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    Pho Star

    4.6 (46 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Pho Star Photos

    PHO STAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

    Recommended Reviews - Pho Star

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    Reviews With Photos

    Wife building her bahn sew.
    Mark L.

    Stopped here while in Martinez. It was around 2pm so, lunch crowd was gone but, still a few tables with patrons. I ordered a bahn mi and my wife had a bahn sew. We also had a chicken wing appetizer. The bahn mi was excellent, great combination of cold cuts, pate, and veggies. My wife enjoyed her bahn sew, both rare to find at a lot of Vietnamese restaurants. The wings were fish sauce wings and they were well seasoned and absolutely delicious. The staff were friendly and fast with their service. Place looked clean with a clean bathroom. We really enjoyed the food and will be back when in Martinez.

    Seafood pho ($16) and Won Ton soup ($16)
    Angela M.

    Our usual spots are no longer favorites... so my brother and I ventured here in search of some decent pho. It is right off the freeway in a tiny plaza that can easily be missed - we missed it. The parking lot is pretty spacious with lots of open parking. We did arrive before noon so this could be the reason. The dining area within Pho Star has lots of bench style seating which we found considerably comfortable. The gentleman at the front was friendly upon entering, notifying us we could sit anywhere we chose. The menu offers something for everyone in food options, while the drink menu is quite limited to smoothie options (many flavors) and coffees. For our order, we decided on seafood pho ($15.95) with Vietnamese milk coffee ($6.50) and wonton soup ($15.95) with a mango smoothie ($6.50). The broth of the seafood pho had flavor but was lacking in intenseness. The crab was imitation lump (one lump, one small piece), one shrimp, no squid and plenty of fish balls. The Vietnamese coffee was really good, all ingredients portioned well with minimal ice without asking. My brother enjoyed his wonton soup. He drank majority of his broth and consumed the entirety of his dish. He said the mango smoothie was creamy and thick with lots of mango flavor. If we return, I would try something different. We will continue our search for pho without ruling Pho Star completely out.

    Chicken Seafood Soup
    Cynthia A.

    I was so excited to come here because they have chicken pho on the menu, and I loved it! It doesn't replace my favorite beef pho with tendon, but as someone who really enjoys chicken pho, this one definitely hit the spot. The jackfruit shake couldn't have been better. I enjoyed every sip. I'm not sure how new they are, but the service was great. Our server really tried hard to please us; he was nice.

    Combo won ton soup, pork spring rolls
    Catherine M.

    Came in on a Saturday around lunchtime, not very busy, got seated quickly. Restaurant was clean. Ordered and got our food quickly. Food wise, I got the wonton soup with egg noodle, medium size. The server recommended the combo wonton soup so I got that instead but was kinda disappointed because the photo had like 3 shrimp and slices of meat with the wontons and there was only 1 shrimp and like 4 wontons. The broth is very good though. My boyfriend got the pho star special with no tendon and enjoyed his food. He also thought the broth was very flavorful. Spring roll were also good. I do recommend this place, I would come back to try other things, including the banh mi sandwiches.

    Chicken bánh mì
    Elizabeth V.

    Craving some bánh mì so stopped by. Boyfriend came in and said it smelled like home (which is San Jose) so that's definitely a good thing! We did take-out for 2 bánh mì or Việt sandwiches and it was a very good price at $8.95 each. I got the grilled chicken and he got the grilled beef. I like the flavor marinade of the grilled chicken - it's the same as what would be on vermicelli. The beef was also tasty per the BF. Sandwich had a good ratio of veggies to meat (actually more meat than I expected!). Very filling and hefty. Service was nice. They replaced the other Pho restaurant here but quality is still good!

    My lemongrass bun
    Be J.

    People were friendly and nice. We ordered: 1) grilled pork fresh rolls - 5/5. Yummy flavor; 2) fish sause wings - 5/5 h said very tasty; 3) tendon & rare beef pho - 5/5 tasty broth and lots of melty tendon; and 4) lemongrass chicken bun - 4/5 lots of fresh herbs and veggies, very generous amount of chicken w the peanuts on the side so not sogged up. Marinade on ck had lots of lemongrass but not as good as my fav lemongrass chicken even tho excellent. We will be back to try more esp. Bahn mi.

    Fried chicken & fried shrimp
    Ayana K.

    I was in the area and decided I didn't want breakfast food at 10am I was greeted with a smile by the owner when I walked in. The place is clean and inviting. Has parking as well. The prices are reasonable. I ordered A5(fried chicken wings) & A6(fried shrimp). Everything was made to order, fresh and well seasoned. I didn't even need to use any sauces. I will definitely be back

    Pho beef brisket and flank
    Steve L.

    The food was great and the staff was very nice! The food is certainly better than the last pho spot that was here. We got the flank and brisket pho, the meat quality was good, but not great. We did ask for a side of cabbage and they provided that for us at no cost which was awesome. The tofu spring rolls were very good, but we didn't get those until we were already half way into our pho. We also didn't get our smoothie until that point either, but the food was really good so we didn't mind. The staff was very nice, but the service was a little slow once the place started to get busy. The atmosphere is nice, I like the decorative covers they put over the lights on the ceiling. The music on the tv was funny because they were showing girls dance around in bikinis in the islands - didn't seem like something I would see at a pho place in Martinez. I'd certainly come back and try the stir fry, banh mi sandwiches or one of the other soups.

    Won ton soup w/noodles.
    Dorothy W.

    Delicious won ton soup with egg noodles! Broth was excellent. Will gladly come back and try more food!

    Spicy beef noodle soup. The bomb!
    Phil S.

