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Saturday dinner, decent amount of seating inside and not too busy around 5:30. Ordered the garlic noodles with shaken beef, pho, and bun(vermicelli noodles) Garlic noodles with beef were okay, noodle were over cookies and broken into smaller pieces, beef was tender, the Aji verde needed more spice. This dish was just okay, probably would order it again. Vermicelli noodles were loaded with pork, noodles veggies and bean sprouts, maybe too much bean sprouts. More like a bean sprout salad and they don't give enough fish sauce. Pho was probably the best, nice amount of noodles, meat and soup. Overall all this place is just okay, nothing was amazing but just fine. Service was attentive.
Came by here for dinner during an event we had at the great park. The pho was very satisfying with flavorful broth. However, The vermicelli was a bit off balance with a bit too much bean sprouts and pork was a bit dry. Come here for the pho and you won't be disappointed.
Their pho oxtail is sooo delicious and yummy, with a very big portion. Service is really quick despite lunch rush hour being very busy. Traditional and pretty Vietnamese decor on their walls
Super fast service but mediocre food. My combination pho was a bit bland and probably loaded with msg since I felt a bit nauseous right after eating it. The grilled pork was a bit on the dry side. The only decent dish was the egg rolls since it came out piping hot.
Got a list of suggested local restaurants via email by Yelp so decided to try Pho Lab out. Was so surprised how good it was. I got the combo pho and everything was delicious. The brisket was very lean and so tender. Meatballs were very good. Rare steak and tripe were also tender. Broth was good. So I took my husband, my sister and her husband back a week later. The three (3) of us ordered the same, combo pho, and my husband got the shaken beef with garlic noodles. Everything was good but the brisket in the pho was more fatty this second time around. Service was also better the first time. Second visit, service was slow. We sat and waited for a long while and no one came to take our orders. The owner came around and checked on us later when we were done eating. She's always so nice. Absolutely a great local pho restaurant to visit when we don't want to drive to the Little Saigon.
Yummy! So happy there is another good pho place in South OC! I don't have to drive all the way to garden grove. Price is reasonable, the bowl is big, however it could use more meat! The broth comes out piping hot, tastes great, authentic, and delicious. It did take a while for them to get our order (because the World Cup was one) and then the food did take a while to come out. But I would overall come back!
Came back to try the shrimp spring rolls - freshly made, light and delicious with the peanut sauce. Also got my usual pho combination - a solid choice with lots of meat and savory broth. Staff were welcoming and attentive. Ambiance is airy and casual.
Came across this spot one night while trying to figure out dinner and decided to check out Pho Lab for some pho. My husband and I both ordered the pho combination and added the rib bone. The broth itself was really good--flavorful and comforting--but the rib bone didn't quite hit for me. It wasn't as tender as I expected, and I think it could've been cooked a bit longer to get that fall-off-the-bone texture. We also ordered their fried chicken wings, which are a must every time we come here. They're perfectly fried and seasoned, and honestly delicious even on their own. The garlic butter dipping sauce is a great bonus, but not even necessary. Even our 3-year-old loves the wings. The restaurant itself is pretty spacious, and we've never had to wait for a table. They do seem to get a lot of to-go orders though. Overall, solid food and a place we'd come back to.
The food is always soo good, I found them through the Huntington location and was happy to find one that opened closer to me :) the employees are so sweet, and attentive. Food was too good, and filling. Only had a pic of what was left over!
Saturday late night dinner. Called to see when their last-seating time would be and we made it just in time. Delicious per usual, and the food came out lightning fast. Til next time!
The good at Pho Lab is absolutely delicious. The meat is tender and the broth rich. The pho with beef bone is my favorite. The meat falls off the bone. The service is just ok. My biggest complaint is the cleanliness. The floors and booths are always dirty which can be off putting. FYI if you pay cash you get a discount.
