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PHOnomenal

4.8 (517 reviews)
ModerateNoodles, Soup, Cambodian
Closed • 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

PHOnomenal Photos

Business Info

PHONOMENAL ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Dogs allowed
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - PHOnomenal

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Reviews With Photos

house special
Nick S.

Best pho in town, hands down. The broth is , customer service is always great, and their chili oil is HOT af Definitely has way more of a kick than most places that have chili oil. There can be a wait, especially when it's busy, but honestly it's worth it. If you're craving pho, this is the spot.

Menu, September 2026
Clara C.

Whoa, the pho is so good here. The broth is clear and so delicious. I drank half of the bowl first because it was so good. Then I remembered to add the homemade chili oil sauce! I called ahead to let them know how many house specials I was ordering and what time. There was a slight wait for a table when I got there, and it made me even hungrier. The parking lot is tight, but it wasn't hard to get a spot. Service is great. Everyone is so friendly. I started with an order of shrimp roll. The roll itself is just ok; it has a lot of noodles. The peanut sauce was great and sweet. They ran out of the pork roll. They only make a limited amount of pho every day, and once they're sold out, they're done for the day. I definitely recommend to come early or call ahead. The pho though is actually PHENOMENAL. I would come back even though it's like a $25 meal. They give two beef ribs that have meat falling off the bone. The homemade chili oil was so good that I bought two jars to take home. When am I going to come back to National City?? HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

The House Special
Saleen M.

OMG. YES. I 100% get why this restaurant has the amazing reviews it has & was voted into 2026 San Diego Magazine's Best of! Only opened Thursday - Sunday (until sold out), with a limited menu that they have perfected! All of the staff is incredibly friendly & we met Sinatra, the owner & chef, who truly is the definition of "choose a job you love, & you will never work a day in your life"! The House Special: Cambodian style pho served with beef ribs. Wow, just wow! The beef ribs are slow cooked, marinated so deliciously & fell off the bones so easily. So darn tender! Honestly, the best pho my dad & I have ever tasted! Shrimp & Pork XL Spring Rolls: Tasty & fresh! Cococane: So refreshing! Parking in the back, make sure to look at the markings for PHOnomenal designated spots.

Our orders.
Chris U.

Cannot believe it took us this long not to try this spot. Arrived at 10:30 a.m. on a Saturday. Waited 10 mins to get the available seats, which is okay since it's only like 8-10 tables. House Special Beef Ribs - 5/5 Broth taste - balance and rich flavors Beef tenderness - meat fell off the bone. Noodles - silky and smooth texture like it; not overcooked. We thought the herbs would be too overpowering with the soup, but it wasn't; it balances out the broth flavor overall. Shrimp and Pork Spring Rolls - fresh veggies and delicious shrimp and savory pork slices with a good amount of peanut sauce. Big size rolls. 5/5 Fresh Sugar Cane Juice - refreshingly delicious. The price is on the high end with the size. They offer a small menu, but every dish is amazing! Outstanding customer service! Be patient and prepared to park by the street. Highly recommended for Pho lovers/foodies!

Pho
Sinty C.

This places always hit hard. The pho is amazing, I would want to eat this everyday. The service is one of the best. The meat just falls off the bone and just melt in your mouth. Their sauté is spicy I made a mistake of putting a whole teaspoon and I was on fire. Definitely would recommend this place.

sugar cane
John C.

Even with the long wait, the disorganized waitlist, tables not being cleared quickly, and what seemed like only 1 server handling a full restaurant, the Pho itself was absolutely worth talking & bragging about. The broth was clean, smooth, and beautifully balanced with no greasiness at all. The beef ribs were incredibly tender and full of flavor, and the noodles had that perfect chewy texture that makes a great bowl of Pho so satisfying! The sugar cane drink was sugar cane did go well with the meal as it was sweet, refreshing, and cold. I was a little disappointed that they were already out of both the shrimp and pork spring rolls, especially since I arrived around 10 a.m. 'ish. They were also out of the fresh coconut mixed with sugar cane, which I was really looking forward to trying. That said, the Pho was amazing. The beef ribs were super delicious, and the sugar cane was, well... sugar caney in the best possible way. LOL :-) I do think they would really benefit from hiring extra staff and tightening/organizing up the flow. I understand they only prep around 200 bowls of Pho per day, but with food this good, the experience could be so much better if the waitlist, seating, service, and availability of menu items were more organized, and ordered ahead so that there is enough for a busy day. I'll definitely be back, because the food was that good. Next time, I'll just try to come when it's not quite so busy.

Jessica A.

10/10! This place has been on my bucket list since they opened. They close when food is sold out so calling ahead of time is THE best move for you if you're aiming to eat here. My husband and I got lucky and were able to score a parking spot and a table right before they stopped serving food. Their menu is small but so good! Everything is made fresh! Their ribs are so tender and fall right off the bone. Broth is amazing. It was our first time here and we both agreed that we would definitely come back. Seating is limited so call ahead of time or come right when they open! Service is quick, staff are friendly! We'll be back forsure!

