I created this Yelp account after I read so many disrespectful and nonsense comments from some of you for this restaurant. Somebody has to stand up for these businesses!!! This is what happens when you never hear the word "NO" growing up. I love love love this restaurant. Food is great. Service is great. Yes of course, sometimes the foods are not as good as the usual, but that's normal for any restaurants. We are all humans. We cannot keep 100% quality at all times. Even when you go to a 5-star restaurant, you will be faced with this reality. Get over it! For those people who complain how the prices went up or the quantity went down, you should just stay at home and cook your own food. For some of us who don't have our head up so deep in b*tth*le, we know that prices EVERYWHERE have gone up ever since pandemic. In order for restaurants and other businesses to survive, they need to either increase the price or reduce the quantity. For those who keep saying this is your favorite restaurant but then again you complain about the quantity or the price or both, COOK AT HOME THEN!!! Here is Economy 101. Businesses exist to make money. I know that it's a BIG SURPRISE for some of you. If they don't make money, they will close. If you don't understand that, maybe you should go back to school. I really hope more people stand up for what's right. Not just for this restaurant, for others as well (whether they are restaurants, car wash, etc). I see so many complaints but rarely anyone defend them. read more

Been coming here since they opened before Covid & is my go to for service, convenience & price. But I slower see the impact of the cost of living & eating out bc their pho bowl meatball was cut in half vs. before you got about 4 whole meatballs & steak slices were sparse. Flavor was on point. Orders: Eggroll-beautifully crisp, filled w/vegetables & meat, this is a great appetizer we haven't gotten in a while & it didn't disappoint. Pho Rare Steak & Meatball- full of flavor in the broth but as mentioned before it was surprising to see my meatballs cut. Steak was sparse but good. Pho Play is convenient & fast & a place visit periodically. read more

Pho Play - Pho Rare Steak & Meatballs - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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We (party of 3) came across Pho Play after Church. We were hungry and it was noontime. Parking here is a nightmare during rush hour, parking lot of very small, very small space so we parked on the street. It was very busy and packed. They have a good variety of pho, appetizers and drinks. I enjoyed my meal but as this is not an upscale restaurant, it was a little on the pricier end. I would come back if I'm craving pho and if I'm in Castro Valley, but I would go out of my way to dine here. Overpriced and parking can be tough, there is better pho elsewhere. read more

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It used to be 5 stars. Prices went up, good got a bit saltier and not did they cut back on what you get for this increased process. My wife ordered won Tom soup.. it comes with 6. 6 won tons.... 6 won tons for $17.50. The pho.. half of what they used to give in noodles. Yeah.. not what they used to be. I won't even go into the spring rolls. . Definitely better places for the price. read more

When you arrive you order at the counter and then they tell you where to sit to wait for your food. The cashier was nice and patient since it was our first time coming. Music is nice and the area is spacious and clean. The food presentation was appealing and the food taste was of good quality. Wish my egg wasn't so cooked and maybe more fish sauce. read more

Pho Play - Pork chops - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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This is my family's local go-to for fresh Vietnamese food. The service is friendly and quick. They always get my order right. They have vegan pho broth! My very favorite is the grilled shrimp bao-- gently spiced with a variety of different flavors in wonderfully puffy & chewy open bao bread. The indoor dining room has a relaxed vibe, plus there's outdoor seating. Parking is plentiful. read more

I came to this restaurant once before during dinner time and had to sit on the tall chairs since it was very busy. I dislike the tall chairs as I'm not very tall, and it is uncomfortable for me to sit on those chairs. This time I came mid afternoon so the place had customers, but it wasn't crowded. We were able to sit at a regular table. The regular tables have bench and chair seating. There are also outdoor tables. I ordered the beef broth pho rare steak noodle soup. The flavor was good. However, the noodle was vermicelli. For some reason, I thought it was coming with egg noodles, which I prefer. Parking was okay. During busy times, one may have to park further away from the restaurant in the parking lot. read more