One of my favorite Pho spots in OC. Broth is always so delicious and hot. Food comes out quickly and the meat is so tender. I love the crispy spring rolls here so much definitely a must try when you stop by. Staff is so kind and friendly and service is top tier. It's always so clean inside and the music is low but still enjoyable. Definitely stop by for your late night pho cravings.
More like 3.5 stars. I came for lunch excited to try a new spot for Pho since I was in the area. Sadly it was just ok. The broth in the pho was too light in flavor which is more telling of a northern style pho. I prefer a southern style pho so please take that into consideration with my review. I also got the golden bao which was interesting. I never had a fried version of the bao. I'm glad I tried it because the texture of the crispy outside with a soft dough on the inside was nice. That being said, I wish it was more juicy. I was looking for the wonderful meat juices that normally come with a steamed bao. Vietnamese coffee was also just ok. I was looking for that bold coffee depth of flavor but it also seemed a little on the light side.
17 days ago
I got pho to go, when I started assembling my pho at home I noticed the meat hat like pink/ greenish tint to it... is this normal because it smelled and tasted fine ? Maybe my broth wasn't hot enough... still very yummy EDIT: this is indeed normal, that's why it was still very tasty read more
2 months ago
I love that you can do smaller orders of two for their rolls, this allows you to try more of their rolls and also so you don't have too much. I came in on a weekday at lunch and there was no wait. I got the charbroiled pork rolls and the combination pho. Everything was delicious and reasonably priced. I love the spring rolls, the pork was flavorful while the veggies in it kept it refreshing and balances out the flavor. The combination pho was hearty and flavorful, the meats were tender and there were plenty of it that I had leftovers for a second meal! read more
Saturday dinner, decent amount of seating inside and not too busy around 5:30. Ordered the garlic noodles with shaken beef, pho, and bun(vermicelli noodles) Garlic noodles with beef were okay, noodle were over cookies and broken into smaller pieces, beef was tender, the Aji verde needed more spice. This dish was just okay, probably would order it again. Vermicelli noodles were loaded with pork, noodles veggies and bean sprouts, maybe too much bean sprouts. More like a bean sprout salad and they don't give enough fish sauce. Pho was probably the best, nice amount of noodles, meat and soup. Overall all this place is just okay, nothing was amazing but just fine. Service was attentive. read more
22 days ago
Came by here for dinner during an event we had at the great park. The pho was very satisfying with flavorful broth. However, The vermicelli was a bit off balance with a bit too much bean sprouts and pork was a bit dry. Come here for the pho and you won't be disappointed. read more
Super fast service but mediocre food. My combination pho was a bit bland and probably loaded with msg since I felt a bit nauseous right after eating it. The grilled pork was a bit on the dry side. The only decent dish was the egg rolls since it came out piping hot. read more
Got a list of suggested local restaurants via email by Yelp so decided to try Pho Lab out. Was so surprised how good it was. I got the combo pho and everything was delicious. The brisket was very lean and so tender. Meatballs were very good. Rare steak and tripe were also tender. Broth was good. So I took my husband, my sister and her husband back a week later. The three (3) of us ordered the same, combo pho, and my husband got the shaken beef with garlic noodles. Everything was good but the brisket in the pho was more fatty this second time around. Service was also better the first time. Second visit, service was slow. We sat and waited for a long while and no one came to take our orders. The owner came around and checked on us later when we were done eating. She's always so nice. Absolutely a great local pho restaurant to visit when we don't want to drive to the Little Saigon. read more
3 months ago
Yummy! So happy there is another good pho place in South OC! I don't have to drive all the way to garden grove. Price is reasonable, the bowl is big, however it could use more meat! The broth comes out piping hot, tastes great, authentic, and delicious. It did take a while for them to get our order (because the World Cup was one) and then the food did take a while to come out. But I would overall come back! read more
