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    Pho Mai Cali

    4.7 (411 reviews)
    ModerateVietnamese
    Open 9:30 am - 2:00 pm, 3:00 PM - 8:30 PM

    Order Pho Mai Cali Takeout or Delivery

    Pho Mai Cali Photos

    Business Info

    PHO MAI CALI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Happy hour specials
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Pho Mai Cali

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    coffee
    Huy T.

    we've ordered their Pho togo a couple times, pretty impressed by the broth and portion of meat & Pho. finally got a chance to dine in today, they have a very good selection of drinks & coffee as well

    Everything delicious!!! Especially the Thai tea
    Erin S.

    Everything delicious especially the Thai tea! Great customer service, and Spicy beef pho also recommended !!

    Bun Cha Hanoi
    Christine T.

    Came specifically for their bun cha hanoi dish after seeing a tik tok video. The broth was a little too sweet for my liking but the thit nuong was delicious. The meatballs however I wish had more seasoning and fat. They were a bit too lean for my liking. I also got the spring rolls and vietnamese coffee. Their spring rolls are definitely on the lighter side because it was mostly filled with lettuce and veggies. Their peanut sauce was just ok. Needed more housin sauce - it was a little light in flavor. The coffee is definitely stronger than most places which I don't mind but is a little on the sweeter side. Will have to come back though to try the pho and dry pho. Dry pho is hard to come by so will definitely need to try it.

    Hanoi Style Beef Pho
    Gabriel W.

    The wings were the star of the show. Really tasty wings with a light but crunchy potato starch batter similar to Korean fried chicken with a sweet soy sauce and fish sauce glaze all stir fried perfectly with white onions, red peppers and jalapeños. You can definitely taste the wok fry in the onions and peppers. The sweet garlic wings are a must try. The Hanoi pho had a sweeter broth but still savory and beefy. You don't taste as much of the flavor of the typical pho spices - cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, coriander. They kind of linger more in the background so if you like more of the sweeter less savory broth this one is for you. I think they do use some MSG in their broth, but it's wayyyy less than places like Pho Van. They use fresh rice noodles which are wider noodles that are traditionally used in Vietnam and they have a better texture in my opinion than the regular thin western pho noodles. The pieces of beef were very tender. Overall I will definitely be back to try their other flavors of wings and other things on the menu!

    It's authentic and very aromatic Pho

    I love the Dried Phở here. It's authentic and very aromatic. The Stone bowl is very interesting experience to eat pho.

    Spicy beef pho

    My favorite Pho in Santee! Always very clean, great service, and very tasty! Just tried the new spicy beef pho, it has great flavor and spice!

    P1. Mai Cali Pho
    Vivian T.

    Ventured out to Santee as my family heard from others about this place. There were some unique items that caught my attention and we made our way to the restaurant on Sunday evening. Nem Nuong Spring Rolls (3.5/5): The shrimp patty was a bit dry and thin, but the peanut sauce was creamy. Ube Iced Coffee (3.5/5): Pretty to look at, but once mixed you taste a subtle taro flavor that does need a good mix or else it is just milky. I liked the combination but not enough to order it again. Pho Mai Cali (4/5): The broth is piping hot and remains hot in their stone pot, which is a plus! Their pho noodle is a wide flat noodle and cooks very fast as you drop them in, they are ready in an instant. The assortment of fatty brisket and lean meats was plentiful. The best part was that giant bone in the pot as it was soft and tender. I definitely think this bowl was worth the splurge. Pho Mai Cali is a modern twist on pho while still keeping the traditional taste of their pho. It was a different but unique experience for the hot stone pho and the portions were generous! I would recommend it if you're in Santee!

    Salt and pepper chicken wings
    Icè E.

    My son new favorite place for chicken wings. He love the sauce and crispy. Service is always great, the restaurant is always clean included the bathroom.

    Egg Noodle (Combo)
    Julie G.

    I have been here before but got the pho and that is delish but I got the combo egg noodle dish and the flavors were so well put together! It came with a side of broth soup. Most def recommend!!!

    Uncle and is humongous House Special House Bbq Vermicelli Bowl
    Wyn H.

