Food: 4.5/5 Service: 4/5 Price: 5/5 Atmosphere: 4/5 TL;DR: A solid place for Vietnamese food in Oakland. There is also a parking lot in front for easy parking. They have everything from pho to vermicelli bowls to rice plates. They also had a large variety of drinks. Pho: 4/5; A solid bowl of pho with good flavor and all the expected toppings (bean sprouts, basil, lime, etc.). It will satisfy any craving of pho that you might have. The broth could be better, but for the price, this is a solid dish Grilled Pork Vermicelli: 4.5/5; Everything in the bowl is really good, from the pork to the egg rolls to the fish sauce. I had a craving for this dish and it hit the spot. This is a wonderful, convenient spot for a large variety of Vietnamese food. It has a lot of seating, so it is also good for larger groups. The service is efficient and the food comes out fast. The ambiance is a typical Vietnamese restaurant with many groups of people chatting away enjoying wonderful food. Highly recommend. read more

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Awesome little spot right by the lake! I always recommend folks check this place out if they're looking for authentic tasting Vietnamese food that doesn't break the bank. I find that most places in the bay charge upwards of 18+ for a simple bowl of pho, but it's not the case here and I think the portion sizes are quite nice, too. As for my order, I usually go with the pho dac biet, but if i'm wanting to be a little adventurous I'll get the bun bo hue or Bún Thịt Nướng -- these are really good dishes to get if you're looking to venture out of the typical pho. Think of bun bo hue as pho's spicy older sister and bun thit noung as pho without the soup + a lot more veggies and a protein of your choice. I will also say i'm verrrry big on broth and if it don't taste right, i'm immediately turned off (lol) but with the pho here, it has the perfect amount of cinnamon and ginger. I also like the fact that they have a bunch of different dessert here, too. I've had my eye on the che bau mau (three color dessert) for quite some time now and will definitely get it on my next visit. Also, huge props for them having a huge lot w/ free parking! read more

Pho King - Bun Thit Nuong - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Man, this has to be my favorite pho place and it's such a treat whenever I'm out in Oakland with my boyfriend. Pho King is accommodating, especially if you have a bigger party of over 10 people. I always get the pho here but the Bun Bo Hue and Bun Rieu are probably even better. Pho + Soda Xi Muoi = Yummylicious. read more

Pho King - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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I remember coming here all the time growing up. Now that I've moved back to the East Bay, this place continues to be one of my go to Vietnamese spots. I LOVE their bun cha Hanoi. It's always been my favorite since I was a young girl. I've recently tried their other dishes such as bun Bo hue and mi quang. Both of those were also amazing. It's no wonder this place continued to be extremely packed. Don't forget to try their soybean milk too! It's homemade and both hot and cold versions are delicious read more

My friend and I ordered takeout a couple of months ago to nurse a hangover. We called in our order, which was pho dac biet and bun bo hue with an iced Vietnamese coffee. Parking wasn't too difficult to find considering that it's in Oakland, and we got our food almost right away so the time estimate was pretty accurate. The pho dac biet was pretty solid and was a great portion size. However, I'd definitely recommend the bun bo hue. It's a nice spicy broth with some pork meat. I feel like people usually default to pho, but this dish is worth exploring out of that comfort zone. It was the perfect level of spice and flavor. I'm definitely glad I looked at the popular list on yelp and ordered this instead of going with my usual order of pho. The Vietnamese coffee, however, was a huge let down. This coffee felt like it was watery, extremely bitter coffee that had almost no condensed milk. I was looking for a strong kick of espresso with the sweetness of the condensed milk to offset some of the bitterness. I might have just been unlucky with that batch, but I probably wouldn't order that again here. read more

Been here a couple times and the food has been great both times. Love their pho. Service is good and ambiance is like a typical pho spot. read more

Pho King - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

*****Customer Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic***** I've eaten at Pho King's original location on International Boulevard numerous times and at this one only once. But for some reason my old reviews for that location were migrated to this one. Therefore, I'm writing a new review instead of an update. It's been months since I had my last bowl of pho. I was chatting with my brother about food the other day and one of the things we miss the most is pho. I decided to come here on 07/02/2020 to get some takeout since this is our #1 spot for pho in the East Bay. I called in my order, consisted of 3 orders Pho Dac Biet (XL $12 each) and an order of fresh spring roll ($7), at 3:25 pm and was told it would be ready in 20 minutes. When I arrived at 3:35 pm, it was ready and waiting for me. The total, with a tip, was $50. The transaction took place at a table set up at the entrance. Everything was neatly packaged (see pictures). Utensils and condiment packets were included. The food was just as good as always. The spring rolls were fresh. The pho was loaded with meat toppings and the broth was robust and delicious. For the best experience, reheat the broth before consuming. All in all, this was a good COVID-19 food experience. They are still my #1 go-to for pho in the East Bay. I will be back. BONUS MATERIAL: - Open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm during the pandemic. - Major credit cards accepted. read more

