Sometimes, life doesn't go away and you get sick from trying to eat. We've all been there. You're eating something to satiate your hunger and think that's the end of it. Then you get sick after and life kinda sucks. The question then becomes where do you eat next to recover. My instant thought to try and remedy my situation was a nice hot bowl of pho. There's the whole warm soupy factor that helps people recover. Then there's also the part where it's a sizable meal to make up for the situation. On a recommendation, I found my way to Pho Tam as a result. Right off the bat, I don't think it's the best bowl of pho I've ever had. It was a very good one that helped satisfy my craving of pho. It didn't feel heavy or too overly seasoned at all. It felt like the exact baseline taste you would expect from pho and it did that well. It was also quite plentiful when you go for the large size. Lots of noodles and protein in the order, along with a generous serving of bean sprouts to throw in. I ordered a salad roll as an extra add on and it was quite satisfactory as well. Overall, I was quite happy to satisfy my pho craving at Pho Tam. It was a satisfying and filling meal, and it met my rough expectations as a recommendation from a friend. I will do the same now and recommend Pho Tam to others in search of a nice warm bowl of pho. read more

Pho Tam Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Surrey, British Columbia

When I arrived at the sketchy plaza and saw viet aunties running around in the old restaurant. I knew the food would be legit. Price is very fair Meat in the pho was fresh, doesn't have the weird beef smell. The pho noodles were one of the best I ever had, I can tell it's house fresh made. Spring rolls were fat and nice. What a gem of the place that's supporting the community !!! read more

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Pho - amazing. Quite authentic. The house special pho is what you want. I got medium size and it was plenty enough for me and it was 12 dollars (CAD). It sounds crazy but it is impossible to get pho for this price anymore where I live. I consider this super affordable. A quick but unmemorable service - like most Vietnamese spots offer. Just a heads up. Cash only. They do accept US dollars (with a terrible conversion rate). read more

Pho Tam Restaurant - House special - Vietnamese Near Me - Surrey, British Columbia

I want to keep this place a secret so no one knows LOL. Passed by this place many times before taking rapid bus, and I finally got to try this place today. Please don't mind the ambience, just care about the food. Pretty big menu consisting rice, dry noodles and soup noodles with drinks. No BanhMi on the menu though. Price and portion was great. We ordered medium sized 14 Bun Bo Hue ($12.50) and 2 Pho Tai ($12.50). Clean flavourful broth with generous amount of meats. Meat toppings were tender and delicious. There was no MSG after taste from soups. Chilli oil can be too spicy, use wisely. Food was totally SPOT ON! Take my words for it. Cash only payment was disappointing. No time to wait since food came out quick. Food was fresh and hot, soup was still steamy even before we left. Nothing to complain as I was blown away. I'll go back here PHO sure! read more

B and I, each got the combo 25 which was short ribs and lemon grass chicken on fried egg rice. The food was ok. I found the short ribs very chewy. The fried rice was tasty and so was the lemon chicken. We also got a side of spring rolls each. The spring rolls were not bad. They were more like fried rolls. I guess they only have one kind. We had it delivered to us. Overall food was good. Also when it arrived it was hot. read more

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Only steps from Surrey Central Station, this is the best pho in the area! My favourite will always be their Bun Bo Hue, but their original soup is also perfect for any weather. ONLY CON: The parking is not great. It's a small lot and the paving is so uneven, I'm pretty sure I've scratched the bottom of my front several times. That's not the restaurant's fault though... read more

Pho Tam Restaurant - Bun Bo Hue - Vietnamese Near Me - Surrey, British Columbia

I had special A which comes with large pho and one spring roll for $12. I thought it's good deal. The pho was served in a minute after ordered but the soup was very bland. Ok but not satisfying rich broth. The spring roll was not served even after everyone got dishes on same table. I asked the server and she replied they were cooking now. Soon she brought it to me but looks like half cooked or not crispy enough spring roll. My friend on the same table had golden brown one but mine was whitish. Inside was fully cooked but disappointmemt left on me. read more

