Phở Hà Nội

7.9/10 chicken pho $20 I always heard good things about this place as they have a few locations in the bay area. The portions are SUPER small for $20. The broth was ok. It lacked a little flavor. The chicken was nicely shredded and had flavor. They didn't even bring out bean sprouts for the pho and they bring out just a small drop of siracha instead of having bottles at the table The bowl felt like it was mostly broth other than anything else. There are other places I would prefer over this place House of Pho clears this restaurant with about double the size for less money. I probably wont go back to this place and anyone who regularly eats pho cant imagine why someone would go back if they had options

Came here for a quick dinner. Service was great, $20 is a little steep for pho but they give you pretty sizable portions of meet. They are also very clear about the added 18% gratuity. Broth was good but a tad on the salty side. Overall would go again if craving pho.

Our server was rude, didn't like us asking questions. My guests have never experienced Pho and needed help ordering. She seemed irritated and never checked back on food. Never asked if I wanted another beer. When we asked for the check she informed us about a automatic 18% tip. I usually tip more, but but her attitude was unprofessional. Never going back again!

I’m not a local, but I travel through the area often and usually look forward to stopping at this spot. Unfortunately, the service on my recent visit felt noticeably worse than before. My server was very slow, and when I asked for lime and chili, she said they were out of lime and never brought the chili—even after I reminded her twice. I eventually asked another (much kinder) staff member, and she brought both items right away, so clearly they were available. I was on a tight lunch break, so the delays and the server’s attitude really took away from the experience. I still like this place, but the service quality definitely needs improvement.

As visitors from Florida, we’ve been exploring different dining spots in Palo Alto, and while many places offer delicious food, the service hasn’t always matched up—until we found this gem! From the moment we walked in, it was clear this restaurant prioritizes its guests. The standout? July, who provided impeccable service. She didn’t just take care of us but ensured everyone, including those picking up takeout, was treated with the same attention and warmth. Her dedication and friendliness made the experience even more special. The waiting time was surprisingly short—less than 10 minutes—even during what seemed like a busy time. The restaurant’s family-friendly vibe was perfect for us, and the staff made us feel completely at home. As for the food, it was excellent! The portions were generous, and the flavors were spot on, all at an affordable price point. The 18% gratuity was more than fair for the quality of service we received, though the team certainly deserved more for their exceptional care. We left with full stomachs and happy hearts, already planning to return on our next trip to Palo Alto. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for great food, excellent service, and a welcoming atmosphere—especially families! Well done to the team here!

Food was amazing and July was my server. She did really nice and helped me alot with my food. The restaurant has plenty of space, I felt very welcomed.

Food and experience is super nice, if you visit the place at the right time. I love pho and bun cha from this restaurant, but the service quality may vary depending on how much they are busy at the time. Once was really bad, normally quite good.

Really good. The service was fast, we didn't have to wait a lot and they kept our water glasses always full. I tried the Special Combination Pho, the spring rolls, and the chargrilled Pork rolls. I think the entree is almost enough for an entire meal. The pho is definitely enough to share with another person. The portions are HUGE. It was all very tasty. I recommend this place

Love it hereee The food was good and the service was lovely, especially from July!! Will come back if have the chancee

Good food, good service. They give a small cup of free dessert after the meal. The employees are really friendly! July is the best employee ever!! She's really sweet and makes awesome drinks! The change to the new menu, so it looks nicer.

Best Bun Bo Hue I've ever had! Great service too the short rib was tender, falling off the bone. Worth double what I paid, for sure.

Food here is good! I love that the menu has such a good variety, whether youre feeling like pho noodle soup because it's a cold day and you need some comfort food, or vermicelli for a healthier bite. you can get pho with the bone rib inside. service is good