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Been going to this spot for a while now! Always clean and the workers are super nice. Food is served quickly and tastes so good. Sometimes I'll complicate my orders and they always get it right. Always impressed! Was a little cold outside today so I swung by to warm up with some brisket and flank pho! read more

Pho Play - Pho with brisket and flank - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Where have I been all this time? This place is very cute and clean! Once enter, you get in line, order and pay then the cashier will assign you a table and they will deliver food to you. I stopped by on Tuesday lunch and it wasn't too busy. I ordered pho seafood and was amazed by the seafood I received! The seafood weren't tiny like other spots. Will definitely go back there again and try other menus including boba tea :) Forgot to mention that I ordered Togo and the packaging was great! read more

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Food was great and plenty! Service was kind and accommodating and the ambiance was very nice! read more

Pho Play - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Castro Valley is lacking knowledge of Pho. We came here after I picked up my kids from school. Flavor was lacking. Pork Banh Mi 3.5/5 Even tho the sandwich was big it was lacking taste. Chicken rice plate 3.5/5 Chicken was also lacking flavor. Great portion! Beef Pho 3.5/5 Good portions of beef. Broth flavor was there but not enough. Service was good. Place was clean. Some what busy during lunch on a Wednesday afternoon around 12pm. read more

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Check your food before you eat it! I come here all the time with my family. Every experience has been great until recently. When the food came on our most recent visit, I smelled a strong rancid meat smell. I'm pregnant and my husband ordered pork belly for the first time so I thought it was just my pregnant nose not liking pork. Well, my son nearly choked on the meat in his pho and after we pulled the piece of meat out of his throat he didn't want to eat the soup anymore but we didn't think anything of it. We thought it was just the scare of choking. A little later I couldn't ignore the smell anymore because my husband had finished the pork belly and the smell has still lingering. I brought my sons kids pho bowl up to my nose and nearly threw up. The smell was coming from the meat in his bowl. I got up to tell the lady and she just said, "I'll tell the people in the back." No apologies, no refund, not even an acknowledgment of the smell. read more

The pho always taste incredible! All the food comes out hot and fast! I didn't get tofu as I'm personally not a fan but the veggies were so fresh! I also love the strawberry tea it's a perfect combo of sweet and strong. I would recommend people to stop by and try their pho or even their spring rolls! I didn't order it this time but their peanut sauce taste so good! The service is always very quick! The style of this restaurant is very clean with a modern twist. read more

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Great place to get Pho in the bay area! There is plenty of seating and it follows the order first sit down after style of service. I got the pho rare steak and brisket. I also got a taro milk tea. The broth is really good and also their noodles have a nice bite to them. The boba was also really good, seems they make fresh honey boba as when I got it, it had that fresh mochi bite to it. Definitely glad it isn't too far from my home as this definitely fulfills my pho craving. read more

Pho Play - Pho Rare Steak and Brisket - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

first time here and enjoying it on new year's eve. place is quite spacious with nice ambiance. staffs are ok. the system is order at cashier, pay, and sit. they will serve the foods to your table. i will say the pho play tastes great. broth is quite rich and comes with lots of meats, tripe, meatballs, and tendons. price is average. recommended noodle!!! i will for sure come back again to try their bun bo hue next time... read more

Pho Play - Pho Play... - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

One my go to Pho places in the Bay! We went here on a Monday afternoon. Surprisingly a lot of tables were already filled. They seemed to have added Chicken Pho on their menu. We decided to get the Pork Vermicelli bowl and a side of Chicken pho broth. We didn't have to wait long for our food. Also their portions were still huge. We were able to feed two people with the vermicelli. Overall the food was still good. There was a good amount of meat and veggies. read more

Pho Play - pork vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Located in a large plaza next to Safeway, there is plenty of parking. You order at the front then select a table. I often feel awkward tipping before getting service. We never got waters and the staff did check in on us after bringing us our food. The bun bo hue broth was flavorful and had a decent variety of meats but there are definitely other spots (Pho Auntie) where you can get more bang for your buck. I order my son the shrimp pho and it was okay. I do admit, they do not play with their shrimp. They were huge prawns! Love that. read more

