Good value and quality for the money. Good thing my rusty village Cantonese was enough to get me by. 98% locals there on my last visit, they seem to be in the know. I truly believe there are two kinds of pho. What I call "dirty pho" and " gentrified pho", I am a huge fan of the former...as it is street food...keep it that way. After ordering the bowls were out quick to warm our souls on this wintery day. read more

I was here yesterday with my wife, when I went to pay; I paid in cash. The owner of the restaurant took my order and when it was time to pay the bill came out to be $31.45. I gave her $100 bill and she gave me change only $8.55, $60 was missing and when I realized the mistake I went back to the payment counter and the owner refused to pay me back the missing amount. I asked her to check the cameras for evidence and she said she can't. Even without checking the cameras that she should have access to she still said no. And then I asked, doesn't she do check and balances at the end of the day to see if the tabs and the money in the register matches, she said no. I was thinking it's only $60, why would the owner of the restaurant be so greedy against me. I have dined at this establishment ever since I was a child and to have this type of disrespect and dishonesty when given out the wrong change and not pay it back is heart wrenching. I will never return to Pho Hoa Lao. read more

This is my go to place for really good Pho. The restaurant has its own parking in Oakland that premium. This is not a fancy restaurant but it provides good basis and a broth that's just full of flavor. The service is great! Good ambiance, not too noisy inside, quick service, good friendly service. Every time I been to this location all I get is pho, and it has never disappointed. My favorite is #12 and I normally get a half and half mix of broth. I half regular broth and the second half beef broth, extremely full of flavor. The prices are very reasonable, and servings are pretty generous. Can't beat Pho for 13-14 bucks and like I said the flavor is amazing! Definitely my go to when in the area. read more

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Since I living in Oakland for 20+ years.... Always love that old spot for pho... soup is like an 3 stars service is like an 3 star but the price and portion is an 5.... So I give it an 4 stars.... Maybe one of the best price for pho in Oakland now read more

I randomly stumbled into this shop during an adventure last year, and I've already been back three times. It's the kind of place where you could close your eyes and blindly point at anything on the menu, and it'd still be amazing. You say the neighborhood's sketchy? Well, there are plenty of elderly Asian residents around, and the staff at the pastry shop and supermarket are all around 65. The fresh lemonade here is absolutely incredible--perfectly balanced between sweet and sour. It's so good that even the jackfruit smoothie and rice plates, delicious as they are, can't replicate the pinnacle of flavor this lemonade achieves in that moment. The owner and employees, unsurprisingly, are all elderly. Aside from the owner, who's cheerful and loves cracking jokes, the others may not be the talkative type, but they're all incredibly efficient. Their service is better than 90% of restaurants out there--fast, polite, and not a single one of them pulls the "respect your elders" card. You can tell the owner is a kind-hearted person with a tough exterior who genuinely works hard to run a good restaurant. As long as her younger brother is still studying at Laney, I'll keep coming back to eat. read more

Pho Hoa Lao - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Upon waking in the old lady at the front already seemed bothered by my presence. Her phone rang and she didn't even glance my way as she said "hold on" when she was finished, I asked her how much it would be for a plain beef broth and she rudely answered "we don't sell just broth- you have to buy with the noodles and rest" I have never encountered such unpleasant and rude behavior from an establishment needing business. It's clear why this restaurant is EMPTY. I went down to Pho Anh Dao and they happily served me some plain beef broth with a friendly greeting and smile. STAY AWAY from this restaurant and the old hag that works there. Plenty of other friendly and tastier options. read more

It's lunchtime again at one of my favorite lunch spots. The fun is good here absolutely delicious. It comes out nice and hot. I ordered steak and tri-tip with the side of pork chop over rice.. and my food came out nice and fast. I love the service here. read more

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We call this place bollards! I get the 22 small, fresh spring rolls, and a small pot of tea and everything is always delish. I appreciate that they give you a ceramic cup for your hot tea (no plastic for me) and always serve the food quickly. I wish it weren't cash only but I know that before I go so it's all good. I'd recommend if you're looking for some good pho. read more

Pho Hoa Lao - Fresh Spring Rolls w/Peanut Sauce (BOMB!) - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Been going here for several years as they are very consistent. The service is average but they are very fast. Since the space is quite large, we were seated immediately, orders taken quickly, and food served within 5-10 minutes. #33 Steak & Brisket Pho * 3.75/5 stars * Broth is very hot and steaming, has a nice aroma * Good amount for a regular size * Nice proportion of noodle to meat * Meat is not high quality, very tough Overall a solid bowl of pho but not the best. read more

