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When I got there, the workers were not happy that I had a service dog with me. There was about six workers that came out just to stare at us and not sure what they were saying but I'm pretty sure they were talking about us. They ended up putting us in a corner that was very hot with no air circulation. Our food was brought out pretty quick, but after our food was brought out, nobody checked on us. My stomach started hurting after eating that food and it is still hurting days later. I'm not sure why this place has so many stars, but my experience was definitely a one star experience and I will not be going back.
Went in on a Sunday noon and we were seated right away! I recommend looking at their menu prior to coming because menu is pretty limited (mainly pho) and their service is very quick-- the server was waiting to take our order as soon as we got the menu. The pho came out hot and super flavourful and the viet coffee was really strong and yummy! They have designated parking in their lot as well.
One of the best pho restaurants in SD. They are always busy but the space is so large with lots of tables so I never have to wait. Service is quick. My go to order is the pho tai and chin which comes with steak and brisket. The medium size is a very generous size with tons of noodles and meats. The broth is rich, hearty and comforting. There is a decent size parking lot but can be pretty tight.
One of the top pho restaurants in SD! They are consistently busy but the interior is large, so I never have to wait long for a table or the food either. I love the pho tai and chin which comes with rare steak and well-done brisket. A medium is a good size and comes with so much meat and noodles! The broth is hearty and light. There is a decent sized parking lot but the spots can be tight
This spot only sells pho, beef stew, and beverages. We got their pho and it was a solid bowl of pho! The service was incredibly quick - we were seated immediately and got our food less than 5 minutes after ordering. Their broth was very soothing and the portions were good.
Where has this place been all my life? One of if not the best bowls of pho in the are. It's a no frills type of place. Real hole in the wall type. Broth, meats, veggies-all outstanding. Service was quick. They brought out our chili oil fast and brought two even though we asked for one (two was definitely needed). Pho lovers must visit.
To all PHO-AHOLICS, whether it's pouring rain or sunny skies, this is our favorite spot to grab a bowl of pho. It's always packed but don't worry, you'll always find a seat because the service is fast. The menu isn't huge, but their specialty is pho--delicious and always served hot! This place has been around for ages. We're always here, either coming home from the airport after a long flight, recovering from a hangover, or just craving pho on any given day off.
Craving pho and the only place worth getting it at is here! [[HIGHLIGHT]]This is a no frills, eat and go place that attracts locals and the curious.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] What keeps me coming back is the broth. I always finish it all. I don't know what they make it with, but it is a bowl of love! Brisket and flank are my go tos. This time I added siracha since I was fighting a cold. Don't pass this place up!
Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup. Hoa means harmony, balance or peace. Phở Hòa: Combines the two words to represent the harmony of flavors and balance of ingredients in the soup as defined by Google. This Vietnamese restaurant in the City Heights area of San Diego was listed on Yelp as among the list recommended with high reviews. Over two weeks ago, I was feeling under the weather. I had to slowly reintroduce my body to wholesome foods and I was craving an aromatic pho broth. This restaurant opens earlier than most at 07:00a and that's when I visited. The surrounding area is rough, but there's parking in their lot steps from the entry, and I appreciate the convenience. The host/waiter spoke little English but the menu with the numbered list of selections makes it easy to point and order. The menu was clean, almost newish and ONLY offers various Pho soups and a drinks menu. Ordered number 17, the Pho Chin which is the beef broth noodle soup with rare slices of beef and slices of lean brisket and wanted very minimal noodles. I was only interested in this authentic Vietnamese broth and enjoyed this version of pho very much. I packed the remaining portions of meat and herbs to go. My little baby loves the meat slices especially with the herbaceous taste. Service was cordial, efficient and accommodating. While this restaurant is not fancy, zero ambiance, I appreciated the cleanliness of the menu and surface areas. There's indoor and outdoor seating. Be aware they only accept CASH!! No ApplePay, No credit cards, just CASH. The hot clear aromatic pho broth with its balance of ingredients and harmony of flavors did work its magic to help heal my body and makes this restaurant worthy of a visit, Pho Hoa...recommend.
