I've been coming here for literally decades, back when pho wasn't in vogue with Americans and you could get a bowl for two bucks and change... and I've hit a dozen other Pho places in SD, too. Pho Van is the best. The broth is the basis for good pho, and the broth here is par none, at least in San Diego. Great portions, and the very best pork fried rice you'll ever eat. Also a great dish is their beef stew, I get it with egg noodles. Goooood stuff Mainard!!! read more

I was craving pho, so my friend took us to one of his regular spots to try it out! I'm pretty picky when it comes to pho broth, but this place definitely exceeded my expectations. We were seated right away, the service was quick, and the restaurant was clean. I ordered a small bowl of pho tai, and it came out surprisingly fast. The portion was generous with plenty of broth, noodles, and meat. The broth was light yet still packed with flavor, and I didn't even need to add hoisin sauce, which I usually do. It was delicious on its own! Overall, I really enjoyed my first visit and would definitely come back again whenever I'm craving a good bowl of pho! read more

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There are a few parking spots behind the restaurant, but parking there can be quite difficult, especially getting into the inside spot. My husband liked the cơm tấm. However, my noodles were a bit cold, dry, and hard. We also tried the pho, but unfortunately, there was nothing particularly impressive about it. read more

Pho Van - 390248. Charbroiled Pork and Egg Rolls Vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

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I called in and order and they told me they had no order for me and then tried to tell me that it wasn't their phone number so I called it while standing in front of them and they continued to tell me that it wasn't their phone number so i called again in front of them. read more

Spring rolls and Vietnamese coffee were right on. Restaurant has easy parking and service was ultra quick.

After trying Pho Van, they made its way onto to my faves list! I am quite picky when it comes to pho, because of several factors: broth, the amount of side veggies, and the protein quantity and quality. Here, they give a decent portion of veggies, meats, and the broth is light and not too salty! I'd come for just the pho though, as it is their specialty. I usually go for rare beef, tendons, tripe, and brisket. On the other hand, we ordered their vermicelli noodles with eggrolls, and we could tell the noodles were old as they were lost their silkiness. The biggest indicator was that they were dried up and bent into weird shapes. Their filling for eggroll included taro, I believe, which I think make them incredibly flavorful and filling! I would order these on my own if I could do so. The Vietnamese Coffee was super strong; I had to ask for a little more milk, but this is the case for most coffees at these restaurants. Overall, my take is 4 stars for the pho, and if you're wanting to try their Vermicelli noodles, definitely watch for freshness. I'd rate my overall experience at Pho Van a 3.5-4 stars. read more

Pho Van - Egg Rolls and Vermicelli with Pork - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

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As someone who's Vietnamese, I feel like I am more picky with Vietnamese cuisine. I must say, I love this place! The dishes I've had here are sooo good, including their pho and banh hoi tau hu ky. I've had their mi kho as well but that one was more of a miss. That being said, this is definitely on my list of go to restaurants when I'm craving viet food. Staff is always really nice and the place is clean. Would definitely recommend stopping by this place to check it out read more

Pho Van - Pho (meat ordered separately) - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

My favorite pho spot in San Diego. So consistent. I crave it at least once a week. My bf and I always get the rare beef pho small & it's so filling. We've also tried the grilled chicken plate and it's really good. read more

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Been going there for a couple years, love the food, the service and the really affordable prices!!!! Family friendly, big portions. read more

This is some good pho!! The quality and quantity are impeccable. The taste was superb! The service was fast and to the point. I loved it. The vibe was nice it was busy but not too loud. I'll be going back for sure. I'd like to try appetizers next time. Definitely recommend! I've been to other places that had way better reviews and they were not good. This place is it! read more

Trying to make my way down El Cajon to try all the Vietnamese spots and Pho Van was high on the list to try. Quick and friendly service once inside. I've tried to come here a few times in the last, but parking can be tricky. Luckily we got one right away this time. I ordered the vegetarian egg roll vermicelli and the veggie egg rolls were so good! The taro was a nice addition on the inside. I did ask for fish sauce for the salad. Vermicelli is a classic dish and it has to really go wrong to not be good. I thought this bowl was great! Everyone else was happy with their meals as well. Adding Pho Van to my list of pho spots for the future. read more

Pho Van - Vegetarian egg roll vermicelli - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Another pho spot to try in City Heights, I was finally able to stop by after hearing some great things about Pho Van. Inside is quite spacious with ample tables for small and large groups. Service was quick and friendly throughout the meal (for Viet standards lol). Although some of the group got other dishes outside of pho, I was on a mission to only try the pho here. I got the Pho Dac Biet which was a hefty portion and had a good amount of meat. Overall this is a really solid bowl of pho. I thought the broth was tasty and could have been slightly more deep in terms of overall flavor. For the price and flavor, Pho Van is another spot I would add to my pho rotation! read more

