Pho Cali

I used to go here all the time during my high school years back in 2013. Thought I'll give it a try to feel a bit nostalgic. First off, I thought the table near me ordered off the kid menu and thought to myself oh I'm surprised they let them order off the kid menu given that they were all adults... noo, I was so surprised by the bowl size that once I actually finished my bowl and was still hungry after. The price has risen up, probably the most in chinatown. 15-18 dollars. The soup was the most decent, but I was mainly disappointed by the pricing for what you get. I counted 4 pieces of meat, and I lowkey felt like I got ripped off. The photo, my hands are alrdy small and the comparison is a joke I almost laughed out loud but Now I know. I'll leave this place as a good memory back in the days and leave it as that. Another thing was the smoothie blending. Their machine is so loud that it filled up the whole restaurant, I can't imagine when it's busy and you have ppl talking and this crazy loud blending happening at once. I didn't bother to order anything else until I had a taste of their pho first - glad I didn't do it. There's quite a bit of pho options in chinatown. This just won't be my go-to.

Great place to sit down and eat with friends, the food was extremely delicious and the service was on point, I would definitely come back for more

Hidden gem💎 Be sure to check this place out, it feels like visiting family. Food was great and the owner (I believe it was the owner) made sure to accommodate our group with dishes that we would love and natural sodas as well! Loved the dishes and would come back!

Oh my goodness. Simply the BEST Vietnamese Iced Coffee, the BEST Thai Tea, and the BEST Banh Mi I have ever had. This is a really wonderful spot.

seriously the best restaurant around! the owners are amazing and make you feel so welcomed. the food is priced so well for how fresh every ingredient is!!! the pho, summer rolls, banh mi are all to die for!!! (best banh mi i’ve had, and i’ve had a few) i leave sooo full every time yet i share each meal!! 5/5 stars all the way!!!

I had a rare beef combination Pho, a decent sized portion by most standards. The broth was not bad, a touch salty, but not a lot of depth, yet still enjoyable. Service was prompt but curt.

Visited around 2 PM to avoid the busy hours. Ordered Pho No. 3. The restaurant is located at the entrance of a busy area, so it’s easy to find and seems to have good foot traffic. The owner lady seemed to be Chinese, not Vietnamese, and most of the sauces on the tables were Chinese products rather than Vietnamese ones. My table didn’t have all the condiments that other tables had. The broth was clean and light, but the bowl was smaller than at other pho places. The biggest downside was that the noodles were overcooked and broke apart easily when picked up with chopsticks.

Nice clean restaurant. Service okay. Food was okay. Chinatown quality. Good prices. The pho was okay. Good meat. Soggy noodles. Broth had a strange blend. Clean restrooms.

A small cozy restaurant with a few tables for customers. I had the opportunity to meet the owner, who also happened to be my server. She made a few recommendations on the menu and quickly took my order. I ordered the fresh shrimp rolls and chicken pho. I was glad to get acquainted with her because we both spoke Mandarin, making me feel at home. Everything came out reasonably quickly, accompanied by fresh ingredients that felt homemade. Warning: Their version of Chili Sambal is hot

Have been coming here for years. Had some today and noticed WHILE EATING IT that there was a roach floating in it. I called over the server who brought out a manager and I was told it wasn't in my pho it probably just fell from the ceiling and not to worry they wouldn't charge me for it....Never again.

A nice pho place in Center City, Philadelphia; one of the few that opens early (11 am) for lunch. As expected, no-frills service but dishes came quickly. Simple decor, but hey there's a power outlet by the table! That comes in handy to charge phones. Their pho is pretty standard; authentic and delicious.

We're a big fan of Vietnamese food, and made a quick stop here since we were visiting Philly's Chinatown. Service was friendly and quick. For our appetizer, we got the shrimp summer roll which was delightful. For the entree, we shared the Grilled Pork over broken rice. The pieces of pork were very shredded, and unfortunately , we were not particularly fond of this dish and felt it was somewhat lacking in flavor. The Vietnamese ice coffee did hit the spot, and was one of the best I've drank.