This Bò Kho was ok. The broth itself was decently seasoned but felt too light for my personal taste. WAY too light. This even had a rain buff. Stick to the Pho here.
Phò Hòa in City Heights/Talmadge is a classic, fairly authentic Vietnamese pho dining experience. I give this spot a solid 4.4/5 stars. It's not the greatest I've had, but it's definitely up there. The layout of the restaurant, the busyness, and the carts they use remind me a lot of being on the train in Vietnam. To say they're on top of the tables is an understatement--the staff are constantly available, cleaning, and ready to take your order at any second. My friend and I ordered brisket, rare steak, and tripe pho. We loaded up our bowls with basil, jalapeños, hoisin, sriracha, and chili oil. The broth was good, the meat was tender--particularly loved the brisket--and the portions were good. For some reason my bowl had a smaller portion of noodles, but there's plenty of meat, so I'm not complaining. I think that the broth could use a bit more complexity, perhaps more anise and a longer steeping time with more bones. All in all, it's a solid pho though. Lots of seating, fast service, a range of meat cuts--basically a no-frills, classic pho eatery with good prices and a no-nonsense atmosphere. If I had to choose other pho places to rank above this one, I'd say Pho Sao Bien or Pho Minh are slightly better in terms of broth quality.
Came on a Friday evening craving pho. There were a number of pho spots all in that same area but we chose this one. We both ordered pho. Service was incredibly fast! After we placed our order, it seemed like it was only 2 minutes before our food came out! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance is decent- it's a massive dining room and great for larger parties that aren't looking for a fancy ambiance but rather some authentic pho.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] While it wasn't the best pho I've had, it was good and definitely satisfied our pho craving.
Review Insights
1 month ago
This is one of the iconic pho spots in City Heights that has been here for over 40 years. One of my only go to places when I'm craving for a good hot bowl of pho even on a hot day. This place is super fast pace with people always coming in and out. Food comes out super fast and they have over 10 to 15 workers they're just waiting to help you at any given time. Parking lot is super small and can be very difficult to find parking during lunch hours. Broth has that sweet, Savory, and Umami flavor that you can only get at home. Always ask for their pickled onion and chili oil on the side. read more
2 days ago
When I got there, the workers were not happy that I had a service dog with me. There was about six workers that came out just to stare at us and not sure what they were saying but I'm pretty sure they were talking about us. They ended up putting us in a corner that was very hot with no air circulation. Our food was brought out pretty quick, but after our food was brought out, nobody checked on us. My stomach started hurting after eating that food and it is still hurting days later. I'm not sure why this place has so many stars, but my experience was definitely a one star experience and I will not be going back. read more
Went in on a Sunday noon and we were seated right away! I recommend looking at their menu prior to coming because menu is pretty limited (mainly pho) and their service is very quick-- the server was waiting to take our order as soon as we got the menu. The pho came out hot and super flavourful and the viet coffee was really strong and yummy! They have designated parking in their lot as well. read more
One of the best pho restaurants in SD. They are always busy but the space is so large with lots of tables so I never have to wait. Service is quick. My go to order is the pho tai and chin which comes with steak and brisket. The medium size is a very generous size with tons of noodles and meats. The broth is rich, hearty and comforting. There is a decent size parking lot but can be pretty tight. read more
28 days ago
One of the top pho restaurants in SD! They are consistently busy but the interior is large, so I never have to wait long for a table or the food either. I love the pho tai and chin which comes with rare steak and well-done brisket. A medium is a good size and comes with so much meat and noodles! The broth is hearty and light. There is a decent sized parking lot but the spots can be tight read more
1 month ago
This spot only sells pho, beef stew, and beverages. We got their pho and it was a solid bowl of pho! The service was incredibly quick - we were seated immediately and got our food less than 5 minutes after ordering. Their broth was very soothing and the portions were good. read more
