With their Chef born and raised in Hanoi, Vietnam, you best know that they serve up authentic flavors straight from the Motherland from the North to the South! Tried a bunch of things and this place did not disappoint! I've gone twice now, once with a friend, and another time with my family. Both times the service was great. I felt welcomed as if I'm entering a family's home to sit and enjoy a delicious meal. Very attentive! What I've tried so far... Drinks: -Guava tea Refreshing and sweet. Tastes like guava! It had jellies where it has slight chew to it and fun to play with -Lychee lemonade Refreshing and slightly tart and also had the chewy jelly on the bottom! -Thai Tea Milky, sweet, strong tea flavor. -Taro coffee Strong Vietnamese coffee with the sweetness of the taro making it creamy and almost vanilla flavor -Marble coffee Strong Vietnamese coffee with sweetened oat milk. The oat gives it a sweetness but also a rich and creaminess to the drink. Dishes: -The dino bone. This part has chunky tendon and bone marrow that is part of the cow's knee bone!! They only have a limited quantity for the week. YES I SAID FOR THE WEEK! They only have a few depending on availability. AND they use this and cook it over 10hrs for that flavorful hearty broth. Melts in your mouth and a few parts chewy. Gotta suck that bone marrow out because ya know the collagen is good for your skin, hair, and nails. Even though it looks crazy to tackle with, they give you gloves and scissors to use. -Sweet garlic chicken wing (glazed with fish sauce) It was lightly battered and super crispy! There's a lot of flavor that is bursting in your mouth from the fish sauce. You got the sweet, the savory, and the umami. -Shaken Beef Fries (bell peppers, jalapeño, garlic, green onions) Super flavorful! And you can't taste the Smokey char-ness of the fries! Beef was nice and tender! -Com Ga Hai Nam (Hainanese chicken was made with chicken rice, poached chicken, ginger-garlic sauce, pickled veggies) They used the chicken broth to make the rice! The rice was flavorful. The chicken nice and tender, not dry at all. The sauce was punchy just how I like it. And the pickled veggies gives it a nice crunch to the dish but also refreshing. -Fried bao bun (served with sweet and sour sauce) Lightly crispy on the outside, pillowy squishy soft on the inside. Nice tang to the dipping sauce! -Veggie Egg Rolls (tofu, carrots, taro, glass noodles) Delicious, crispy, and it came with lettuce where i can wrap and dip it into the fish sauce -Fried Squid This was one of my faves! Crispy, not too chewy, batter was light. We almost ordered two more of these between me and my cousins. -Crab Fried Rice (crab meat, egg, green onions, seasoning sauce) Fried rice cooked right, not mushy not dry. Flavorful and savory with bits of crab meat. I can't wait to go back again! There's more dishes I want to try! Gotta bring the gang for sure! read more

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My friends and I came here a few months ago and it was hands down the best pho I've ever had. The broth is so good with a deep and bold flavor. The Mai Pho is a must - I can't bring myself to try anything else but I am positive they would be just as delicious. The service and ambience are just remarkable as well. It's a clean place that serves honest to God delicious food. I'm back here again and trying the carpaccio. I can't wait! read more

Best Pho I've ever had. Highly recommend the Hanoi style pho. The meat is so tender and the broth is amazing. Will be coming back soon for another visit!! read more

Pho Mai Cali - Hanoi Style Beef Pho Obviously it was delicious - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

I am writing to express my disappointment regarding the customer service I received at your establishment earlier today during lunch. After working since 3:00 AM, I requested to have my meal served in a bowl rather than a plate. The employee was very rude and dismissed my request, stating, "We don't do that here." When I then asked to substitute noodles for rice he refused that request as well. As a paying customer, I found this lack of flexibility and poor attitude very frustrating. I hope you will look into this matter to ensure better service in the future. read more