The food is always consistent and really good, the boba is cheap and good every time. read more

Pho Play - Chicken bahn mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I have been here many times. Always really enjoyed. Yesterday was not up to par. They seem to have changed the spring rolls. They were bland and no flavor. The roll for the bunh mi was stale. I'll give another chance, but 3 stars is generous. I'll chalk it up to a bad day, but honestly, if this was the first time, I would not go back. read more

1st time here..me and my friends had lunch. I had the shrimp bao buns and matcha green Thai tea. I also had half of my friends chicken Banh Mindor the 1st time. Everything was delicious and the service was fast. Definitely will b going back. read more

Pho Play - Shrimp bao bun Matcha green Thai Tea - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Cold - unwelcoming - the lady at the desk doesn't smile - and the lace is nice Inside with the color scheme. The seating is uncomfortable at our table no backs to the chairs- I sat on a bench. The food was fast and Luke warm. No flavor to my vegetable pho , I added chicken. It was like warm water was poured over vegetables. Which is ok I guess. ??? Really now ? I got a can of coke. Look at the menu - there maybe something you like. But . I'll stay clear for Now . Maybe I need to learn more about pho ... maybe I don't . read more

Unhappy with the quality of the meat and bread. Meat tastes like it has extra sodium, some kind of preservative, or is extra processed. Bread is super plain with no crunch or taste. Couldn't even finish half a sandwich. read more

Really great service , very attentive staff , broth was hearty and the egg rolls were awesome. Nice and calm vibe. read more

Pho Play - Pho Wonton Combo and a Matcha Green Thai Tea - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I was feeling under the weather and my husband surprised me with pho from here. I've had this spot bookmarked since we moved in the area, so I was really excited to try it finally. I got the Pho Brisket and Flank and it was the perfect portion. I've tried a few other spots that just overload on the noodles, but not here. There was a good amount of meat and I thought the broth tasted really clean. This was the perfect meal as I was sick and it actually brought my appetite back. Will definitely become our go-to spots for pho now! read more

The chicken pho was loaded with chicken and noodles. It truly exploded from the flavors of the broth and condiments. The pork vermicelli plate was loaded with flavorful pork a good amount of rice and salad. The passionfruit tea was a little too sweet but tasty. The service was fast so if you're going during lunch you'll have plenty of time. The ambience was quoted by smooth jazz. Highly recommend this spot. read more

Food - 2/5 Service - 1/5 Ambiance - 3/5 I usually go to another spot for Vietnamese food, but since it was closed today, I decided to check out Pho Play. First impression was that the space is clean, so things seemed promising. My husband and I ordered the beef brisket & tendon pho, egg rolls, and pork vermicelli. The food came out quickly, which was nice. We were pleasantly surprised by the generous portion of the pork vermicelli, but the disappointment hit hard when the pho arrived. The large bowl of pho came with just six tiny slices of brisket and four pieces of tendon. At $16, regardless of the type of protein or combination, I expected much more. A better pricing approach might be to charge more for combos while still providing a decent amount of meat. I was honestly shocked by how little meat was included. As we started eating, things got worse. The pork in the vermicelli was way too salty, and the noodles were dry, as if they had been sitting out for a while. The brisket in the pho was mediocre, and definitely not enough to make the dish satisfying. Then, I found a short black hair in one of my tendons. When I alerted the waitress, her immediate response was, "Oh yeah, it's super normal to have hair in tendon." Um... even if that's the case, shouldn't it have been removed before serving? I've ordered tendon at many Vietnamese places and have never found a hair in my food. The waitress took the tendon back to the kitchen, but instead of an apology or an explanation, another server came to our table and asked if we wanted them to cook a new bowl or offer us something to drink. By then, I had completely lost my appetite and declined. I was a bit thrown off by the lack of any apology or real concern over the situation. At that point, it was three or four strikes, and I knew I wouldn't be returning. read more