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A true oakland local favorite spot for yummy Vietnamese food! Not pictured is their combination pho & bun Bo hue in the largest size they have (XL) which was a fantastic price - under $18 per XL bowl! My parents got an assortment of items that are pictured, and they enjoyed their food too. We sat and ate everything within 30 minutes, so service is fast and food is hot! Everything is nice and clean and you can tell they get lots of foot traffic as many people came through while we ate read more

Pho King - Bun rieu Banh xeo Bún BBQ Pork & egg roll w/vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Service was swift but the shredded pork was just a few tiny bits. Fortunately for them I was very hungry but the purposeful false advertising will prevent me from returning. Too bad. Oakland's Asian cuisine continues to disappoint. read more

My family and I settled on getting Vietnamese for lunch. It doesn't look like you can place an order online or through a food delivery/ordering service, so I called in to place an order at around 11:45 AM. Due to bad reception, I don't know if it was mine or theirs, placing my order through the phone proved to be a little difficult, so I wasn't able to get an estimated time for when my order would be ready by. I went in to check at around 12 PM and the first thing they do is check your temperature. Appreciate the check they do to ensure their customers' safety. Within 15 minutes my order was all prepared and ready to go. They missed my Thai tea due to the bad reception, but it was a quick and simple add on. On a side note, they have plenty of outdoor seating and indoor seating. I didn't stay long enough to observe, but the restaurant is big and they have sufficient room between tables. I believe they had umbrellas outside for shade as well. Thought their service was okay. My family had ordered (1) Bun Rieu, (2) Grilled Beef, Shredded Pork, Egg Roll with Vermicelli, (3) Combination Noodle Soup, and (4) Papaya Salad with Dry Beef for me. In total the order came out to be slightly pricier than I had expected, but I think the takeout menu price may be different. Sizes were fixed for takeout, so their noodle portions might have been large. My first impression of my Papaya Salad was that size wise, it's disappointing. Definitely not as much as I had expected compared to other Vietnamese restaurants I've tried before. However, the taste had exceeded my expectations. It's not your typical Papaya Salad. There's a kick to it and it's plenty flavorful for a salad. There's a good mix of flavor and texture. Also, I ended up having some of my sister's Bun Rieu since she couldn't finish anyways. Vermicelli was good. Their crab meatball was tasty. However, their blood cube was not as soft as I thought it would be and quail egg isn't for me I guess (just a preference thing). Overall, decent, tasty meal. I'd like to give this place a try again after COVID-19 is over. Maybe something other than their Papaya Salad next time. read more

Pho King - Papaya Salad with Dry Beef - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Ordered take out during shelter in place and everything here is delicious! It wasn't too busy and I called my order in and it was ready pretty quickly. This place is also super clean, so I feel a lot safer coming here. The Spring Rolls are perfect! The perfect proportion of everything and the peanut sauce is so good. The Grilled Pork Vermicelli also hit the spot. The pork was cooked perfectly and everything tasted so fresh. This place is quality and super affordable. Definitely in my top few pho restaurants! read more

Pho King - grilled pork vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Extremely overpriced Vietnamese food!! Went in there with a friend today and all we ordered was two small bowls of basic pho. We ordered two waters and no appetizers and it was $40. Absolutely ridiculous!!! Straight jacking people for easy to make Vietnamese soup. Service was just OK and food was just OK by the way. read more

Good pho, good taste of the soup. There are a lot of variety to choose. I really like the beef pho! read more

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Food: 7/10 Service: N/A (takeout at store front due to COVID) Wait time: 10 minutes after ordering by phone Portion size: small to medium My husband and I order 2 extra large bun bo hue noodle soups! They have the lai fun round white noodles, beef, and pigs blood cubes. It comes with a side of green cabbage, lime, jalapenos and hot sauce. I personally can handle mild and thought the soup base already has a spice to it. So try it before you put in the hot sauce if you are more sensitive to spicy things! I recommend putting the soup in a pot on the stove to heat it up then when it boils to add the noodles and meat then a minute or two after add the sides you want! I really liked the touch of lime and basil. It added a refreshing taste to it. I like mildly spicy things so I added the jalapenos and it was good for me. My husband just put the soup and noodles in a bowl at home and he felt like the noodles were half way cooked so try the way I recommended. I think they do that so that it won't be over cooked when you reheat it. read more