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Wanting to update my stars for this hidden gem of pho restaurants! As someone who is Vietnamese and currently living in Vancouver, I can say without prejudice that Pho Tam serves the best bowl of pho anywhere in the Greater Vancouver area. The portions here are extremely generous, with heaping amounts of meat and beef balls and the broth is extremely flavourful requiring minimal condiments added to enjoy the dish. This is compared to the quarter pieces of beef you would receive at other restaurants and the need to add half the bottle of Hoisin sauce and Sriracha due to a bland broth. The wait time for the food is extremely fast and great if you are arriving on an empty stomach. I expect usually about a 3-5 minute wait. The service remains average, you will often need to wave down the waitresses if you need anything but the amazing taste of the pho is enough for me to overlook that. Pho Tam will have me on the next sky train to Surrey Central instead of sticking to the local restaurants in Vancouver. The extra commute time is worth it. read more

Amazing place has been a Surrey staple since the 1990's. always great. Go for the house special.

Pho Tam has been around for many years. I've been going to them for more than 10+ years. They have a decent size dining space and before covid it was always packed. But you can get a spot pretty easily as the turn over of customers is quite fast. The decor is what you'd expect for the neighbourhood restaurant, but the food is superb and always consistent. Parking is quite a challenge at this location, as there's limited space outside, there's some paid parking in the alley way, but even then it's hard to find a place. FOOD: I highly recommend getting their combo (Special A with spring roll, or Special B with a salad roll) if you are hungry. Otherwise their large pho is more than enough for me most times. They're really generous with their meats and portion sizes. Soup is clean tasting but I do taste MSG. Overall, it's well done and has become a familiar spot for me and my family. Especially on cold fall/winter days, it can really warm you up. SERVICE: Service is speedy and they bring everything at the beginning. It's not the same as a western restaurant, so you have to flag down a server if you need something. read more

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Pho is a very personal experience. So are banh mi. Frankly speaking, I like mine with the jalapeno, sriracha and hoisin. I want that bun to have a nice crispness followed by delicious pate and then whatever meat I've selected that day. The cucumber has a purpose, so does the cilantro. There is beauty to this mix for me. Pho Tam has a different take on it. Yeah, the bun is great, the meet is perfect, but when you say "sriracha" they hear "sate" which is not a bad thing, it's just different. There's a different note to it, it is strangely less fresh from the dried chile. I miss the jalapeno. But it will do in a pinch. We've Skipped the restaurant a few times too... it's fast (yay) but everything else is kinda meh. Portion was a little meh on the meat, frankly, and I was left hungry - which meant DH? Also hungry. I wonder if it would be better in house... so I'll check. For now, it's just A-OK. read more

Refuses to accept legal tender(not dirty/broken just the previous paper tender in mint condition from bank) with poor service attitude. mediocre pho with over fried spring rolls that are about as hard as boot heels. read more

This restaurant is our family favorite place for pho we been going there for 17 years

Has been the 'go to' Pho restaurant for my family for many, many years! Food was always super fresh & hot including the tea. Lemon grass chicken & pork always cooked to perfection. Today, everything was barely lukewarm warm. Tea wasn't hot. Soup wasn't hot & didn't taste the same, Lemon grass chicken was dry & chewy, pork was tasteless. Even the rice was not the same. Both my son & I have stomach issues after leaving as well as extreme thirst. Sad as it was our favorite comfort food place! Won't be going back! Wonder if it was sold? ...didn't see any of the friendly awesome servers that used to be on top of everything! read more

The best Pho restaurant in Surrey Central! Definitely a hidden gem~ Affordable special combo set with your choice of their signature large size Beef pho, and a side of crunchy deep fried spring roll. I got the no.4 with beef balls and tripe, I just love their amazingly rich beef soup broth so much, cuz you can taste the fresh scents of onion with each dip. Their no.1 signature house special is also really good, cuz it's a mix of all the beef topping all in 1. Large portion, friendly staff, fast service. Definitely Recommend to try if you love pho~ Special Combo A: $12 (Large Beef Pho + Spring Roll) read more