I've been going to the Palo Alto location of Pho Ha Noi for years since it opened. Compared to the original San Jose Vietnam Town location, this location is much cleaner and the tables are roomier and less cramped; there is still the usual pho smell lingering as with many other pho restaurants but at least the main dining area doesn't get too loud. Parking around University Ave can be hit or miss. When I got to the restaurant, there were a few groups of people waiting for a table and a sign in sheet by the door. One of the waiters was asking how many people were in each party and seating them as he got to them, not necessarily in the order they signed in. My party was seated a few minutes after arriving and I noticed everyone waiting for a table was seated as well. I ordered the Rare USDA choice flap meat, flank, and brisket pho (pho tai nam gau) with fresh noodle. My pho arrived in around five minutes and was the perfect temperature to start eating right away without burning my mouth. The pho broth was flavorful without being overly salty. The cuts of meat were prepared well without an overwhelming amount of fat. My personal preference is their fresh noodle because I like wider noodles as opposed to their regular noodle which is pretty much vermicelli noodles. Shortly after the pho arrived, the waiter checked in on the table though he never came back after that and I ended up paying a different waitress. Note that 18% gratuity is automatically added onto all dine-in checks so additional tip is not required. Aside from the automatic tip, the menu is overall a bit pricier than other pho restaurants with comparable menus, but the quality and portion size make up for it, which is why I keep making the drive to Palo Alto just to eat here. Also, the Palo Alto menu varies slightly from the San Jose menu, so perhaps each location has its specials so you have to visit each one to try everything Pho Ha Noi has to offer.

Pho Hanoi is always packed, and every time I come here I'm reminded of one thing: Palo Alto really, really loves chicken breast pho ga. Like... the entire room. It's oddly mesmerizing, especially since that's usually not the headline order at a pho spot. Peak Palo Alto behavior. My go to is the beef pho. The meat quality is legit--clean, tender, clearly good cuts--but if you're used to the heavyweights in San Jose or Cupertino, the broth doesn't quite hit that next-level depth. Still comforting, still solid, just not "drive across town" elite. Don't sleep on the egg rolls. Crispy, golden, addictive--the kind you finish without realizing it. The spring rolls? Easy skip. Totally forgettable next to those egg rolls. TL;DR: good beef pho, great egg rolls, and the most committed chicken-pho fan club in Palo Alto. Consistently busy, reliably good, and entertaining to people-watch.

Visiting the area and it was soooo cold outside. Pho was perfect for us haha. We came around 7:30pm and the wait wasn't too long at all. Maybe we waited 10mins? The restaurant is quite huge and very spacious. My friends ordered the combination beef pho and I got the Rare Steak & Boneless Short Rib Pho. We ordered the Ha Noi Special Rolls to share. Surprisingly the pho orders came out pretty fast, before the appetizer. First, the plate settings and the utensils are rather clean! They already have a sauce cup mixed with sriracha and hoi sin sauce prepped, which I noticed they didn't have any condiments on the table. Honestly it is cleaner that way too haha. Digging into the pho, the broth is very clean! Noodles were fresh, beef was soft. The beef here was quite enjoyable because it wasn't too tender at all. The rolls were also pretty good! Very clean. The peanut sauce was the most enjoyable of the 3 sauces they had to offer. Overall, the experience was pretty good. It's pretty expensive for pho though ($20). In SoCal, it's around ($14-$18), for just as good quality.

Was craving BBH on a cold day and came here more out of convenience. We were hopeful since last time we were here it was decent and we didnt wanna drive through traffic to go elsewhere. But we didnt get any of their noodle soups last time. And it was honestly just ok this time. The BBH could have been way more flavorful. It was just missing something. The beef bone was actually delicious though and falling off the bone. But that was probably the best part. We ended up getting ramen later in the week to really satisfy that noodle soup on a cold day craving. SUPER annoying that they auto added 18% to a party of 2. That's probably what we would have tipped anyways so...meh I guess. There is a sign in front that tells you I suppose...but it's quite long so you dont really read the whole thing to realize it if you are just walking by quickly to be seated. I'll probably brave traffic next time instead.

We arrived on Sunday right before the lunch crowd. We waited for maybe 10 minutes before we were seated. Quite a few items to choose from. Hubs, kiddo, and dad went with the Special Combination Pho which they seemed to enjoy - especially good on a chilly day. Mom ordered the Grilled Pork Vermicelli - quite a bit of meat and the it was a good size portion. She enjoyed her bowl and had some to take home. I decided to go with the Sizzling Steak. Pros - I like how the dish stayed hot since it was on a sizzling platter and the pate with the onions on the bread was yummy. However, the sauce on the platter was a tad too salty which made the steak salty. Also, wished the steak arrived more rare rather than well since it continues to cook in the platter. Also ordered an ube coffee, which I enjoyed as it was not too sweet. Overall, service was good in that they were attentive and ensured our water glasses were filled. I'd return to try other items.

