Pho Star

Either Pho Star lost its star on its way from New York, or it never had a star, I ordered the wrong dishes or the chef took a leave of absence. I didn't try their pho as it takes work and great ingredients to start with and only samples their appetizer and non pho main dishes. I'm so disappointed, all of the dishes were blend didn't resemble anything like I recall from Vietnamese cuisine. The spring rolls, yes crispy but lacked flavor, the papaya salad barely tasted like papaya and the the grilled pork with garlic noodles didn't improve the overall experience. The garlic noodles weren't bad but the grilled pork was blend . Sorry guys but you have work to do, dust off your old recipes, take a trip back to Vietnam and rediscover the fantastic cuisine that country has to offer.

January 2026: Ordered food to go through Uber Eats. First time trying this place. Was very pleased with my lunch. Had the chicken pho and the soup was very tasty 😋. Good combo of noodles and chicken. Also had the chicken cabbage salad and thought it was delicious. Would order that again. Also tasted the papaya shrimp salad and the tofu banh mi. Both were good. Will definitely come back again. Will try dining in next time.

I’m not someone that feels like you need to be of the culture to produce a particular cuisine but I do believe that if you do have a restaurant that isn’t ur cultural background l, you should uplift the cuisine no matter what. This restaurant is Chinese owned and I ordered their bun bo hue. First, the meat was all beef, no pork. Second, no flavor of lemongrass or aromatics, just savory and spicy, but the spicy is of chili paste, with no distinct flavor—just acidic. Lastly, I can taste and feel that their rice noodles are dried, not fresh. It was just ok but if they want to produce Vietnamese food as Chinese owners, please understand the food and present it well. There are lots of people discovering this cuisine and it’s a shame to make a product without fully understanding it. Especially at this price point and location. Also the egg rolls were salty.

I'm Viet and am always excited about trying a new pho place in the city! Sad to report that the pho dac biet here was really bland. At the price it's at, I'd honestly rather go to the Richmond or Sunset for better... The portion was large and came with plenty of meat though. Would not get again. The staff were very nice and attentive. I'd come back to try more of the non-soup offerings (a bit easier to do right). Will update this review if I ever go back.

Soft Opening + Pho Review I walked in on their soft opening (first day according to—I think—the owner) for a bowl of pho, and was very happy I did! I got the rare beef and brisket pho, which for my money, was a better value than other Vietnamese places I’ve eaten in the mission, by a long shot. That said, if you’re looking for a deeply authentic bowl of pho, you already likely have your favorite spot, but this is a solid option and worth eating again if you find yourself in the area. The broth had good depth of flavor, good balance, and is satisfying in its own right, though it certainly seems like the expectation is that in addition to the bean sprouts, basil, sliced jalapeño, and lime, customers are expected to add in the hoisin and sriracha provided at the tables, to taste (rather than to dip the beef into). The pho comes out already topped with thinly sliced red onion, and a healthy amount of cilantro (heads up to those who don’t like cilantro), which I appreciated. I also appreciated that the woman I spoke to seemed open to feedback, and honestly, I wish this place the best. The food is good, it’s spacious, clean, and the service is warm. It’s a good option, especially if you getting a couple drinks nearby and want something that won’t be too heavy, especially when it’s warm out.

Love them!! I live around the corner and i’ve seen business’ come and go at this location but I really hope they’re here to stay. I’m pescatarian so I always get #17 (vegetable with tofu) and add shrimp ($6 for usually ~5 pieces). My total order is about $25 including tip. I leave extremely satisfied every time and never get sick of it. I am also alway thinking of when my next visit will be!

Speedy service and really good. I come back once a week for their fresh, flat rice pho noodles, something rare even at popular pho shops in SF. Their chicken pho broth is clear, clean-tasting, and balanced. Feels like home-cooking. Highly recommend!!

