Phở 54

This place gives home style vibe. The pho is great. I just moved to the area and have been looking for a good pho spot, although I’ve tried a few places I really enjoyed the soup broth they make as well as they give you lots of greens to add to the soup and I love that. The people that work here are so friendly the first time I went in I was sick I had a mask on and ordered to go a kind older lady came and brought me a tea I had mentioned I was only there for a to go order so she didn’t have to worry about extra dishes and she said “I know it’s to go have some tea anyways” honestly I definitely needed and for that and the food I made this my to go pho spot and anytime I order a to go order they always provide a cup of ice tea or hot tea. The only down fall is it is cash only.

I've been going here since I was a little kid. Instead of having desert, I would get a cool ballon. Haha. Now I'm all grown up now, I still like going to this place. The bowls are big and worth the price. The broth is flavorful but if you like your food bland, maybe this isn't your joint. Some people get annoyed that their servers don't give them time to order. In a typical viet restaurant, people usually know what they want and they want to provide you fast and efficient service as possible. Just tell them you need a couple of minutes and they'll back off and give you space. Some waiters are outgoing and some are shy but they're friendly overall. I remember I spilled a pot of tea and I tried to clean it up because I was so embarrassed. One of the waiter was nice enough to tell me he'll take care of it and reassured me that accidents happen. This place has my approval and recommendation.

best childhood place, always coming here for the pho and soda chanh (lemon soda). flavorful and delicious for so many years! as a kid, this place would give you free balloons, its a memory core! service is quick and fast, but if you need more time, let them know! they play k-pop videos in the background nowadays ‘cause it’s trendy! remembered that it was mostly paris by night or something like that! love that their interior and exterior haven’t changed, so it feels soo nostalgic! i do recommend people to try it out and servings can be a lot for most people! got me feeling extra full on my tummy!

My family has been going to Pho 54 for years! We have tried many other pho restaurants throughout SJ but always return to 54. The pho broth is consistently on point and the meat portions are huge even for a “small” bowl. Do not be intimated by the location or appearance as it is pretty old school but that’s what makes it so special.

The most accommodating, friendly, and delicious pho joint in the Bay. My friends and I are from San Jose and this is one of our favorites. My friend had her bachelorette party truly ESSJ style with her favorite spot being Pho 54. They went above and beyond to make sure she had a memorizable time. They allowed us to decorate BTS theme and even insisted playing their music on the tv! It was truly a tailored experience. We were so lucky to be treated so kindly. We will always promote and support Pho 54. Come here!

Came here due to the high reviews. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The place needs some updates, it looked run down and not as clean. Yes, for $9.80, large special pho, and it was very large, with quite a lot of meats. But, it smelled "not so fresh", and tasted "stale", not sure which meat was the problem though because I had to stop eating.

Good pho broth. Very authentic 👌 a must try . But the can use some remodeling. Other than that. Foods great , great customers service 👌👍😀

Don’t be fooled by the appearance or location. The food is so good, and the people are so nice. Huge portions, great prices, and easily the best grilled pork I’ve had in San Jose.

This place is super legit. I have to admit i haven't tried every single pho place in this area, but damn! This place knows how to make it right. This is the spot that i drive across town for whenever i want the real thing. Clear broth, big portion of veggies including culantro (ngò gai), good size, quality tendon and tripe @Vi, you gotta change your review to five stars (i am white) lol

Thanks to my boyfriend's friend, we had some of the crispest, most pristine bowl of pho ever! The soup is clear yet hearty and flavorful, and the amount of meat they provide is GENEROUS! You can expect to walk out with a full belly! The service is also very quick, we ordered and barely waited until the bowls came out. I recommend everyone order a small bowl because the large is an absolute Olympic swimming pool. You'll probably end up rolling out of the joint. There are plenty of seats so it would be nice to go with a large group, no problem.

I am a pho snob and as of the last couple of years have tried higher end or fusion pho places (ie. Gao Viet, Pho Hanoi, Cowboy Pho). This place is the exact opposite of Cowboy pho. Everything here is traditional and a pho purist's dream pho. The pho both is on the lighter side. It's clear in appearance without the richness of some of those others I mentioned. The meat and noodle proportions are just right. I love how the large is served on a really large bowl unlike pho Hanoi who lately has felt like their bowls shrunk. I'm discovering myself to be less of a traditionalist, but if you're into the classic pho comfort food this is surely the place.