Where has this place been all my life? One of if not the best bowls of pho in the are. It's a no frills type of place. Real hole in the wall type. Broth, meats, veggies-all outstanding. Service was quick. They brought out our chili oil fast and brought two even though we asked for one (two was definitely needed). Pho lovers must visit. read more
To all PHO-AHOLICS, whether it's pouring rain or sunny skies, this is our favorite spot to grab a bowl of pho. It's always packed but don't worry, you'll always find a seat because the service is fast. The menu isn't huge, but their specialty is pho--delicious and always served hot! This place has been around for ages. We're always here, either coming home from the airport after a long flight, recovering from a hangover, or just craving pho on any given day off. read more
Craving pho and the only place worth getting it at is here! [[HIGHLIGHT]]This is a no frills, eat and go place that attracts locals and the curious.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] What keeps me coming back is the broth. I always finish it all. I don't know what they make it with, but it is a bowl of love! Brisket and flank are my go tos. This time I added siracha since I was fighting a cold. Don't pass this place up! read more
7 days ago
Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup. Hoa means harmony, balance or peace. Phở Hòa: Combines the two words to represent the harmony of flavors and balance of ingredients in the soup as defined by Google. This Vietnamese restaurant in the City Heights area of San Diego was listed on Yelp as among the list recommended with high reviews. Over two weeks ago, I was feeling under the weather. I had to slowly reintroduce my body to wholesome foods and I was craving an aromatic pho broth. This restaurant opens earlier than most at 07:00a and that's when I visited. The surrounding area is rough, but there's parking in their lot steps from the entry, and I appreciate the convenience. The host/waiter spoke little English but the menu with the numbered list of selections makes it easy to point and order. The menu was clean, almost newish and ONLY offers various Pho soups and a drinks menu. Ordered number 17, the Pho Chin which is the beef broth noodle soup with rare slices of beef and slices of lean brisket and wanted very minimal noodles. I was only interested in this authentic Vietnamese broth and enjoyed this version of pho very much. I packed the remaining portions of meat and herbs to go. My little baby loves the meat slices especially with the herbaceous taste. Service was cordial, efficient and accommodating. While this restaurant is not fancy, zero ambiance, I appreciated the cleanliness of the menu and surface areas. There's indoor and outdoor seating. Be aware they only accept CASH!! No ApplePay, No credit cards, just CASH. The hot clear aromatic pho broth with its balance of ingredients and harmony of flavors did work its magic to help heal my body and makes this restaurant worthy of a visit, Pho Hoa...recommend. read more
8 days ago
Every time I order the Vermicelli noodle bowls the menu says it comes with an egg roll. I've ordered 2 different times and have never gotten eggrolls in my vermicelli bowl. It's really not cool. Management needs to look at the menu and retrain staff. read more
8 months ago
This Bò Kho was ok. The broth itself was decently seasoned but felt too light for my personal taste. WAY too light. This even had a rain buff. Stick to the Pho here. read more
10 months ago
8 months ago
Phò Hòa in City Heights/Talmadge is a classic, fairly authentic Vietnamese pho dining experience. I give this spot a solid 4.4/5 stars. It's not the greatest I've had, but it's definitely up there. The layout of the restaurant, the busyness, and the carts they use remind me a lot of being on the train in Vietnam. To say they're on top of the tables is an understatement--the staff are constantly available, cleaning, and ready to take your order at any second. My friend and I ordered brisket, rare steak, and tripe pho. We loaded up our bowls with basil, jalapeños, hoisin, sriracha, and chili oil. The broth was good, the meat was tender--particularly loved the brisket--and the portions were good. For some reason my bowl had a smaller portion of noodles, but there's plenty of meat, so I'm not complaining. I think that the broth could use a bit more complexity, perhaps more anise and a longer steeping time with more bones. All in all, it's a solid pho though. Lots of seating, fast service, a range of meat cuts--basically a no-frills, classic pho eatery with good prices and a no-nonsense atmosphere. If I had to choose other pho places to rank above this one, I'd say Pho Sao Bien or Pho Minh are slightly better in terms of broth quality. read more