Pho Cali is my go to for pho, whether it is take out or dine in. I love the summery umami flavor of their broths, and the consistency and quality of their meats are unmatched. I particularly like the chicken pho in beef broth- try it some time! When ordering to go, they package up everything so noodles don't get soggy, which I really appreciate. Dining in is great too! They have hi top tables near windows which allow for very good people watching in Chinatown, right next to the arch. I ate here for lunch on a Sunday and it was pretty quiet. Good for a relaxing, slow bowl of soup to recover from the weekend! I really appreciated the kind service as well.

I tried the pho and pork banh mi here. The pho was mediocre and lacked the depth of flavor I was hoping for, but the banh mi was quite good. At $24 total, it felt a bit pricey, especially since the pho came in a smaller serving than expected. The service was fine, and the dining area had a familiar vibe, reminiscent of most Vietnamese eateries. It wasn't too busy, and we were seated quickly.

Good food but waitress was very rude. Barely communicated at all, very hasty. Not fun.

I had their bahn mi. It was huge and delicious. It cost less than $10, it was big enough for 2 person. Their vietnamese iced coffee was also good. The service was great. The place looks clean and big enough to accommodate a large group.

I had a great experience dining in at Pho Cali. I was greeted with a warm smile the moment I walked in. The service is excellent quality as the staff was friendly and lovely. I had Roasted Chicken Steamed Broken Rice and Durian with Tapioca, which was delicious. The atmosphere was nice and quiet. It was a relaxing dining experience that I love. Thank you, I will come back again in the future.

It was a delight to eat at Pho Cali! Highly recommended and the staff were very sweet and friendly. We entered around 5:30 and it was empty but by 6:30 there were take out orders galore and many tables filled up. The menu is easy to read and easy to understand. I was somewhat new to Pho so it was nice to have the translation. One of our friends was learning Vietnamese and the staff actually helped him learn and made him practice when he was ordering! The spring rolls were delicious and we liked the sauce. They brought out Pho additions like lettuce jalepenos and bean sprouts. And the table had the traditional sauces. We all loved our meals and they were served promptly and hot. And yes they had a fork for me to use when I was too tired to use the Pho Spoon. We topped the night off with their homemade bubble tea! We watched them make it from scratch! Super yummy. We recommend the mango. Look no further for great Pho, friendly staff, and a nice evening.

Best Pho in Philadelphia. Vermicelli noodles and broth is down right incredible every single time. They also make an iced coffee that is unlike anything I've had before, as well as a very unique-tasting lemonade. Shop is run by a mom and pop who are very nice people. It's also always a very quiet and relaxed atmosphere. What's more is the prime location-- You can see the beautiful historic arch outside through the windows.

I knew this place existed but never came in until a few days ago. I came in with my girlfriend on a Friday night and it didn't look so busy. The food was actually better than I thought thought. We ordered the shredded pork banh mi, the springrolls, and a bowl of the special pho. Let's start with the pork banh mi. The bread was actually amazing, crunchy and chewy on the outside but soft on the inside. The vegetables hit me in the face and reminded me of the time I had an actual banh mi in Vietnam almost 8 years ago. I never thought I could describe food that way but the vegetables in the banh mi really brought the entire banh mi together. The pork itself, however, was most likely overcooked and underseasoned as it tasted burnt and there was no flavor. Next up, the spring rolls. The spring rolls are a standard springroll, nothing too special or crazy but good enough to satisfy your springroll craving. Lastly, we had the pho and honestly, the pho was more soup than noodles or even meat. However, the soup was rich, noodles had the perfect springy yet firm texture. And the meat had plenty of lean cuts along with fatty cuts. I'd say, if you want a quick bite for lunch or dinner to go about your plans then it's perfect!

Excellent, a must have, simple in a good way and authentic food! We came across the place while walking in Chinatown and passing by so many options. We started with an excellent pho that was based on 10hrs broth, clean and light, packed with flavor and herbs to complement the dish. The next day we came back for banh mi filled with beef and fresh vegetables goodness, chicken with rice. The couple who runs the place are so nice and we're very accommodating. If you're in Chinatown give this one a tryout

It was the Worst Vietnamese food we ever had. So disappointed! $14 Pho soup was cloudy and no flavor at all. Not only that, it was a small bowl too. Its more like a kid size bowl. How can you even stay in business especially in Philadelphia where there are so much to choose from. ?