Pho Van - Pho Dac Biet - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Pho Van.. my favorite spot for pho! My go-to order is always a small #4 with added meatball. The broth flavor is always perfect. I'm super picky when it comes to pho, but this is the one place I'll always go back to. Services is always quick. read more

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Pho Van was the pick for some authentic Vietnamese food. I was personally craving the Com Tom, so I got #100 on the menu. For parking, I parked in the resident area nearby. I went around Sunday at 12 pm and needed to park further along and walk over. The service was really quick. The staff were also very friendly. Seemed like this spot was popular with some regulars, since the staff grabbed their usual orders right away, which I thought was really great! Everything in the com tam was great. There was a good ratio of pork chop, steamed egg, bean curds, etc. I did ask for an extra nuoc, but it did cost extra. It was definitely needed to elevate the dish! I also got to try a bit of my friend's pho as well. It was also very delicious. The portion for both dishes were generous and shareable. I was surprised but this spot accepts credit cards, including American Express! read more

Pho Van - Shredded Pork, Baked Egg, Charbroiled Pork Chop, Bean Curd (#100) - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

I really wanted to like this place, but honestly it turned out to be just another mediocre pho spot in San Diego. I ordered five pho bowls for takeout, and while there were a few positives, the overall flavor profile just didn't deliver. **PROS:** - They generously included two extra boxes of tripe and meat, which was definitely a pleasant surprise. - Portions were solid, you won't leave hungry. - Service was fast; everything was ready well within the quoted time. **CONS:** - The broth was heavily seasoned but lacking any real beef depth. It tasted more like a salty, spiced soup base than something simmered from bones - There was very little of that natural sweetness you expect from long-cooked beef bones, which makes me think the base or beef quality wasn't great. - Some of the additional meats were on the tough side, not the tender cuts you hope for in a good bowl of pho. In a city with so many pho options, this place unfortunately blends in with all the others that have the same underwhelming, thin broth and slightly low-quality cuts. If you're a recurring customer, you might want to explore other spots that offer a richer, more distinctive bowl. Overall, not terrible, just not memorable. With so many better bowls in San Diego, I'd spend my money elsewhere next time. read more

Food was good & flavorful. The waiter was nice & took our order right away. There is a small parking lot in the back which was nice to not have to find street parking. The inside feels modern with nice decor and lighting. The reason I didn't do 5 stars was because I wasn't too pleased that they charged me the to go boxes/containers since we did not finish our food and also being charged for a tiny bowl of fish sauce for the noodles (not included in the picture) read more

Pho Van - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

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So I thought this place was okaaaay. We went on a weeknight... the restaurant was not crazy busy but parking sucks. I believe it's street parking only. The highlight of our night was the egg roll. It was very crispy and flavorful. Def worth trying. Now to the pho- for the price you pay you get huge portions. Per my food sponsor (aka boyfriend) "this is the first time I've run out of noodles before the meat". Flavor was okay imo it was a little salty and felt like there may be MSG. The workers weren't really friendly but they weren't rude. It also felt like they could work on sanitation. The menu, spoons, and tables were all so oily. read more

Pho Van - Egg roll - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

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This review is based solely on the food. I was very disappointed with what my friend and I ordered here. The service was fast and efficient and the prices are reasonable. The fresh spring rolls contained shiso which I had never once had in spring rolls in any of the Vietnamese restaurants I've been to over the course of 30 years. For some of us shiso is not palatable at all, similar to cilantro and the soap gene. Needless to say neither one of us loved the rolls but luckily we were able to pick out the shiso. The spring rolls and peanut sauce were fine otherwise, not exceptional but certainly edible. The grilled pork bun however was inedible. The pork was so fatty and had a very unappealing overly smokey flavor unlike any Vietnamese grilled pork I've had. I was looking forward to trying this place as the reviews were good. It's quite possible other food is good here and my friend and I ordered the wrong items. Perhaps the pho is better. Sadly I would be reluctant to try it again. read more

This place has won my heart! I did a pho series on TikTok where I tried multiple pho spots in southeast San Diego and Pho Van won #1 The broth at this place is outstanding. We finally revisited this place after that series was posted about three months ago and with just one sip of the broth, we fell back into our seats. I always do the broken rice plate with the meatloaf (baked egg), shredded pork, and pork chop. The aroma that comes from this dish is delectable. The shredded pork is thick which I've never seen anyone else do. The veggies on the side were so fresh, and it also included pickled radish and carrots. The only downside to this place is that their egg rolls are crazy expensive. The service is fast. The establishment is clean and open. The lady with the bob and the little bow belt around her waits is the absolute sweetest person ever, I adore her. read more