Came on a Friday evening craving pho. There were a number of pho spots all in that same area but we chose this one. We both ordered pho. Service was incredibly fast! After we placed our order, it seemed like it was only 2 minutes before our food came out! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance is decent- it's a massive dining room and great for larger parties that aren't looking for a fancy ambiance but rather some authentic pho.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] While it wasn't the best pho I've had, it was good and definitely satisfied our pho craving. read more
11 months ago
I've actually never been inside Pho Hoa. Their menu is quite simple as they only have different varieties of Pho. Although they do have Bo Kho-- but that was the only different item I saw. Their drink menu is nicely priced or so I thought as I saw cups are on the smaller side. After seeing the size, I'd actually prefer if the drinks were $1 less, but then again...they are making most of the drinks fresh and with quality ingredients it seems so understandable for pricing. In all honestly, for 2025 especially, the pricing for the entire menu is fair! I think, their prices went up maybe $2-3 from before. The interior of Pho Hoa is super spacious, I think it's bigger than Pho Ca Dao. And there's a lot of workers, but I guess they have different tasks. We would ask one worker for the menu and he would relay to someone else to bring the menus, the water, etc. The inside of the restaurant is very clean! All the sauce bottles and utensils were clean and well stocked. I wish they had some small plates so I could mix the hoisin and sriracha for my bo vien (meatballs). I ordered their #18, Pho Bo Vien, Size Small Bowl, $14.50. After Pho Tai, this is my next favorite to order. Here at Pho Hoa they give you large pieces of bo vien and it was a tad darker in color than I usually see it. It had good flavor though. The broth was piping hot and had a nice fragrant taste. It had thinly sliced onions and green onions as well. They used thin pho rice noodles & it was slightly in a lump at the bottom of the bowl at first...which is why I recommend lifting it up and down to loosen them. They gave us 2 plates of pho basil, beansprouts, jalapeño, lime, and even sawtooth herb (ngò gai)! Rather than refilling the glasses of water they come out and give entirely new cups which means more for them to wash. The small size was honestly the perfect size for me to eat. At other restaurants, I usually share with my mom and even then sometimes we wouldn't finish a bowl. This one was delicious and I'd recommend stopping by for lunch if you're in the area and want some pho. The drinks looked good too-- Thai tea, lemonade, ca phe sua da, and if you get the iced tea lemonade maybe ask for more tea. They even had che ba mau, sam bo luong, salty lemon/plum drink, and sua dau nanh! read more
6 months ago
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21 days ago
This place is a place where my friends and I frequent when we get back from fishing. It is one of the only restaurants that is opened at 7am. Breakfast pho after getting off multi-day fishing is super satisfying. I usually get pho dat biet with an iced Vietnamese coffee. The food comes out super quick, which may be because we usually come here way early in the morning. The restaurant is basic in the decor where it is not anything fancy. read more
Still the best pho in the world even after eating here close to 30 years. Fastest service, and still that good ol hole in the wall with the most authentic pho flavor. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Best lazy Sunday feeling and good vibes every time I go.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more
Pho Hoa is a pho specialty restaurant, only serving up the best Vietnamese noodles in SD. I was amazed with the 2. Specialty Dac Biet. I normally dislike Tendon but it was soft, and thinly sliced savory collagen goodness. Their broth was full of flavor. I am so happy to have had their pho and now can frequent this place instead of driving to OC. 100% would recommend!!! read more
[Taste: ] the broth was very tasty, clear, and hot! Good selection of protein and portions. Very satisfying! [Service: ] very good, got our food super quickly [Comments: ] Everyone was right, phenomenal Thai tea. [Parking: ] lot parking [Bathroom: ] most likely read more
10 days ago
Super fast service, I never had to wait to get seated which is nice! The only really big downside is that their parking is very cramped and during dinner time, it's very hard to find parking. The pho here is one of my favorite in San Diego, the broth is really good ! read more
Fuego!!! Pho Hoa was a slam dunk tonight. I've been looking for the best pho near me and pho Hoa in City Heights / Talmadge had great reviews. Easy to find, right off El Cajon, [[HIGHLIGHT]]Pho Hoa clearly is a hidden gem because it was packed tonight.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I ordered to-go and was in and out in no less than 5 minutes. I'd never ordered pho to-go so appreciated the guy at the front offering and recommending uncooked noodles so that they weren't soggy by the time I made it home. Super flavorful broth, good portion of beef, and came with all the fixins. Perfect meal for a cool weeknight dinner after a long work day. Thanks pho Hoa, I'll def be back to dine in soon. read more