我那时候早餐没吃 想说去吃一点清淡的 然后看见了这家店 然后进去没多少人 想说好吧 正好安安静静吃饭 才选择这家店 服务态度我可以给一颗半 因为我问她可不可以把菜和豆芽都煮熟了再给我 我还没说完就转身走了 然后上菜后吃着吃着 发现碗里面有一根头发 我就问服务员 这怎么回事 我要换一碗 然后她就把碗收走 给我重新换一碗给我 而且收走的时候完完全全没给我提醒一句 或者 给我一个解释 服务态度非常失望 然后打包还是用饮料杯子装给我的 The food I was saying not too good not too bad it just like a regular family dish

Such a disappointment of a pho restaurant place. It was on the way back from our walk at Independence Hall to our hotel so we stopped in to get dinner. We both ordered the combination pho to eat and let me tell you it was awful. The broth is orange and so gross! They give you very little meats. It's not worth $10.50 for what you get. We ended up leaving and ordering pizza later that evening. The garnishes are anything but fresh and they give you two tiny dry lime pieces. The cups of water was so small and no one came back to refill our cups. At check out, I was told cash only, and not only that the lady took our money, gave us change and walked away. No one ask how our visit was, and no thanked us for coming in. I understand Vietnamese and it sounds like the couple was arguing. Such a terrible way to run a business! Would not recommend at all.

I had the House Special Bun (vermicelli) Combo and boba to-go for Social Distancing. The vermicelli turned out pretty good and they were generous with the portions, but I still like the one at Pho Xe Lua better (plus it's a little cheaper there). The boba unfortunately wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. I still might return to try their other dishes. I'm guessing that pho might be their best known dish by their name.

Now that I've eaten here a couple times when visiting for a convention, I can honestly say that Pho Cali has been a welcome addition to our dining plans when we are in downtown Philly. Though small, it's usually not a long wait to get a table here and after ordering, food is usually up within 5 minutes. There is nothing like a big steaming bowl of Pho on a cold evening. I had the chicken pho last time I was here and after dumping in lots of sprouts, sprigs of basil, and a bit of their sauce, I relished my bowl even though I couldn't finish it. The menu here has lots of other options for starters, but there isn't any reason to not order the pho. Pricing is reasonable and you can expect to get out of here with a dinner for 2 for under 25 bucks - not bad!

One of the few pho places I know in the neighborhood that has opened for dine in. Pho was pretty good. I liked how light and cleansing the broth felt. I got the #4 with no tendon or tripe and added meatballs. The portions were pretty good and they gave a good amount of meat.

This is my go-to spot for Vietnamese cuisine. I usually go for a bowl of pho, but I wanted to try something different. The food always exceeds my expectations and it's inexpensive! After eating here, I always like to take a stroll around Chinatown as well. There are plenty of shopping areas too for souvenirs, produce, pastries, and bubble tea. Entree: #52 Vietnamese Fried Spring Roll & Grilled Pork Over Vermicelli $10.50

Quick and delicious Vietnamese meal when you're in Chinatown. They do take debit/credit cards but when I was there, payment machine wasn't working. Be ready to have cash on hand just in case.

Big portions, original ingredients, clear broth makes their Pho decent. Service is fast and attentive. Used to be my go to place for Pho due to the location and price but recently tried few other places and I must say I enjoyed their Pho better. Maybe I dined in this place too many times and simply got tired of the taste. Also, spring rolls and summer rolls are reversed here. I ordered spring rolls got summer rolls instead. After reading other reviews looks like it's a common occurrence. I usually pay cash here but it's $15 minimum for credit cards.

The bathroom is unacceptably dirty, the pho was bland and possibly unsafe to eat given its weird taste. Almost no meat was given for my deluxe combo. I will certainly not return to this establishment. Two stars because the staff was very friendly.

Average pho place--I've had worse pho and I've definitely have better pho. A decent amount of seating, good prices, and a central location all make this a solid lunch spot. One charming part of this restaurant is that it's clearly family run--an elderly couple takes the order, serves the food, and gives the Probably would not order the summer rolls again--the rice wrappers were a little gummy and the filling was dry.