Had a chance to visit Pho Ha Noi at the Palo Alto location for a work lunch. The quality of the food at the Palo Alto location seems to be about on par with the Pho Ha Noi on Story. The interior was definitely a step up, with more modern and clean decor inside. Service was friendly and prompt. I ordered Bo Kho (beef stew and banh mi) and Soda Chanh. The stew was super hot (I burned my tongue) but had a nice fatty goodness. My co-workers ordered the Pho Bo with beef ribs and banh tuoi (fresh noodles). They looked visually similar to the same dish at the Story location. If you are up in Palo Alto and need to find a decent pho restaurant, Pho Ha Noi is probably the best option.

Awesome food and service from July! We love the ambience on pho Ha Noi Palo Alto. The meat on the vermicelli was a lot! They also steamed the bean sprouts, so it doesn't smell.

Now I've had a lot of Pho in my life time and this place does not live up to the hype that it's getting at all. On a Sunday night around 7:00pm you wouldn't expect a lot of things to be out yet, but they were out of a lot of things we wanted to try. So whatever just got the Combo Pho and my daughter got the Short Rib Pho and my wife got the Shaken Beef. The broth was very very bland, nothing to write home about, now comes my daughter short rib pho, now there was one problem, there was no short rib like the picture in the menu. Asked the server of why there wasn't the rib, they went and checked in the kitchen and I was told that they took the meat off from the bone already and it's in the bowl. I didn't requested that. Only 4 pieces of meat that we saw. My kids were hungry and I didn't want to end my day on a negativity. Whatever. The last dish was the Shaken Beef. Horrible, beef had very little flavor but more on the sweet side and the garlic noodle was just so bland. The way they present it was like there was no love putting into the dish. Just splattered everywhere. This is place is so americanized. Not authentic at all. The only reason I think that they are real busy is because they have no competition in the same area. But I do have to say that the place looks well decorated and clean. The Fresh Spring Rolls was the only thing I felt was good. Lastly for a party of 4 they automatically add 18% gratuity to it. That's just funny. Sure Whatever. This is what I call a "ONE & DONE"

July was a very helpful waitress Enjoyed the meal. Egg rolls solid and the pho was awesome. Pricy but I guess that's university Avenue for you. Packed house on a Wednesday night Definitely worth a try !

Busy restaurant located in downtown Palo Alto, that I didn't feel weird eating at alone. I'd say they have a bit slower service / food to table times than other pho shops. They serve with lemon not lime, and they offer bean sprouts on request. For how expensive it is, I expected a much larger portion and also a more flavorful broth. They really just churn and burn tables here, and honestly didn't get the hype. I'll try the SJ location and hope for better results.

The food here is so delicious no matter what. The service and friendliness matches. I love the pho here. So that's what I typically get. They have a bone-in beef rib and oxtail variety not popular at most Vietnamese restaurants. They serve pretty good cocktails also. I do enjoy a refreshing lychee martini with my pho sometimes. The spring rolls are also a regularly ordered appetizer. The portions are big and the vegetables so fresh. This space is huge, loud and full of energy. A wait is common, but it's also located on a busy corner downtown Palo Alto. A walk is most necessary after an indulgent session here. Pho Ha Noi is definitely one of my fave local Viet joints.

The hype aka line has died down a bit for Pho Ha Noi (I think?) but there is always a steady stream of people! I love me a bowl of hot soup to nourish the soul. Service is always fast and friendly. The summer special vermicelli bowl was actually super worth it. Ambiance is always fun, a good spot to hang out with friends for a casual but slightly more upscale dinner spot!

Food was great and the service was almost instant our waitress, July, was very helpful. She offered us a complimentary coffee jelly that was delicious.

The food is amazing!! Beef is always so tender and delicious and the soup is so rich and clean! The service is the best too, we got served by July and she was so kind and would ask if we ever needed anything. We never have to wait long at all to get a table and for our food no matter how busy it gets!! I always come here when I'm craving pho no matter how crazy University gets!

My go to pho chain these days. The quality is always there and very disappoints. The wait goes by fast during rush hour and staff are always very accommodating and nice.

