Phở Tran88

Don’t let the reviews fool you—this is soulful, authentic Pho 🍜 🤤 ​I just moved here from Boston and I’ve been on a mission to find my "go-to" local Pho spot. As a Southeast Asian woman, Pho is my ultimate comfort and healing food. I grew up on this stuff, so my standards for broth are high, but my expectations for service are realistic. ​I’ve seen the reviews mentioning the "unfriendly" service and the waitress who doesn’t smile. To be honest, that didn't deter me at all. In many old-school Asian spots, you don't go for 5-star "performative" service; you go for the food that tastes like your Mom or Grandma made it. We joke in my culture that some of us just have a natural RBF! Usually, it just takes a little conversation to break the ice. ​The Atmosphere & Service: I was greeted immediately by a male waiter who told me to sit anywhere. He didn’t smile either, but he was efficient. I already knew what I wanted, so I ordered the #1 and a Vietnamese iced coffee right away. ​Regarding the "infamous" waitress: I encountered her on my way to the restroom. She actually stopped me to say hello and kindly offered to watch my iced coffee on the counter while I was away. She even smiled! Before I left, I made it a point to look her in the eye, smile, and genuinely thank her for the meal. She immediately mirrored that energy back to me. My husband joked it was because I’m also Asian, but I truly believe it’s about breaking the ice. In our culture, showing that initial respect to your elders goes a long way. If you walk in with a smile, you'll likely get one back. ​The Food: The coffee is authentic—I love that they still brew it right at the table in front of you. ​Now, the Pho: The broth absolutely hit the spot. It had that nostalgic, deep flavor I was looking for. I added some fish sauce and a lot of hot oil (I like it fire 🔥!), and it was perfect. While I would have loved a few more meatballs and some tripe, the quality was undeniable. I don't usually finish an entire bowl of Pho, but I completely demolished this one. ​Verdict: If you want a fancy, "customer-is-always-right" corporate vibe, this might not be your place. But if you want a bowl of soup that feels like a hug and a taste of home, give Pho Tran88 a chance. Be the one to break the ice with the staff—you might find that they are much warmer than the reviews suggest. I’ll definitely be back! 💣🔥

This restaurant is the only reason I still live in San Marcos. On a serious note, the place is always clean (including the bathroom!), they have quick service, they’re consistent and if you’re a regular, they remember you 😊 My husband and I sit at the same table nearly every time we go & love our interactions with staff. If we don’t come for a while, they notice. Little do they know, we order delivery often! Coming from the East Coast, I had low expectations of Pho restaurants in Texas but Pho Tran is probably in my top 3 of all time. Now reading some recent reviews, I personally think the customer service is great. I promise you, the lack of “smiles” or “warm” energy does not mean they’re not happy you’re there. They want to get you good food on your table and they do just that. Match the energy, keep it short & sweet and over time, they’ll warm up the more you come. If I ever come alone, they ask where my husband is, we ask how they’re doing, and they update us on their personal life or their store in New Braunfels. They also remember our orders too! If I order something different, they always notice. If they’ve ever made a mistake, they’re very apologetic and fix it immediately. I think if you haven’t had a taste of different cultures, especially Vietnamese social culture, which I’ve had a privilege to be around my entire life, you may misunderstand behavior 🤷🏻‍♀️ I truly love this place, each of my family members have all had amazing experiences with the staff and more importantly, with the food!

Food is good, I’d come here more often if it wasn’t for the worst possible service i’ve ever received in my whole life. I’ve ate here maybe 3-4 times and every time busy or quiet, the Asian lady with the long face is always so rude. Genuinely so awful, she’ll act like you’re the worst person ever for asking about certain dishes on the menu, asking for a napkin or utensils. I’ve never felt so uncomfortable to dine somewhere. I recently started going to ‘Pho With Us’ and the quality is amazing but the customer service is really what brings me in. I don’t understand paying for good food when the employee’s treat you like the gum on the bottom of their shoes and that’s exactly what this place is.