Wonderful addition to the neighborhood! We haven’t had a Pho spot and it joins Thanh Tam and Bee’s Vietnamese who offer different viet dishes nearby. The chicken banh mi was full of flavorful and nicely browned five spice chicken, fresh bread, and great pickles The shrimp spring rolls had a refreshing veggie:protein:noodle ratio! Crispy lettuce and light peanut dipping sauce. Came back another time to try the Pho Ga (chicken) and it was better than I expected! It’s more northern style chicken pho with wider noodles, super flavorful broth with the side of ginger to dip your chicken in. I barely added any sriracha or hoisin sauce because it was well rounded on its own. The coffee was really good too - traditional chicory, I got it black with a side of half and half instead of condensed milk Service was prompt and friendly! The dining room is stylish and naturally bright especially for lunch.

Came here a couple times for a quick dinner and was seated immediately. Clean and bright atmosphere with a casual vibe. The food was really flavorful and delicious! Meat was cooked well, and the seasoning is on point. I think prices are a little high for the portion sizes, but what isn't in the city? I'll def be back to try their chicken pho!

Overall solid! The garlic noodles are pretty standard and the fried spring rolls were tasty. Had a very subtle hint of star anise or cinnamon? Maybe not lol either way it was delish. I got the pork banh mi and I wish it had more of that smokey char bbq flavor profile but pork was decent nevertheless. The bread was also too crunchy so probably wouldn't come back for this. But the other stuff was yum

I'll get right to it: get their CHICKEN PHO. They should rename their shop to Chicken Pho Star because they do it well here. Probably the best chicken pho, and possibly chicken noodle soip I've had in SF. Super sweet and fast service, I'd 100% come again because I work nearby. ^ but I haven't had that many here, but whatever the other chicken pho places lacked -- this place hit it out of the park. Think Hainenese Chicken in a DEEP, FLAVORFUL chicken broth. I would not recommend their beef broth. We ordered it too and I tried to fix it but it just didn't have that southern pho essence, or any Vietnam essence. We also tried their jasmine milk tea and thought it was great!

I actually came here to have an iced coconut coffee . I ended up also getting a bowl of pho as well because the restaurant smelled so good when I went inside. The broth had really good flavor and the noodles and meat definitely satisfied. People were coming in and out. Having food and leaving right after. Had a nice amount of people inside. The staff were cleaning their vegetables and what not while I set there and ate my food. The tables were clean and had siracha, chili oil and hoisin available on them.

Pho Star is one of the local Viet spots that don't charge an arm and a leg. The best part is that their food is really tasty and consistent! Their beef pho has amazing broth that is light but very flavorful. I've also had their shaking beef and grilled beef rice plates, and every time that I've ordered it they've delivered on quality. The staff are nice and accommodating!

Amazing new lunch spot. I love their grilled pork banh mi and fresh lemonade. (All the meat options for banh mi are good!) I also have tried their pho (delicious), vermicelli plate (amazing) and imperial rolls (mouth watering). However what I love the most is that i can get a sandwich and a fresh lemonade for $20. A delicious lunch, and affordable. The people that work there are also very nice and always on top of everything. Highly recommend visiting or grabbing lunch here if you are in the area!!

First time here. This used to be a sushi restaurant I wasn't interested in, but I came in today. Ordered the steak Pho and the vegetarian spring rolls Spring rolls 10 out of 10 they put some amazing mushrooms in them. They were served piping hot and I appreciated the sauce. They came with. It wasn't your average tasting sweet and sour sauce it actually had de. Steak pho 9 out of 10 for no other reason than the noodles they were good but not great. The bra is 10 out of 10 steak is delicious. Staff is also a 10 out of 10 super attentive and write on it. I will definitely be back.

It's an ok Vietnamese place. There's so many good Asian restaurants in SF that I feel one needs to take it up a notch to stand out. With that in mind, it's ok, tasty but not mind blowing that you would wanna go back. Chicken wings appetizer was crispy but needed a special dip sauce to make it strong. Again, it was ok. I had the beef noddle soup - vermicelli was a bit over cooked but broth was good. Service is nice. Ambience is nice - at least no TV distracting you from your food.

