We had a hankering for some good Pho, and since this place was close by, we tried it out. We've had…read morePho in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and of course there is nothing like the real thing in Vietnam. The place is relatively small, with about 12 tables. When we got there, we opted for a table along the wall. There was only one other table occupied, so I was happy that it was likely service would be good and fast (which it was). We were seated and provided menus to review and our server brought waters for us right away. The selections on the menu are wide and varied. Not only do they serve Pho and vermicelli dishes. but they also have a variety of fried rice, Chinese dishes (think orange chicken, sesame chicken, etc.). There is a small menu for kids as well. No beer or wine options, so we stuck with the water. We ordered some roast pork spring rolls, my wife ordered the Pho Tai Chin (rare eye round, steak and brisket) and I opted for the Pho Bo Vien (meatball). The spring rolls arrived quickly and were served with a cold peanut sauce. The sauce was not as thick as I've had at other restaurants, but it had decent flavor. The spring rolls were large and stuffed with noodles, lettuce, and roast pork pieces. The pork could have been sliced thinner, and it made for some extra chewing. I suspect they just use the roast pork from the grilled pork vermicelli. Our Pho arrived in large bowls along with a generous condiment plate of cilantro, sliced jalapeños, Thai basil, limes and beansprouts. There was chili crunch, soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, and Siracha available on the table as well. I tasted the broth before doctoring it and was a bit disappointed in the lack of real Pho broth flavor. I do make my own using a recipe I got while in Vietnam, and this was nowhere close to what I've made or have been served elsewhere in the past. It was weak, none of the cinnamon or star anise flavors, and I had to load it up with salt, white pepper, a generous amount of chili crunch, and even a bit of Siracha sauce. While it still didn't bring any of the true Pho broth flavor, it did make it more tasty. The bowl had chunks of meatballs, plenty of rice noodles, onion, and once I loaded up on the cilantro, basil, jalapeños, beansprouts and lime, I was ready to dig in. My wife agreed that the broth left a lot to be desired, and she didn't finish hers. She used the Hoisin to dip the meat into as it had little flavor otherwise. I ate most all of my bowl contents, but left most all of the broth (which I usually finish if it is good). Overall the experience was good. The service was great, the prices are comparable to most Pho places these days (I remember when I could get a bowl for $9.00 not too long ago instead of the $16 these days). Will we be back? Probably, but not for the Pho or any of the Chinese and Thai options on the back of the menu. I'd like to give their vermicelli a try. One recommendation: have an option for a smaller Pho serving size. I mentioned it to the server and he indicated that young people like the large servings... OK but what about us older folks that don't eat near the amount we used to.
Atmosphere: 9/10
Service: 10/10
Food: 7/10
Value: 8/10