My sixty three year old mother (who may possibly the nicest person alive), and I went to this restaurant for lunch today and had an awful experience today. My mother ordered Pho Trans Kalamari, and found it to be too chewy. She almost didn’t say anything but decided we could trust the restaurant to understand she was dissatisfied with how chewy it was. My mother, basically whispered to the waitress how she didn’t care for it, that it was very chewy, even trying to make it her fault (my mothers fault) for expecting it not to be chewy. The waitress with the thinning hair came over to our table and LOUDLY, with many hand gestures calling attention to our table explained that she would take it off of our bill but that many other customers order it and love it; and that yes fine she’d take it off; but not first without a big demonstration villainizing my mother for having an opinion she politely and quietly shared. I was FLOORED. As paying customers, who paid almost $70 for mediocre food, no matter how many people come in and like it, if one person says they don’t, the right thing to do is to refund the order, or offer something else in its place. Between my mother and myself, we share 80+ years serving customers, and her behavior was wholly unacceptable and rude. After her interaction with my mother, she tried to avoid our table and treat us as if we didn’t exist sending a boy less than 18 to our table who simply did not speak English putting this poor guy in an already uncomfortable situation. I asked to speak with her myself to smooth over the interaction and explain how the interaction could have gone better, suggesting that the customer is any companies best asset. She continued to talk over me; make big demonstrations with her hands and suggest that, “Customers like to try food, and say they don’t like it, then we lose $16 worth of food!” Apparently; having an opinion in this restaurant, and losing $16 is worth losing good, well paying, and generally well tipping customers. Just one more thought for the manager/owners; would you rather lose $16 and provide a better product or $70 per meal? Her behavior ensures we will not be back.

The food here is average, but the service is truly terrible. The female waitress was cold and seemed rushed and uninterested in taking our order. Three bowls of pho were served with only one plate of fresh vegetables; they said they would charge an extra $4 if we wanted two more plates of vegetables, which are usually included with the pho. She was incredibly rude and disrespectful when interacting with customers. Consider carefully before going if you don't want to leave feeling frustrated and upset.

I’m not really the type to leave bad reviews esp when it comes to service, I’ve worked in the industry and understand people have off days. The food here is good but I would never come and dine in here again, as soon as we walked in the lady gave my family and I the stink eye. My mom walked in with a grocery store bag with some trash (we had just driven up from Houston to visit my brother and had some trash from the trip) to see if she there was a trash can inside she could throw it away. I’m assuming they have had some issues with people who being outside food and she angrily said “ no outside food” right when we sat down, obv my mom explained the situation and asked if there was a trash can. I honestly would have dropped it (as it was a simple misunderstanding, it happens, and I can see how it was odd for us to bring that inside) and not said anything here if she didn’t proceed to give us the worst service I’ve ever had in my life. It seemed oddly personal as she was immediately very nice to the table next to us. I hope she isn’t going through anything tough right now and I don’t recommend coming here, maybe just do take out.

I love this place so much. I've been ordering from here since they opened. I'm so disheartened after reading some previous reviews complaining about minor, petty things simply due to a misunderstanding or a cultural difference. Yes, sometimes they get busy so interactions can seem short but people have to realize this a true "mom and pop" kinda shop. They work HARD and put a lot of love and pride in what they do. In my opinion, their food is always consistent and delicious. They've always been so kind to my husband and I. The restaurant is always clean, homey and inviting. Love love love LOOVEEEE Pro Tran 88.

The food is amazing but the service is terrible. The lady that is always there never greets you or smiles at you or anything at all. When customers come in the door she seems like its bothering her. The guy server was the only nice one other than that it was not a welcoming or pleasant experience. Additionally while you are eating she comes and swipes stuff off of your table with no warning and getting in your way as you are eating. Super rude and disrespectful.

Stopped in for dinner with my daughter before heading home to Hutto. We ordered the Chinese egg rolls for appetizers. When you order egg rolls here you get the best most perfect egg rolls. These are the epitome of what an egg roll should be! My daughter ordered the chicken lo mien. Another dish that is pure perfection! I ordered the Pho, P-5. I was amazed at how delicious the broth tasted. Definitely one of the best beef Pho I've ever had. Service was great and very friendly. I definitely recommend this restaurant and can't wait to visit again.

