Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant

Best fhcking pho in all of chinatown and beyond. Love that it’s BYO Pho75 who? More options, more variety, the broth comes out hot and you get a bang for your buck Love you choo choo train

Yummy dishes with huge portions that would take 2-3 people to finish. However, crowded parking in Chinatown and dirty bathroom.

Very good Pho and terrific service. Located conveniently in Chinatown and in easy walking distance to many other places in downtown Philly. Street parking is iffy at best, but it is well worth the effort.

Food was really good. I got the 101 Pho and 501 spring roll. Both were very delicious however after I was almost done with my noodles I found a hair in the broth. I still had some more left in my bowl but I stopped eating after that because I felt sick after seeing the hair.

Best Vietnamese noodles shop in Philadelphia China town. We go every time when visit Philadelphia for many years. Food quality is consistently good. We ordered special beef noodle soup and BBQ pork chops. Other people also asked what is my order since the pork looks so good and smells so good too. They are also nice people that allow our dog in, sit under the table.

Service is quick but food is not good. My wife and I order two separate noodle but both tasted like instant noodle. My bun bo hue was not spicy and has a strong pork odor. The seafood Tom yum flavor contain mostly cheap imitation crab meat. If you are hungry, do yourself a favor and skip this spot. Try pho 20 around the corner would be a better Vietnamese food option. We were extremely disappointed and left hungry.

I really enjoyed this place's decor and friendly staff. The portions were incredibly generous. However, the flavor was slightly off and the sauce for some of the dishes was heavy. Overall a great quick stop for food, though I would recommend sticking to the Pho which looked a lot better!

Pho is great and pretty big portion. Place is pretty simple and fast service

Loved coming here and trying some pho in Philly. I'm from the west coast so the favor is different here but still delicious. I got the pho chin, the broth wasn't oily or overwhelming. Just perfect and the portions here are huge. My favorite was the bun rieu. I was surprised they had big pieces of pork in the soup. And there wasn't big chunks of tomatoes. The broth was also a lot more red than I had before. But it was still very tasty. I would skip out on the egg rolls next time .it was just okay.

My wife and I stopped here for lunch. We both ordered the Large Beef Noodle Soup. We both thought it was very good. But, it's quite large. I'd say next time we get an Extra large and just share it. Staff was friendly. Atmosphere is basic which is fine. Definitely will return.

Long night out and needed some revitalization. Saw this resturant in Chinatown and decided to stop by. Service was good, and definitely had an extended menu in regards to Vietnamese authentic dishes (saw some frog on there) which I don't normally see around my way. Food was okay, wasn't anything spectacular but got the job done.

The pho isn't the same as it used to be when it was owned by Vietnamese people. Large pho for $15.99.

I really wanted to love this place for it's incredibly large menu of several types of East Asian cuisine, it is also very inexpensive, but I think it's important to know a few things about what you're walking into. First, this is Chinese owned, you're not going to have the authenticity of a Thai or Vietnamese restaurant. I consider this more like an Asian diner--a huge variety of options, but you're not going to get the best quality if you order something like a pasta or steak. The food is edible, but the seasonings, spices and flavors are off. I ordered the pad thai and it was incredibly tangy-sour and orange, also made with pho noodles. I also ordered the Vietnamese bun (noodle salad) which was more authentic, but felt like it was very basic. Tables next to me ordered noodle soups, which definitely looked better. Looking back, I'd go somewhere with fewer options that specializes in one type. I was really hungry and really craving Asian food/couldn't decide between Thai and Vietnamese, so this felt like the best option. I'd stay away from the pad thai and stick with the noodle soups or rice dishes if you come here.

Pho. Received the wrong meat choices. It's OK. Enjoyed it anyway. Also got the fish sour soup. Was good. Portions are generous.

I'm literally watching my associate use your finger to scoop up the remaining sauce, it's that good.

Food: The pho here is okay tbh. I think the selling point of choo choo is their price point. At 14.75 for an X large bowl, it's a good amount of food for two people to share. The portions are huge. Service: The service here is standard. I think this place is Chinese owned. I've never heard any of the staff speak Vietnamese Ambience: The ambience in here is pretty lively, there's always a couple of people here when I'm eating.

I have nothing but great things to say about this. Very visible but hidden gem within Chinatown. This place has been here forever and has stood the test of time to really deliver some amazing Thai cuisine in my opinion! Is very homegrown and limited tables, but the staff is pretty cool and really works to get everyone seated. Usually when I eat here I get the pad Thai but I opted to try something different. We order a round of spicy oysters and they were quite delicious, especially for the $9 price point. Like I said, it isn't the most glamorous ambiance, but it sure does feel like the type of home style Thai food that I think anybody will enjoy.

