor from the grill. The only downside was that the inside of the rolls was a little chewy since it didn't get the same char as the outside. Even so, every bite was packed with flavor, so it wasn't enough to take away from the dish. Between the friendly service, quick turnaround for takeout, and solid food, I can see why Phuong Trang has stayed so popular for all these years. I'd happily come back and keep working my way through their menu.

This one makes me so sad to write because Phuong Trang was THE place my family ate growing up. We…read morewere here basically every weekend and anytime my parents didn't cook dinner during the week, we were here lol. We also came here for birthdays, graduations, celebrations, pretty much everything growing up. We have SO many memories here and the food was always so good. But the last couple of years, every time we've been here, it's been a miss. We recently got some food to go and the noodles had a really weird/off smell and we ended up not eating them. The squid was also not edible at all, we could barely chew or bite through it. The chicken was really overcooked and fried so much that the meat was super dry and fibrous. And it's not just this one time. We've noticed the same thing when we've eaten here in person too. The cơm tấm dishes always seem to have an off smell and the rice has been hard and cold. I honestly hate leaving a review like this because this place was such a big part of my childhood and my family has so many memories here. I really hope they can get the food back to how it used to be because I would love to be able to enjoy this place again.

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4.5(915 reviews)
12.0 mi•Hillcrest
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First time here. Found them on Yelp. Giving them 5 stars because for simple reasons…read more They catered to plant-based/vegan and vegetarian options. We phoned in before driving there and they answered all our concerns and questions. The staff were all very friendly, very accommodating, and the place was organized and decorated. The plating/presentation was nice, and the food was decent. The pricing was also reasonable. The only thing to keep in mind is that parking is a bit limited, and was a bit busy and not as easy to get into--also, the restaurant has you order up front and they'll bring you the food to your table. The water is self-serve. Overall, a good first time experience. We're not from the area but would definitely come back to try more items on their menu.

i kept seeing this place pop up and i finally tried it. i loved it!…read more i got their combo 1: - crispy shrimp spring roll - shrimp & avocado spring roll - pork egg roll - shrimp egg roll - chicken dumpling - iced jasmine tea (unsweetened) - vegetable soup it was so delicious! i want to come back to try their pho. the service was great. you grab your own water, but a server will come by to take your order/bring your food/bring your check. you pay at the counter when you're done. there's a small parking lot outside, but i recommend going when it's not peak hours so that you can snag a spot. the restaurant doesn't seem to have AC, they do have a giant fan blowing in the back. but i would recommend bringing your own mini fan if you're going to dine in!

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4.3(715 reviews)
14.0 mi•Golden Hill

I am so happy I was able to make last minute reservations to Kingfisher for right when they open at…read more5pm on a Saturday! They only had a table for 5 but we ended up having 6 people in our party. They were so kind to be able to accommodate the additional person! They had personalized menus that greeted my party and it wished my friends a happy birthday!! They actually got to take the menus home! This was really a nice touch, I appreciated the details. We family-styled everything which is honestly the way to go so everybody can try a little of everything! It was majority of our party's first time dining there. We started off with some drinks, I got the Non-alcoholic Guava Mocktail and I got to try what was the equivalent to an espresso martini too. Definitely liked the guava drink better because it tasted like guava nectar juice (kind of like Kerns or Jumex). The Expresso Martini had fresh mint in it and it tasted earthy which wasn't my cup of tea. For food we started off with the Heirloom Tomato Salad which was DELICIOUS!! I don't know what they put in the Vietnamese Green Goddess (probably fish sauce since all the dishes basically had this) but it was magnificent and one of my favorite dishes of the night. Then the Scallops and the Black Cod came out. The Scallops came in a set of 3 and we cut them in half so we could all have a taste. The sauce on this was DIVINE!!! It was citrusy but still really flavorful bursting with umami. I'm literally starting to drool reminiscing about it xD We wanted to keep it to use on other dishes because it was so good. The Black Cod was also delicious. It had fried skin attached and a sesame soy glaze. Next up came the Beef Tartare and the Wagyu Steak. The Beef Tartare was probably the least flavorful out of everything we ordered, but it was still well seasoned. My friend said it was really spicy but it might have just been her bite because I didn't think it was spicy at all. I like that the give you the option of leafy greens or shrimp chips to eat it with. The Wagyu though, was an all-star dish. It was the crowd favorite for sure, we all enjoyed not only the steak but the picked baby eggplants that come with it, and the sauce was phenomenal!! Lastly came the Dry Aged Duck which is what they're known for. It was definitely the biggest fish out of all. You were able to eat the duck with two different sauces, one they called a "Fish Sauce Chimichurri" and "Vietnamese XO sauce" which is more so satay. My friends liked the XO sauce but I liked the Chimichurri better. They had actually forgotten about the side of Buttered Rice but I was told it was incredibly flavorful on its own so we still asked for it. It had more than just butter in it, there was dried shrimp and sesame seeds, and it was made with coconut milk or something because it had a sweet but savory taste to it. I saved some of my duck and Wagyu to eat with it which was actually pretty good. Overall I liked that they brought out the dishes from lightest to heaviest and especially after they brought out out 2 sides of Buttered Rice we were all satisfied and full. It was the perfect amount of food. Honestly EVERY dish was different but amazingly dank and I think it's the fish sauce in everything. They were also sweet and kept the cake we brought in the fridge, placed the candles on it for us, and even after we sang they cut the cake for us!! 10/10 would recommend coming here for not only the food but the impeccable service!! Since we had a larger party there's an automatic 20% gratuity already added to the bill, which came out to be $555! (Look at that angel number!)

We came here during Restaurant Week which was probably our first mistake. For $75, it just wasn't…read moreenough food. Looking at pictures from other nights, most of our food was half the size or missing some major component. For example, the egg noodles had only a few very thin truffle shavings compared to what I saw online. They also lacked the real truffle flavor. The chocolate dessert was half of its normal size. Overall, everything is extremely overpriced and lacks flavor. The food was so bland across the board and it felt like we were being skimped out not on just the size but the flavor too. We eat a lot of Asian food and the taste wasn't even close to matching our expectations. All the workers were very friendly, but the food came out very slow. They also gave us a printed out menu for our anniversary with our last name on it which was spelled wrong. I don't care about that, just thought it was very funny. The restaurant was smaller than we expected, but we did enjoy the colors, the layout and the overall ambiance. Wouldn't go back!

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Pho Cow Cali Express - vietnamese - Updated October 2026

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