One of the best pho places in the Bay Area! The service was prompt and friendly. The broth was rich, fragrant, and clearly simmered to perfection. The noodles were cooked just right and generous portions of meat. The best part was the plate of veggies- they give you an enormous portion so there's plenty of veggies to go around for each bowl of pho. I've been searching for an OG pho place and Pho 54 is the winner! They do not take credit card, so bring cash! Will definitely be back!

I went this morning place was clean as always everyone is so friendly ready to make your tummy and you feel like very well taken care of I had a large bowl of tendon with beef my son had the beef flank and another type of meat and as always they give you lots of both meats and the broth is sooo delicious I make pho from scratch I have the authentic receoie but when I don't want to wait hours for the process of home cooking here we are Thiers few pho spots I frequent and this spot never fails I was thier today fir breakfast soooo filling as people starting comming in my son and I were on our way out ‼

I've heard great things about Phở 54 through word of mouth so I was excited to try it for the very first time last Saturday. I ordered a regular phở tái nạm sách for $14. The broth was very hearty and flavorful. The meat was very tender and they don't skimp on portions. The noodles were great. I was so full after finishing my bowl. I'm Vietnamese American so I've eaten at a good amount of phở restaurants over the years. I appreciate the fact that Phở 54 serves sawtooth herb with the garnishes, onions in the fatty broth, and hot tea for free. Not all phở restaurants do that. I was pleasantly surprised to see how clean the bathroom was. It looked like someone's home bathroom. Overall, I had no major complaints with my meal. The only gripe was that there was a fly hovering around our table, which was annoying, but didn't take away from how good the meal was. I would definitely come back!

I ate here a few months ago and their complimentary chili oil was THE BEST IVE EVER HAD. I actually asked for a small to go container and took a few spoonfuls home. Yes we tipped well. Enjoy this picture of it in my mini bonne maman jar. Please somebody tell me where to get it - do you know the name/brand? Or do they make it in house? Please please please

It was around 100 degree at noon so I decided to order some food instead of cooking. I ordered grilled pork with baby rice and grilled pork with vermicelli, the rice was undercooked. The grilled pork and flavorful and tender, the only thing about it was they were somewhat burned. I asked for non spicy but they still gave me spicy sauce, so I could only use my own ketchup to eat the vermicelli.

This place in my opinion got better. It was always a bay area staple for those that know Eastside SJ. Recently i had a craving for pho somewhere i havent been in a long time. The lot was a MESS. looks like they were working on fixing piping or something but that didn't deter me from a soul-healing bowl. I get Dac Biet of course and the broth JUST INSTANTLY HIT THE SPOT. You ever tasted something and just started unconsciously smiling? yeaaa.... that happened.. The pho here today was amazing and to be honest I really enjoyed the hospitality of the server. If you seen my old post about here, PROPS TO BEAN SPROUT LADY! YOU REALLY BE OUT HERE ALL DAY!!!!!! ITS BEEN 13 YEARS SINCE MY FIRST POST!!! The one gripe I still have about Pho 54 is they STILL haven't switched from Cash only. I mean its 2023 guys.. Almost all the other restaurants that I love that were cash only have switched! The server was telling me there is still a lot of places that do cash only. Either Im looking in the wrong places or blind because it really takes me effort to actually FIND a cash only place to try to align with what the server said.. I mean to each their own and i respect your decisions, but at 2023- put a Venmo QR up AT LEAST. Luckily i was able to Venmo the server directly. But not going to lie, the cash only realization mid-meal really diminished the experience. The fact that they are Cash Only is really the only thing that had kept me from the past of consistently coming here. I liked it then, I'm loving it more now, but I just simply don't like carrying cash and wont change that for the 1 restaurant that does cash only. I am BEGGING this place to at least make Venmo a valid payment method; I SO WANT TO COME BACK HERE OFTEN. I will be patiently waiting for the day they start taking cards/ Venmo on the regular. This will be the day I become a regular. 3 stars for great food, 1 star bean sprout gang.

Great, delicious feel-good Pho. The egg rolls were surprisingly delicious as well. My friend wanted to order chilli oil but our server said there wasn't any, although I had seen on one of the reviews here that someone had ordered chilli oil, but I digress. Workers were nice.