Visited here with some friends from out of town and determined that it's a pretty standard restaurant that fulfilled its job but didn't really blow us away. I was impressed with the speed at which the food came out and we were seated but that was about it. The food was okay but nothing super special, and the same goes for the prices. The bathrooms seemed a bit dirty and understocked, but in all honesty, the thing that really rubbed me the wrong way in the end was the fact that the Vietnamese iced coffee my friend and I ordered was 80% ice, 20% coffee. Probably would've left a lot better taste in my mouth if I didn't feel like I was being cheated While I suppose I don't really have any bad blood with this restaurant, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed.

This was my first time to try pho, and I was not disappointed. I was really hesitant to try it, but I have no regrets now. The restaurant was easy to access when I was in Chinatown, and I was immediately seated. I think the wait for our order was no more than 10 minutes. After my friend and I got our soups, we immediately dug in. They had all the condiments we would need to enjoy the soup. The portions were good, neither of us were able to finish our bowl. The waiter was nice, always coming around to check on us and clean our table. I really appreciated that, because nothing is more satisfying than having a clean table while you are fasting. I will definitely be visiting again to explore more of the variations of pho offered.

Perfectly serviceable Vietnamese eatery, helpful service, good lighting. If you're hungry - and you ought to be, otherwise what are you doing here? - pick up a Vietnamese hoagie. Their charbroiled pork variation ("Banh Mi Thit Nuong, #67 on the menu; $4; credit cards accepted) satisfies, even if it's not your typical banh mi sandwich. Crispy bread, but what an odd cut of baguette. And did I detect a bit of hoisin sauce? If my description scared you, play it safe and enjoy a plate of shredded pork on rice (Com Tam Bi, #38, $6.50). The fish sauce isn't bad and considering their prices, you'll have enough to splurge, so get yourself a hot tea or a fruity drink.

Solid Pho, especially for Chinatown. Prices are completely in line with other Pho places, from Washington Ave to the other end of C-Town. I was happy with my large deluxe. The meats were well portioned and tasty and the broth seemed to balance them well. I was a bit disappointed with the bean sprouts portions provided with my large bowl and the ones provided weren't looking that healthy. Of course, it was later on a Friday night. Given how short a walk it is from Market East Station, I suspect I will be back to fine tune their rating. As for now, Pho Cali is safe to enjoy!

3.5 rounded up. Decent spot, no frills, no fuss. I got the chargrilled pork banh mi and my friend got the house pho. Both were good and hit the spot but nothing to rave about. If my other favorite spots in Ctown aren't open or if this is closer, I'd come again. One thing I wasn't a fan of was that there weren't any prices on the menu . Luckily it was pretty cheap so not a big deal, but my dude. Put some $ on the menu.

In Chinatown there is a real good Vietnamese spot. I just happen to be in the mood for it and stopped in. The place is nice inside with plenty tables. We were greeted and sat away from the door so we wouldn't feel the draft every time the door opened, very cool. We started with pork and shrimp spring rolls. They come two per order and are conveniently cut in half for you. A peanut sauce is served with it, but i add sriracha sauce to it though. I was surprised at how small they were, but still tasted good. We ordered a basic pho for the kids and a spicy pho for us. The kids ate all theirs up quick. The spicy one was so good we ordered another and finished it too. The broth was extremely tasty. The bowls are large, and they fill it up with meat and noodles. Plenty of bean sprouts, jalapenos, herbs, and limes are brought out for you to put in the pho. I also ordered the lemonade and almost drank it right up it was so delicious. The owners are very nice and I would definitely recommend come trying this place out when you can.

If you're all about the broth like me, this place is not for you. Broth was bland, not enough beef flavor or any other flavor at all. I got the shrimp summer rolls which were limp and hardly any vegetables, just noodles, shrimp and weird colored rice paper. The porkchops were OK, not as charred as I usually like it but they were probably the best thing I had.