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We were headed out to Surrey and the eats definitely diminish once you head that way. Recommendations were predominantly Indian food and Vietnamese. Pho Tam came with great reviews and is at a nice price point. My order: Pho Dac Biet - $10. Rare beef on the side. A very clean broth with nice quality rare beef and tendons. The quality of the other beef cuts isn't as great but isn't too bad. Overall solid. Clean condiments and bean sprouts. Pho Tam accepts cash only. read more

Pho Tam Restaurant - Menu - Vietnamese Near Me - Surrey, British Columbia

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What the pho?! Best of the best. Hands down. Competition is none. If you don't know, not all pho is created equal. Been coming here for over 15 years, to savour the flavour. Superstars of service. Taste and quality is second to none. Especially in these cold winter months, what could be better than an authentically delicious bowl to warm the soul. Pho Tam is the spot! read more

My friend brought me here when I was back in Vancouver for a visit and it brought back memories of the time I had pho on my first visit to Surrey in 1995. I wonder if it was the same restaurant as the size had grown. Reading other reviews online, it seemed like it was the same one. I remembered a small restaurant with just a few tables selling pho right by the skytrain then. The pho was good, like those I used to get in Mississuaga/Toronto, my first introduction to pho, when I was living there. Fast forward to the present, Pho Tam is a pretty big restaurant which is still very popular and crowded. Service was quick. We were given a table by the window. The layout of the restaurant is that besides some round tables to accommodate bigger groups, there are rows of tables to cater to single diners or smaller groups. That means you will be sharing the row of tables with someone sitting next to you during the peak hours. I had the beef slices and beef balls in noodle soup (my favorite and usual order) and the spring roll. I loved that the beef slices were kept medium rare as it allowed the broth to cook it through and would not be overcooked by the time you got to it. The spring rolls were equally good, especially with the dip. My friend also ordered a side of the lemongrass chicken which was simply amazing. Very tender and bursting with lemongrass flavor, it was a good add-on. I simply miss good pho now that I am in Singapore. read more

One of the best pho in metro Vancouver. Wish I came here when I went to Sfu Surrey. I got the large pho and 1 spring roll for $12. Pho was great. Legit large portion of meat and noodles which is rare. Meat had great texture and flavour. Spring roll was pretty good. Tasted like a dim sum item. Great texture. Legit 4+ read more

Pho Tam Restaurant - Spring roll - Vietnamese Near Me - Surrey, British Columbia

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My friend recommended Pho Tam Restaurant so we drove into Surrey from Vancouver to have pho here. We arrived at 11:00 AM for an early lunch and there were only three or four other tables occupied. We both ordered the #1 Large and iced coffee. When it is only a dollar difference between a medium and a large, of course you would go for the large. Our pho came very quickly and it was really a big bowl of pho. There were all kinds of ingredients in this house special. The broth was definitely tasty. The noodles had just the right chewiness to them. It was truly a hearty meal especially with our rainy Vancouver weather. The Vietnamese coffee was too strong for me but I am not a regular coffee drinker anyway so it was an interesting experience. Don't expect too much service from Pho Tam. They are just there to take your order, bring the food over and give you the bill. Also, Pho Tam doesn't accept credit cad or debit card, so make sure you have cash! read more

Pho Tam Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Surrey, British Columbia

Hit and miss, most of the time the pho is good broth very nice, 1 it was a little off so 31/2 stars

Best pho in Surrey. Excellent broth with plenty of meat and flavour. Ample basil and jalapenos given + excellent and very quick service.