Service- what you'd expect from a good pho place Cleanliness - your usual pho place standard Pho- immaculate every time! I've been going here for decades, still my favorite place (: CASH ONLY

*Cash only *Limited parking My friend told me that his parents used to go here for dates, so it's definitely been around for a while. He and his family love it, and now, so do I! Parking can be a bit challenging on weekends, but it's doable. The portions here are very generous and the broth is not overwhelming. It tastes lighter and cleaner, which I prefer. The noodles had the right chew for me too. The price is very good too, considering the portions. Service here is great. Nicer than most of the other pho places in the area. We felt taken care of and the staff was very sweet. :) Can't wait to come back!

best place if you like having a lot of sides and free tea. service is fast. lots of people. the moment you step out of your car you can smell the broth. call for pickled onions and green onions in fatty broth for free. free tea refills. a regular size is huge. the noodles are very chewy and the broth is clear yet filled with beef umami flavor. lots of seating that's perfect for small groups.

As everybody else is mention i feel obligated to say it's CASH ONLY. So there is a lot to think about this place. The broth is lighter than what i like. but it's not bad. light, clean, complex with good structure. what i really like about this place is they don't go cheap on the portions. even the herbs they bring out they're not being stingy. good dinning experience and i left full. oh in case some how you missed it earlier, bring cash.

CASH ONLY This place is just okay to me. Broth was extremely salty. Noodles had good texture though. Lastly, they got my order wrong, so I ended up with a bunch of meat products I cannot eat.

I've been a long time customer of Pho 54 and seen how things have changed. The Pho is still good here but the quality of the other things went away. Our party use to get large portion of veggies with our Pho, water and tea. Now it's just a small serving of veggies and a glass of water. No more tea! Sriracha too with this sriracha shortage. Don't know if it's even served anymore since my last visit last month. Bring back how things were done. I'm willing to pay more, with the already increasing prices. Customer that frequent your business remember what made it a good spot for pho.

Food is and always on par, service is awesome, greet you at the door seat you and before you know it tea is at your table. You don't have to wait long before you hot Pho and all the trimmings are at the table. You have indoor and outdoor seating and it's wide open and friendly inside.

The good: cheap and large portions for the price considering the macroeconomic conditions. My partner and I both got the large bowls of pho and we struggled to finish and we both have good appetites. The bad: The broth was salty AF. I'm usually not too sensitive to saltiness like my partner is, but right away upon first nibble, I thought uh oh, it's salty. My partner usually can consume the majority if not all the broth, but this time she avoided the broth as much as possible LOL. We also think broth was not very flavored, no smell of any spices or beef bones. But our standards are pretty high and our point of reference is phoholic in OC.

First time trying pho. Very delicious and great sizes. The service was amazing and very fast. We will come here again :)

The most accommodating, friendly, and delicious pho joint in the Bay. My friends and I are from San Jose and this is one of our favorites. My friend had her bachelorette party truly ESSJ style with her favorite spot being Pho 54. They went above and beyond to make sure she had a memorizable time. They allowed us to decorate BTS theme and even insisted playing their music on the tv! It was truly a tailored experience. We were so lucky to be treated so kindly. We will always promote and support Pho 54. Come here!

Not good.PHO..bad waiter....so grumpy....The cooked meat was old..The owner should try out the food to see the quality before serving to customer.

I walked into Pho 54 with one thing in mind. To destroy a bowl of pho. I was hungry and feeling gutsy so I ordered the large and I felt pretty confident in myself. Shortly after, this sweet elderly lady came to our table with two huge bowls (my boyfriend joined me on my conquest) and it was so heavy she was struggling to hold the tray. I dove straight into it. The broth was delicious and I made sure to add plenty of lime. Overall, the pho is absolutely wonderful, however, I soon discovered that the large was out of my league and I was defeated.. Anyways, I highly recommend this place if you're starving!

Customer service here was above and beyond. We came during closing with a group of 12 and they stayed late for us. I'm sure they wanted us to hurry up and leave, but they didn't rush us at all. We even had someone join us later and they insisted on bringing out a new bowl of pho when we were about to share. The pho was pretty good. I ordered #12 and it came with tons of meat. They also served us the fatty oil with scallions and marinated onions. Will absolutely come back for more.