This place has been opened for 4 years and can't believe we just discovered it in Santee. I haven't found a place that offers northern pho in SD. They have it here! It's the P3 Ha Noi style beef w fried garlic pho. We ordered: P1 Pho Mai Special ($19.99): Each item came out separately. A plate for meat, a bowl for broth, a plate for noodles and a plate for veggies. You pour the broth in yourself. Cool to try this once but I'm lazy and prefer it in one bowl. We also ordered a side of Dino bone ($15.99): Huge bone marrow which was all fat and tough cartilage. Looks good for show, but nothing for the tummy. P4 filet mignon pho ($17.99): We really enjoyed the pho broth which is better than most places. The filet was soft and thin. You get choice of large or thin vermicelli noodles. We got large. We always eat the bagel twists ($2.99) to dip with the pho broth. R1 Special combo rice plate ($16.99): pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, egg rolls was all flavorful. I just wished it was broken rice. N4 Special combo stir fry flat rice noodles ($16.99): This dish was average. I prefer more char but the protein portions were generous. The drinks looked tempting so we got marble coffee and taro coffee. Both are too sweet for my liking but very rich and creamy in coffee. They gave us a complimentary mini bottle of Martinellis apple juice on our way out. Plenty of parking in this plaza. We will be back to try other dishes. read more

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You have to check out Pho Mai Cali. This is the best pho spot in Santee. And the spring rolls are phenomenal!!!!! read more

Pho Mai Cali - Shrimp and pork spring rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

Helpful and nice customer service thank you! Hope to come back to visit again in next trip!!@ read more

Love this pho spot! The broth tasted really clean and delicious and had generous portions of their meat. We ordered their egg rolls which were really crispy and juicy! Will def come back again read more

Pho Mai Cali - Rare steak fatty brisket and egg rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

My friends and I dragged our dehydrated bodies to pho mai cali after a morning of hiking and we were famished. The pho I had here may have changed my life! The restaurant is spacious and clean, and not busy at all for weekend lunch. They slowly filled up as we dined. I saw that they had hot stone pho!! with beef rib!! and immediately ordered it. Water carafe and pho toppings came out quickly. I love that we each got individual plates of bean sprouts, jalapenos, and herbs, all of which were clean and fresh. Our pho followed shortly after. And what a sight it was! A massive plate of raw steak and cooked brisket, arranged in flat, concentric circles with piles of green onion and onion on top. A bowl of glossy rice noodles, wider-cut than I am accustomed to. And the piece de resistance, a huge tureen of broth still bubbling and gleaming with beef fats, with a giant beef rib curving out of it. I added the raw beef and my aromatics, letting them get to know each other for a bit before tasting my broth. This pho broth was INCREDIBLE. Rich, silky beef broth with amazingly complex flavor and the perfect hint of sweetness. I loved being able to add noodles a bit at a time to keep them from getting too soggy. The broth clung perfectly to the wider rice noodles, though my only minor complaint is that the noodles are cooked just a bit too soft for me. The meat was perfectly tender, and I loved the rib meat! It wasn't crazily seasoned but pretty tender and great with sriracha/hoisin. For $20, this was a bit pricier than my usual pho but my god was it worth it. The portions were huge and there was honestly more meat than there was noodles. I took my leftover broth to go and it was just as good a day later with some vermicelli. I will definitely be making the trek back to Pho Mai Cali next time I am craving an excellent, piping hot pho on a cold, rainy day! read more

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Mom and I ended our adventurous girls bonding day at Pho Maicali. We split a really yummy bang mi sandwich and ginormous bowl of pho tai rare steak. For us this was a real treat as we can't convince dad to join when we eat out. This was the perfect "soup and sandwich" combo for us! There was sooooo much we had to take some home! Inside is quiet so we could have a great conversation and staff was friendly although constantly busy! Overall we enjoyed this soft music quiet ending to a crazy but wonderful day! We'll be back! read more

Pho Mai Cali - P8. Rare Steak Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

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This is one of my go-to pho places. Great place, especially their appetizers. The fried calamari is amazing. Their pho is also delicious but i wish they offered tendon. Good broth. Great service and nice people. read more

Pho Mai Cali - Fried Calamari. Beef Rib & Fatty Brisket Pho. Matcha Latte - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

We've been here many times and the food is always delicious. When we dine in, the service has always been great. The decor is nice and modern unlike other pho spots where it's feels like you've time traveled to the 70s. read more

Pho Mai Cali - Left to right: Lychee Lemonade, Matcha Latte, Marble Coffee - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

I loved everything we tried here. We started with the taro coffee and it was strong and refreshing! We also had the dino bone pho, rice vermicelli noodles with beef and eggrolls, sweet garlic chicken wings, and the shaken chicken fries. The wings were so flavorful and had the perfect amount of spice. The vermicelli noodles were light and delicious as well. The chicken fries came with an egg and were delightful, but the fries were more like potato squares. I really liked the green sauce it came with. The pho with dino bones hit the spot and had a good broth aroma. They even handed us scissors to cut into the meat. Overall, the dishes were great and service was friendly and attentive. read more

