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    What the Pho?

    3.0 (84 reviews)
    InexpensiveVietnamese, Food Trucks

    What the Pho? Photos

    WHAT THE PHO? ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Chicken pho
    Dan M.

    I've gotten the chicken pho a couple times, generally on cold days when I'm really craving it and it's the only pho truck in the area, and I can't convince myself that Korean tacos would be a better use of my time and money. This is some bland as all hell white people pho. Thin strips of unseasoned chicken in a flavorless broth. Luckily they have bottles of sriracha and hoisin sauce at the ready to make it interesting; otherwise it would be like warm cardboard. Two stars for heating me up as needed and being ok after dumping in a ton of sauce.

    Bulgogi beef banh mi; shrimp summer rolls.
    Ruth C.

    2.75 stars. Service is all kinds of brisk, my turnaround was just a minute without a line. Skip the summer rolls: the shrimp was fine but the filler ingredients were just okay-- heavier on greens than vermicelli, and very few julienned carrot among the cucumber strands. I was sated by my bulgogi beef banh mi, though the advertised onions and sesame seeds were scarce. The mayo slathered on the bread accelerated its disintegration at the seam. In the world of bread, pillow-soft is still preferable to rock-hard. Although I wish the baguette was crustier, its sizable portion was filling on its own, and it offered a higher ratio of tender, flavorful meat than kimchi slaw. I'll be back to see how their lemongrass pork and chicken bowls compare, and to try their beef or chicken pho when the weather cools down.

    Tasty broth but hardly any chicken... I've only had this and pho junkies once, but I'm gonna stick with pho junkies...
    David B.

    Tasty broth but not enough chicken for what they charge... Mostly just broth and noodles. I prefer pho junkies.

    Undercooked chicken on my Bahn Mi.

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    12 years ago

    I had the chicken over the rice platter. The chicken was good but the rice didn't seem fresh as it was hard.

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    7 years ago

    The Vermicelli over Salad bowls are amazing. Add all the extras!

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    10 years ago

    I got the bulgogi banh mi and veggie rolls. Fantastic - one of the best food truck meals I have had. Sandwich is huge, well worth the money.

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    13 years ago

    Salty broth. Chewy dry chicken. Chewy noodles. Appropriately named because seriously, what the pho?

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    L'Enfant Plaza - Food trucks on Maryland Ave by L'Enfant Plaza Metro.  The Feds know what's good for lunch!

    L'Enfant Plaza

    4.0(2 reviews)
    2.8 km
    $

    It's one of my favorite places to park when I go to DC the good old faithful L' Enfant plazaread more

    If you want a tasty, inexpensive lunch, this is the place to hit for a variety of cuisines and…read morechoices. Just outside the L'Enfant Plaza Metro stop (on the Maryland Ave side), you'll know you're in the right place by the crowds of Federal office workers queuing up for their favorite truck. There's a great variety from southern soul food to barbeque, from pho and banh-mi to Indonesion, from Philly cheese steaks to gyros. My daughters each had beef pho from the Pho-Nation and Vietnamese Food trucks (piping hot flavorful broth, plenty of noodles, slices of tender beef, cilantro, and accompanied with hot sauce and lime wedges on the side); my wife had the falafel salad from the Quick Bites truck which was outstandingly tasty and light, made with a chickpea and fava bean combination with a herb blend that gave them a unique green color on the inside; while I had the gyro platter from the same truck. Excellent lamb meat, well-seasoned, good tzatziki sauce, and accompanied by a fresh salad and stewed chickpeas. About $9 each for these meals and the trucks take credit cards. Don't settle for the tourist trap food trucks lined up near the Smithsonian museums -- these are terrible with microwaved pizza slices and hot dogs only ... make the short walk to these real food trucks and you won't be disappointed.

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    L'Enfant Plaza - Quick Bite's gyro platter

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    Quick Bite's gyro platter

    Arnis Kitchen

    Arnis Kitchen

    4.0(10 reviews)
    1.7 kmDowntown

    I ordered the #3 which is the chicken satay. IT WAS SO GOOD!! I also loved the corn fritters that…read morecame on the side. I was savor each and every bite and wishing for more. The only con which could be personal preference was my rice was underseasoned with salt. Luckily the sauce from the meat compliments the rice. The service is great - they are super super friendly and helpful with answering any questions or helping you decide what to order. The price is so reasonable like spending under $15 on a platter is unheard nowaday. I will definitely be back to try something else on the menu.