Sunny C.

Another great pho spot. Also great value. There is a lot of rib meat in the signature pho. The rolls are also one of the largest I've seen. The restaurant is kind of small so when they are short staffed the wait can take a bit longer. But even with that the service was really good and quick.

Shrimp Rolls
Ariadna S.

I spontaneously found this spot while looking for a place to have a late breakfast at. Definitely a place I'd recommend to anyone. I have a soft spot for places with hyper-specific menu with small amount of items that they specialize in. The spring rolls were thicc with two "c" and the soup was so delicious. The meat was so tender it fell off the bone! 11/10 would recommend and come back myself. The staff is very welcoming and nice! The restaurant is small and fills in quick so you gotta get on a waitlist and pay attention hard when called. As an entertainment side story that is in no way regarding service here because guys nailed it well for how busy it was: We did have an "interaction" with another guest who was convinced we took her spot in line and were seated at "technically her table." While in reality they never even answered when were called (a person called them inside and came outside to call as well) and somebody else (a party of two) ended up being sat instead of them. When it was our turn, they didn't even call our party by name, the person running the shift just pointed at us and called us up because he knew we also were waiting for an hour and we had a friendly conversation earlier. But yeah, for some reason girly-pop really felt a need to not only tell us they were skipped "because of us" but go on nagging about it lol

Sue D.

We enjoyed our experience and the food: * The House Special ($18.95) 5/5 -- The pho had good texture and was perfectly cooked. * Shrimp & Pork Rolls ($9.95) 4/5 -- Fresh veggies and flavorful sauce. Service: 3/5 Pleasant, however, we weren't given menus when we were seated. A few minutes later, the waiter came by and asked, "Are you ready to order?!" Lol. Also, we ordered one bowl of Pho, but they brought us two. No problem though; they took it back with no fuss.

Jessica M.

We arrived right around opening time on a Sunday approx 10 a.m. We waited inside for about an hour. Sam made sure to make us feel welcome and once our table was ready our pho didn't take long to come. I think they were only serving one type of pho but it was delicious! Best broth and noodles I've had in such a long time. Even my husband who doesn't usually enjoy pho loved it! Will def be coming back. The wait time was a bit long but it was worth it

Pho
Dustin V.

Really love their sugar cane and pho. YOU HAVE TO COME EARLY BECAUSE THEY SELL OUT BEFORE THEY EVEN CLOSE. Sometimes lines start forming before they open on any random day of the week. This is my go to for pho. The owners really connect with the customers and genuinely remember many of their customers. I love how both the drinks and food are both top of the top. There's a reason why they sell out on food.. I would put these guys in national television if I could lol

Pho
Tami N.

Agree that this is definitely the best pho in San Diego! I can see why this place sells out quickly so recommend you call ahead to see if they're already sold out for the day. The owner and staff are very nice and attentive! The pho portion itself is hefty and comes with all the usual toppings and a rich yet clean broth. DO NOT SLEEP ON THE CHILI OIL, it's spicy and a wonderful pairing. Go easy on it though if you can't handle spice. We also enjoyed the THICKEST shrimp and pork roll if you're not still satisfied with your pho!

Spring Shrimp Rolls

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Ask the Community - PHOnomenal

What if I only want the ribs not the meatballs can I do that & is it the same price as the house special even tho I don't want meatballs or do I just get more beef ribs?

Yes, and the price is a few $$ less.

Do I need to make reservations?

Reservations are not required.

View All 4 Questions

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Royal Mandarin Restaurant

Royal Mandarin Restaurant

3.9(2.1k reviews)
0.2 mi
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I really love the food here. Coming here, my boyfriend and his family has said they've been going…read morehere for over 30+ years and after first bite of their salt and pepper wings, I'll be coming here for another 30 year as well! House fried rice, chow mein, green beans, Mongolian beef, and most importantly their chicken wings are our go-to! My son also loves the sweet and sour sauce they provide and has to have it on his plate. Being authentic Chinese restaurant comes with the price and I won't complain cause the flavors justify it. Would absolutely come here once a week it I could :) I love how big the place is, I'd like to say the handful of times we've come here and with a big group, we didn't have to wait as there's plenty of tables! Customer service is fairly quick, service is fast, and attentive.

Royal Mandarin in National City never disappoints when it comes to their famous salt and pepper…read morechicken wings. The wings were crispy, flavorful, and easily the highlight of the meal. I don't make it to this area often, but when I'm craving great wings, this spot is always worth the trip. We also ordered the noodles with shrimp, but they were a bit disappointing. There were only about four shrimp in the entire dish, and since we split it, I ended up with just two. I was definitely hoping for more of a shrimp fix. If you're coming here, my recommendation is simple: stick with the salt and pepper chicken wings.

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Royal Mandarin Restaurant - Shrimp fried rice

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PHOnomenal - noodles - Updated October 2026

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