Came back to try the shrimp spring rolls - freshly made, light and delicious with the peanut sauce. Also got my usual pho combination - a solid choice with lots of meat and savory broth. Staff were welcoming and attentive. Ambiance is airy and casual. read more
Came across this spot one night while trying to figure out dinner and decided to check out Pho Lab for some pho. My husband and I both ordered the pho combination and added the rib bone. The broth itself was really good--flavorful and comforting--but the rib bone didn't quite hit for me. It wasn't as tender as I expected, and I think it could've been cooked a bit longer to get that fall-off-the-bone texture. We also ordered their fried chicken wings, which are a must every time we come here. They're perfectly fried and seasoned, and honestly delicious even on their own. The garlic butter dipping sauce is a great bonus, but not even necessary. Even our 3-year-old loves the wings. The restaurant itself is pretty spacious, and we've never had to wait for a table. They do seem to get a lot of to-go orders though. Overall, solid food and a place we'd come back to. read more
7 days ago
The food is always soo good, I found them through the Huntington location and was happy to find one that opened closer to me :) the employees are so sweet, and attentive. Food was too good, and filling. Only had a pic of what was left over! read more
5 months ago
The good at Pho Lab is absolutely delicious. The meat is tender and the broth rich. The pho with beef bone is my favorite. The meat falls off the bone. The service is just ok. My biggest complaint is the cleanliness. The floors and booths are always dirty which can be off putting. FYI if you pay cash you get a discount. read more
One of my favorite Pho spots in OC. Broth is always so delicious and hot. Food comes out quickly and the meat is so tender. I love the crispy spring rolls here so much definitely a must try when you stop by. Staff is so kind and friendly and service is top tier. It's always so clean inside and the music is low but still enjoyable. Definitely stop by for your late night pho cravings. read more
21 days ago
3 months ago
6 months ago
More like 3.5 stars. I came for lunch excited to try a new spot for Pho since I was in the area. Sadly it was just ok. The broth in the pho was too light in flavor which is more telling of a northern style pho. I prefer a southern style pho so please take that into consideration with my review. I also got the golden bao which was interesting. I never had a fried version of the bao. I'm glad I tried it because the texture of the crispy outside with a soft dough on the inside was nice. That being said, I wish it was more juicy. I was looking for the wonderful meat juices that normally come with a steamed bao. Vietnamese coffee was also just ok. I was looking for that bold coffee depth of flavor but it also seemed a little on the light side. read more
This neighborhood pho restaurant have a good selection of appetizers, pho, vermicelli noodles, and rice dishes. I ordered the garlic noodles with prawns and enjoyed it. Noodles are very tasty & prawns are cooked right & very flavorful. Staff are really friendly & attentive. Will definitely come back to try other dishes. read more
2 months ago
In my opinion, The best thing about Pho Lab is its willingness to stay open much later then their competitors. The people there were incredibly kind and patient while also being sincere and not unctuous. Music was very relaxed and the seating arrangement was close enough to create that night market feel but still enough privacy to feel like you can laugh aloud. I highly recommend coming here with friends or even family. read more
This is a fun new place for pho. It gets crowded on a weekend so I would recommend getting earlier to avoid peak hours. The place is clean and nicely decorated. We got thai tea to drink and pork rolls with peanut sauce for an appetizer. For our main course, we got pho with rib eye and rib bones. Thai Tea- This was rich and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness. Very refreshing! Pork Rolls with Peanut Sauce- The pork sausage was savory with a hint of sweetness. You get a wonderful mix of veggies and fresh herbs to heighten the flavor. The peanut dipping sauce was the cherry on top. Rib Eye- The broth base is flavorful and the noodles are soft and chewy. The rib eye is thinly sliced and tender. The bean sprouts provided on the side add a layer of texture. Rib Bones- The meat is fall off the bone and very tasty. Pairs well with the rich broth and chewy noodles. A squeeze of lime adds a burst of freshness. Very filling! Great experience overall! read more