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My go-to pho spot in Oakland. I always come here for lunch whether that is to eat there or to go. However, I must say Pho is always better eating there than take out! Pho dac diet for ever! read more

After finding my favorite spot in Oakland for pho, I realized Pho King is average/decent. It is at convenient location because there is a parking lot & the restaurant is large enough to host bigger crowds (especially on weekends). There's a lot of variety in their menu but the beef pho and bon bo hue soups could definitely have more depth & stronger flavor. read more

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Food was delicious! The fried turnip egg appetizer at first didn't look that good but after tasting it the crispyness was perfect and stayed crispy. The special combination pho had good portions and the broth did HIT. I had a good experience until the end lol, make sure you double check your receipt and what you were charged for because I was surprised when I got my check, it was a lot more than I expected and noticed I got overcharged which kind of ruined the experience for me :( I searched other reviews and another echoed the same where they don't have itemized receipts, super sus. I ordered a small $10 combination pho, $10 turnip cake egg appetizer and $5 Thai Tea which should've came out to $27.50 at most! but the total came out to $31.37 and I even tipped to a total of $35. I called back and the employee said the pho was $12 and said everything was calculated right but it CLEARLY stated on the menu $10 (check recent menu photos - at the bottom of the pho page). And even then the math ain't mathin', if what he said was true the total should've came out to ~$29.75 and not $31.37 lol. I understand that costs are rising but it's extremely rude and disappointing to mislead customers that things are cheaper than they are to secretly overcharge. Just state the price for what it really is. read more

Pho King - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

We usually get pho, but I tried the grilled pork, shrimp, and egg roll vermicelli bowl -- it was so good! Perfect ratio of protein, veggies, and noodles. Typically at other pho places I find they miss on the ratio and give too little meat or too much noodle. I would recommend a vermicelli bowl for a meal that is filling but still light. read more

Pho King - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

While I wasn't jumping on the table exclaiming this was the best 'Pho King' (pun, get it?!) eats I've had, I enjoyed the food in this larger hole-in-the-wall spot over by Lake Merritt. Not trendy, fast and very casual: don't expect someone to ask how the food is or if you need anything or even a water refill; you come for some down home cheapish eats. We ordered the beef rolls and the egg rolls to start and I split a shrimp vermicelli noodle bowl and it was a hefty portion and really good. The shrimp were cooked perfectly and overall really enjoyed it. I would have loved more accoutrements vs the massive amount of noodle; but still very solid and satisfying. Same with the rolls, they were good, however nothing stand-out. No pho for me this time, but for basic Vietnamese food In an authentic setting that's quick and cheap; Pho King will satisfy. read more

Pho King - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Pho was well salted and I like salty food. In a perfect world the broth flavor could have been better. Meat and noodles were very good. Price point fair. read more

So pho king good brooder Pho king, pho anh dao, and tasty bowl are the holy trinity of East 18th pho. Pho king is the father, tasty bowl is the son, pho anh dao is the Holy Spirit read more

If you're like me and you didn't grow up eating, let alone saying the word, Pho properly you will not understand why so many people find the name of this business hilarious. I've since educated myself - both on the culinary and etymological front - and I now chuckle slightly when I think back to my time at Pho King... Anyhoo, I came here with a few colleagues and really quite enjoyed the food. I ordered the Beef Bun Ga Nuong (vermicelli bowl with special dressing) as well as some shared appetizers: summer rolls. I like Pho King for being a simple yet efficient place. I'm not a fan of styled-through eateries - the Bay Area has had its fair share of these in recent years - and so I welcome the fact that the decor is simple, the service is swift but nonchalant and the food is decent. It's not a gourmet experience - but seriously, how many more of these can my wallet take anyway! read more

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These are my go to orders and they never disapoint: Beef Pho, BBH, fresh coconut juice, ice coffee, and soda chanh

Hands down the very best Bun Bo Hue in the Bay Area!!!! Bun Rieu is off the charts as well. But, the Bun Bo Hue is THE VERY BEST IN THE BAY AREA!!!!!! read more

