Lunch time, A table for 2 ATMOSPHERE: Spacious dining area. Lots of fish tanks with interesting looking fish. Tanks are not very clean though. Place is dated and dingy. Needs a new face lift for sure. SERVICE: Good nuff. FOOD: Firstly, My husband said the pho was very good. Pho is his favorite food. I tasted his broth and you can really taste the beefy stewed beef bones. It was pretty good. Secondly, we also ordered the appetizer sampler plate. It was NOT good. It was very clear that everything they brought us was re-fried from a frozen state. Needless to say, we didn't finish it. The chicken wings were dry and old. Even the won ton filling was dry and chewy. It was NOT FRESH. Thumbs down to appetizers. I was also hoping to get some Vietnamese sandwiches and boba smoothies....but they didn't offer any on their menu. OVERALL: I was disappointed with everything but the pho. Thus the second star given. RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GUESTS: ONLY eat pho. RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE OWNERS: Cook fresh food please! read more

Pho Tai - Appetizer sampler plate. - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

Pho Tai has great delicious foods. My favorites are the egg rolls, fried wings, pork chops with rice and their catfish in a clay pot. The staff are also welcoming and friendly. read more

Walking through the door, the ambiance was similar to that of the local VFW. The wood paneling, large bar (which simply serves as the front counter), and the multiple ceiling fans with colored lights provide and interesting environment. For an appetizer, I ordered the spring rolls, which were cool and refreshing, with just the right amount of shrimp and pork. Interestingly, the peanut sauce was served warm with the springrolls, this was the first time I had experienced that. For my meal, I ordered the Bun Ga Nuong (chicken, rice vermicelli, vegetables). I was impressed with the way in which the vegetables were cut thinly, almost shaved, and mixed in. It created more of a blended taste than I'm used to. The portions are more than enough for one person, it is served in a large bowl. Overall, I would definitely eat here again. read more

Pho Tai - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

Personally this is my favorite restaurant for eastern cuisine. It's not the kind of place your going to find sesame chicken or Mongolian beef. I very seldom order the appetizers, they just aren't as good as the entrees themselves, pre-made I believe. I always try to have something different at each visit, although the pork hot pot in fish sauce is my favorite. The soups are very fragrant and is served piping hot. This restaurant isn't about the atmosphere and service, it's about the food. I believe it's family owned, and yea the decor is outdated but there's a place to sit and it's clean so ok fine with that. The fish tanks are large and super clean!! (In comparison to a previous review) I definitely recommend this place to anyone wanting to try something new!! It's Pho-nominal! read more

Pho Tai - Pork and shrimp hot pot in fish sauce with rice. - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

We came here for takeout and were prompted that they were busy and the wait will be 20-25 min for food. We decided to wait. We waited for over an hour before our food was ready and still had to wait for drinks. They didn't give us any sauce for out spring rolls. The meals were very skimpy, our drinks had a ton of ice and not filled up either. To top it all off the food wasn't good from here my beef and broccoli had Zero flavor. The pho was ice cold and had a boat load of oil in it. They also charge extra for take out containers. I WILL NEVER EAT HERE AGAIN. THE FOOD WAS BAD THE SERVICE WAS BAD. GO TO PHO CHAU INSTEAD WHERE THEY MAKE BETTER FOOD FOR BETTER PRICES AND HAVE WAAAAY BETTER SERVICE. read more

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They really deserve 3 1/2 stars, but we're gonna round down on this one. Pho Tai is a nice clean place with average food. We had Chicken and Seafood Pho and shared the Shrimp Lo Mein. I was disappointed when the Seafood Pho claimed that it had crab in it, when in actuality it was imitation crab. Both soups were good, but we couldn't tell a difference in the broths. They tasted the same, just with different meats in them. The Shrimp Lo Mein was good, but we've had better. The fish tanks were awesome. We've never seen such well maintained aquariums in a restaurant before. read more

Pho Tai - Chicken and Seafood Pho with Shrimp Lo Mein - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

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I've grown up eating pho in Vietnamese town in Orlando Florida. So I've had a lot of pho. I guess you can call me an aphocionado. I know good pho and I know bad pho. This place certainly has excellent pho! They actually serve up the correct veggies to put into the pho. I love this place! read more

Excellent food. Simple menu. Good service. I had the noodle bowl and the rice noodles were cooked perfectly. Only 4 stars as carpet is worn and looks filthy in high traffic areas. Larger dining area than I had imagined. read more