Pho Hoa Lao - #33 Regular - Steak & Brisket Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Since changing my positions at my job, having pho when you want is far and few. Being that I haven't been able to go for 6 months and you walk in and you're greeted like you just came in the day before is the best kind of service. Even remembering your order. My go to is the 16. Rare steak with tripe, steak on the outside. I prefer the steak to be rare and tender. The broth is always clear and perfectly seasoned. So perfect you don't really have to add anything to the broth. I tend to side bowl a little hoisin and sriracha to put on each bite to be able to savor the broth as is after. My coworkers have ordered other items and really enjoyed their meals. I think you'll enjoy anything you order. We haven't had a bad meal yet. Side note cash only. read more

Pho Hoa Lao - (16) Medium Rare steak and Tripe - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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This is my favorite pho. The other dishes are excellent too, but I love the pho so much I seldom have other things.

Came to eat here with my dad and my boyfriend on a weekday morning. It was quite empty with tons of seating. There was plenty of parking as well. The employees greet you in and are there helping around from time to time so service was great. We got the pho Dac Biet Bo Vien and there were so many toppings. We got tons of noodles and meat. Inside there were mostly just seating so not much on the walls. The pho broth was delicious and clear. They gave us hot tea and a ton of pho toppings. If you're nearby, I would recommend this location to grab a bite to eat. read more

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Hi everyone I'm Erick with Stoneitup on Yelp & bayareastoneitup on Instagram for more contenT. This Pho house is one of my favorite joints in Oakland, they might as well call it the STONEITUP special when I order, so what I do is order pho with nothing but the tendons, noodles and please don't skip out on the greens they give you on the side. If you ask me I think that's one of the power sources in the soup so I always break them up and in the pho and down they gO! Order a generous LARGE so you can take a bit for lunch time to double the joy & experience and also save you some money on lunch timE! Ambiance is very peaceful, especially if your not Asian right, it's like if your not even therE! read more

Pho Hoa Lao - Nothing but tendons, noodles & veggieS - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

I suppose it's not that unusual for a restaurant to deny restroom use unless you are a customer. I said I would buy an appetizer to go then and was told "cash only" when I brought out my debit card. I was offended by the unwarranted hostility I encountered at this restaurant. read more

My son often orders out and includes me on this thoughts. He texted me if I wanted anything here. I'm not really a pho guy, so I said any pork plate. I can't even pronounce the dish, but shredded pork and vermicelli was delicious. I remembered to mix it up, since the bean sprouts and cabbage was underneath. A nice refreshing citrus sauce was not overwhelming) just used 1/2). The egg roll was crispy and not too oily. read more

Pho Hoa Lao - BÚN BÒ NỚNG CHẢ GIÒ - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Not sure if it's cuz we went earlier than rush crowd.. but first there was a lady bug in our soup. Then a fruit fly. So be careful eating here? We didn't make a big stink outa it .. things happen. Take out container is $0.6 (which was also super dirty, we had them switch it out twice) Food portion is generous and fast service. I do like that they have a parking lot. read more

Pho Hoa Lao - Extra protein - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

This is a to go review, pick up on Tuesday, around 1pm. I usually come here to dine in, as pho doesn't really taste the same when you order it to go. Whenever I want simple and traditional bowl of pho (no tricks or specialty meats such as oxtail, beef rib), this is my to go place. Service is fast (ordering and receiving meal), soup is hot, and you know exactly what you are getting. Called in my order and went to pick up shortly after. I usually order my pho noodles not cooked, because the noodles usually break up into small pieces if it is cooked ahead of time. I cook the noodles and heat up the soup at the same time, drain the noodles, add the meat on top, and then add the soup. This will make your to go order of pho as close as it should taste like at the restaurant. The restaurant provides the fixings - veggies (beansprouts, lime, basil) as well as the sauces. Ordering and pick up process was fast and easy. read more

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This place is always busy and for good reason. the pho is consistently good. Would recommend if anyone is visiting the city and craving pho! read more

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This is my first and last time to eat at this location. The space was smaller than Pho King at Lake Merrit, but it was decent, and the service was ok. My friend and I want to try a new Vietnamese restaurant and BEWARE, this is a cash-only restaurant. They need to put that on their front door somewhere because that is one of the rare times we have cash on hand. They didn't have Bún bò Huế, so I chose to get Pho, and my friend got a rice plate. All I remember is that it was bland, and it was ok not that Impressive. It wasn't take-home material. My friend usually cleaned the plate, but they had a lot of rice left over. read more

Pho Hoa Lao - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Literally so good!!! This is my family & I's favorite pho restaurant - we've been coming here for YEARS and they never disappoint. Everything is so reasonably priced. Haven't came back here in like 3 months and was in a food coma after eating!! The only sucky thing is that you have to pay for takout boxes/containers so we always bring our own here :( read more