Pho King - Delicious Bun Bo Hue - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Pho King is in the same plaza as Luckys and the old Merritt Bakery. They used to be on E.14th (tiny, crammed space). The new location is a lot bigger and nicer! Fiancé says they were the 1st pho shop in Oakland! As a kid, I remember going to a spot in Chinatown frequently and also Kevin's Noodle House (no longer in business). Anyway, I've tried a couple of items here and the food is pretty good! The pho broth is a little different because it has a stronger herby taste (star anise). Googled it and this spice supposedly helps with the flu and can improve digestion. Cool! The bun reiu, vermicelli bowls and eggrolls are good too! Closed Tuesdays! read more

Pho King - Dac Biet Pho & Grilled Pork, Eggrolls Vermicelli. - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

So I guess I am a repeat offender. I ordered the #7 Pho for take out twice in a month. I like this option because it includes tripe and beef without the fatty pieces. the broth if full of flavor and hearty and all the noodles and pieces of beef make for a great meal. When you opt for takeout, your components of your Pho are all separated. Get your noodles into the broth and let it sit for the noodles to loosen up. If required, you can heat up your broth (although after 10 minutes, the plastic container is still burning hot). You will get a little bit of hot sauce and you can ask for additional if required. Now to break away, in the future I want to try the bun/vermicelli combos, they look delicious too or the rice plates. It's a very large menu, you should easily be able to find your liking here. This place has always been busy for dinners. You can find parking and there is good turnover. Give this place a shot read more

Delightful Delicious Damn good... the 3'D club!!! The pictures don't lie! The food I had was fresh tasty and light in flavor. Even the water was filtered and crisp in taste. No dish water taste here!! Even the art was nicely done and colorful... I really liked it. I will be back again and again whenever I have to go to the oakland airport!!! read more

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My favorite pho spot! I love the oxtail pho. It's a bit pricy but I think worth it. Always hits the spot!

Food was divine and the prices were amazing. I got a hot tea and a BBQ pork banh mi sandwich for $8.70. My friends got grilled pork spring rolls and they were so good they both saved one to have at the end of their meal. Service was fast and our waiter was friendly and helpful. edit: my friend who got the mango smoothie with boba found a piece of plastic in it... removed a star. read more

I've been coming here for dine-in & take-out for over 5 years, there are some great pho restaurants in Oakland and this is one of the more consistent places. Take out pho with noodles uncooked is my jam, I take it home and heat everything up in a pot and enjoy it on days where the fam doesn't feel like going out. read more

Food wise, this place does great tasting pho and rolls. Sadly, I have a great disdain for places that make up the rules as they go. Another pet-peeve-- inconsistency. I've been here a lot over the years as I live in the neighborhood and pho is a definite go-to for me. I usually order the #10 XL size which comes with flank steak, well done brisket, and tendon. I get this and the fried rolls every time. The reason why I use to love this place was a good amount of meat and especially tendon! That's my jam! The XL bowl usually came with AT LEAST 3 good sized pieces. Tonight, there was 1 small ass booger floating around. I asked the server, are there supposed to be more pieces? She talks to the ppl at the counter and kitchen and reports back, "no, it's always been 1 piece." I told her every time I come I get the same thing, how is it always 1 piece? I also asked her for the regular, large, XL sizes, how many pieces of tendon are in each... "all of them, 1 piece." Huh... the logic is interesting, and it's interesting seeing as the last other times I've had much more than 1 piece of tendon (bc I assure you, if it was "just 1 piece" I would've stopped coming) (also, my Mom and I shared a regular size once, and we both got to eat 1 piece...so there was 2 in the regular size!)!!! She then says, oh you know, last time you came, someone probably made a mistake on your order and put more pieces. You know, because it was busy. I told her again, the last few times, it has been more than 1 piece of tendon in an XL order. I know I'm going on and on about tendon, but places that make up the rules as they go and then try to tell me some bs story really leave a shit taste in my mouth. If you ran out or whatever the issue is, please, JUST BE HONEST!!! I love supporting mom and pop, Asian businesses, and it looks like I'll be supporting a different one from here on out. Sad bc I used to love this spot, but being lied to is just unacceptable. Please be consistent with your food!!! Please be honest!!! Stop being shady!!! read more

Pho King - This is supposed to be a #10 XL... I repeat this is supposed to be and EXTRA LARGE - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

New and much nicer location for Pho King. Lots of parking out front and room inside a clean restaurant. The food is reliable. We had #8 and #16 pho along with the full spread appetizer, which I highly recommend. Food came out quickly. read more