Pho Van - 390176. Shredded Pork Baked Egg and Charbroiled Pork - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Stop lying to yourselves. Good pho is sparse in San Diego. With that said, I think I just found my new go-to spot for phoThe prices are fair, the service is fast, and there's plenty of parking. What more could you ask for? I ordered the #2 in a large size, and they were generous with both the noodles and the protein. Broth was flavorful. Everything was fresh and well-portioned. I'm definitely returning to Pho Van! read more

Pho Van - 390255. Large Rare Steak, Flank, Brisket, Tendon and Tripe Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

First time at this spot and it was great!!! Omggggg the egg rolls are delicious. Already craving more so I feel like I need to go back already for those alone! I had the rare steak pho and it was really good and my husband got the shrimp and pork bun cha bowl and also said it was good but could have used a little more flavor for the pork! The milk tea with the cinnamon & boba was sooooooo incredible as well (not too sweet and great size). We were able to get right in (party of 2). The staff were so sweet and attentive right away! Awesome atmosphere and comfortable nice. Saw a few big parties in there too, so it would be good to go with a group! Can't wait to be back for those freaking egg rolls!!!! read more

Pho was amazing as per usual. Flavor is rich, the cuts of meat are good, didn't even add anything today it was so good. Spring rolls and egg rolls are good and taste fresh. There's hardly any parking on the weekends i've come to find out so do plan accordingly. read more

I eat alot, but I can't say that I am a connoisseur when it comes down to certain types of food. However at this point, I can confidently say that I can be a master judge of what a good pho is from an average one. Having had pho all over the States and even later in Vietnam, I can tell you right now that you won't be disappointed by the pho at Pho Van. Extremely quick services, fatty briskets that melt in your mouth, super flavorful broth, and top all of that off with a delicious avocado smoothie, this place has it all. The only downside here is that there is literally no parking! They have a couple of street parkings right in front, but otherwise you are out of luck. You have to keep driving until you find street parking elsewhere, which can be hard to come by in El Cajon during prime dinner time. That being said, the pho here is so good and their avocado smoothie is to die for. I would still suck it up and take the L on the parking situation and come back any day! read more

Pho Van - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

I've already given my review on this on in a million establishment. But they want another. Will here it goes! PHO VAN IS NUMBER 1!!!! read more

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I visited this place few times sove the years. And I think this place is doing a good job. No complaints on the pho, egg rolls, vermicelli, and broken rice. I am not an expert in Vietnamese food, but this place scores very well on all criteria I expect out of a Vietnamese cuisine. read more

Went to lunch here today first time in over 10 years. The restaurant is full of light, super clean and I know we always talk about cleanliness. The food was absolutely delicious and priced so reasonably. I'm sure because of the area it's in the rent is probably lower so that helps. If you want excellent healthy Vietnamese food this is your go-to. Here's a few photos. We had vegetarian egg rolls, vegetarian spring rolls and a vermicelli chicken dish. Oh, and fresh coconut water. Looking forward to going back. Photos photos read more

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We have been getting take out from here for the past nine years, and the food has always been good. Unfortunately, last night, they decided to substitute all tripe for the pho dish we ordered with rare steak and tripe. Unsure what had happened, we decided to try to make the best of it for the meal and figure it out after we got our little one settled into bed for the evening. At that point, my husband drove back to the restaurant to check our (very old) paper menu with their in-house menu and confirmed that we had ordered the No. 11 with steak and tripe. Then, he politely let them know that they'd made a mistake... However, they refused to give him a refund for the pho and did not offer to replace it with a different dish BECAUSE they had given us "so much tripe." Instead, tried to give him a packet of raw, sliced steak like the one that should have been included originally with our order. We are so disappointed by the way they handled our order tonight. It's beginning to look like they were AWARE that they'd subbed tripe for steak and weren't really interested in making things right after it was brought to their attention. Sadly, this seems to cross a line from being an honest mistake into being a dishonest move to sub a less costly ingredient for one that is more costly. We will not be ordering from Pho Van again. : ( read more