Pho Tai - Noodle Bowl - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

This place didn't have the best Vietnamese food I've ever had, but it was fine. My group came at around 12:30 PM on a Thursday, and it wasn't very crowded so we were seated right away. I ordered a Vietnamese iced coffee and chicken pad thai. One of my friends complained that the water that we were served tasted really bad (chlorinated), but I didn't really notice anything terrible about the water. The iced coffee was strong and really good! It definitely got me nice and jittery for the rest of the day. The pad thai was just okay, it was a bit more watery than I'm used to and kind of plain in terms of flavor. The peanuts were the only thing that really added flavor. That being said, I totally understand that this is an Asian restaurant in a small Midwestern town, so it's decent given the circumstances! Full disclosure: I had some tummy issues a few hours after eating here and I'm not usually sensitive to any type of food, but I can't be 100% sure that it was due to something I had a Pho Tai. read more

Soooo disappointed. Food was iffy. Soup was luke warm. :-(

I love this place. I always get quality food here and the taste is always great and consistent. The owner is also a very sweet lady. Service is always quick and efficient no matter how busy the place is. I highly recommend the #88 but there pho is best in town by far also. You guys are amazing read more

Best pho and egg rolls in town! I've been coming here for years. I'm glad that they've recently upped their game by sprucing up their place and making it look really nice. read more

I haven't eaten full meals here more than a few times. I'm far from a savvy Vietnamese diner. But the EGG ROLLS (crispy, fried - not spring rolls) are AMAZING. The BEST in Rochester by far. You can get take out or dine in. No matter what, check this out! read more

Great food! My family and I regularly eat here and are always satisfied with the food portion size and great taste! Tonight we got #2 (egg rolls) #4 (chicken wings), #48 (vermicelli noodles with grilled pork and egg rolls) #59 (grilled pork with broken rice) and a side of broken rice. We also appreciate the precautions they are currently taking with Covid (masks, gloves, social distancing). Go and check them out! read more

Pho Tai - #2, #4, #48, #59, side of broken rice. - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

Not as good as some of the great noodle shops in the twin cities, but definitely the best pho in Rochester. Nice, flavorful broth. Service is fast and friendly. I always get the house special pho with all the fixings and an iced coffee. read more

Pho Tai is the only place worth visiting in Rochester to fulfill your authentic Asian pho craving, which has the best broth in the city. Their beef can be slightly overcooked (could be partially preference since I like it rarer) and the noodles are slightly off in texture, but Pho Tai's pho tai is best in city. If you're hungry, you can ask for a larger portion. Spring rolls could be fresher and the sauce more flavorful. Service is pleasant and lower key with most customers paying up front before exiting. read more

Just stopped here at 6:30 pm on a Friday night. They have stopped kitchen services. No pad Thai, no fried rice. Just appetizers and pho. Very disappointed. read more

Pho tai is as good as a viet experience you will get in Rochester MN. This place is a SOLID 4 stars. You will enter, wait to be seated, throw away your menu and just order the beef pho with flank or brisket steak. If you are a man or woman with honor you will order the combo. It's a huge bowl (as you can see from yelp pics) but if you're afraid you still won't be full just go ahead and order the grilled sesame beef or fried shrimp. . If you are a child with the appetite of a warrior you will order the broken rice dishes with grilled beef or chicken. Brownie points for getting the lemonade on the side. If you are looking for a safe experience or introduction to viet cuisine, go here or bring your friends here~ read more

Very decent Vietnamese Food, i found the Beef noodle soup is great, the egg rolls are excellent, the grilled chicken with broken rice, the fried rice is also great, one of the best Asian in rochester read more

Everything we ordered was really good. Staff was attentive and friendly. Pretty close to my mother n laws home cooking. Pho broth was pretty spot on. Vietnamese egg rolls ranked up there with my mother n laws homemade ones. read more

I've been to a lot of good Vietnamese restaurants in California and this place ranks right up there with the best. I did not try the pho, but I did like the spring rolls wrapped in rice paper for an appetizer. For the main course, I had the bbq pork, spring roll vermicelli bowl. Very good with mint and some vegetables. If you've never tried fresh young coconut water, you must order a glass. It is a nice touch to throw in several pieces of the soft coconut meat. The restaurant itself is large and comfortable, definitely not a hole-in-the-wall. Service was prompt and courteous. I'll go back for sure. read more

It's, until recently, the only viet food joint in town (apart from the grocery stores that have food available like Asia Pacific Market). Touts that it's authentic Vietnamese cuisine, I'm skeptical... Canh Chua Tom- It was ok, kinda pricey, and for the price I would expect hardcore vietnamese style. Nope, sure it had the basics--tomato, pineapple, sprouts...but celery!?! Celery in canh chua? Are you kidding me? Gross! And there wasn't any bac ha (taro stalk-a key ingredient because the mesh network of the stalk is like a sponge), or any of the traditional herbs served with it (basil, culantro (ngo gai), water paddy (ngo om). At the end, there was a long silvery piece of hair in it. Believe it or not, I really don't care when I find hair considering all the other stuff that's probably in the dish! Grilled beef with broken rice- really really good! I did see a roach scurry on my table when I first went there many months ago. It was really small. But made me feel like it was authentic! :) read more