The food was delicious but our server Mike was very friendly and helpful. He greeted us very kindly and was very helpful when we asked him questions. I would definitely be back with the great service we received from Mike.

Recently moved to the area so Im intrique to try some pho places; and realized how much i took granted of the pho places in OC. Probably this was one of the very few pho places in the area, thats why its getting decent review. But omg this is the worst pho i had so far (again, coming from OC area). There is no depth and richness in the broth at all, bearly any beef bone. Just the straight salt beef cube water. But I guess this place could be a quick fix when i'm down bad for a something vietnamese. But def not ordering the pho again. The chicken rice was decent enough. You cant mess this up obviously. Service isnt among the great actually. Understanding that it got busy since it was a weekend, but still we struggled to get some attention for our bill. And by the way, there was no explanation regarding the auto 18% charge on tips. I always tip regardless of the service i receive. However, not being explained or told the 18% charge up until i checked the bill and asked about it, doesnt seem genuine for me. The 3 stars are for the barely no wait for a weekend, the cleanliness/ambiance and the chicken rice.

Mary was our sever this time she was amazing, the 3 color desert is amazing the chicken Pho and beef is amazing.

First time at this location. They offer a slightly different menu from the Cupertino and San Jose. Really spacious here but they do get pretty busy closer to noon. The staff was very friendly and provided us with child friendly utensil and cup. Spring rolls - good Beef pho with fresh and egg noodles. The fresh noodles were definitely better than the egg noodles but our picky toddler likes egg noodles. The soup was good and not overly salty. Our toddler liked their broth. Quick easy service. Nice restrooms in the back. We will be back whenever we are in downtown Palo Alto.

Great service Mary was our server and did great working on Christmas too!! Quick and yummy food!

Food is good and services is good. We come here very often and will recommend to our friend to try this place

If your looking for authentic, delicious, Vietnamese food with a superb staff. You have to try this restaurant! I have been to the San Jose location but I really love the vibe of this place. The staff were all smiles while working hard to make sure we were pleased with our orders. July, the sweet manager made sure everything ran smoothly. She set the bar for her team and you could tell the staff cared for each other. I'll definately be back!

I came in for a mixed beef pho first time here and when i got my pho it was really delicious and yummy! The people working there know what they doing! Thanks to July she made me feel welcomed 5 i work across the street Onigilly

Food: I got the chicken wings and the pork/spring roll vermicelli noodles. The noodles were part of a current promotion, so they were only $14. The portion size was really large, but the pork was dry and honestly didn't have too much lemongrass/vietnamese seasoning flavoring. The chicken wings were the real winner. The skin was super crispy and thin, the sauce was yummy and the meat was really moist. Service: I expected poor service due to the other reviews on yelp, but I actually found it to be pretty decent. Our orders were taken really quickly. We were checked on by multiple servers. Our waters were refilled and our food came out really quickly.

Food (Pho) and drink (Viet egg coffee) are always a hit from them. My first time at this location and the manager (July) keeps the staff on point. July, and all the staff, are personable, warm and attentive. I like the ambiance here, more colorful, over the SJ location. Definitely worth a repeat visit. ;)

We usually frequent a different Pho Ha Noi location and this was our first time at the Palo Alto one and it exceeded our expectations. We were met by the manager, July, who always had a smile on her face, even for a busy Friday night. July, as well as the rest of the staff were very attentive. Wait time at 6pm was around 15-20 mins. The service, the food, and the ambiance made for a great night out with friends. We will be coming back to this location for sure.

Very delicious food. July is awesome, fantastic!!!!!! Đồ ăn siêu ngon! mọi người rất thân thiện. Very friendly staff. Nice & ambient.

Mary was such a wonderful server - she accommodated all of our needs and was such a pleasure! The food was fantastic as well

Ordered the summer special during lunch time. Got a seat pretty quickly. They give you a lot of food as well as a complimentary sample of their dessert. It wasn't as good as I thought it would be from a walk by. It was centrally located and a favorite fare but I would keep looking if you had more time and choices.

Great food and service. The interior of the place is also lovely! Our server July was also very lovely. Definitely recommend eating here- best pho in the Bay Area!