Mannnnnnnnnn, when I had gone the very first time, it was truly an amazing experience. I have been twice after my first time and every single time I dislike this place more and more. The last time we went, they forgot 20% of our order , and it was so hard to get service. The workers seemed annoyed. Then I went again today on 02/28/25 and 1. I found an animal in my soup....... I wanted a refund, instead gave me another one. 2. I had asked for tofu spring rolls & got shrimp instead 3. The garlic noodles were so cold..... 4. Our sitting area was dirty and it just killed the vibe Im like what the heck. And it was so hard to get service!! My boyfriend had to go to the counter at least 3 times to ask for something. It's definitely no longer a favorite .... read more
7 months ago
We don't have a go-to Vietnamese spot around us yet, so we gave Pho Lab a try. Unfortunately, this restaurant will not be it. We came here on an evening for a pretty hot day, and I don't think the AC was on. The venue was pretty warm, which is probably even more annoying for those who ordered pho. Now admittedly, we didn't order pho, but still, I'd expect your other menu offerings to be of good quality. Here's what we got: Spring rolls - I'm a huge fan of spring rolls but this was such a let down! It was like 90% lettuce and the shrimps were sliced ever so thin. They very obviously cheapened out on this. Pork Banh Mi - Bread good, meat pretty good, but again that stupid lettuce is there! I already had enough from the rolls... and also I think this is the first time I see lettuce in a banh mi? There was also barely any pickled carrots and daikon, which is my favorite part. No jalapenos either. I do like the green sauce though. Garlic Noodles with Filet Mignon - The meat was cooked well, but there was all this oil on the plate? It was just too much. Overall, we were quite underwhelmed with our experience. There are a lot of Vietnamese options around here, so I'm quite surprised that this one in particular has such a high Yelp score. read more
2 months ago
Disappointing experience, unfortunately can't recommend. There was a fly landing on our table and around our food multiple times while we were eating. Not exactly appetizing when you're mid-meal. Service was the bigger issue though. Our server took our order and then completely disappeared. We sat there for a long time waiting for the check, checking the room hoping someone would swing by, and eventually just gave up and went to pay at the front ourselves. No one checked on us once. On top of that, the food itself was just okay. Nothing that would make up for the wait or the flies. Between the bugs and the lack of service, I won't be back. read more
11 days ago
I got the combination pho which came with tripe brisket, flank, tendon, and meatballs. It was really comforting and reminded me of the pho I had growing up. They were generous with the portions and it was well-priced. This might be my go-to spot for pho moving forward read more
Seriously the best Beef Pho in SoCal and beyond! Mike offered great service! And he passionately explained other dishes to try and a few off menu items. What I loved about their pho - - Generous green onions sliced as a garnish - Broth was spectacularly well balanced (other pho places too much medicinal herby spice), not here!!! - The rib eye well done (cooked in the back) was plentiful, when I thought I ate it all, I kept finding more meat - This is a very satisfying portion Usually other pho places the noodles are clumped together and take some time to separate, as well as it brings down the soup temp. - NOT at Pho Lab - The noodles are already separated and ready to eat - SUCH A PLEASURE EATING IT THIS WAY I asked for extra bean sprouts, sliced onions, cilantro and lime to make my own salad (w Hoisin and Sriracha). So delish. They have three sauces: - Chili garlic - Sriracha - Hoisin But the best part is their electric pepper grinder (Imagine fresh black pepper with a rough grind). It totally elevates the dish! I also ordered an appetizer to take home, the Goi Cuon (Shrimp Spring Roll - 2). Excited to try it! If you pay with cash, you get a 5% discount! I left very full and happy. Satisfying portion size! Super well made! I am going to think about this meal for days! read more
Jen and I decided to try this place on Saturday. After reading the reviews, we felt coming early (just before 5pm). Good choice as the place only had two tables with diners. I ordered the Pho Chicken (breast) and Jen ordered the Pho Combination. I also had an order of Shrimp Spring Rolls. The Pho was great, plenty of meat and my broth had all the comforts of chicken soup. Jen said the same about her order. The staff was a bit light when we arrived and place still needed to be cleaned up, with several tables needing to be bussed and a few napkins, etc on the floor. Perhaps we caught them on a shift change. As the place started to fill up, they got around to cleaning tables to make room for new customers. We paid cash and saved 5% on our order. By the time we left (6pm) the place was full and people waiting for tables. The food is the star of this place and worthy of a 5 star rating. We will be back. read more