Bad seating service, we had 5 people and another family of 5 came in and was seated before us, only half of the restaurant was opened. Food is always good wOrth 5 stars They did give us some of the stuff we order to go for free for our wait and squeezing us into a small table read more

This was one of the first places I had food from upon moving to Roch. We had a working lunch at work and the boss went and fetched food from Pho Hoa. These days, I am somewhat a "regular" there, to the point that my companion and I go in and the waitress knows we will be having eggrolls and Vietnamese Iced Coffee to start. From there, I usually get the Combination Fried Rice which is usually at least 2, maybe 3 meals worth of rice with beef, pork, shrimp and artificial crab in it. Sometimes, just to be different, I will get the asparagus/crab soup or something else from the menu, but I tend to stick with the eggroll, fried rice and iced coffee combo. I've never had anything there that I didn't like and would go just for the eggrolls which are like the ones my friend from Vietnam's mom would make whenever I would visit their house. They are a "comfort food" for me. Honestly, the only negative thing I can really say about the place is that it doesn't have alot of ambiance, but the food is good, prices are reasonable and so the fact that it isn't really aesthetically wonderful doesn't really merit any "ding" to it's rating. As the name suggests, they do serve several types of Pho (large bowls of soup with all kinds of goodies) that I've never personally tried, but they look interesting and smell very good. If nothing else, the eggrolls ensure that I will go back again and again. read more

It's just kind of middle of the road food. Not terrible not really good. Just sort of... FOOD... The service is generally nice To much else to say. If you have no better options stop by otherwise keep looking for something else. read more

There are really two options for pho in Rochester and Pho Tai is a great alternative. Like every other pho joint, their 'pho dac biet' (I believe they call it 'pho tai') is the all inclusive bowl that includes brisket, meatball, tendon, and tripe. Compared to the other restaurant, Pho Tai has a much better broth that is very authentic. I would say their portion size could be improved in addition to the amount of protein that is added to the dish. Without the summer rolls I would have left unsatisfied. Service was otherwise quick and friendly. Their menu of authentic Vietnamese items seem to be much larger than the alternative as well. As other have mentioned in the other reviews, the entire Asian community seems to dine here (I heard both Viet and Chinese). The interior was clearly dated, as you would expect of any Asian restaurant with great food. I will certainly be back! read more

Our favorite restaurant in Rochester! A staple for Friday nights after work. Very inexpensive, yet amazingly tasty and great customer service. Portions vary from just right to very generous. Our favorites are #48, #59, #67, and any of the stir fried entrees with curry. And the egg rolls. OMG. You will not be disappointed! Additionally, this restaurant tends to draw a younger crowd. LGBT friendly. Not the folks you would typically find at an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet (not that there's anything wrong with that). Reminds me of eating out in the Cities. read more

(Haven't eaten here since early 2011 so the place may have changed. Caveat lector and all that.) Pho Tai is as good as it gets in Northwest Rochester. Their spring rolls are tremendous, the salad is as you would expect, and that pho ... so warming, so delicious. Try it; you'll want more. The menu is expansive and most entrees can be made to order. The community will be at a loss if this place goes out of business. read more

Love the Pho and Deep Fried Shrimp appetizer is very good as well. Staff is always friendly and it is always clean.

Fresh food, freindly staff, large menu. I do not remember the names of all the dishes I've had here, but none let me down. The clay pot dishes are superb! read more

I have been here couple times in couple years. Nice, quiet. Food is . I it. I would love to recommend this place. Thanks a lot

Delicious food, very nice service. We have eaten here a bunch of times over the years and it's a great option for us. Tonight we had the chicken clay pot, beautiful tamarind flavor and very tender, the best pad tai in town and a huge bowl of pho. Gonna have to take a nap. Come out and support this place. read more

This restaurant was not the best place I have ever had Vietnamese food but what we ordered was quite good. My husband and I ordered a few dishes to share: The chargrilled beef on the vermicelli noodles with vegetables was a little bland. However, when we mixed it with hot pepper oil, it tasted much better. The combination of pork and shrimp sauté was delicious. When we mixed it with some hot sauce it almost tasted like a Korean dish. The third dish, which was a clear noodle soup with seafood, was very good. The main reason I like to go to Vietnamese restaurants is that they always have a few different sauces on the table. I especially love the hot pepper oil. It has a good taste and contains no salt. There was only one waitress on duty. The restaurant was not crowded but they had enough customers to keep her busy. It took a while to get our hot tea but once the food was served the waitress made every effort to get things we needed. If we happen to be in Rochester, we will definitely go back to Pho Tai. From just tasting a few dishes, we like their food much better than any Vietnamese restaurant where we live. read more