    The food is delicious! So flavorful! And the portions are take half home humongous! We ordered the Goi Cuon original spring rolls. Uncle's favorite at every Vietnamese restaurant. He said "Fresh! Yes very fresh." I got the Nem Noung pork rolls. They were exactly how I like them. Slightly charred for a sweet Smokey flavor. Hubby tried the egg noodles with shrimp. Delicate flavors that allowed princess to keep his slim figure. It came with a side of the most fragrant soup that of course he politely slurped with pinky out. I ordered the Mango salad with BBQ shrimp. We fought over this dish. I can see why it's a best seller! Unc got the house special vermicelli bowl. Came with Bbq pork, Bbq shrimp and eggrolls. Unc said "Delightful! Yes, Delightful!!" Next time he is ordering the Mango Salad.

    Pho rare steak
    Steph T.

    Great service, great ambiance, but most importantly delicious food! This is place was e recommend to me by a friend since I was looking for a new pho place around the area and I'm so impressed! The soup has so much flavor and their egg rolls are so fresh!

    Kim ..

    This place has amazing Northern Vietnamese food! The flavors here are very unique and taste authentic. The chef is from Hanoi and created delicious dishes from his hometown. As someone who is Vietnamese, this is one of the best Vietnamese restaurants out here in the San Diego county. Not only do the dishes have unique twist on what I'm used to getting, the flavors are very distinct. The service was straightforward and the staff was very efficient. The restaurant is very family friendly and can accommodate large groups. Everything was well kept, clean, and organized. Popular menu items to try! Sweet garlic chicken wings Fried bao bun Bun cha Ha Noi Taro coffee You really need to try it out for yourself! I highly recommend this place!

    House Special Pho.  Beef, chicken and shrimp.

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    Photo of Kim P.
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    21 days ago

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    1 month ago

    this is my to go to place always for sum pho!! the environment, service and food is great.

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    Toby N.

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    24 days ago

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    Toby N.

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    2 days ago

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    7 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    2 months ago

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    Toby N.

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    24 days ago

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    Toby N.

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    5 days ago

    Service was incredible! I love eating pho here, so flavorful. I love their fried calamari too!

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    25 days ago

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    Toby N.

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    4 months ago

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    4 months ago

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    Toby N.

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    10 months ago

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    4 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Love this spot! My family has been coming here for a long time. The pho broth is very flavorful! Great service!

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    6 months ago

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    Toby N.

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    5 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    1 month ago

    The sizzling Pho bowl is really good and bun cha Ha Noi is amazing. Would come back to try other dishes

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    Toby N.

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    7 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    22 days ago

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    2 years ago

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    5 months ago

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    25 days ago

    Amazingly good Pho. Outstanding service, food, and clean facility. Top notch, best in San Diego.

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    Toby N.

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    7 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    8 months ago

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    3 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    6 months ago

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    Page 1 of 11

    Pho Mai Cali Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Pho Mai Cali

    Are the noodles in your pho thick or thin?

    Thin rice noodles

    I'm looking at your menu. I'm curious if you have any vegan options? I'm viewing a menu from eight months ago on Yelp. One of the items on the menu is vegetarian spring roll and shrimp is listed as an ingredient. Was that a mistake on the menu?

    They have a vegetarian only menu!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Streets Pho & Grill

    Streets Pho & Grill

    4.8
    (206 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    I think they are better than Pho ca do. We'll we've gone twice now and get so wrapped up in eating…read morethat I forget to review lol. Pros: * Delicious pho; we like the rare steak * Great apps; the spring roll is fresh and the fried roll is crunchy * Friendly staff * Clean restaurant Cons: * N/A Extra: * Lots of parking * Single unisex bathroom

    We were in Santee running errands and visited Streets on a Saturday night. When we arrived it was…read morefairly busy, tables full, but no customers waiting yet. We were seated along the wall which had booth seating, which I prefer. For drinks I ordered a Thai tea no boba and the hubs a coke. We order the following items for dinner: Appetizers - - Crispy egg rolls - with pork (4 pieces) - served with veggies and fish sauce, these were tasty. - Salt pepper chicken wings - (8 pieces) they were a tad over fried but flavor was good. - Spring rolls - (2 pieces) with pork and shrimp, we ordered these Togo. Hubs enjoyed these for a late evening snack. Entrees - - Combination fried rice - chicken, shrimp and cha siu (Chinese bbq pork) I liked the flavoring of the fried rice - it was not bland, but I did mix in a tiny bit of hoisin sauce. - Pho rare steak - overloaded with green onions and cilantro. We always order pho but I really wasn't feeling it that evening, so it was all the hubs. If you love tons of green onions and cilantro, get it! The broth had a really strong flavoring of the cilantro. Overall dinner was fairly good. Seemed like there were regular customers that visited often. Staff were super nice and friendly. Parking lot was not packed at all. If in the area, I'd visit again. 2026: 7