It was a very cold afternoon and I wanted some comforting food. After checking Yelp I found this place out of the beaten path. This restaurant was very authentic and the service was excellent. My husband and I started with the spring rolls and we were both very pleased. They were super crispy, juicy and a very nice size. I had the large beef pho and I was shocked by huge it was. I can't even imagine getting the Xlarge. The broth was delicious and there were plenty of noodles and bean sprouts. I was very happy with my pho and couldn't even finish the whole bowl.

I've heard good things about this spot before and one of my friends had been here once before too. It's a very casual dining spot. The food came out pretty quickly and the portions were huge. Not everything we ate was our favorite, but clearly it was made with experience and quality. we ate our full. It was very easy to sit and chat for a while. We paid about $40 among 3 people. The staff also speak both mandarin and English

Went here for my birthday lunch and it was everything I could have wanted . I called beforehand to confirm the rice noodles were gluten free (other Vietnamese places in the area did not understand my question of "are they gluten free? Is there wheat? What are the ingredients?" so I couldn't risk it) and they were, so I made my way over. I surprisingly got a parking spot right across the street from it at around 1pm on a Thursday, but you might not be as lucky during the dinner crowd. Our server was kind and straightforward, and when it was time for the check and boxing of our Pho's she swiftly packaged leftovers in a BPA-free container. I got the bun bo hue- a favorite of mine, since it is pretty spicy, and full of pig feet (gives the broth a full, meaty flavor) and steak. Finally, the mood is relaxed yet still a few notches above "typical take-out only restaurant", and there was a live huge crab in a tank to entertain us during the meal.

To be fair, we didn't have their pho, which seems to be what they're known for. We ordered delivery, and felt pho would be more difficult to eat. However, all the things we ordered were far below expectations. Mostly just texture with no flavor.

In Philly for a conference, debated whether to camp out at the Hershel's for some pastrami Ruben or go light with Vietnamese pho. It's a bit windy and the temperature was kinda cool, so pho it was. I walked to Chinatown looking for Xe Lua and passed by pho Cali - another place that I visited quite often in the past. The place was on the smaller side. Half full - a table of student, a table of tourists, a couple of tables of other locals. One person taking orders and serving. Thank god no one is ordering a tableful of dishes. I order fried spring rolls with a large bowl of gai nam sach. The rolls were a large side. I prefer smaller ones that were deeper fried. The pho was really nice. Good amount of pho. Plenty of meats. I felt really good after the bowl of pho. Thank you and will look to come back for some more in the future.

Quick standard pho shop Reasonable taste and price for the size. Small entrance so harder to find but opens up to a reasonable size shop

Stopped in after a day at a local museum. There is street and nearby parking lots. Family friendly. Large menu. I love the food here and the staff are very attentive. I ordered the shrimp vermicelli special and it was so delicious. I also had an order of pork gyoza; so tasty. Haven't been here in years but stopping in reminded me that I need to cross the bridge more often.

Stopped by on a Tuesday evening for dinner with a friend, and we were seated promptly. We were a little indecisive on what to order, but the server was informative and helped me choose a vermicilli dish with a few dietary substitutes! Both our dishes were delicious and large portions! Highly recommend the vermicilli noodle with chicken, it's super flavorful, fresh, and generous with the chicken. Overall great place and will be coming back!

I ordered Ca Ri Ga and ga xao xa ot. Ended up throwing both out and eating the rice with spam instead.

The Bun Bo Hue had amazing flavor and great spice. They give you a large portion of noodles. The shrimp summer rolls tasted fresh and the peanut sauce had good balance. Will be ordering again!

Nice lil restaurant serving mixed cuisines on their menu. Lots to choose from on your preferences, and family style tables with rotating center are a nice addition. Some of their dishes have huge generous portions for a good price. Others are a bit bland. Pho could use some more flavor and spices to increase the appeal. Overall it's pretty good.

Pho Xe Lua Viet has tasty food that is good for the soul. The shrimp pho (130D) is a good option for pescatarians and is filled with the fluffiest, large shrimp I've ever had. The soup is very flavorful and the bowl is huge! (I put my hand for scale.) I wish there were more veggies in the soup, although there was a great amount of noodles, but I found the romaine lettuce in the soup very strange. The BBQ pork over rice was flavorful but it was more bone than we would have liked. The egg was unique and fluffy, a mix of an omelette and a steamed egg filled with vermicelli. Lastly, the spring rolls were crisp, but I wish there was more flavor to them. The portion of the pho was great value but everything else was lacking, in my opinion, compared to the price. The service was fast and quick originally but definitely be ready to flag someone down if you need the check, more water, etc. The interior is casual and bright. Note should be taken there are stairs that can't be skipped to get into the restaurant. Also there is a $15 credit card minimum.

I came here with coworkers midweek on a cold gloomy & perfect for pho kinda day. They had a nice big table for us and were pretty prompt in taking our orders. Everything came out quickly even though they were fairly busy. I was impressed that someone brought out more dumpling sauce (they thought we weren't given any originally) a little bit after we got the dumplings. I did think it was odd that every order of pho didn't get its own plate/side of toppings but we were able to share. The pho was great, the dumplings were okay, prices were mostly reasonable (lychee drink was pricey for what I received IMO) and I look forward to going back.