This is a very typical Vietnamese restaurant (the inside is quite old with very little to no decoration). However, the pho here is to die for compared to a lot of vietnamese restaurants in vancouver. Probably my favourite place for Pho in Vancity. I and my family find Pho here very decent in both flavour and price. The flavour is very close to the ones we had in Vietnam. They also give tons of meat and noodle as well (#value). And also the service is speedy here, after you order a bowl of Pho, it will only take a few minutes. Def good when you're in a hurry! read more

Pho Tam Restaurant - Rare steak and meatball - Vietnamese Near Me - Surrey, British Columbia

Delicious Pho Soup, all fresh ingredients, super fast service and friendly staff. I was in a break for lunch from work and my meal was literally there 1 minute after I ordered. This is number 2 on the menu, the rare beef noodle soup. One important thing to know, this is a cash business only. read more

Pho Tam Restaurant - Rare Beef Noodle Soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Surrey, British Columbia

After reading all the good reviews, I decided to give it a try. I ordered the pho and a salad roll with shrimp. The broth was okay, not too salty or too sweet but I could tell there was MSG. Beef slices were cooked right. The salad roll was average. I think it is popular because of the location. There are so many pho restaurants in lower mainland. I would not come all the way to Surrey for this. However, there are not so many choices in Surrey, so I guess this one is probably the best one in the area. read more

Pho Tam Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Surrey, British Columbia

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The. Best. Pho. Ever. The boyfriend and I live in Burnaby and we regularly drive all the way to Surrey just to eat here. Worth it? YES. DEFINITELY. We live near a lot of good pho, but nothing in the lower mainland will compare to Pho Tam. 5 stars for Pho Tam is just for the food, by the way - not counting decor or service or anything because when pho is this good, you really don't care about anything else. The place is set up for shared seating, almost like cafeteria tables. Pho Tam isn't exactly a place where you sit around and chit chat - it's more like an eat-and-go type of place, which is totally fine with us. It's super efficient if you're short on time. Prices here may seem a bit high at first, but when you get your food, you'll understand why. Portions are huge here and we'll usually only come here if we're starving. I find that if you order a noodle soup, your order will be out within 5 minutes of placing it! The boyfriend usually opts for a rice dish (short rib + lemon grass chicken - absolute heaven!) and it takes a bit longer, but not too much. My typical go-to for vietnamese food is their Bun Bo Hue. Beside from being well portioned, it is a perfect amount of soup and the perfect amount of spice. The soup base is sweet and I really haven't found another Bun Bo Hue similar to this one. Needless to say, we'll probably be back here again. If you come on a Saturday/Sunday night, you might even see us eating here! read more

Pho Tam Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Surrey, British Columbia

Go there only if u r pho fan n hungry coz this place offer quick , hot bowls of noodle soup. I hav had pho from other places too but they hav the best. Good amount of serving, less oily n lots of extra salad n lemons if needed @ not extra charge. Not a fine dinning place so dont expect nice ambience or clean washroom. Other bad things are that there is less parking (Infact 2-3 parking spots ) n only cash accepted. 9.5 for pho n evrything else only 2 points read more

Pho Tam Restaurant - No. 26 on the menu - Vietnamese Near Me - Surrey, British Columbia

It was an interesting experience for me. Thank you Pho Tam Restaurant for delicious food and great atmosphere.

Hands down the best Pho in the Lower Mainland. The broth is clean and rich and super fragrant. Order a side of the grilled beef short ribs or if your a big and hungry Dude like me order a full order of ribs with a large #5. A Man's gotta eat right. The women that work there are the sweetest and kindest people you will ever meet. That kind of service these days is unheard of. After a meal here you feel like you've just experienced something really special. read more

The quickest bun bo hue ever! I probably waited no more than 2 minutes. Frankly speaking the broth tasted a bit thin, and in terms of flavor perhaps not the best I've had, but I really want to point out that the fish cake/ball was done perfect. I'm normally not a fan of fish balls and usually leave them behind, but Tam's fish balls are so soft and flavorful, and soft- that's what won my heart. Service is prompt and polite. read more

Pho Tam Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Surrey, British Columbia

Best pho in town im vietnamese and i live there most of my life. Everything there is great and dont be turned off because its not some fancy pho place but its been around for years and always consistent. Great place for hang over but bring cash because its cash only. read more