Yelled at my friends and I as soon as we walked into the restaurant, and gave as attitude when we were waiting for a table. After ordering, they kicked out two of my friends that were sitting at my table because they decided not to get anything when we were all sitting together because they were "taking space". I came because I enjoyed the food but her reaction was entirely unreasonable. It was a disgusting display that felt like she was trying to embarrass us in front of the entire restaurant. The table next to us said she had said the same thing to them. I would have been a loyal customer if they weren't such dicks.

Legit for San Marcos. Broth was hot, broth could have been beefier, fattier, but it was tasty. Noodles had a funky chew almost as if stuck together. Good amount of noodles and broth, nice ratio. Meat didn't meet this ratio. Only thing is lack of meat, quite skimpy. Bro we're in Texas, where's the beef? Amurika!!

The Best Vietnamese Restaurant and our Fave . Dishes they offer are really delicious. You want a good meal , this is the place to go . Customer service is superb ! Sam is the best . She makes sure to take care of all their customers. She takes time to engage with customers to the point that she knows what are the favorite dishes they order. She values the customers that supports their restaurant.

I knew I was in for a treat before I even walked into the restaurant. The smell of authentic pho spices hit me as I walked closer and closer to the restaurant. The gio cuon (spring rolls) were full of everything you expected and more. Most restaurants skim out of a lot of ingredients but Pho Tran gave healthy and balancing portions of veggies, noodles, and tofu (you can order it with meat). The pho (seafood bowl with chicken broth) was great and filling. Most restaurants have Americanized the dish but these was like home. My only complaint would be that there were not a lot of veggies (jalapeños, bean sprouts, Thai basil, and lime) offered. I noticed an extra charge for it on the menu so I did not request more. I'll return if I'm ever back in the area.

I live in San Antonio but always make the drive to come here because I constantly crave this place--there's nothing like it in San Antonio. The food is always fresh, hot, and served quickly, with generous portions that leave me with leftovers every time. The service is fast and friendly, though the space is a bit small, so you might have to wait for a table occasionally.

Ordered the goat curry pho! The brought was actually super light with just the right amount of spice. It was a chilly day so accompanied it with some jasmine tree. Friendly and attentive staff!

Their food is always great! The service is always speedy! Their atmosphere is relaxing and comfortable.

This has become a staple in San Marcos. Everything i have tried has been top notch. Service is fast. Food is great. Definitely will not stop coming here.

Been looking for a good pho place and Chinese food for a while and we've officially found it. Service is great every time. Very attentive. Clean restaurant. Reasonable prices. Never disappoints!

The food is authentic, well seasoned. The staff/owner is super sweet and approachable, really appreciate the conversation.

I can't remember what is was called since I ordered off the photos on yelp but I highly recommend this place !! I've gone to the one in San Marcos and new Braunfels and they don't ever disappoint

When we first walked in, we weren't even greeted--not a smile, not a "hello," nothing. I was with four other women, and we all immediately felt unwelcome. The atmosphere was cold, and unfortunately, it only went downhill from there. The woman who appeared to be in charge was incredibly rude and unapologetic. When we asked simple questions about the menu, she acted as if we were inconveniencing her. There was absolutely no warmth or professionalism in the service. As for the food--bland doesn't even begin to cover it. There was no flavor, no seasoning, no color. It looked unappetizing and tasted like it had been sitting out for hours. Everything we ordered was either overcooked or tasted old. It was honestly a struggle to get through the meal, and none of us finished our plates. We left feeling disappointed and frustrated. With so many great restaurants out there, there's no reason to waste your time or money here. I won't be coming back, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

When we came, it was a Monday around 7:30, and we got seated right away. The server was for another day, but that's okay, the food made up for it 100% we had some fried eggrolls, which we would totally recommend, and for the pho, I will say to stay away from the meatballs, but the broth and the P2 meat were really good, along with the fried rice it was good. Hoping to come in more often as the service is good and the restaurant is also very nice and has a pleasing interior.