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Spring rolls
    Spring rolls
    Classic spring rolls and passionfruit green tea with boba

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    Classic spring rolls and passionfruit green tea with boba
    Pho Van

    Pho Van

    4.5
    (350 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    My son took my daughter and I out to eat here last night, and it was such a great experience from…read morestart to finish. The service was excellent the moment we walked in and continued all the way until we left. The entire floor staff were friendly, attentive, and incredibly hardworking--especially as the dinner rush picked up. You could really see them hustling, but they never missed a beat. The food was just as impressive as the service. We started with the shrimp and beef spring rolls with fish sauce, which are always a must for us. For our mains, we ordered a variety of rice platter dishes including grilled shrimp, BBQ pork, BBQ chicken, egg rolls, and a BBQ beef banh mi sandwich--everything was flavorful and satisfying. One thing that really stood out was our waiter, who memorized our entire order without writing anything down--very impressive! I also placed a to-go order for the #99 platter, and everything came out quickly and accurately. We were in and out in under an hour and a half, even during peak dinner time. When the service is exceptional everything else follows! Overall, a fantastic dining experience with great food and exceptional service!!!!

    No one addressed us for almost 5 min in the door. Then a…read moreguy seats us, throws the menus on the table and walks away, never speaking one word to us. Then as I'm watching them work, the older guy is preparing the tins with spoons and places his fingers on the spoons and the sauce plates. As I'm watching him a young kid grabs a bowl to bring to a customer next to us and he uses his bare hand to wipe out the bowl, obviously seeing something in the bowl. And hands it to the customer. The health and safety board needs to indirect this place. The tables were wiped but you could still see grease remnants from left over food on the table. The lack of sanitary practices gets an " F" rating. It is obvious no one has a food handlers certificate. One plate came out and had to wait over 5 min for next plate to Come out. If you keep your eyes closed and don't watch what they are doing here, you probably think their food is great. We won't ever come here again.

    Photos
    Hoisin, sriracha, condiments, utensils
    Hoisin, sriracha, condiments, utensils
    Pho Van
    Pho Van

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    Saigon Star

    Saigon Star

    3.9
    (845 reviews)
    8.6 mi
    $$

    Saigon Star is the standard. Period. This is the best pho…read moreI've had -- not just "good," not just "solid" -- the best. Every time I think about trying another pho spot, I don't. Why would I downgrade? THE BÁNH MÌ BREAD IS REALLY CRISPY (NOT SOGGY). some of the less-than-5-star reviews are @#%% RIDICULOUS! People complain about the smallest, most ridiculous things. One night I was having dinner there and a "KAREN" was complaining because the credit card machine temporarily wasn't working. What exactly were they supposed to do -- magically fix technology on the spot? s**** happend! Meanwhile, another guy stepped in trying to calm the situation down and be the peacemaker. Honestly, that moment said more about the complaining than it did about the restaurant. Maybe I should leave a review on the behavior of some customers instead. This isn't fast food -- this is culture, tradition, and hard work! I love Vietnamese people in general and employ some of them . Their families take pride in what they do, and it shows.!!! If you're looking for authentic, high-quality Vietnamese food made with care, this is it. I'll keep coming back. Every time.

    Love coming to Saigon star for a quick and easy dinner in my neighborhood. I've ate here many times…read moreand the food and service are both always consistent. The pho broth is well flavored, not too fatty or greasy, the noodles are always cooked perfectly and they do not hold back when it comes to the serving of meat in your bowl. The ambiance is really cute and homey as well. There's always many people eating but it's never packed/never has a wait. There servers are always so sweet. They come by to check on you and as soon as your water is empty they bc old around with a new one.

    Photos
    Saigon Star
    Char Grilled Pork Spring Rolls (Gi Cun Tht Nng) (2)
    Char Grilled Pork Spring Rolls (Gi Cun Tht Nng) (2)
    Vegetable Stir Fried Delight Plate (Cm Rau Ci Xo) with Chicken

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    Vegetable Stir Fried Delight Plate (Cm Rau Ci Xo) with Chicken

    Pho Mai Cali - vietnamese - Updated June 2026

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