Very solid place for pho in the city! The chicken pho is my favorite. I like that they have a ginger scallion dipping sauce to pair with it - you don't see this too often. The beef pho is alright, a little on the sweet side.

Went to Pho Star this past weekend and thought it was a pretty solid spot for Vietnamese food. Pho was really great and they are very generous with the fatty brisket which I really appreciate. Soup was super rich and addicting. We also got the grilled steak and garlic noodles, which I thought were a little bland for my personal taste but still really good overall. Located right in the mission district as well, so plenty of fun activities and parks to frolic around in afterwards!

Pho Star is a good place if you're looking for comfy Vietnamese food! It's already very busy despite opening just recently. I ordered the Bun Bo Hue (4/5) and thought that the portion size was great! Well-priced and comes with lots of meat. I do think it's more of a unique take on the Bun Bo Hue, with the broth being a bit sweeter and not as spicy as what I'm used to. I also do wish it came with some fresh lettuce. I thought that the service was attentive, quick, and friendly. I would definitely come back to try some different items, but this was a pretty good start!

It isn't offensive or remarkable. I ordered the shrimp pho. The shrimp were well cooked but underseasoned. The broth was fine but light and needed a lot of doctoring up. They don't serve enough herbs and sprouts with the soup. They also only serve Thai basil, no cilantro. Service is extremely slow. It's.....fine.

Came here randomly for dinner. The service is friendly and fast with seating available promptly. The ambiance is bright inside with clean interior. Parking is expected to be hard to find on the street. The five spice chicken was good as well as the soup. Would recommend trying for Vietnamese.

Had to give this new pho spot a try since it's just a few blocks away! I got the chicken pho which was a pretty solid option. My friends got the beef pho which was pretty solid as well. The service was very good and the ambiance was very laid back and casual. It wasn't too crowded on a Saturday morning and I will definitely be back!

Tasty pho and other Vietnamese fare (great Bahn Mi sandwiches!); friendly service at reasonable prices. Excellent family-run business!

Not sure why this place gets high marks but I went to get bun with shaking beef. It was strongly marinated in baking soda and bad cut of beef. Some cuts had gristle that was so difficult to chew. The bun or vermicelli noodles didn't have mint. In comparison to other places, it was below average. The imperial roll was the same as others. Service was okay. Ambiance is like any take or fast Vietnamese place. Not sure I'd go again.

Very spacious Vietnamese restaurant in the heart of the mission district. The 2 female servers were friendly, food was delicious, and my pho was a very good size. I would come back 100%!

This viet placed replaced the old sushi spot that I tried once. They kept the interior pretty much the same. Service was good. One waitress that took care of everything but she was attentive and timely! Ordered the beef pho #9. It was good but nothing special. My friend ordered the bun Bo hue and she said it was a 7/10. Overall, pretty average. Probably wouldn't return because I don't wanna deal with the possibility of not finding parking when it's for something that's just okay.

I came here on a cold SF day to warm myself up with noodles. I ordered the Special Beef Pho and a cup of tea, the latter of which cost $2. The tea bag was from Yamamotoyama. It tasted like a black or oolong tea and was pretty good (though it was too hot for me until the end of my meal). I was disappointed that they didn't have tendon or tripe, which are some of my favorite pho ingredients, but the bowl was still pretty good. The meat was excellent quality. However, the noodles were slightly different from what I'm used to, though I'm having trouble putting my finger on what it was. It was either cooked to a different firmness or has a slightly different flavor. It's nice that the tables only have Sriracha and hoisin sauce on them (instead of also having utensil and napkin dispensers) because I liked having more room on the table. Overall, the ambience and service was slightly better than your typical pho restaurant, but the noodles tasted slightly below what I expected (though still good). I definitely would (and have) come back because it's a convenient location for me. ECO NOTES (Dine-In) Dine-In Dishware: Reusable plates and bowls Napkins: Single-use disposable paper napkin Utensils: Metal fork and spoon plus disposable wooden chopsticks Tea cup: Reusable plastic cup Water cup: Tall glass cup

Another new restaurant on this corner, changes so frequently! Hope this places lasts though because my first visit was great! I was really craving five spice chicken with garlic noodles and I was definitely not disappointed. Everything was tasty and the chicken was tender with crispy skin! Great portion sizes. Imperial rolls were also delicious and served piping hot. Will definitely come back to check out the other food.

