Phở 79
Pho restaurant · Garden Grove ·
Award-winning pho institution with rich oxtail broth and fresh fixings
Award-winning pho institution with rich oxtail broth and fresh fixings
"If you are no stranger to the slurp, then Phở 79 is likely already on your circuit. After all, this place is an institution. Opened in the early 80s, it's widely considered to ladle some of the best and most praiseworthy pho in southern California.The simple interior is enlivened by a bright yellow wall adorned with numerous accolades. It's spartan but clean, and you're here for the pho, not the fashion show. Place your name on the clipboard by the front door and expect a wait. Once seated, peruse the extensive menu, which runs the gamut from egg noodle soups and goi cuon, to appetizers and desserts along with many varieties of the eponymous dish. You'll never go wrong with oxtail—it's the most popular with good reason." - Michelin Inspector
"You can come here for a fine bowl of pho, but they also have two tasty bánh mí options we love. If you’re a traditionalist, order the number two with cured pork, ham, and head cheese. We also like the number one with grilled slices of smoky pork, pâté, cucumbers, shredded pickled daikon, carrots, jalapeño, spicy mayo, garlic spread, and cilantro. You can turn either of these sandwiches into a combo meal, which includes salt/brown sugar-seasoned crinkle fries and a drink of your choice. It’s a great (and filling) deal for about $10 and change." - mariana trabanino, virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer
"Pho is such a customizable dish that coming up with one “perfect” version can start an unending argument. What’s harder to argue against, though, is experience, and this Garden Grove favorite has more than 40 years of it, with its oxtail pho still regularly drawing long lines of fans. It’s a perfect, comforting bowl for a chilly day — aka whenever Orange County dips below 75 degrees." - Vox Creative
"Highly heralded in Orange County, Pho 79 is celebrated as a James Beard America's Classics winner and remains one of the region's most revered pho institutions." - Eater Staff
"This Vietnamese restaurant in Garden Grove, open since 1982, is one of the most well-known spots in all of Orange County, and there’s an hour-long wait almost every day to prove it. But frankly, we’d wait two hours with an invading chest cold for pho this good. You can put a variety of different meats into the soup (the oxtail is their signature), but at the end of the day, it’s all about the broth. Simmered in oxtail for 12 hours and infused with star anise, it’s rich, cinnamon-y, and unlike any other pho you’ll find in California. Cash only." - brant cox