Pho 54 has been my favorite Vietnamese restaurant for over 10 years. I've eaten a number of dishes on the menu, all were very good. But, 95% of the time, I order the No. 1 Pho. The regular size is just right for me, although I've ordered the large when I've been really hungry. Even then, I can barely finish it. Both sizes are equally good. The most important component of any Pho, regardless of the style/regional type is, of course, the broth/soup. In my opinion, the broth is among the best I've ever eaten. Well-balanced with a marvelous synergy that is developed by the correct proportion of the traditional ingredients that creates a truly delicious Pho. The aromatic vegetables that accompany the Pho are always fresh. The mung bean sprouts and generous sprigs of holy basil are invariably excellent, the saw-toothed cilantro (a nice variation from the usual variety) has a slightly bitter but pleasant flavor. The vegetable plate includes good amounts of lime slices, and jalapeños. The wait-staff will bring additional lime and peppers at your request. The service is always good, even when the restaurant is busy. I've never waited more than a reasonable 10 minutes for my food. Refills of drinks, tea, cafe-sua-da, beer, and others arrive promptly after request. The interior of the restaurant, though plain and functional, is always clean. The atmosphere ranges from pleasant to noisily jovial. There is always sufficient staff to meet customer requests at any time before, during, and after your meal. Always bring cash, the restaurant doesn't accept checks or credit cards. Enjoy!

From the outside it may not look appealing which was my first impression and nothing has changed since then and compare to other Vietnamese Pho restaurants you can't beat their prices and service has been outstanding.. The couple that runs this place are so nice and down to earth maybe I'm a bit bias, but they make the best pho with huge portions for regular bowl is $13.25 and for large bowl $14.20 enough for two people. It was raining when I came in this morning and there were only two other people as I was seated they would offer a complimentary tea before the meals being served. I chose #19 chicken rice noodles with a combination of green onions and bean sprouts and for a drinks ice lemonade tea so refreshing with a slice of lemon. I was well fed and the soup noodles were delicious the broth was light not heavy or salty. By the way it's cash only and they do have outdoor seating and ample parking. Will add to my go to list serving the best pho and vermicelli rice plates.

This place continues to disappoint with poor customer service. They do not care how they treat you and would be rude to your face. I haven't been here in yearssss due to poor service but decided to give it another try in hopes of a better experience. The food is alright, not worth coming here. San Jose has a lot of good Vietnamese restaurants, I would stir clear from here. It's not even worth coming for the food.

I've heard many great things about pho 54 so I gave it a try the other day. My food arrived quickly and it was accompanied with a large helping of mint, bean sprouts, and lemon slices. The pho itself was delicious! The broth was just right. The noodles weren't overly squishy like at some other places . The pieces of beef were so tender yet flavorful. Pho 54 isn't in the most glamorous area but the pho is worth it!

The pho here is so good and cheap for the price! I usually get the large pho at most places but here the large pho was even bigger than I've imagined. They also give a lot of meat and veggies with your pho. However, the downside is that it's cash only. Would absolutely come whenever I'm craving pho.

Food is great, in the neighborhood good for dine in or carry out. Pricing reasonable. Service great.

A sleeper pick for one of the best Pho spots in East San Jose. Located in a strip mall on Alum Rock, the place is kinda small and quite unassuming. However, that hasn't stopped me from being a regular here for years. Pho 54 has great Pho at a reasonable price. I love how there's only a 75 cent difference between the small and large sizes. Service is fast and no-nonsense; they're here to feed you and get you out ASAP. I always get the #17, Pho Tai Chin, which is the rare beef with well done brisket. The beef quality is passable and their noodles are great, but what separates them from other places is their broth. It's clear yet flavorful. Definitely one of my favorite Pho spots here in the Bay Area!

Before covid I had the chance to stop by, so late post. I used to come to this place all the time with my family. This place is still very generous in terms of portions - they provide so much pho noodles and meat! Def bang for your buck! Also ask for the side of vinegar onions because it def compliments a bowl of yummy pho!