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OK, I was impressed. This place rocks and what a great place for a filling, quick, inexpensive lunch! From the outside the place looks bland and very much a strip mall joint. Not very inviting. But the minute you enter the atmosphere is entirely different. It's a huge space, contemporary and very well designed. Lots of seating, including some counter seating. The biggest surprise was when entering the place was PACKED, not a seat to be had. But they turn tables quickly and efficiently. You know the place has to be good with so many patrons. It was also bustling and loud, although I didn't find conversation difficult. Anyway the place looks sleepy and subdued from the outside and not so inside. Of course I ordered a large Pho and it was excellent. The broth wasn't the best I've ever had yet quite satisfying. I had it with brisket and the meat was good, some fat (to be expected), and lots of other ingredients including a large amount of delicious noodles. I was happy. My dining companion had the grilled pork that was a large platter of good stuff, including rice and cabbage on the side. I also had a Thai iced tea. Typical quality and good. What also impressed me is how clean the place is... amazingly clean. So many Asian restaurants can be tested on cleanliness by the condiments on the table. To me that usually reflects the cleanliness of the kitchen. Well the condiments here, bottles and jars, were immaculate. Parking is relatively easy although the parking lot has been increasingly full. There is street parking too. Service was efficient and ran like clockwork. The menu is huge and I will be back! read more

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Delicious spot to go to me and my coworkers love going here on a rainy day or even like a cold winter day I think what you're looking at here is about 15 bucks and I always take some home with me. I believe this is the one that has like three different meats like a meatball and some other stuff in it but yes I do love this one. The service is always good. It's super fast and never disappointed. read more

Pho King - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

This place is in part of the old Merritt Bakery space in the same block as a Lucky's. There is a parking lot and free street parking if the lot is full. This is the second location of Pho King, the first being on Oakland's International Blvd which is not too far away. I'm not sure if it's true, but it's part of the same family that runs it, the kids are running this second location. This location is clean and has more seating and the menu looks the same, I haven't been enough to know whether the pricing is the same. I've always liked Pho King's pho but what they're best known for is their bun bo hue (spicy pork noodle soup), and that remained pretty solid even at the second location. The first time going it was pretty packed and the service was slow, I hope that gets better over time. I'd go again. read more

Pho King - Bun Ho Hue - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Great service. Crab rieu was amazing. Very flavorful tomato-based broth very delectable meatballs. Loved the dish. Parking was a piece of cake! read more

I got the #5 pho XL with eye of round steak, well-done flank, and soft tendon. I felt like the pho (soup) was a little lackluster in flavor, and also the meat portions felt small for the XL (I.e, only four pieces of soft tendon). The noodles were also stuck together. My friends seemed to enjoy their rice plates and vegetarian noodles. A hot water and Jasmine tea we ordered never arrived but I'd love to come back and give the Bun Bue Ho (spicy noodles) a try. read more

Pho King - #5 Pho XL - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Ordered Hủ Tiếu Khô, dry noodles with soup on the side. Was pretty good! My first time having dry noodles, I usually get Phở when I go to a Vietnamese place. Soup was flavorful and there was just enough noodles and protein to fill me up. Coffee was also good, not overly strong and not too diluted. As a coffee lover, it was really good. There's plenty of seating inside and outside, short wait time and good service. The waiter who took our order was also very funny. Nice casual ambiance to hang out with friends! read more

Pho King - Vietnamese Coffee with condensed milk - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Really enjoyed my time here. Came on a Saturday night with my husband and there was a lot of tables. We ordered: - shrimp papaya salad: this was so good. I don't like Thai papaya salads that much because I find them a bit too sour but this version was just right. Perfect balance between tangy, salty, spicy and fresh. I also liked that it was topped with peanuts and fried garlic. - large BBH: the broth initially felt too bland for me. I had to ask for shrimp paste and then later added 4 spoonfuls of chili oil and a half a lime. After these additions I really enjoyed my bowl. It was piping hot and had so much meat included. - large pho: my husband enjoyed his pho. He also agreed that they included a lot of meat for him too. - Thai tea: standards and yummy. (I initially wanted an ice soy milk but they said they didn't sell it.) read more

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What's not to love for a cheap bowl of authentic phô in Oakland? Some people come for phô, some come for BBH. Phô king has a special place in my heart for the authentic, heartwarming phô. WHAT I ORDERED The Medium bowl is $8 Large is $9, ExLarge is $10 I ordered the large bowl of phô da biet, it was only a dollar extra for the next size up. Oh man it was so tasty. The phô tasting experience definitely tastes better when you do indoor dining. I've had way too many takeout phô during shelter in place, nothing beats eating dine in phô experience. I was so full by the end of the meal. Each bowl of noodle soup comes with veggies, bean sprouts, lemon slices on the side. read more

Pho King - Medium Phô da biet - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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