Update: Found out it is normal for 18% for dine in. I ordered take out , and there's no 18%. Lady also gave us an extra soup because she wound out I'm pregnant. Service was great today. Thank you!

I first tried the location in little Vietnam in San Jose, when i found this new location in Palo Alto i was excited that it was close their service and food is always yummy. The staff are always on time and always very attentive. For apps i always get the spring rolls for main plate the pho combination and a thai tea which is a must their flavor is always top notch. Definitely recommend! Ambience is always friendly and calming especially for this cold weather when you just need something warm in your tummy.

Very tasty pho and attentive service in an obviously popular place. I got there when they opened at 11:30 and it was full within 15 minutes.

I've been here a few times already and I think overall I feel like this place is okay. It's a bit expensive, food flavor is okay, service can be a bit mediocre, and they automatically add 18% gratuity regardless of party size. I went back today and got the bun bo hue (spicy soup). The meat was short rib with two giant bones. I was really hoping for the meat to be super tender but it just would not come off the bone. I had to ask for a pair of scissors to cut the meat which I've never had to ask for in any restaurant ever. The meat itself was not very tasty and had a lot of cartilage. My noodles were also severely undercooked and quite hard. I actually asked for another bowl and I never ask restaurants to remake food. The second bowl was a little better (noodles still slightly too hard but better than the first bowl). The meat didn't have the bones the second time but I still didn't find it easy to tear the meat into manageable chunks. I had to use scissors again to cut the meat. Some of the pieces were better but overall there was still a lot of cartilage. The soup itself was okay. It was a little spicy but still a bit too bland for my liking. They also had way too many scallions in the soup (seems like that's what they do here) - I had to scoop some out, otherwise every spoonful was just scallions. The service here can be pretty mediocre despite (or because?) automatically adding 18% tip. They weren't really attentive and I let having to get up and flag staff down for things like water, a new set of utensils with the second bowl, etc. Towards the end they did eventually start proactively coming around though. Overall I just think this place is okay.

The interior was so bright and floral; Loved the ambiance of the place as well as the location in convenience with many other hangout spots. The service was also not bad. The food was pretty good! I loved the broth of my S9 spicy hue noodle dish as it wasn't too salty or bland and found it to be flavorful (I love cilantro). The wings were also crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The fish sauce is strong on the wings just an FYI for people who might not like that. I'd also say that it's good dipped with some hot sauce. My friend's kbbq short rib was also cooked well and soft. Oh, the drinks were a bit sweet for my taste but not bad; I did prefer the tinder's match over the luxurious one. If I'm in the area again, I would definitely come back to try the other dishes as my friend and I were craving many of the dishes here :)

First time visit after wandering downtown Palo Alto, and was captivated by some unique menu items and large, clean dining space a long with wait staff in traditional Vietnamese garments. We ordered the.. egg roll combo (4/5) - the peanut sauce was phenomenal and the shrimp roll had a nice fresh flavor. But the crispy wrapped in the sausage one was pretty stale, and the grilled roll could have more flavor, the pho w/ flap and brisket(5/5) -rich broth, meat served rare, plenty of meat to balance the fresh noodle...perfect dish, and the shaking beef with noodles(4/5) - great flavor with both parts, but the sauce was really heavy and overpowering, especially because both elements were a bit too sweet. While the service was pretty on par with what I expect from an average vietnamese restaurant, I expected more from a place that tries to carry itself as an elevated Vietnamese dining experience. Cups left empty, empty plates left on table, and yet they auto charge at 18% top that was difficulty to justify. With that being said, high quality food that will be worth going to, but I just wish the service was equally on par. But at least they gave a free taro tapioca pudding?

One of my friends loves this place (he said he used to go once a week). Came here after playing pickleball and the food definitely hit the spot! I got the P1 pho with wide (fresh) noodles -- per recommendations from my friend who was a regular. The noodles were so good! They carried the flavor of the soup well and had good chew. I like the richness of broth. I liked the dipping sauces that come with it, adds a nice kick! They're very popular at lunch time, and the servers seemed very busy. Regardless, the service was attentive! The inside has a lot of flowers for decoration and has a nice vibe as a result. Overall very good experience and will get food here after future pickleball sessions.