The healing powers of this place's pho is unmatched. Everything is handmade, and the food comes out in 2 minutes steaming hot. Perfect spot for a date, a night out pit stop, or a dinner for one. I travel across the city for this woman's pho

3.5 stars!!!! The pho is delish. I can definitely taste the msg but the flavor of the beef broth is seasoned well. The broth has a deep beef taste with a cilantro back note. The pho is loaded with a great amount of fresh meat and topped off with onion garnishes. The onions are paper thin that they cook into the broth of your pho. The pho is instantly a tad bit sweeter from the onions. However, I personally did not enjoy the spring roll exterior. The spring rolls had the texture of egg rolls rather than the spring rolls that I expected. However, I loved the filling of the spring roll. The meat inside the spring roll was super juicy and loaded with great flavors. When you take a bite of the spring roll you expect the filling to be that of an egg roll due to the exterior. However, the spring rolls are loaded with thick juicy meat. The meat has a lot of fat in it so in return the meat melts in your mouth. I do wish they served a bit more of the seasoned vinegar fish sauce with their rolls.

A great menu that's easy to understand, and the food I've had has been consistently delicious. My only experience has been on weeknights, where this place quietly hums along with all the excitement of a library, but I can imagine it gets considerably busier on weekends. The owners and staff are very very friendly, the prices are fair, and everything is clean. Definitely one of my favorites for Vietnamese food.

Very nice spot! Delicious Phõ, and appetizers. We loved the authentic pho ga and beef tendon pho. The Shrimp Summer rolls were a smash hit, as well. I highly recommend this place for great Vietnamese in Philadelphia!

We were here for dinner snd tried the chicken pho and the pork bahn mi. The bahn mi was good but again nothing has topped the bahn mi of bahn mi cali yet. The pho was good. The service was good too.

Yummy and satisfying, however, I don't know what sets them apart from the other nearby pho restaurants (perhaps I haven't found it yet). I had the beef rice noodle soup, which was labelled hot and spicy. Upon ordering it, the waiter even asked if I wanted it spicy. I said yes emphatically. While it was warm and the flavor was yummy, this "hot and spicy" soup lacked some serious heat. There was nothing here that really stood out in my mind beyond what I normally encounter when dining out. Good, but I don't know if I would go to great lengths to coming to this specific spot again if I was not already in the area.

First off, this review was done in April and I was returning from Florida with a few pieces of luggage and was welcomed to dine here on a Saturday night. Just a few steps from both the SEPTA train line at Market East and the Greyhound bus station. I took my time ordering and finally came up with #'s 6 Banh Mi Bo, #34 Mien Ga and # 62 summer rolls. The Mien Ga was not too salty and full of different flavors. I really enjoyed the soup's content and will order it again. The Banh Mi Bo was very tasty and the added vegetables gave it a slight crunch. I am now hooked as this was my first ever "Vietnamese Hoagie." I was clueless when I ordered the summer rolls and was slightly disappointed when they arrived as I ordered something "uncooked" and after my first bite with the dipping sauce, I not only saw this as a healthier "starter", but perhaps the beginning to a healthier trend? Overall, I had a nice enjoyable time dining here and was not rushed or ignored. Everybody was polite and friendly.

As always I am in search of a good Pho place. Upon my arrival I wasn't impressed by the friendliness of the person taking my to go Order. Maybe just a bad day :). I ordered a Large Pho Ga and spring Rolls to go. Flavor was good but nothing amazing. A bit greasy to my taste. Also had some Spring rolls: which apparently are fried. I learned that spring rolls and summer rolls are not always the same everywhere in the US. Clean place inside. Fairly modern on the inside, outside will fool you.

Food wasn't bad but I feel as if the grilled beef could have been seasoned better (differently) and cooked less as it is paper thin and was pretty dry. The hot sauce included brought the meal together. Ordered broken rice with grilled beef and lemonade. Lemonade was good, pretty sweet, had limes in it.

Since I'm tight on time today, I stopped here instead of taking the bus to pho75 or walking to Pho 20 (don't judge) I walk in and I'm greeted immediately then waved to a table. The man has water & menu in hand. I know what I want, so now I'm just waiting for him to return. I order plain pho, no meat. I said no meat 2x. A women to works there and thinks she knows what I want. I said no meat & she says something I don't understand. They man brings back a small bowl of pho with vegetables and tofu (I got vegetarian pho instead of plain pho with no meat). I'm game, so I taste it. OMG, bland! I add lime, sriracha, no fish sauce anywhere. The broth is not very good, but I kind of enjoyed getting vegetables. The place filled up fast, the bowls came flying by. Great location & service. Broth is a non-starter.