    Absolutely obsessed with the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup (Bún Bò Huế)! This bowl is a flavor explosion, the broth is deeply rich and beefy with just the right amount of spicy heat from the chili oil that builds nicely without overpowering everything. Tender slices of beef, perfectly chewy thick noodles, and loaded with fresh herbs, onions, and cilantro. The side plate of bean sprouts, lime, and jalapeños lets you customize it perfectly. Way more exciting than regular pho if you're craving something with a kick! Generous portion, super fresh, and the service was quick and friendly. Best Vietnamese comfort food in Martinez. I'll be back soon!

    Bum Bo Hue
    Annandstan W.

    Looking for Bun Bo Hue? Come here!! It was absolutely delish and comforting! The noodles were fresh and the broth was on point! We shall return to try other menu items soon!

    Pho
    Robin W.

    It's soup season, and I love a great bowl of Pho! After getting my nails done in Martinez, I decided to try Pho Star on Alhambra Ave. It was my first time visiting, and I wasn't disappointed. I got a B9-Pho Tai Bo Vien and an order of fried egg rolls, and everything was delish! I really enjoyed the broth; it had great flavor without any single ingredient being overpowering. The restaurant was really clean; even the bathroom sparkled! Service was great. I asked for a box for my leftover egg rolls, and the owner started packing new egg rolls for me. When I asked him why, he told me he thought my order was a little overcooked and that I should have a fresh batch. Wow!

    Pho
    Jonathan O.

    New Pho Spot opening up in Martinez and I can't be happier. Classic Pho and sides you will not be disappointed by anything on the menu. The service was top rate, literally made my young child his own plate without hesitation. I love the spot, the location is easy to get to and the place is exactly how you would want to eat your pho. Great little restaurant with a great relaxing and welcoming ambiance.

    The spices were perfect and the shrimp large.

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    4 months ago

    The pho was delicious and full of flavor. The fried egg rolls were just okay, but the staff was very pleasant.

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    3 months ago

    Amazing pho snd good vegan options and amazing service, the restaurant has an amazing ambiance and is very clean!!

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Pho Star

    Is this the same locale where old Vietnamese restaurant was found?

    Yes, old one was called Pho May

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Banh Mi and Rolls Factory - Sign in front of Market vad Main

    Banh Mi and Rolls Factory

    (55 reviews)

    I had been meaning to try this Vietnamese sandwich kiosk for a while, so I finally made a point to…read moretry it when I was passing through Downtown Martinez. It's a charming area, and the Market & Main food court is such an inviting place with several takeout options. I decided to get a banh mi dinner for Jamie W and me, so I ordered the $9.50 Large Pork Belly Sandwich (Photo 4) and the $9.50 Large Five-Spice Chicken Sandwich (Photo 2) for us to share. Both came with a slathering of pate which was definitely a plus. We both agreed they were decent but so dominated by the bread and veggies that the proteins didn't have a chance. Surprisingly, the highlight turned out to be the $1.50 Parmesan Cheese Corn, a pair of munchable cobettes that worked as a contrasting flavor and texture (Photo 6). They offer other dishes like vermicelli plates and pho bowls, so I may need to consider those options if there's a next time. FOOD - 3 stars...middling banh mis here AMBIANCE - 3 stars...the food court is nice but definitely a takeout spot SERVICE - 3 stars...minimal interaction TOTAL - 3 stars...more meat please RELATED - Exploring Martinez? Here's a collection of places l've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/OaWextxkVz

    Decided to Door Dash Lunch from this place. Price was reasonable. I ordered a Pork Belly Bahn Mi…read moreSandwich, 6 of their wings, korean sauce on the side & their pickled spicy green papaya. I was excited to see the size of the Bahn Mi sandwich, but disappointed in the texture of the bread. For me the bread makes a sandwich especially a Bahn Mi. The bread was a little hard into it. Was not sure it was fully fresh. The pork belly was rubbery & very thinly sliced and more veggie than meat. The wings came with the Korean sauce on them already, than on the side. The Korean sauce was soy sauce forward instead of a balanced flavor. Not a fan. The pickled papaya was not spicy & was pickled in a sweet pickling marinade. I guess I was expecting it to taste more vinegar forward. I have had plenty of Bahn Mi sandwiches in the area this was my least favorite.

    Pho May - Restaurant info, takeout menu

    Pho May

    (93 reviews)

    $$

    My husband and I were craving pho after getting back in town from a trip and decided to try out a…read morenew Vietnamese place. We landed on Pho May and we were so pleased to find a solid pho place so close to our house! The restaurant itself is exactly what you'd imagine for a Vietnamese restaurant - super inviting, Vietnamese decor, friendly employees, and heavenly smell of food coming from the kitchen. We got pho ga (chicken pho) and pho tai (rare beef pho) to go, along with a Thai iced tea. All of them were stellar. The broth for both soups were very flavorful, not too salty, and most importantly piping hot! The portions of meat, noodles, and toppings were very generous and super fresh. The prices are also super reasonable for the quality of the food. We will definitely be back - this is our new go-to spot in Martinez for pho!

    I have to say I have mixed feelings about this place. Let's start with the good…read more 1) broth was delicious. 2) customer service was awesome Now the so not good. I ordered a 15 and a Thai tea. The broth was awesome. I was hoping for some Basil but got cilantro instead. The shrimp was good but the rest of the seafood lacked flavor. It didn't matter how much hoisen sauce and sriracha I put I couldn't get the right flavor flavor. The tea was kind of bland. Not sure if it was mostly milk and not enough tea or if the tea was just not as strong as in other places. Also this isn't so much their fault and I know fixing systems are hard but it being cash only makes it difficult. Luckily there was a bank down the St and I was able to get some cash. All in all it was "good" I might give it one more try or maybe two more tries because I want to taste their sandwich and the beef pho. Hopefully my next experience is better.

    Pho Star - vietnamese - Updated May 2026

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