Grace W.
Yelp
tl:dr There are an abundance of better pho places with better service and better prices. Do not waste your time or money here.
I'm a big fan of pho. I go out with my brothers as often as we can to get pho, it's a nice routine we have and it always makes us happy.
However, when we went to get pho last, all of our regular places happened to be close, so I looked up reviews for nearby pho places and saw that a good rated pho place was this one. I find most pho spots to always be pretty solid with nice staff, I have rarely had bad experiences.
However, this trip was unpleasant, which is uncharacteristic of our pho visits. The service, while not horrible, was by no means decent. Our server was rude, she was asking some personal questions about my brothers schooling which at first just seemed like casual conversation and general interest, but we ended up finding a bit prodding and strange to hear from a stranger. The prices were high for mid-tier food. I didn't bat an eye to it at first because I truthfully think most pho places should have higher prices for the quality of food, but not only were the prices higher than most pho places I have been to, but the food was worse and some came with smaller servings than other pho places we have been to.
My younger brother always gets egg rolls, he is a huge fan of egg rolls. Normally, most places we go to for about the same price come with four egg rolls and the sauce. He said the sauce was very good but the egg rolls honestly did not taste that good. For a drink he got thai tea, which he thought was okay because it is pretty hard to mess up thai tea. My youngest brother got lemonade for his drink and the kids beef noodle soup. It was okay, he didn't have any complaints but he never has complaints in general because he is easy to please. He wasn't a huge fan of it compared to the other times we have gotten pho though, which knowing him says a lot because he is a big fan of pho and always highly praises the places we have gone to.
As for my pho, it was not horrible but it just wasn't good. The broth was unimpressive, the noodles were fine, and I felt like the meat just had no flavor and had a strange texture. Normally at pho places I can ask for extra meat with no problem, but when I asked for extra meat I was told I had to get a side order of meat, which isn't something I thought was too strange, but the way our server told us just felt so demeaning.
I'm generally not a person to complain and I'm generally not too sensitive when it comes to service. As a server I appreciate great service and I tip very well (generally 30% or higher) and I understand when the service is just okay because I understand everyone has bad days or gets busy or is overwhelmed and I still tip them well if I can tell they are trying their best and they are kind (generally this type of service i tip 22-25%) However, when I get service that makes me upset or uncomfortable, I just have such a bad experience. Working in customer service you should never undermine or speak down to customers, not about anything. Don't prod with personal questions, if they ask for more servings or for extra always do your best to upsell and make them feel happy and comfortable with making their decision to purchase more, and be kind and make sure their drinks are kept full or ask if they would like another drink. Something I also found strange was that when we asked for another lemonade she told me multiple times it was not a refill and that we would be ordering another one. I said that was okay, it was what I assumed because it was not a fountain drink. Then she told me again and continue to clarify what she meant. And I understand trying to clarify and make sure customers understand what they're buying, but the way she was talking about it made it seem like she was trying to get me to not buy another lemonade. I didn't find it insulting, as I said I'm not very sensitive, but it made my brothers feel guilty. And when you are the 'host' of sorts for friends or family, the worst thing is when you see they feel upset or guilty when you are trying to take them out to enjoy something. After that, he began drinking his lemonade slowly and refused to get another.
Our experience was not pleasant. If the prices are going to be higher than most other pho places and the food is going to be worse, then at the very least make sure the service is decent.
Our ticket came out to be $72, I tipped 20% because as a service worker I always tip well, but 20% is my absolute minimum and should never be mistaken for good service or for the idea that I enjoyed our experience. I wanted the experience to be pleasant for my brothers, it was not. I salvaged the day the next day by going to get pho at a place where the service is good and the food is better.