2 months ago
I decided to give Pho Lab another try and came back with a few friends because we wanted to try some of the newer menu items. Unfortunately, this visit was a completely different experience from my first one. The biggest issue was the number of flies inside the dining area. There were so many that we spent most of our meal constantly swatting them away instead of enjoying our food. It became distracting enough that it affected the entire dining experience. What concerned me the most was seeing that many flies indoors while people were eating. As a customer, it made me wonder how the restaurant is managing cleanliness overall, including around the food preparation areas. I obviously can't speak to what happens in the kitchen, but the situation was concerning enough that it made me lose confidence during the meal. It's unfortunate because I had a positive impression from my previous visit, and that's why I decided to come back. I really hope this was just a temporary issue and that management addresses it quickly, because no one should have to spend an entire meal fighting off flies. Based on this experience, I probably won't be returning until the issue is resolved read more
2 months ago
My favorite place to come for the rib pho. The meat is so tender and juicy and falls right off the bone. The staff is friendly and service was so quick. Definitely give it a try! read more
4 months ago
I picked up some broth for my husband, since his dr put him on a temporary broth diet. He said it was delicious. It smelled amazing. The service was quick. Next time I'd love to stop inside to enjoy a great meal. read more
Ambiance Such cute decor and plenty of seating Service Really and and everyone was so friendly! They checked up on us constantly and we got to eat within our 1 hour lunch break. Food I got the pho combo, it was so good and the both were light and hearty. It came with so many meats - trip, - Rare steak - flank - meatballs - tendon The rice noodles had a good chew and all the herbs were fresh. The broth was so clean and really great on a rainy day. read more
Fan of their restaurant in HB and glad they opened up another spot near me. For historical reference, this location has seen many a pho restaurants come and gone. At least a handful over the years. Some restaurants had broth not so good, or too oily, or charged way too much. There's a lot of competition from other Pho Vietnamese restaurants around. When I think of pho, I think cheap quick tasty comfort food. Im not paying $20+ for a bowl of pho. I like pho lab because their pho broth has great depth flavor and its not oily. The prices are also reasonable. I have tried their pho rib bones and you get a lot of meat around the bones and is very satisfying at $14.95. Their shrimp spring rolls are also great and probably the cheapest price I've seen in South OC at $5.45 (2). Lots of comfy bench seating. Big screen tv playing sports. Friendly service. They only had 2 people working entire place so service was slow but overall prob my favorite pho spot around me. As long as they keep their prices low, maybe add another server or 2, I think they will last. Tip: Pay cash get 5% discount on bill. read more
11 days ago
3 days ago
So heavenly ... I came here as a post Final meal and it was definitely the right decision. The pho [7/10] was definitely good, though due to personal preferences, not my favorite. But the garlic fries [10/10] ... WAS HEAVENLY Everyone should try their fries!!! Their service is definitely amazing! Always checking in on us, and making sure we are getting the best service possible! The overall place is well lit and very organize. I saw there is a waitlist during rush hours, but it is not too bad to come and try their fries read more
2 months ago
Pretty decent looking place with nice seating and space. We were greeted immediately and sat down right away. My friend ordered their brisket pho I ordered the filet mignon garlic noodles. Their noodles and meat were fantastic. Super tasty super tender. 10 out of 10. read more
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22641 Lake Forest Dr
Ste B1
Lake Forest, CA 92630
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(949) 328-9566
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