THE WORST PHO EXPERIENCE EVER
A coworker/friend recommended that I give this place a try because he and his wife are fans and speak so highly of it. I must say though, I HATED IT!
I was starving when I arrived. Upon entering, I was greeted by a joker-type smiley face small and friendly hostess, lol. She was genuinely friendly and welcoming. I'm giving them two stars based on her bubbly personality alone. She was such a sweetheart. However, if I were rating this establishment on cleanliness, customer service, and quality of food alone, I would give them zero stars.
First off, there was a weird aroma floating around in the atmosphere like the smell of a dirty mop, which can only mean that the floors are being mopped with a dirty mop. The stench was so overwhelming that I couldn't smell the aroma of the food cooking in the kitchen, which was really weird because a restaurant is supposed to smell like food is being cooked. I did not smell any cooked food aromas wafting in the atmosphere. The dining area wasn't clean and the tables and chairs were old and rotting wood. There was white tape on all of the legs of the dining chairs which appeared negligent and tasteless. I noticed that there was not too many guests dining but there were many to-go orders being picked up. The ambience was noisy like that of a hospital cafeteria, dull and drably.
Secondly, the older lady that took my order was not friendly at all and she was sort of rude in her approach towards me. As I was sitting at the table waiting for service, she walked over to me and handed me a menu and asked me what I want to order and if it's for dine-in or to-go. I told her that it is a to-go order and I asked if they had shrimp Pho. She was snappy and short in her response to my question informing me that they do not have shrimp pho as an option but they have seafood Pho. After finding it on the menu and reading what type of seafood is in it, while she was hovering and towering over me, I decided to go with the seafood pho so she could stop standing over me with her impatient energy. I don't know why I spent my money at this place. I should have turned around and walked out. However, if I would have walked out, then I would not be able to share my thoughts with you all about this establishment.
Furthermore, the seafood pho consists of crab meat, fish balls, squid, and shrimp. I was so excited to try it out because it sounded so appetizing. However, after I got home and opened my bags to look at my food, I discovered only one shrimp that was not fully deveined and two pieces of imitation crab meat. I was highly disappointed! I do not like imitation crab meat. To top it off, I was given chicken broth instead of beef broth, which was my fault for not specifically ordering the beef broth. However, at other Vietnamese Pho restaurants, I've always been asked for my preference on which flavored broth I would like, but not at this establishment. The customer service was very cold and unwelcoming. I truly regret my experience with this restaurant. It was a waste of my energy and money, but I guess you lose some and you win some. I'll take the L as a learning experience. Plus it gives me the opportunity to help some other poor soul about deciding if they should give this place a try. Trust me people, it's not worth it.
Overall, this establishment did not sit well with me at all. They need to make some serious repairs on their building because it's old and smelly. They need to replace the tables and chairs and get with the program because presentation is everything. I will never return to give them a second chance unless these conditions are met. read more