My boyfriend used to live in the area, but he moved to Vancouver for his undergrad. He'd always talk about the best pho restaurant he's ever been to, and each time I'd roll my eyes because how can the best pho be in Surrey, and not near Kingsway/Victoria? Well, we made the drive over to Surrey Central to find out. Pho Tam's pho broth is SO good. It's clear, it's fragrant, it's everything you want in a giant bowl of pho. I definitely underestimated the power of such a delicious bowl of noodley goodness. The noodles are glassy and al dente, which is my absolute favourite for pho. Also, if you were to get a large beef pho (any from the menu) and wanted to add a spring roll/salad roll, it comes in a combo! It's perfect, because usually two salad rolls and a bowl of pho is too much for me, so one roll and a large bowl of pho is just the right amount! I ordered a Vietnamese iced coffee too, and it's always a good sign when the Vietnamese coffee at a pho restaurant packs a punch. Nobody wants a watery cafe sua da! Overall, a very positive experience and I definitely will be back! I now understand why my boyfriend raved about this place for years. Despite the long, long drive, I'll be more than glad to do it for the amazing phood! read more

Stephanie is wonderful -- cheerful, helpful, informative. Based on her suggestion, I ordered the lemongrass chicken and short ribs with rice to go -- came with broth, and small salad. It was all well seasoned (great fish sauce mix) and offered a massive portion for the price (less than 16). The quality was above average. read more

Pho Tam Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Surrey, British Columbia

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Decent pho. There's a "Special A" where you can get a fried spring roll with your noodle dish for $9.25 CAD. It also gets a little crowded during lunch, probably for good reason. Cash only. read more

My adventure to another Vietnamese restaurant was not successful because they closed early that day. I found this restaurant on Yelp as I really wanted some pho and noodles. Parking here is challenging. We lucked out on a spot. Once inside, we were seated right away, menus offered and tea was served. My date order his house special. I ordered the pork patties and spring roll vermicelli. Pho arrived within minutes as it should, but our server tripped and could have spilled it on my date if she didn't catch herself. Close call there. Maybe they should get rid of the rugs cuz it is a hazard as people sitting on chairs bundle it up and then other people trip at the clumpy sections? Pho was good. Lots of depth and flavour. It could have used a little more meat. The vermicelli was solid. Spring roll was tasty. The patties were nicely grilled. Cash only unfortunately. They are so busy that I think they can add a credit card terminal. read more

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Food was horrible. My spring rolls were swimming in oil and my friend's beef pho had slices of pure fat, not beef in it. Will never be back read more

Pho Tam Restaurant - Food was awful. My spring rolls were swimming in oil and my friend's beef pho was full of huge fat chunks, barely beef. Will never return - Vietnamese Near Me - Surrey, British Columbia

Always the best pho in town. I mean with this restaurant it's like don't judge the book by its cover thing because the inside is not like walking into The Keg. However, the food is amazing and delicious. read more

Pho Tam Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Surrey, British Columbia

Been here so many times and food was great. They serve fast. Place was not that great but I love the food. When ordering, tell everything what you need like spoon, fork, chilli oil/sauce for faster service. The place is very busy but enough staff to handle it read more

Awesome pho. We both had #9 - well done beef, beef brisket and beef tendon, medium size. Medium is pretty for one person. Generous serving of meat and tendon. Since first came here in 2001, we have tried other pho places but kept on coming back to this one. Great taste. Yum. Place is cash only. read more

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My uncle is from Vancouver and he's been talking up this pho for years. I kid you not. So when I finally had the opportunity to finally try this pho, I couldn't wait. We went for brunch on Sunday and it was exactly what I needed. I always get the seafood pho, that's how I judge pho places. Unconventional, I know. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I ordered a Vietnamese Iced Coffee. Usually in America, they serve it to you already mixed, condensed milk, ice and all. However, this was my first time watching the coffee drip in front of me! I was so amazed, she had to explain to me how to concoct the drink. She also left me a pitcher of ice. This was the coolest thing ever haha. We also got spring rolls and salad roll is what you guys call it in Canada. I was confused because salad roll = spring roll in America and spring roll in Canada = egg roll (fried) in America. Regardless, all of it was yummy! The pho was good, but I think my uncle hyped it up TOO much. His pho (pho dac biet?) was really good. He always gets egg noodles. Overall, I would come back to this place if I was craving pho in Vancouver! read more