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I stumbled upon this restaurant by accident and it was amazing!!!! Pho, Rice Pate, and Fried Chicken was so delicious. Fast &. Friendly service and reasonable prices. They only take cash so keep that in mind. read more

Pho Hoa Lao - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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We've been here many times. They are fast and reliable with decent sized portions. There are so many great pho places in Oakland so I wouldn't put this at the top but they are good and solid. They've recently opened outside tables in the front. I'm not sure they spray things down so I brought my own spray. The outside is right in their parking lot which is where we sat. They have a decent sized parking lot which is why we go there. Parking on International Blvd can be difficult and there's some crazy driving at times. I've never had a problem getting a spot here. The younger man and older woman are friendlier. The older man is not. It bothered me that he took our order with his mask down. read more

Pho Hoa Lao - Pork bun noodles - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Too inconsistent. Sometimes great Other times very watery. For richer and more consistent broth prefer pho huong que down the street read more

I was next door so decided to stop by to get some pho. I got the combination pho to go. It was a lot of food for the price and it was packed well. They do ask if you want the noodles cooked or not. Lots of side spouts, jalapeños, basil, and cilantro in a separate bag. When I got home the soups was still pretty warm. The overall flavor is average, nothing special. The service was fast and cash only. read more

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The food is good, the service is not the best. When I walked in I was not greeted nor directed to where to go. A staff yelled across the room to grab a menu and sit down. A minute later, the same staff member came to get my order when I hadn't looked at the menu yet. When I said needed more time, they rolled their eyes and left. Later when the food arrived it was good, the seafood and broth were good. The part for which I give this place 2 stars is because when I went to pay they told me I could only pay in cash. There was no sign, they never told me at the start that it was cash only. They need to put up a sign saying it's cash only. I left my phone and walked somewhere else to get cash. As someone who has issues walking this way as very hard for me. If you come here be prepared with cash ! read more

CASH ONLY Came here looking for some good soup or pho that are in the area, so my friend recommended this place. Located in Oakland, expect to do street parking if their lot is full. The service here is pretty quick; although to be honest it did not seem very friendly. They do take your order quick and the food comes out quick too which is good. My boyfriend and I both ended up ordering a pho dish and although it was good, there was nothing really memorable about the food. They do charge extra though for anything you want including the tea which...I don't know how I feel about it to be honest. I would also have to say that when we asked for extra items such as "extra lime" they were slow on that and I had to ask a couple times for it. In the end, I would come back because of the quick service, but the downfall of the place is the food not being memorable and the service of the servers. read more

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My go to pho spot for over 15 years. This place easily has the best pho in the east bay hands down. They got everyone beat on broth and meat portions. Staff here is friendly as well. They got a separate parking lot that can prevent you from getting bipped too read more

This spot is childhood! I've been coming here since forever. There's a parking in the front which is a bit narrow but spacious. I would order the Pho with rare steak on the side. They're very generous with the amount they give. I am satisfied with the amount I am paying for the food. It's inexpensive and filling at the same time. The broth is decent with a good amount of flavor. They give a lot of rice noodle! So therefore if you're hungry and want to save a buck or two, this is the spot. Ps: Cash only read more

Pho Hoa Lao - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Wow! Just wow! I'm very big on Vietnamese dishes and this place delivers!! The flavors, the fresh food. You can see the kitchen from the dining area(immaculate). Staff very friendly. Homemade chicken pho blew my mind. Real Gem read more

After always going next door for Vietnamese food I decided to stop in. Initially the gentleman is gruff with me when I ask if I can sit outside. He comes back to hand me a menu and stands there. No greeting. I ask if he had Bun Bo hue and very aggressively says no I don't. I then ask him if he is having a bad day and he tells me "man, just order. I have had a long day." (Very aggressively) I also have had a long day and I decided to take a break after 7 hours to get food at his establishment. Maybe it was a one off scenario but that waiter should not work for you or anyone. He walked away from me and I went somewhere else after he told me to go. He was the rudest person I have ever met for no reason. He should definitely get fired. I people manage and no one on my team would keep their job if they acted like that. read more

Nothing truly special about this place. I was a bit skeptical at first. I had to try it since I've driven by it so many times. The service was good. Only thing i didn't like, as soon as I sat down, a gentleman sat there looking at me and waiting for me to order. I truly wanted to take my time. Also two flies wouldn't leave me alone. So It was late lunch, I was debating if i wanted Pho noodles soup or not. Started with shrimp spring rolls. It was good, tasted like it was freshly made. Then I ordered a combo plate with pork chop, 2 friend chicken wings, and egg roll. Egg roll didn't have any flavor. It was just super greasy. Chicken wings were okay, a little bland. Pork chop as good. It came with the soup, so that was a small intro to their Pho Soups. There's other pho spots with in the area, not sure if I would come back any time soon. But the owner's son (as it seemed) had good customer service. read more