Pho Play - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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So my friend is vegan and wanted some soup and this place was close by. She was able to oder a vegetable based pho and an appetizer veggie spring roll. I got one of the steak pho and it was super good. The place is really clean. Staff was friendly. This place surprised me. I will be back. Really good food. read more

WOOOOWW Oh my goodness guys I know I always say this is the best thing ever this is the best thing ever but this place has THE BEST PHO AND VERMICELLI IVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE! I drove out here 2 times in 1 week that's how good it is! The first time I got the vermicelli bowl with lemongrass beef and shrimp along with a rare steak pho and oh my goodness... my mouth is watering thinking about how good it was!!! The portions are hugeeeeee!! You pay when you order and you can pick a table, they bring the food out pretty quick and it's SOOOO YUMMY!!!! The flavors of everything is PHENOMENAL!! read more

I've been to Pho Play a few times, and this last visit was honestly fantastic! I definitely over-ordered this time though. I got the kids' chicken pho with all the veggies, and it was loaded! Way more food than I needed, especially since I also got a chicken rice plate. I couldn't even finish the pho--I was totally stuffed. The portions are super generous, and everything tasted great. My wife really enjoyed her brisket pho too, so no complaints here! The place is clean, there's plenty of parking, and you can either dine in or order to-go. Even the bathrooms are generally clean. If you're craving pho, I definitely recommend this spot! read more

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First time here, heard great things from my cousin so decided to try this as it was on the way home. As a side note, you have to order first and then they tell you where to sit. It's a more casual restaurant to go to than a date spot or a place to go with your parents who would care more about looks than food. Anyways, it is a spacious place with a nicely simple menu and the type where you should go after some kind of hangover haha. I say that, because their broth whether it was for their pho or the chicken soups, tasted clear without having too much complicated flavors in it. Maybe I say that, because I sometimes feel a little nauseous after eating a bowl of pho since sometimes they're doing too much for the broth. I would describe theirs as clean. Nothing super special, but it's a decent place for pho. I can see why they're a 4/5 star place. It is a tad expensive as their soups are one size "large". It's a decent portion overall, personally would call it medium-large. As for their vermicelli bowl, um, I'm honestly conflicted. Anywhere you go, grilled pork and beef taste similar nevertheless where you go, but what they have tasted different in seasoning. I got their combo, pork and lemongrass beef, it seems more unnecessarily marinaded than the expected usual from grilled meats used in vietnamese restaurants. They also added a crispy sunny side up egg that most places don't do and it was great haha. The fish sauce doesn't make my throat itchy and not soo fishy, but its missing something. Overall, 4/5 stars make sense, but personally 3/5 stars. Their broths are good, food quality is okay, food arrived pretty dang fast, but tea also lacking. I would come back, maybe not for their vermicelli which was surprisingly big and bigger than their other dishes. On a last note, their service was fine. I also ordered their fish cakes, they were 5 pieces cut up with a side of pickled vegetables. They're not listed under appetizers, we asked if it was possible since they had fish cake available in their banh mi sandwiches. Not too bad either, a good addition to the food. Ordered no boba with my thai tea, can't change sweetness, but it wasn't too sweet and that's a good thing. Though it lacked the milky thickness a thai tea usually has, needed cream of some kind. Besides bringing out my to-go drinks a bit late, the staff were nice and refilled our waters twice. read more

Pho Play - Combo vermicelli - pork and beef lemongrass - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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I didn't like the overall experience at pho play. It's not what I expected. Pho broth is on salty side (way too much that my mom who usually finished that last drop didn't seem to be able to take any). The taro drink I ordered was a good thing after the hot day. I haven't tried the rice plate yet. Might swing by and get more drink. Price is on the high side which I can get more from typical tastier pho elsewhere. The challenge might be what people interests to be there. read more

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Great local area for Vietnamese food. I especially love their vermicelli bowls and salads here. It's a cute interior great for dinner and hanging out. Staff are really helpful as well. Overall definitely recommend read more

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The best Baos I've had in Castro Valley! I got the grilled chicken baos! Also, enjoyed my steak pho . Great service and great ambiance.