This place is great! Beautiful location in the heart of downtown Palo Alto. It's very spacious inside with a lot of seating, but it does get busy. The service was quick and servers were all very friendly. The fresh noodles of the pho definitely stole the show! They are the thicker noodles, which you don't find at a lot of pho restaurants and are my personal favorite. The meat was tender and flavorful, and the broth was very good. It's definitely a little different than your classic mom & pop pho spot, but it adds a modern flavor and setting which can be very enjoyable. I would go again.

Honestly, one of the worst bowls of pho I've ever had. The broth here is so plain, flavorless, and lacking depth. It literally tastes like very diluted, beef water. No salt, seasonings, herbs, nothing. Some of the Thai basil they gave us were already soft and wilted. My husband said that the pho in the Vietnam airport is better. I am a bit sad to have gotten food here at the end of a long week :( We have always had good experiences at the Cupertino, Milpitas, and ESSJ locations, so not sure why this location is such a miss.

Thank you Jay, Philip, July and the staff at Pho Ha Noi Palo Alto for very good & fast service every week I go. I order the pound short rib with fresh noodle. Extra hot sauce, chili sauce, and hoisin

The service here is ridiculous rude and slow. And they force you to tip 20%!!!! The food is just Okay!! Not worth it.

We live in San Jose, try to come here to try their pho. It's really delicious and even better than San Jose location. My kids like chicken pho, husband eat bun Bo hue and I get Senior pho. Service by July. She is attentive and friendly. Nice decor and ambiance. Clean and beautiful interior. If can would 10 star, I will give 10.

The service here is borderline abusive but I keep coming back for more bc the food is so good. Pho Ha Noi really has the monopoly on Vietnamese cuisine, yes there are other variations on university Ave but they aren't quite the same. Normally I order takeout and they purposefully ignore me until every single dine in guest is seated, order taken, and food delivered before they acknowledge my existence. On some days they refuse to take my order and say the kitchen is closed although the sign posted outside is clearly indicating the opposite. Today I though perhaps I should try my luck and dine in since the seated guest seem to have first priority, wrong. It all started out well bc the host gave me three options for seating, one by the window, two at the bar, and three a cosy quiet booth. I selected the booth and was looking to decompress after an eventful writers retreat. My food arrives promptly and I have a mouth full of noodles when the hostess comes to as me for a "favor". She shares that there is a diner who is on the waitlist and if she can have her join my table bc she needs to return to work promptly. To which I reply "no". As far as I'm concerned I would like my privacy and not be coerced to sit with a stranger if the table I waited for is not communal. Then I proceeded to wait for a very long time for the check and togo boxes. No one came to check on me or refilled my water until I had to do a hand gesture to grab attention. Then when I was presented the bill there was an 18% gratuity already included. This I normally wouldn't be opposed to because of the "living wage" debaucle but at the same time tip should be reflective of service and the service was not good actually it was abysmal. Funny thing is that I will be back. Call it Stockholm syndrome bc I gotta have P4 pho special with fresh noodle.

Came on a Thursday evening, and although the restaurant was busy, we were able to be seated right away. The staff was friendly, and we loved the way the restaurant was decorated. The waitresses/waiters had traditional clothing on, which was just really cool and unique to this restaurant, and we felt highlighting the beauty of not only the food but our Vietnamese culture. They served Northern style pho which I personally love the wider rice noodles. The meat was a perfect texture, and the soup was delicious. My friend got their crispy rice and chicken, and I loved the rice, it is definitely more crispy that the traditional. I also got the hot lemonade, and it literally tasted like my mom made it, and it had fresh ginger pieces. My friend got their egg coffee and the egg, I was definitely hesitant to try, but to my surprise it tasted like the salted cream that you can get Happy Lemon.

While our food was good and came out of the kitchen quickly, our service left a lot to be desired! Tepid tap water was a first for me, so we asked for ice and received a small cup for our four person table! And we had to go ask for it! The young girl who served us was unfriendly, never smiled and acted like our questions were annoying! Our guests have never had Pho and needed help ordering. She was RUDE to them. Never checked back until we were mostly done eating. Never asked me if I wanted a second Beer, then informed us the 18% tipped would automatically added to our party of four table! For crappie service! Having been in the Restaurant business for over 40 years I am a generous tipper even when it's not deserved,but we walked out very unhappy and won't be back. So disappointed for a first time experience!