The pho is so delicious! The Vietnamese sandwiches and the orange chicken are also insanely good! I'm obsessed! I come here every week for my chicken pho and steamed dumplings! The service is always amazing! I go there so often she remembered my order! I love coming here for pho even when it's 100 degrees outside.

My husband and I visited this pho place on the square, as we were interested in a pho place that was so close to us. I ordered a shrimp pho, and he ordered a seafood pho. The seafood and shrimp were so unappealing and disgusting that I lost my appetite for a week. Anytime I got hungry, I was reminded of the utter rot and fishy tasting squid that genuinely made me gag. I don't know where they source their food, but Pho NB in new braunfels is way better.

The food was delicious! I had a gluten free dish and a Jasmine hot tea. Cozy place, every table taken and that's always a good sign! I will definitely be back! Service was not the friendliest ...no smiles and rushed. Almost seemed bothered when you asked for something. I even apologized for asking! Ugh! The food quality made up for it. It was fresh and homemade!

Look...Texas and Louisiana Vietnamese people DO NOT PLAY when it comes to food. You can be shortchanged everywhere else in the world, but they DO NOT half step here. Making pho is a serious business. Anyway, the pho broth here tasted like it was 1,000 years in the making. It made me proud. And that was just the VEGGIE broth for the VEGGIE pho, y'all. The spring rolls needed help. I tasted no herbs and these were very simple with very little filling and no creativity when I've tasted more flavorful and complex rolls spring rolls elsewhere, but the main dishes are full of thought, ingredients and flavor. A fun date spot. Go to dinner here.

This place is amazing!! Very nice staff and friendly! Prices are great the food delicious and the ambience very relaxed !

I am a college student and i came here with my friends. We like our pho spicy and they did not offer spicy, so we kindly asked for more chili sauce. The whole time they kept giving attitude like they didnt want to do their job. To top it all off, I get to the cashier to pay with my friends and he asked me to put my signature and so I did. I wasn't thinking clearly, mind you this was my first time eating out without my parents, and I forgot to put the tip. He starts going off on me because I didn't write a tip, and I was confused at first because I thought he was only asking for my signature. Then, he tries to offend us by saying, "what you dont have money? You have money to pay but not to tip?" And he laughed at us. He kept going off on us when we were being calm and collected and I tried to explain that I genuinely forgot. Will not be coming back here. They even charged us for limes.

One of the most consistently good places in San Marcos. My go to, even their vegan pho is bomb.

Always have had great food here. The pho is excellent (I just always get that), but my family loves the bun and other stir fried noodles. We almost get take out, but our experiences in the restaurant have been good, too. Service is prompt. Maybe it's a little too businesslike for some, but I'm here to eat, and it's quick and they always make sure your drinks are not empty. Great place.

The worst dining experience we've ever had. The waiter misunderstood two of our orders, when we attempted to let them know the wrong dishes were brought out, the manager came over and tried to make us take the incorrect dishes instead of making the correct ones. The waiters were extremely rude afterwards and took our plates without asking if we were done eating. Never will we come back.

I love Chicken Lo Mein and it's so good Chinese food that it's not bad at all for me!

I just got my order. Walked in to pick up the order. I am not sure that she is the owner or sister of owner. She didn't even say Hi and just threw the receipt on my face for signature. I could tell they don't appreciate your visit. Food is good, but I am not gonna go back.

Affordable and tasty Pho place in San Marcos Coming from Vietnam, it's definitely not easy to find an authentic pho restaurant that suits my taste. But Photran88 is the only place so far that I feel is comparable to what you can find in VN My pho was a little shy on the beef but it was acceptable with the price. Great broth and good portion. The service is as good as an Asian restaurant can get. You're purpose is to come, eat the food and that's it. Don't expect to have a fabulous dining experience or anything *Free fortune cookie after

TERRIBLE CUSTOMERRRRR SERVICE. The owner was so incredibly rude.I recently visited this restaurant, and I have to say it was a complete disaster. The service was excruciatingly slow; I felt like I was waiting for my food for an eternity. When the food finally arrived, it was cold and tasted like it had been sitting out for days. The staff seemed completely disinterested, and it was nearly impossible to get their attention for anything. The atmosphere was just as bad, with loud, obnoxious music that made it hard to even have a conversation. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. Save your money and go somewhere else!