We were in the area and had to stop at our favorite pho spot! Still so tasty and fresh! Everything was great and service is friendly. Love that they have a couple tables outside because we had our dog with us :) read more

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Nice sit down Pho restaurant. The vibe is a little more modern and comfortable than traditional joints. The menu is on the wall when you enter, and you pay before sitting down. I got the pho with steak and tendon, steak on the side! $16 They told me a table #, I sat down, they immediately served water and the dish came out very quickly. About 2-3 minutes later. The pho was good, although the broth was definitely too salty... I'd probably get a non-pho item next time. The food was an overall 3 but the nicer vibe and quick service makes the overall rating is probably closer to a 4. read more

Pho Play - Pho - steak on the side + tendon - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

We needed to get out of the house, and this is where we ended up. We often shop at the Safeway nearby and noticed this play a few years ago. Just never got around to checking them out. Once you enter the door, you go to your left. This is where you place your order and they will assign a table to your party. All of the tables have a number on them so there's no reason for confusion. The menu is essentially three panels on the wall. They're not very descriptive but if you know Pho, you probably already have a pretty good idea of what to expect. I'm sure that if you asked, they would be happy to explain things to you. Nothing wrong with their method though it might be very intimidating to Pho newbies. I think that they're trying for a "hipster" vibe. We placed our order and went to our assigned table. Her Vietnamese Iced Coffee came pretty quickly. Our two bowls of Pho take a bit longer but not excessively. A plate with the traditional bean sprouts, basil, jalapenos and lime wedges came first, followed soon after by our bowls. We both ordered the Pho Play. We weren't sure what all was going to be in it, but it was the most expensive "regular" bowl so we guessed that it would be an assortment of beef. We were right. Our food was good. The broth had an excellent beef flavor. I'm not quite sure f I missed the beef tendon or got such a small piece that I didn't notice it. I also didn't see any rare beef trying to get out of the broth. But if the order sits in the kitchen for more than a minute, the hot broth will fully cook the beef. The background music was easy listening jazz. My kind of music but possible a bit loud for conversations. The condiment container on the table had chili, hoisin and siracha, chopsticks and metal tablespoons. Napkins were a roll of commercial dispenser paper towels. That would have been more appropriate in a BBQ or Boiling Bag type restaurant. One thing that I noticed and question: the order taker/cashier and the food server both wore nitril gloves. I wonder if the order taker/cashier changes gloves after handling cash if she has to handle food? When ordering, I saw a listing under House Specialty for Pho Play Challenge $50. There were some very large bowls on display behind the counter. I'll venture to guess that this is a challenge to either finish the bowl or pay $50. There were no obvious pictures of past winners. In general, the restaurant looked pretty clean. What we ordered was decent. Definitely worth the try but we're not sure that we'll be back. read more

Pho Play - Pho Play - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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So so good!!! Food is prepared with love and served by the nicest people. I'm sure they hear this all the time, but I go there at least once a week read more

I have a major soft spot for this great place. It's a convenient location to meet folks coming from peninsula or from Outer East Bay. The pho is very satisfying and the drinks are very sweet - my preference! read more

This was my second time at Pho Play and this I came with 2 friends. The pho was actually pretty good. I feel like the only downside was that they only had one size bowl and that is large - it didn't fill me up 100% like a large usually does at other spots. I was maybe 80% full from the large. read more

Visiting here today was a nice reminder of how yummy their food and drinks are. I haven't been in a few years, but the quality hasn't changed. My favorite drink is the matcha Thai tea. I haven't been able to find this anywhere else and it's so good. My only issue with the drinks is they are very sweet. Drink without boba is around $4.50 and with boba $5. This time I ordered the lemongrass beef boa buns ($9.50). The buns are soft and flavorful and the beef is tender. It's a perfect portion for a light lunch. I will be back during colder weather for some pho. It's easy to find parking because it's in a lot with other businesses. read more

Pho Play - Match Thai tea - Vietnamese Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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