We try a different pho place every week. The food was great. The atmosphere wasn't. We ordered the shrimp and pork spring rolls to start. Huge fan of them and the tasty peanut sauce. We didn't get a bite into our appetizer when the pho came to the table. Happy for the fast service but it was too fast. The pho comes in small and large sizes which I appreciate. The pho broth was delicious. There was a lot of meat and I took half of it home with me. The negatives - they were burning incense. It was a complete turn off! I do not like that smell. It was a tad loud with what seemed like the wait staff and kitchen staff arguing back and forth or talking loudly to each other across the restaurant. Parking is a challenge due to the busy area. We got a spot on the street as someone was leaving. I saw a sign about parking in the back down the alley but I am glad we didn't park there. There were too many people camped out and milling around in the alley. read more

The pho here was really good! The broth was a good balance between sweet and beefy. The meats were tender and quality. They didn't skimp out on the amount of meat. The noodles were slightly chewy, but not in a bad way! I would recommend you guys to try this place. There is a small parking lot of 4 spaces behind the restaurant. There were also a lot of other dishes available other than pho! read more

Pho Van - Pho dac biet (everything pho) - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

Not really sold on this place. Don't get me wrong, the restaurant wasn't bad, it just wasn't good either. The meat on my rice plate was just okay. It definitely lacked any sort of flavor, and was slightly on the dry side. The only upside of this place is the amount of food you get relative to the cost. This place does not skim on portions. But that's all the good I can say about this restaurant. read more

Pho Van - Pork Rice Plate - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

The service was good. The pace was cute. I enjoyed the food with one particular stand out menu item... The diced beef steak was amazing. read more

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Best Pho in all San Diego. Period. Pho Van 4 Life! I've been coming here for years and years, and I can tell you this is a no nonsense, just delicious food and fast service restaurant. If you're looking for like a boujie spot, fancy plates, and a hipster menu with vegan and gluten free options, go somewhere else. If you just simply fucking love pho, you're going to love this place. read more

Pho Van - chin pho and egg rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

I came here in the past for their pho, it was good. However, I wanted com tam this time. I ordered the broken rice, pork rind, steamed egg and bbq pork. The utensils came wrapped in a napkin. When I unwrap, the spoon was filthy. I don't what the white stuff was, but it looked like someone cleaned it with their mouth. See pic. Now, the main dish. From the broken rice to the steamed egg to the bbq pork, all were at least couple days old. Broken rice was soggy and clumped together. BBQ pork was dried and chewy af. The steamed egg was dried and hard. They hit the trifecta on this plate. I grew up eating Vietnamese food but this plate was prep for an animal, not human. Couple hours later, I visited the throne 3 times. See pic. Eat at your own risk. read more

Pho Van - Did someone left their sauce behind? - Vietnamese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great find in the neighborhood! We're visiting some friends in San Diego and stumbled upon this place for lunch. We got some pho, a rice plate, and viet coffee--everything was really good! Service is also super fast and prices were reasonable. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who likes Vietnamese food! read more

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Incredible pho and incredible service! We had a large party after a latest club event, searching for a restaurant to celebrate, we found Pho Van! They easily accommodated us within seconds of walking in, and ordering was so quickly, and amazing hot pho! Parking was not easy at all, street parking is everywhere and we ended up finding a spot about a 10 minute walk down a neighborhood. However, the environment of the place was friendly and the staff even allowed each of us to pay one by one in seconds! Did a lovely tip, and would definitely recommend coming back. read more

I give this a low rating in hopes they will remedy some of the issues. The restaurant is very nice inside. The hostess was rather curt but the waiter was okay if a little timid. The place was fairly noisy with most of it coming from the staff behind the counter and some young customer who was running some kind of sales loudly over his cell phone. But the food was really the saddest. All the vegetarian options were fried tofu and vegetables over rice or noodles. The presentation was good but the bok choy was so tough as to be inedible. I don't think the dish had any spice. But it was served piping hot. The rice was of a cheap variety and I ate it with the sauce because I was hungry. I won't be going back. read more

Quick service and delicious pho! Authentic flavors that is better than even Pho Hoa in my opinion. Large, clean restaurant with ample seating. Limited street parking in front but they also have parking in the rear. I got the small pho and it was huge! Will definitely be back to try other items from their menu. read more

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Staff is always super helpful and polite. I love that they will happily translate anything from the menu for you without looking at you like you're an idiot. They take extra care to ensure that my foods are prepared without contamination from allergens. Inside is like a little hideaway with peace and family waiting. read more

The food here is bomb, fire, on hit.. honestly I never been to Vietnam before, but I've been to quite a few Vietnamese restaurants here in San Diego.. Hands down this one takes the cake no cap..! They are not only a great & fantastic restaurant, but their staff very friendly and on top of that they are fast... Wow is what I can definitely describe this hole in the wall restaurant in one word... read more

Service was good I ordered food to go take home I love closed by the neighborhood on 43 rd St El CA jon Blvd