The staff was fantastic and quick, they moved to fit a larger party for lunch. They had great suggestions on things to try and DAMN the food was good!

Let me say that I love Vietnamese Food, and I have a long term relationships with Pho Tai :) I am always in a search for Pho as it is your best friend anytime, and Pho Tran88 doesn't disappoint. This is a legit place that you get same quality of Pho as you were in San Jose, CA On the other hand, they do something better and it is their LO MEIN. You have to try SF10 Special LO MEIN and thank me later!

My friend and I needed a quick bite after tubing in the river yesterday. We had her dog with us so are unable to dine in at most restaurants. We figured getting spring rolls and eating it in the car would be the best option since she has a few dietary restrictions. My friend is allergic to soy so she requested fish sauce instead of peanut sauce (which uses soy sauce) and no bean sprouts. The owner was very reluctant to this request and gave us a bit of a hard time. She eventually said whatever and agreed. I thought it was pointless quarrel since they have plenty of fish sauce for their other entrees. I ordered spring rolls and Vietnamese egg rolls (6 count -- which I didn't get a photo of) but both appetizers were very good. The price was not bad either. I paid a total of $14 for both items. The rolls had plenty of shrimp and pork, the ratio of protein to noodles were good and price was great. The egg rolls were plump and juicy with perfect seasoning. Garnished with lettuce, cilantro, and cucumber. I would return based on their menu offerings when I'm in this area again. There is 2 hour parking on the street right in front of the restaurant.

As stated in some of my other pho reviews, I am a pho snob. I search for pho on a daily basis and go have it more than once a week. I was rather disappointed in the selection of pho restaurants in San Antonio, being that they were either bland, too small a portion, or just downright a salt mine. You would never really expect a pho restaurant to be a hole in the wall, but in my experience, the hole in the wall places are often the best. But perhaps hole in the wall may be a little too harsh. This place is nice decorated, has a nice waterfall up front blocking view from the outside. For parties larger than 5, this place may be cramped, especially when it's busy. But how can an amazing pho place such as this not be busy? On to the pho: Being Vietnamese and making pho, we pride ourselves in making the cleanest, clearest, tastiest broth. My initial surprise was that I scooped up a spoon of soup and could see the bottom of my spoon! That is a broth to be proud of! Often times, a clearer broth could spell a flavorless, lifeless broth. This is NOT the case. The noodles were nicely cooked, with not too much flop and not too hard, right in the middle. The meat provided in the bowl was satisfying. Whenever I am in San Marco and craving a bowl of pho, you know I'll be here!

This place has the best (and only?) pho in town. Went here and ran into like two people from high school which is lame but food was amaaaazing. Staff was very direct, but I was like okay they're not playing I know this is gonna be authentic and good asf

The go to place for delicious Pho in San Marcos! The Pho was exceptionally flavorful! We liked their fresh Shrimp Spring rolls! Their dip did taste different than the peanut butter based sauce I am used to. The service was fast and efficient! The ambience is very casual and cozy. Definitely a place to check out. Affordable in price too!

I was surprised to find a vietnamese restaurant in san marcos. But it was really authentic, the chef here definitely knows what's they're doing. I got the tofu Spring Rolls. They're huge first of all - they were well made and the sauce was a perfect match to it. Left very satisfied!

The pho is divine!!! Every time I'm craving pho, this is the place. Employees are always kind and considerate, and I always have leftovers. Affordable, delicious and large portions. I only ever get take out here, but the restaurant is cute inside.

Not sure why this place is rated 4.5 stars, it's hard to mess pho up but the broth is watered down and doesn't have much flavor. The customer service is horrible nobody greets you or has manners. Seems like the workers don't like their jobs or something. Nothing really special about this place just happens to be the only pho option in the area.

Great food and hospitality very clean and inviting Best Vietnamese food I've had in years, can't wait to go back

The service was horrible. Staff was SO RUDE. It's just appalling how you're making money off of TIPS and you act like that. Felt super unwelcomed. Manager lady at the desk was super rude, never had one smile on her face. Food was great, but service and staff here were so negative it ruined the experience. Please fix the attitude problems if yall are trying to get good tips. Our server that we had seemed to be silent.