One of the best pho restaurants around San Jose. I have been going here as a kid and the taste doesn't change over the year. Fast service and nice staff members. Similar to any viet restaurant, the ambiance is nice not a lot of decor

A work friend recommended this place as her go-to Pho restaurant. She lives in Santa Clara so if she was driving out to the east side, it must be good, right? I ordered: - Egg Rolls and Salad - Pork/Shrimp with noodles - Shrimp Pho with white noodle Although they pack everything up individually for take out, I do recommend you still heat it up at home on the stove if you're like me and want your soup piping hot. They gave us way too much of the white noodle and they get hard very quickly. The egg rolls were crispy but were mostly meat. I personally like veggie heavy ones but I'm guessing that is how the Vietnamese roll. Everything was delicious and they give large amounts of food. The total was $43 even and they are cash only which I failed to see in reviews. Luckily, there is a Wells Fargo atm next door. Plenty of free parking and they have outdoor/indoor seating for those that want to dine in.

CASH ONLY! extremely worth it, food taste very authentic. This place has been around for years, it definitely has that homey ambiance to it. I had the number 12 and let me tell you they are very generous with the portion, so you get your money's worth! Staff is very friendly, will be coming back soon :)

These portions are no joke! Bf and I both got #1 larges for just about $13 each and we could not think about eating another thing for hours. However we definitely hella got that post-pho sodium-induced thirst. The staff here mostly only speaks Vietnamese! So we had a little mix up with the orders, but they were super sweet when they realized. They gave us extra water without us asking as an apology :) And like most pho spots, their service is super quick. We got our food within 5 min of ordering. The highlight for Pho 54 are that they're open EARLY so we were able to get pho for breakfast! And for covid measures, they have socially distanced outdoor seating with CANOPIES! Another highlight is that this is my grandma's favorite pho spot guys!!

It's so nice to be home for a little bit and to be eating at the pho I grew up on. Having moved away from the Bay Area and coming back, I realize how special Pho 54 is. In Hawaii, I end up paying over $20 + tip for a bowl of pho, and that doesn't even come dac biet with all the tendon, tripe, flank, etc. Here, the pho is a steal for the price. Now I'm back and am so grateful. Don't take your pho for granted, ya'll!

It was our first time here and we were impressed! The Pho Ga was yummy and had a lot of white meat chicken in it! Also they give a lot of basil. Their service was good too.

My grandpa used to be a regular before he got dementia. I vet on behalf of him. 10/10 for price.

On my way out of Santa Cruz after months of sheltering, I was really craving a good bowl of pho. Unaware of what spots would offer outdoor seating, I did a quick search and the interwebs pointed me in Pho 54's direction. Since my favorite spot in town is still closed, I figured why not, especially if they claimed to have social distancing measures. To my surprise, they did a really good job with laying out a safety plan for customers. They've set up canopies and tables/chairs for four outside, so there is no indoor dining. Based on the building's structure, everyone will be shaded so no fear of being sunburnt unless you come in the evening hours. Restrooms are still available to use inside. All servers were wearing masks as well. I ordered the always default large Classic Combo #1Pho ($12) with everything you'd want and more. They bring out the usual garnishes as normal and a few minutes later, our huge bowls of pho were ready to be devoured. It's worth noting that their chopsticks are one-time use now but their spoons and sauce trays are still communal. My goodness it had been a while that I've had a large bowl of pho. The broth tastes "cleaner" and healthier than other pho restaurants around town, but to be honest I kind of prefer those other bowls (load me up on that fatty broth please!) Good amount of meat and noodles inside your bowls so I wish I had only ordered a regular size. They LOAD it with green onions which I absolutely adore. Overall, a great way to have my first dining out experience be at Pho 54. Cash Only! They have an ATM machine nearby but do your best to bring some greenback.

This place have horrible services waiter just don't come and take your order and I have to go to the counter and order my order. P Food was okay and waiter was borrible

TL;DR - Best Pho place in the Bay Area. - Definitely satisfy your pho craving. -There might be a little wait on the weekends. [During Covid 19 review] Before my current Ramen obsession, I used to love Pho. Having lived in SJ my whole life, I've had the opportunity to visit quite a few of the top Pho shops, and I would say Pho 54 is my favorite one. Overall, it's a solid pho with a rich broth (Salty side) tender meat and veggies. While it won't knock your socks off, you'll still leaving satisfied and content. They are exercising some covid precautions, and they have both inside and outdoor seating. If you come on the weekends, expect a wait of 30 mins or so on average.