3 months ago
We tried coming here on a Friday a few weeks ago, arriving almost an hour before their posted closing time of 8 PM (as listed on both Google and Yelp), but were turned away and told they now close at 7 PM. That was pretty frustrating and unexpected. I'm not sure if it was just for that specific day, but if their hours have changed, they should really update their online listings and we ended up having to go elsewhere. We decided to come back this past weekend to give it another try. Overall, I thought the pho was just okay. I honestly don't understand the hype around this place. I ordered the fatty brisket pho, and my boyfriend got the #1. My broth was very bland it lacked depth and flavor, though the meat itself was good. I ended up adding salt and pepper, but it still didn't make much of a difference. My boyfriend's pho was also just okay. It was noticeably oily, with a lot of yellow oil floating on top, and despite having a variety of meats, the broth still lacked flavor. Maybe my standards for pho are just higher since I grew up near Westminster and also lived near San Jose, where there are a lot of great pho spots but for us, this place was just average. read more
1 year ago
Not only can you get your Pho in under 5 minutes, but it's also damn good at Pho Hoa. Inside is your classic old-school vietnamese pho shop with a lot of tables and minimal decor. Upon sitting down, ordering, and getting our pho, it took less than 5 minutes (not joking). They have their assembly line down to a tee and this was insanely quick service. I got the Pho Dac Biet Xe Lua (X-Large) which came with a generous portion of food. The variety of meat cuts were great and I really liked each one. The broth was flavorful and so addicting. Definitely one of my favorite pho spots now in San Diego. And for only $14 this is a steal. Sure, they aren't the 'friendliest' when it comes to customer service, but this is typical for these kind of down-to-earth vietnamese restaurants. Expediency and great food trumps all. read more
Came here on a Sunday for lunch. There was a small line out the door but the wait wasn't too long. There's a small parking lot so you might have to park farther away if you don't get lucky. I ordered the pho dac biet (special) with a side of bo vien (meatballs). The broth was savory and delicious. There was a good portion of meat and the side of bo vien was generous. The Thai tea was good too. I didn't realize it came with whipped cream or I would've asked not to add it. This was our first time eating here and we noticed after the fact that people were ordering small plates of chili oil. Wish we knew ahead of time as I would've loved to have tried it with our pho. Service was very quick and there are a good amount of tables inside. Long tables for large parties as well. They take your order at the table but you pay at the counter. Overall a great first time here, I would recommend this place if you're in the area and craving pho! read more
10 days ago
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More info about Pho Hoa
4717 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115
City Heights
Directions
(619) 283-6431
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Ask the Community - Pho Hoa
Do they sell the broth separately?
Yes, they will sell you the broth separately if you ask! Just ask!
I really want to find a great pho place that doesn't use MSG cause I react so badly to it. Please tell me they don't use MSG here!?
Do you react that way to tomatoes, cheese, cabbage, or any meat too? Many foods in our regular diets have msg naturally occurring.
As on May 25, is it open for dine in yet? I have been craving for Pho for months and carry out is just not the same!
Are the noodles gluten free?
Pho noodles are made from rice flour, which should be gluten free.
Do they have chicken pho?
I don't think I've ever seen chicken pho there and I've been eating here for nearly 30 years. This is a legit authentic pho spot and I think chicken pho is something that businesses sell to attract a wider audience
Is this place vegan friendly?
Yes they have bowls with no meat or broth . I don't know how the broth is made but I'm sure they use some kinda meat bones.
Is this part of the chain?
Absolutely not. Can't find pho like this anywhere else :-)
Do you tip here? There's really not any kinda service happening.....
Of course. Still a service . I always do.
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103 reviews that are not currently recommended
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Pho Hoa - vietnamese - Updated August 2026
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