I ordered a pho beef special soup with extra meat. Lots of noodles and plenty of meat without adding the extra meat to the bowl. I appreciate the light broth of the soup. It was an late Sunday afternoon so it was fast to get seated a table and order.

10. Rare Beef Pho Soup was delicious. Thinly sliced onions, cilantro and green onions were fresh and tasty. Thin white noodles were cooked to a good texture. Good experience overall with service and place overall. Ambiance was clean and cozy.

Always tasty and tastes very fresh. Good portions as well with meat/noodles. Comes very fast too

We ordered the beef stew noodle soup and the grilled bbq pork over vermicelli noodles along with the crispy imperial rolls with ground pork and vegetables. All were very good! Will we be back? Yes! Nice background music was not too loud. Lucky to have found d a parking space less than one block away considering how busy this area gets! Glad we tried Pho Star. Service was prompt.

I got the imperial rolls + chicken pho. The pho noodles were overcooked/too soft, and the quality of chicken is better at Joy Hing. It didn't come with the typical plate of veg + bean sprouts. Instead, there was Haianese ginger dipping sauce?? Not mad, confused. Would 100% go back for the imperial/fried egg rolls. Crunchy and filling was a good mix of meat and vegetables. Good service and clean ambiance. Would go back.

Big space, small flavor. I came in hopeful--plenty of seating, clean vibe, looked promising. But the pho? Meh. Broth was bland, noodles forgettable, and--shockingly--no plate of herbs or veggies. It felt like showing up to a party and realizing the DJ didn't bring music. Portions were fine, but when the star of the show is this mediocre, it's hard to care. Not the worst pho I've had, but definitely not worth a return trip. Great place if you want to sit with lots of elbow room and ponder life's disappointments over lukewarm broth.

Great pho, friendly service, clean restaurant, no wait. Pho Star checks all the boxes. Both the chicken and beef pho broth were well balanced and flavorful. Good portion sizes. The imperial rolls were perfectly crispy. We will be back!

Got the rare beef pho and the broth was too sweet, I did not like. It was a large bowl with lots of noodles. Service was nice and fast though and it was a large space

Okay, whenever I go to a new Vietnamese restaurant, I always have to order some egg rolls to "set the tone." Pho Star did not disappoint! They use rice paper as the medium for the egg roll wrapper, which is traditional and not usually used bc it is just a little harder to make. The egg rolls were a good size and good portion (4 cut in half) and were served with the appropriate herbs and veggies and nuoc mam! I ordered the vermicelli bowl with pork and my friend ordered the bun bo hue and it was lovely. Service was fast and efficient, and the ambiance was your typical Vietnamese restaurant-- no frills, great clean space. I will definitely be back!

The service was prompt and friendly. Bathroom was clean. We ordered shrimp rolls and braised beef stew noodle soup. The rolls were good, very fresh. The soup however was too sweet and not at what we were expecting. The ingredients were fine and the portion size great. We just did not expect this kind of cooking. Also the noodles were different from what we usually get at a Vietnamese restaurant. Not for us.

I'm now eating here twice a week. Killer pho (I always get the meatball) and the grilled pork vermicelli is satisfying without feeling heavy. The imperial rolls are a showstopper, too. Great service and attitude from a very sweet staff.

Came here to try the new pho spot. I had the imperial rolls and pho tai. The broth was absolutely delicious. Loved the toppings and app. Reasonably priced. Highly recommend.

Food was great Servers friendly Lunch was slow it's great quiet I really love it the bah mee sandwich

As a Vietnamese, Chicken pho is very good here. Broth is very solid. Portions could be bigger. Beef pho is not recommended.