I'm sickened by what just happened. My family haven't been back here for 5+ years and decided to go back for a visit. We came for dinner on a Saturday night at 7:30pm. The waiter (an older gentleman) took our order and sounded off since the start. My mother asked for a togo container since the store was closing soon, the waiter did not reply to acknowledge, so my mom kindly asked him again since she thought he didn't hear her since she was wearing a facemask. The waiter yelled at her "Ok got it!" as he yanked the menu from her hand. We are proud Vietnamese Americans who grow up very traditionally and respect our elders...so I did not tell the waiter off although I really wanted to! We got up and left. I told the manager what had happened, and he didn't seem to care and asked "ok so you want to cancel the orders?" Never again.

The fam and me been going here for years. Best pho ga aka chicken pho in SJ! They pack the bowl up huge. Like so much food. It's good here. One of my fav soups for pho. I love it. Good service and food always good. One of the more authentic Vietnamese spots in SJ. On the East Side too; that's definitely a sign it's gona be good. Highly recommend for all the pho lovers! Check them out!

I don't know how Pho 54 still has customers because everything is wrong with this place. I used to like pho here but I hadn't visited for 2 years. I took my family here last week and it was a really bad experience. The pho itself was tasteless. Their cook either overly waters down the broth or lost their taste buds after covid. I had to add three spoonfuls of hoisin sauce and Sriracha but still couldn't taste the spices signature of pho. Also, the rare beef was overcooked and chewy. My mom ordered Hu tieu kho and its dipping sauce tasted like a bowl of sugar water. To add insult to injury, their customer service was non-existent. We didn't order tea but they brought us a pot of tea with 4 cups so we assumed they do that for every table. Then they charged $4 for the tea. Mind you, it was over 80f that day so we totally didn't need the hot tea at all. Also, my mom asked the owner lady for a small bowl of extra hu tieu broth and she straight up asked us "if you want broth why did you order dried hu tieu then?". My mom had to explain to that lady that the dried hu tieu was so sugary that she had to add broth. I have never seen any restaurant owner as hostile to customers as this lady. And she's mean to her staff as well. We sat really far away from the kitchen but could hear the owner yelling at her staff in there. Having worked in food service myself, I really don't want to talk badly about restaurants because I understand food service is very hard work. However, this place is not worth the headache and money. If you really hate pho and want to experience some top-notch rudeness, Pho 54 is the place for you.

Their pho used to be really good but I recently went back and it tasted different. Service was fast though. Lots of parking.

We have visited this place a number of times over the last 20 years. Although ambience doesn't lend much to a quality establishment, they serve some of the very best Pho in the valley. There are only two or three other places that can compete with great food and true old school Vietnamese service. They are one of the few places to serve culantro as a part of their pho garnishment greens. Delicious!

Didn't want to leave only one star but leaving only three because I haven't gotten the chance to try it. I've heard mixed reviews on service but good reviews on the food itself. This review is because they're fully aware that their online hours are wrong and have not tried to fix it. Online it says they're open until 9:00pm. I arrived at 7:50pm tonight and was told they're already closed as their posted hours are 8:00. Posting so others are aware if looking into it.

My friends would say this is one of the OG pho houses of SJ, I've always had a good bowl of soup here and the son of the business is always good with the service. One thing you'll notice is the amount of fresh ac·cou·tre·ment ouii. (basil, sprouts and limes) they give you here. Not sure if you love adding as much fresh herbs and citrus to your pho as my friends and I do, but this is one thing i love about this place. Not sure if its on the menu or if we ask for it from the server but I always go with the Tai, Chin, Nam bowl here. Noodles always seem to have good texture when served. Their broth is also very flavorful from the times i've gone. One of my friends has had a hit or miss experience with their broth though, but they tend to end up coming back here. This spot def ranks in my top 5 pho spots of san jose, and SJ has the best pho spots in the bay area.

Great Pho! We chose #1 choice (I forgot its name; it's the store special one). The serving is quite generous. Everything looks and feels clean. Remember to bring cash!

I remember hearing that this place was good, but having ordered it togo, it definitely isn't worth coming here. The broth tastes like none of the aromatics just beef fat.