Super cool spot in San Mo. it's BYOB & the are usually fast at getting the food to the table once it is ordered. They do not take reservations so be prepared to either wait a little bit or come at a time that isn't busy.

Spoiled food. So disappointed. This is the first and last time ever visiting this place. We ordered 3 R4 and 1 V2. Both 3 R4 were served with spoiled steam egg meatloaf. We informed the lady (owner/manager). She tried to arguing that the food are still good. She said both 3 eggs meatloaf has just been cut but she didn't say how long they keep them. I didn't say anything else. Just paid full of bill and also nicely tip for ther server but will never ever comeback

Great food and customer service. Love the beef flat rice noodles. Everything was fresh and fast.

Great food, service, clean place. Need to try this place and come hungry. We were satisfied!!

Great fresh food! Friendly and fast service. Comfortable restaurant. It's not very big so if you go during a busy meal hour, you may wait. Been here a few times and haven't had a bad experience yet.

Good portions. The orange chicken is delicious and you can really taste the orange. The broccoli wasn't soggy and was perfectly steamed. The rice was good as well. The crab Rangoon could use more crab, but overall crispy and satisfying. Spring rolls good with sauce. Will go back to try something new soon , thank you.

Let me start by apologizing that I did not get a picture of our food, holy moly! The food was amazing, delicious, savory, I'm so happy we stumbled upon this place! We got the crab Rangoons, order number 2 in the noodle section, Thai tea and a egg drop soup. Came out to under 30 and so worth it, staff is very busy, quick, efficient and nice. Def recommend this place.

I have eaten at this little restaurant located downtown San Marcos several times and never have I left disappointed. Parking is limited due to it being downtown so at times it just depends on what day or time it is but overall I haven't had any problems finding parking. This restaurant has only tables available and it is a little small. It is not intimate and can be a little crowded. But it gets like this because the food is good, location is convenient, and prices are reasonable. This place mainly serves Pho and it is really soothing and comforting. The menus are large and are numbered so when you order you can just give them the number or specify what and how you want your order. The portions are of decent amounts of food. There are common dishes available that you can order like General Tso's, Orange chicken, but please look at the menu, they do have a pretty good variety. The service is good and if a timely manner. The staff are kind and are swift with the orders. The quality of the food is great and you won't leave hungry. They provide you with plenty of ice for your drinks without having to ask. I like that. The soups taste great and I have ordered different bowls oh Pho and they all have tasted so delicious. If you are looking for great tasting Pho or other Asian dishes and you are in downtown San Marcos, make a stop here. They take cash, credit cards, and touch pay like Apple pay. Great place to come and eat.

My sister and I thought we would try this place because it had great reviews and it was the perfect weather for pho. We just moved here to attend Texas State, and wanted to get a feel for the places around here. Yeah, that was our mistake. The second we walked into the restaurant, we were rudely asked how many were in our party. Then the woman pointed toward a table, so we could seat ourselves. As we were walking toward our table, I saw the menus (which were out in the open and very easy to grab) so I just assumed I was allowed to grab one which was clearly my mistake because she snapped at me the second I touched it. I apologized to her and sat down at our table, but she didn't give us any time to look over the drinks before asking us what we wanted. I already felt uncomfortable, so my sister and I just ordered waters. While we were waiting, another group of people came in and started to sit at a table before the woman snapped at them, too, saying "No no no! here!" which the customers then apologized for. The food wasn't terrible, but we ended up taking it home because we didn't want to stay there. The woman who was being rude practically threw the check onto our table, and snatched it back up irritably when I put my card in the tray. I'm not really sure if we caught them on a bad day, but I've never had such a horrible experience at a restaurant before. My sister and I agreed we definitely wouldn't be coming back.

Best place for pho! Owner has always been very kind, come in at least once a week! Food never takes long, recommended to many friends and they love as well!

Delicious and off the hook!!!! Great service! Great food!!! Great place!!!! Absolutely wonderful experience!!!