Cute vibey location with big windows. Delicious pho and garlic noodles. Super clean and pleasant.

I happened to pass by Pho Star in the Mission and decided to give it a try--so glad I did! I ordered the Five Spices sandwich, and it was so good--super fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. I didn't dine in, but the cashier was incredibly friendly and full of positive energy. Seriously such a joy--he made the quick stop feel even more worth it. The inside looked surprisingly spacious and had a nice vibe. Definitely seems like it'd be a great spot for a casual date or relaxed meal with friends. Can't wait to go back and try more from the menu!

Been here about 10 times now - chicken pho and 5 spices chicken with garlic noodles are my go to. Service is always excellent and very attentive. It is usually quiet and low key atmosphere. Highly recommend.

This place is great. My partner and I visited for the first time at 7:30 on Saturday night and were seated right away. Friendly and fast service with a menu that isn't overwhelming or flashy but definitely not without options. I got the shaking beef plate with vermicelli noodles and my partner got the five chicken bahn mi. Both were amazing, but the amount of Bahn mi had us commenting on how generous the portion was and how beautiful the sandwich looked. My shaking beef was flavorful and light. We looked around at what everyone else in the restaurant was ordering and every single dish coming out of the kitchen had one of us saying "oh that looks awesome". We got two full meals including leftovers and two beers and with tip it was $60 which we were also super impressed with. We will be back soon and with friends.

Pho Star is a great find. Small and cozy. Friendly service. Food is good and tasty. Had the Beef Ball Pho with egg noodles, and the veggie Spring Rolls.

My meal was delicious, and my dining companion loved his richly flavored Rare Beef Pho. Reasonable prices. Very attentive service, and we even enjoyed the 90s Mixtape background music.

This spot just opened up on the corner of my apartment and I finally went in to try it out! I preferred the Rare Beef and Meatball Pho, shrimp spring rolls(they looked fresh we didn't get a chance to take a photo) and pork fried egg rolls. It was delicious tested out the broth before adding the spices and it was so flavorful! Our waitress was great and super attentive. We went for a late lunch so it was pretty quiet but over all great experience will be returning to try other dishes.

Came here for lunch. Imperial Rolls were very good. I got Chicken Pho and specifically asked for there to be no dark meat. My pho came with no white meat and all dark meat. Broth was flavorful and noodles were good but the dark meat killed my deal. Probably wouldn't go back.

Everything is great from start to finish. I've ordered the 5-spice chicken sandwich a number of times: always plenty of great tasting and well seasoned roasted chicken served on a warm French bread roll. I've also had the beef and brisket pho and that was really good: tasty broth and not salty, tender beef and p plenty of noodles. I love this family locally owned restraint and plan to be back for more.

Just walked in and was so impressed with the bahn mi. Service was great as well. Will definitely be coming back.

Great service each time I've come! All of the food is incredibly delicious, the broth is rich in flavor and the imperial rolls are so good. The place overall is cute and clean, I really have no complaints this is by far my favorite Pho place

I'm always looking for a good bowl of phở gà, and I'm happy to report that the one here was excellent -- maybe even the best I've tried in the city, comparable to Pho Huong Viet in Richmond. Perfectly seasoned broth and actually tender chicken pieces. Also loved the fresh ginger condiment. Will definitely be coming back!

I got the chicken pho. The broth is so good. This place might serve the best pho in SF at the moment IMO

Have tried the chicken bahn mi, the beef pho, and the grilled pork bun/ cold vermicelli. Oh! And added imperial roll for an additional $4... Everything is delicious! Not too salty, rich broth pho, w/ lots of meat and very fresh table greens. Juicy, perfectly seasoned chicken... Friendly service. So happy they are right by the salon I work in!!

They're new to the neighborhood and I'm stoked to have this option - I've been twice and the pho and spring rolls are 10/10. It can be hard to find gluten free, vegan options and Pho Star has me covered for that, while still offering tons of meat options for my partner and friends. It's really cute in there too, great vibes for a date night or just a quick and delicious lunch. 10/10, already becoming a regular!