The are slowly remodeling the inside of the restaurant. I miss the fish tanks but it does look cleaner with out them. The pho is still the best I've ever had! I enjoy the egg rolls as well. I eat here alone and with friends. Highly recommend! I've had great wait stAff also read more

They really do have good food! I have been here only twice now but this last time I had some really bad service. At one point I wanted to know what was going on with my food up at the till, my waitress completely blew me off walked right by me and didn't say a thing. Hopefully I won't have issues like that in the future. The only other problem I have is ordering food their menu has got well over 100 something choices for food. read more

Pho Tai - This is the wanton. It's not bad and there is no meatball of any kind inside. - Vietnamese Near Me - Rochester, Minnesota

Sorry Pho Tai, I have to rate your restaurant a C-. Rice, Noodles, and a delicious Pho` broth are basic staples of Vietnamese cuisine. These staple ingredients should be of the highest quality, and indicative of the chefs culinary skills. The soup should be served piping hot, in order to cook the raw ingredients, bean sprouts, Thai basil, meat, jalapenos. My soup was luke warm, too much cinnamon, poor selection of chillies to add to my soup. Red chili was oily and gross. The rice was not glutinous or sticky like most Vietnamese restaurant serve it, it went uneaten. Service was adequate, no complaints. Fish tanks were entertaining. The restroom facilities wreaked of urine. Customers need to wash their hands after washing their hands in that restroom. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone!! Sorry Pho Tai. read more

Um, where do I start? Terrible? Awful? So not at all worth it? My husband and I went here today. It's rainy and damp and the perfect day for some great Vietnamese food. We walked in, and the decor consisted of mismatched paint, big, weird, fake lobsters on the walls, and huge, dirty fish tanks--think murky brownish water and grey fish. Oh-so-appetizing. But I figure, what the heck, the emphasis should be on the food, not on decor, right? The menu offered little help as to what I was ordering...like, "Noodles and beef tendon" for one description. Really. I ordered the Vietnamese iced coffee, which I've ordered numerous times at other establishments. It came out in pieces and I had to prepare it myself at the table. Every time I have ordered this drink previously at other places, it has come to the table prepared. Not so much the fun new adventure it could have been. The coffee had grounds in it, and the coffee and sweetened condensed milk didn't mix properly. Maybe it was my fault, but a little instruction from the waitress certainly would have helped. It looked so unappetizing that I didn't have a single sip. Maybe it was the think cream colored liquid dripping from the bottom of my straw. I knew in my heart it was just the sweetened condensed milk, but my eyes and stomach couldn't move past the freaky texture. We ordered the Vietnamese egg rolls as an appetizer. They were super deep fried and offered no other flavor profiles. My husband enjoyed his Pho soup...the only positive of our entire experience. My beef with broccoli was possibly the most bland meal I have ever tried to eat at a restaurant. Frozen vegetables + fast-food-roast-beef type meat + brown goo sauce. I had about three bites and gave up. I'll just eat when I get home. Our waitress was polite enough, but didn't even seem to notice that I had about three bites of my meal and none of my coffee. As a former waitress, I didn't appreciate her indifference to our experience. I have absolutely no other reason to come back here. Ever. Seriously, try McDonald's instead. You'll be full on $4 with better quality food (which, obviously, is saying a lot), instead of leaving hungry and out $28. read more

The pho was good with a very flavorful broth as you could taste the all the herbs used to make it. The only complaint would be the broth could be slightly hotter and they could add more than one piece of tripe and tendon per bowl. The service was attentive and fast and the resturant was clean and roomy. read more

Great little neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant. I've been here a couple of times while visiting my parents, and I think it's a great place to go with a small group. There's a small vegetarian section in the menu, but I actually ordered the #52 both times--rice vermicelli with stir-fried tofu and vegetables. It is absolutely delicious; sweet, filling and satisfying. My SO got the #53 (same dish but with mock duck instead of tofu) and thought that was great too. Obviously it's dicey for a vegetarian to go to a Pho restaurant, so I thought it was great that there were good options for us leaf-eaters as well. Service and atmosphere were fine and standard. No complaints. I found it to be a fine place to sit back, enjoy some food that's a bit out-of-the-ordinary (for Rochester at least) and catch up with friends and family. read more

Very very good Vietnamese food. Great service, good Pho and noodle dishes. Another poster mentioned my favorite asian dish in town...Gà Kho Gùng (pot chicken simmered with ginger and fish sauce in a clay pot and accompanied by steamed rice)....a really great dish. Service is friendly, fast and attentive. One knock....The mens room smells like it needs to be bombed with bleach. read more