Great Pho, huge portions that are enough for two whole dinners for anyone, and very reasonable prices. If you like spicy, the housemade red pepper hot sauce is incredible.

This is the worst Vietnamese noodle shop I've ever eaten. The soup has no taste at all. It's just like hot water. And the service attitude is also very bad.Never come back.

Was truly an authentic experience ordered the shrimp pho and shrimp spring rolls and the shrimp brown rice. The pho came with all the trimming and was delicious the broth was rich and the size was way more than enough with the size of shrimp nice and plump. The sauces were all delicious taking one star off because the can of soda I received was filthy to point o didn't even want it after it was cleaned off

The Tai Nam, Ve Don (Rare Steak & Crispy Flank) was a perfect counterpoint to the biting cold running rampant in the streets of Chinatown last night. The space on the corner of 10th and Arch is small, but well maintained. The service is efficient, if not overly friendly, nor chatty. But, given that there was a large bowl of steaming funky pho placed before me about 2 minutes after ordering, they can afford to let their speed and excellent broth do the talking. I found it rich and subtle with plenty of time simmering in a huge pot in the kitchen. The star anise played second violin to the beef stock's leading melody. The noodles were submerged beneath the ample supply of thinly sliced rare and well done meats. It was all I wanted. Some nights are just a little strange, and it wasn't even a full moon. On my walk over to Pho Cali I was stopped by a man who told a story so believable about having his tools and wallet lifted, that I gave him cab fare home. On the way out of the café, I was stopped again. This time by a woman who claimed to be an art student in Jersey. She just wanted to take photos of me while I made a crazy face. I obliged, half thinking that I would find myself on Facebook looking like a madman. The end of a promising career in public service. I just rolled with it all. As long as the pho was superlative, I could tolerate almost anything. Dark streets. Cold winds. Bizarre interactions. Take your best shot.

The bun bo hue was the worst I've ever had. The broth was bland and for toppings all I received was a few thin slices of beef and tendon. Worst of all, the noodles weren't even cooked through. I ended up having to recook my leftovers the next day with more seasonings. A serious waste of money.

I would say that the pho was pretty good! The pho was hot!! I hate when I go places and they give you lukewarm pho!!! Scald my mouth please!! Not really but you know what I mean. I got the deluxe with rice noodles! There was a lot of meat but mine was all placed at the bottom, like they put the meat in then placed the rice noodles on top. That was a disappointment for me. I did like the cuts of meat except there was no meatball! I loved the bit sized pieces of tendon! Egg rolls were delicious as well! Overall this was a nice spot that served in person dining options!

Before Yelp Pho was one of those things I simply had no idea about. Now I'm finally starting to see the light and realize what all of the fuss is all about. I may be an amateur to the point that for some reason I thought my shrimp vermicelli was going to be a bun like dish and not a soup without broth, but I liked this place enough to feel it's worthy of some better reviews. Philly has a lot of great Pho places (as I'm going to find out more about), but this one had a huge menu selection, all kinds of bubble tea (and beer on the not so down low), and Ultra quick service. we literally got our food three minutes after we ordered it. It's also right off the corner of Arch - making it the best stop to go before you catch a train at Market East, after you see some good art at Space 1026, or before a show at the Troc (you'll never see me in line at Wawa before a show again). So while there's definitely bound to be better, you can't go wrong with quick fresh inexpensive food and good service.

Went in for a quick lunch in which I ordered the roasted chicken on broke rice. The texture of the chicken was coming off more like quail but it was still good. Drizzled in fish sauce and the accompanying julienned veggies and rice it made for a good lunch meal. The price was about right for only $8. They're losing 3 stars because on yelp and on their own door they specify they take credit cards. I explicitly looked around for any type of minimum credit card disclaimer and didn't see any before I sat down. When I tried to pay for my meal with my credit card the only explanation was cash only. Mind you I just saw a business lunch wrap up in which they paid with a credit card. I get they may have minimum and that's their prerogative but at least have it posted somewhere that you A, have a minimum and B what it is. I had no other choice but to use the ATM across the street which has skimmer written all over and incur at least $5 in combined fees from my bank and the questionable ATM across the street. Had I'd been aware of their policies I would have just chosen to dine elsewhere.