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Truly one of the best pho spots in SD! My friends and I drove 30+ minutes for this spot and always try to stop by whenever we are in east county. We ordered the mango salad with shrimp, beef carpaccio, and Mai Cali Pho. All the dishes were delicious and portion sizes were huge. The fresh herbs and fruit contrasted beautiful with the smokey grilled shrimp in the mango salad. Highly recommend ordering the Mai Cali Pho. The quality of the meat and broth is excellent and easily can extend into a second meal. read more

Pho Mai Cali - Beef Carpaccio - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

Food is delicious! Generous portions and super fresh. The customer service is great. We were greeted upon entering, seated promptly and order taken quickly. It is a nice quiet spot. read more

Pho Mai Cali - House BBQ Vermicelli Bowl - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

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Our "Go To" spot for Pho and Bahn Mi in Santee. Good food, atmosphere and service. Highly recommend! read more

Pho Mai Cali - Menu QR code - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

We had the Sizzling Beef Plate and it came with a Bahn Mi bun. It was really good, the plate came with beef chunks, two runny eggs and fries. Satisfied my craving for the night. We also had the spring rolls that came with a savory and tasty peanut sauce. Overall 10/10! read more

Pho Mai Cali - Sizzling Beef Steak - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

Best Vietnamese food in Santee and SD honestly. Bomb ass food and drinks. Definitely my go to place when I want pho and spring rolls. Always great and respectful service whenever I dine in or take out. Clean and awesome ambiance. Check them out !! read more

Pho Mai Cali - Matcha - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

Pho mai cali is the best pho in santee!!! I come here with my girls a lot and we laways such have a good time and great service! read more

Best matcha latte and rib pho in town! Ambiance is very nice. Super fast and very polite service. read more

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The food here is incredibly authentic and delicious! Each dish is unique, bursting with flavor, and always served fresh. Without a doubt, the best Vietnamese food in Santee! Their bun cha tastes just like the ones in Hanoi. The service is fast and friendly, making it the perfect spot for a quick, satisfying meal. This has become my go to place for lunch! read more

Pho Mai Cali - Bun Cha - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

Clean, modern feel. Modern decor and good lofi music playing on one of the three tv's. QR code menu and comfortable seats. The rare steak pho tastes great! Well made broth and the ingredients were well prepared. The staff is young and helpful. I recommend Pho Mai Cali for a business lunch because of privacy curtains giving a perfect level of privacy. read more

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Great! Good food. The crab friend rice was spectacular. The only thing I can not stand is a TV playing in a restaurant. This place has chef influencer tv going while you are eating and takes away from the experience. The food and service is amazing though. read more

Honestly? This is a very underrated Pho restaurant. If you want a filling meal that won't break your bank, get the Rare Steak Pho ($14), add a few swirls of Sriracha and Hoisin sauce, add the lime, Thai basil, bean sprouts, and Jalapeños (if you like spice). Mix well until the noodles and ingredients are evenly distributed and enjoy. You will leave full and happy out the door for less than a trip to Denny's. Waiters were very personable and seemed genuinely happy to see me. Their laughter and banter was enjoyable background sound and I found myself feeling like a valued customer. With beautiful marbled tables, TVs with a variety of food shows on, and some light music in the background, it's easy to say this place is perfect for a nice trip with friends. When I went, it was empty and I honestly have no clue why. If you have the time, stop on by and try a taste of high quality Vietnamese cuisine. Side note: If you enjoy Taro and coffee, try the Taro coffee and thank me later. read more

Always come for Pho especially when its cold, but we wanted some even when its hot outside! You gotta get the beef rib. The meat is so tender and its so good! Tried the vermicelli bowl for first time and it was great! Came with shrimp, beef and chicken and plenty of egg roll to share, if your not hangry. The service is always fast and kind. read more

Pho Mai Cali - Top is pho with Beef Rib & Fatty Brisket Pho. Bottom is House Bbq Vermicelli Bowl - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