Pho Hoa Lao - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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When I want a Vietnamese style Teochew (#22), noodle soup, this is the place I like to go. Sweet and tasty chicken broth (I think it's chicken broth) and full of various meat, like chicken, pork, shrimp, fish cakes and fish balls. For those who doesn't like the fishy taste, don't worry, the soup isn't fishy at all. They give really generous portion. I order large every time and end up rolling myself out the restaurant. I think my regular size will fill me up but just a little extra dollar or so, why not supersize it. I normally order the eggrolls too but since I was eating alone, it was too much food but the eggrolls are also good here. Crispy and not oily and the fish sauce that comes with it has the perfect sweetness. read more

Pho Hoa Lao - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

*3.5 This is your typical Vietnamese restaurant, but it does tend to get packed on occasions. I've had the bun thit nuong cha gio and the dac biet bo vien. Their bun thit nuong cha gio is one of the best I've had and the amount of food you get is so filling. I left the restaurant with leftovers to snack on later that day. Tip: pour the nuoc mam on everything but the eggrolls so they don't get soggy! The #1 pho was good too. If you don't like the noodles that it usually comes with, you can order to sub for a different kind. The broth was flavorful and a little salty for my liking. My favorite part about the pho was the tendon. It was cooked so perfectly, almost melt in your mouth like. It was soft to the bite and not hard or chewy at all. Their parking lot is inconvenient and street parking is hard to find. Their service isn't the best either but my bf's parents know the owners so that may have changed my experience here. read more

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Racial discrimination at it's best! I tried to order a steamed rice and I was charged $7. They refuse to accept my credit card and said you people don't have cash. read more

We decided to try Pho Hoa Lao since our usual pho spot was packed. It was an unsatisfying meal. I had issues with my pho tai with tripe. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/VDYZKVHUv4v3UsZ3cNLObA?select=8-Wt0rRLAqu7GI8EkzQeQg) 1) Size: tiniest "small" ever. 2) Temperature: lukewarm broth. 3) Amount: barely any noodles. 4) Broth: surprisingly sweet in a bad way. Then my 3 color drink was exceptionally small. Tiny glass and half of it filled with ice. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/VDYZKVHUv4v3UsZ3cNLObA?select=2ZKCQsI_CXmvi6jspeIifw) No plans to revisit. Goodbye. read more

Pho Hoa Lao - pho tai - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Wow this place is so good that everybody's discovered it. No problemo, the service is quick and friendly. The joints at Pacific East Mall are much closer for us but this is totally worth the drive. We've been eating here for about 10 years! Time flies. Update: to make the vermicelli dish diabetic-friendly, just remove most of the rice noodles. You won't miss them. And of course say "no" to the gorgeous iced coffee :-( read more

Pho Hoa Lao - I always get the vermicelli with BBQ pork & shrimp. Fantastic Vietnamese iced coffee too. - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Got the Pho Dac Biet #1, special combo with all the usual suspects . . . rare steak, brisket, flank, tendon, tripe, beef balls. Also ordered some Cha Gio (Imperial rolls) Beef broth is beefy, but doesn't have a strong flavor other spices like star anise or cloves. Still it was rich and satisfying. Lot's of toppings in my medium bowl with an over abundance of tendon (NTTAWWT) and just a couple piece of tripe. The beef pieces were tender and flavorful and the tendons were nice and soft as well. The noodles were also well cooked and al dente. I wasn't a huge fan of the Cha Gio and looking at my old review it looks like they are consistent here with egg rolls not to my tastes! Doh!! I need to reread my reviews before I revisit a place, though I was planning on Thanh Ky, but didn't want to wait! Still, I'm bumping things up a notch to 4 stars for the beef pho. read more

Food and price is decent Manners and service is terrible A guy walked up while I was eating slammed a stack of menus and left it of the table, stood next to me while I'm eating and staring out the window, then just walked away and left all the menus and ignore me when I asked him to remove the menus read more

Pho Hoa Lao - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

THE BEST soup base and a great amount of ingredients!! The environment tho, it's your typical mom & pop place, so don't expect to have fancy service or setting. Parking is limited, so you may have to drive around the block a few times if you go during lunch hours. read more

Pho Hoa Lao - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Not much has changed here other than the prices over the years. Still some solid msg filled pho with good portions. Everyone knows this spot by the green sign. The parking lot can be tricky in busy times and it is cash only. The service is pretty bad but the pho don't change. read more