    I am shocked that there aren't hundreds and hundreds of reviews on Arnis' Kitchen!…read more This food truck serves up delicious, authentic Indonesian food - the menu is pretty extensive, and every order is made-to-order - you are guaranteed in receiving piping hot, tasty food! I ordered: +the Nasi Goreng - #2 on the menu; this is an Indonesian fried rice with chicken, egg, shrimp, veggies, and a side of pickled veggies; savory rice with tons of ingredients; this was pretty filling! +Sate Ayam - #3 on the menu; these were grilled and marinated chicken on bamboo skewered, dressed in a peanut sauce, served with a corn fritter and pickled veggies; this combo also comes with rice, but I opted out of this; I absolutely LOVED this dish! The chicken was so juicy and tender, and their peanut sauce is thick, creamy, and SO SO SO GOOD! I literally could eat thousands of these! +a Teh Kotak Jasmine Tea box - nicely chilled and super refreshing Arnis' Kitchen is family-owned and -run local business, and they are very community-driven, which is amazing! Support this delicious truck - you won't regret it! They are really good in posting updates on their social media. I can't wait to return to try out the rest of their menu! +delicious chicken satays! +amazing peanut sauce! +friendly, kind & welcoming service! +community-driven local business!

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    Arnis Kitchen
    Arnis Kitchen
    Arnis Kitchen

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    Ooh Dat Chicken

    Ooh Dat Chicken

    4.1(104 reviews)
    2.0 kmDowntown
    $

    Oooooh dat chicken that I had for lunch today was pretty good. I was out searching for another food…read moretruck, and then this place caught my attention. I was still a little hesitant until this nice woman came along and vouched for the food. I had no idea about what to order, but as soon as I saw her food come out I was sold. I told the guys to give me exactly what she had, which included a quarter chicken, corn, and potatoes. I got back up to my office and enjoyed all of it. The chicken was well done and well seasoned, the corn was tasty, and the potatoes were better than what I was expecting. Can't really explain it but they were like roasted and mashed at the same time.. whatever it was it was great! Oh and that sweet orange sauce that they gave me took the chicken to another level. Insert fire emojis Lastly, the guys working the truck were some of the coolest food truck people that I've ever interacted with. Combine that with good food and you can def count on my coming back again.

    Well...I meant to take a picture of my lunch. Really, I did. But...it was gone too fast…read more.. Today was my second time at Ooh Dat. Both times I've ordered the same thing - a quarter dark meat with one side. It comes with basmati rice (which you can sub out for a different side) and a choice of a salad, coleslaw, and corn. I've chosen the coleslaw both times - I find it so unique, with its cabbage and basil-like dressing. Definitely NOT your usual slaw. I will try the corn one of these days, though. On to the chicken - They give you a good amount of chicken and it is very, very juicy. I can't comment about the skin (I don't eat the skin, I take it off...I know to some of you that's a sin!) but my co-workers have previously commented that it is nicely seasoned. They also provide you with a mild barbeque sauce, and today they gave me a new sauce, which was curry-based. It's slightly thicker than the barbeque sauce, which while it has good flavor, is a bit thinner (it complements, not overpowers, the chicken). I alternated between both sauces today. I have to also complement the owner/manager - I had exactly $8 in cash (keep forgetting about the taxes for food trucks!) so he let me go without paying the $.80, that was really nice of him. I'll be sure to give it back to him next time! Overall, a solid, filling meal, and I would return!

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    Ooh Dat Chicken
    Ooh Dat Chicken
    Ooh Dat Chicken

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    12th St Korean Truck

    12th St Korean Truck

    4.0(1 review)
    1.7 km

    **** 4.5 stars ****…read more As one of the progenitors of "better" street food for the DC area, Andy Kim and his family have been providing a quality lunch time meal at a fantastic price for several years now at their famous L St cart (http://www.yelp.com/biz/bulgogi-cart-washington#hrid:P03Wi3K_BGfBmyV7WowE_g). I'm not sure whether the idea to open up this additional spot was to cash in on the food truck craze currently engulfing the District, or if he just wanted a second location and this was more convenient than lugging around another cart each day. Whatever the reason, I'm glad he's here. This new location, right in front of the Metro Center station, is marginally closer to me, and it's a pleasant shady walk the whole way around noon. The truck (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/GD4QOboiYcXUKbFw5DvjbA?select=8kLF59cmaVQyGxu6x_Mzdw) is just as easy to spot as the cart ever was, so just look for the bright yellow spot in the midst of drab grey buildings. Andy said that he and his dad are now manning this truck, while his mom and sister take over operations back at the original cart. The prices are all the same as before, $7 for any combo of beef or chicken, spicy or not, however they do not offer the kimbap sushi here like they do at the cart, which doesn't really affect me. I'm not sure if they make all the sauce at once, and then distribute it among the two locations each day, but it definitely tasted slightly different than what I've gotten from my visits to the L St cart. The 3 times I've picked up my usual spicy combo (a mix of half spicy chicken and half spicy bulgogi) from here it has been the perfect balance of heat and flavor. Add in a double order of their sweet vinegar "salad" to cool off the heat and I'm totally set. That's really the main reason I'm bumping this up to a 4.5, because at $7 for a giant plate of food this is really tough to beat. If they could ever get their kimchi to not suck I would probably give them a 5 and put them right up there with Fojol Brothers.

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    12th St Korean Truck
    12th St Korean Truck

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    What the Pho? - vietnamese - Updated May 2026

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