My foodie friend and I trekked out to Pho Mai Cali in November 2023. We heard a bunch of good things about this place and wanted to try it out. We tried a bunch of different things on the menu: - Marble Coffee - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=44PcTb55LiU5QKEJ1nci8Q&userid=NvUeb5G_mSSxgKhEE_Hueg - Taro Coffee - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=44PcTb55LiU5QKEJ1nci8Q&userid=NvUeb5G_mSSxgKhEE_Hueg - Fried Squid - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=nnZox7DDZaC0-E5J2Y_sfg&userid=NvUeb5G_mSSxgKhEE_Hueg - Chicken Wings - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=VCTayIDNIqTqwknGOHWW8w&userid=NvUeb5G_mSSxgKhEE_Hueg - Beef Rib Pho - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=fHqTC7jm89ghBA1Cb4Hfgg&userid=NvUeb5G_mSSxgKhEE_Hueg - Dino Bone Pho - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=15dr-WNMZ_K02JQwNgIVGg&userid=NvUeb5G_mSSxgKhEE_Hueg - Lobster Pho - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=3XWqgOoiwAJ8TyrS3iQGZg&userid=NvUeb5G_mSSxgKhEE_Hueg My faves? Marble Coffee, Fried Squid, and the Beef Rib Pho. The Dino Bone Pho and Lobster Pho are good too but you need some patience to work with it (which I don't have)!! Bone broth is really delicious. Service is excellent. Definitely worth a trip!! ENJOY!! read more

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The restaurants vibe is really relaxing and quiet. We didn't wait long for the food and the food was really good. we were impressed with the BBQ plate and the eggrolls. read more

Pho Mai Cali - House Bbq Vermicelli Bowl - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

Great experience! The pho was delicious the service was excellent, and I loved the decor and the TVs showing pictures of the food .It really helps you know what you're going to order. The restaurant was clean and welcoming. I'll definitely be back! read more

First time here and the place and staffs are amazing, very professional and friendly services. I highly recommended Pho Mai is a go to restaurant in Santee, San Diego. read more

Pho Mai Cali - Best Seller Pho (Hot Stone Pho) - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

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

Expect amazing hospitality at Pho Mai Cali and a wide range of dishes. And they have a convenient location in Santee also. My friend loved everything we got also. I sadly didn't try Pho and but the mango salad was lovely !! A short video of the experience : https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2MJeU0uf4k/ read more

Pho Mai Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

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The food was amazing, each dish full of flavor and super well prepared. Without a doubt one of the best places I have ever eaten, 100% recommended! read more

Pho Mai Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

We've been here a handful of times and every time the food is awesome. The pho broth is very flavorful with umami flavor. The service is better each time. read more

If you like overpriced pho. This is the place for you. There are some of the best Pho restaurants in Santee. This place doesn't have the same quality but it tries to give you an experience of being upscale. That's why they charge so much. I would look elsewhere if you like better tasting pho that is affordable. read more

I always come back for the stone pot pho! I am glad that I have found one in SD. A bit out of the way but has ample parking spaces.

The food was good, service was better. I just feel like as far as the Pho goes I have been to places that are far better but I still enjoyed it. read more

Amazing food and now the best Matcha Latte around. 10/10 in taste and service. Ty Jaden and staff for always being the best. read more

Pho Mai Cali - PMC has a new Matcha Latte. Don't miss out and come try it. Best food in Santee and now best Matcha Latte's. 10/10!!!! - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

Food is yummy, very organized and pretty menu. Atmosphere is great with pretty decoration! Good service! Clean restroom! The only thing is it was too hot inside even the AC is on. But would definately come back and hopelly next time when we come will cooler! But they gave us a free fried bun Overall: 9.5/10 read more

Pho Mai Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California

Came here for lunch with family and the expirenece was great! One of the servers offered us to try the new matcha latte and it was so yummy! The matcha flavor wasn't the strongest, but it still was enjoyable 3.5/5 stars in my personal opinion. But you MUST try the lychee lemonade! this is my favorite place to get it from. It is on the sweeter side but so refreshing to have along side pho. I'm usually a Chicken Pho girl, but this restaurant solely has me ordering the well done steak pho everytime. The broth is so rich and savory. I'm from the Bay Area where pho is almost on every corner... this place reminds me of home. I highly recommend this place to everyone wanting a good bowl of pho, respectful service, and yummy drinks ! read more

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Place is really good!!! Try the BBQ Vermicelli! Delicious. Staff is nice and attentive as well if you dine in ;) read more

Pho Mai Cali - Vietnamese Near Me - Santee, California