My favorite pho in Philly. My favorite spot closed and I have been on a mission to find somewhere to replace it. It took a while I finally found it with this spot. The food is quality and the owner is really nice.

Phenomenal pho! I also tried the crispy chicken appetizer and summer rolls, both were great. Huge portions. I'd 100% return!

The food is very bad here. They must've changed ownership. My soup dish was too salty and the vermicelli in the summer rolls had gone bad.

My favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the NY city. A resturant where you can enjoy the authentic taste of Vietnam. The workers are hard work so everything quick to rotate it. They have enough space to welcome customers so you do not have to wait for a while.

First, the interior of this place is great-- they have this v quaint landscape painting wallpaper and a cool mirror in the back. Came w a group of 6 for byo and they were super accommodating! Service was amazing. And loved the food, i got the garlic pea shoots and added tofu and they were super generous w both. Wld def come again

This is my usual go to pho spot because it's cheap and does the job. This restaurant got both Thai and Chinese food so they got it all. They have large and extra large pho bowls for order. I usually get an extra large to share because it's massive. Service is quick and efficient and there's always alot of dining space.

Nothing screams comfort than pho on a gloomy windy day. In need of something soupy and warm, we stumbled upon this restaurant. Of all the pho places, we chose here due to the amount of reviews. Upon walking in, the restaurant felt like a hole in the wall. Old, but gave warm vibes. Definitely a taste of home. The server attending to us was speedy, jumping from table to table. We ordered the Shrimp Summer Rolls ($5.25), Large Special Rice Noodle Soup ($9.75), and the Large Medium Rare Beef & Tripe Rice Noodle Soup ($9.75). The Shrimp Summer Rolls were served on separate plates (how cute). They were probably the worst I had due to how flimsy they were, but they still satisfy! Our pho were pretty much the same of course, but with different ingredients. I still prefer the Chinatown NYC pho better, but these were different, from the noodle texture to the broth. Their broth was on the sweeter side. Their beef was bomb though, as they were very tender and soft. Bowls were large, with even an option for extra large. You will definitely leave with a stuffed tummy here, in a good satisfying way.

Classic pho joint here in Philly. Service was great. I was able to catch a waiters attention each time I needed to and the food came out quickly. The shrimp summer rolls were a little on the basic side; the sauce wasn't anything special and it could've used some more herbs in my opinion. I ordered the classic pho bowl, 101, and realized half way into the bowl that I forgot to take a photo. The beef was very tender and the broth hit the spot; comfort food. Nothing fancy, just a bowl of pho and sometimes that's exactly what you need.

Pretty good food. Took my daughter and friend there today. The only thing I didn't like was them hot ass sodas they had with a lil bit of ice lol. Other than that everything else was good

This has been my favorite pho place since my college days (10+ years ago). As a Philly area local, I've been around looking for noodle hotspots and to this day, this is still the default pho restaurant I take everyone to who's from out of town! I've tried every pho bowl at least once, and really enjoyed medium rare steak. Well done steak is really chewy which I'm not keen on. I personally love tripe and flank, but if you enjoy tendon, you have that option too. And if you want more than 3 toppings, you can add more for an extra cost. There is a $15 minimum for credit card, so bring cash if you're splitting the bill with a friend or know you'll be spending less.

This is the perfect place on a cold and rainy day. The portions are HUGE and the value is great. Service was fast as well. So happy I found this place. I ordered #101, which is the basic rice noodle soup with medium rare beef and various fixings. One thing I really enjoyed was the tripe. It added a chewiness to the bites. Must add a bit of sriracha to the broth to give it a kick. Broth was so rich and they gave generous portions of beef.

Affectionately known as "choo choo" to those in my family and some of my friends, this place is still amazing. I haven't been to this restaurant in maybe 10 years and somehow the food is still a standout. The recipes may have varied than those in my memory of this place, but clearly the quality is still great. After moving out of Philadelphia and visiting for the first time in years, this was the one restaurant I wanted to go back to. All of the appetizers are awesome - my favorite is the rare beef app. Great place for noodle soups of all kinds. I'm happy to see that this restaurant is still here after all these years!

I loved it here, they were so nice, and even took my custom order when I didn't like something in my food. they were very polite and kind and I loved the atmosphere in their, so I would recommend this place

Don't be deterred by the entryway - once inside Pho Xe Lua is a first rate pho spot in Philly's Chinatown. As is indicative of a good Viet spot, the seating area is casual, and the hand painted mural on the longest wall harkens back to rural Vietnam countryside of yesteryear. The menu is straight forward - and though I failed to see a pho dac biet with everyyyythinggg that I like (tendon, tripe, beef balls), you can certainly add additional items. Alright, enough ground work - the broth is AMAZING. Truly exploding with umami, beefy flavor, and just the right amount of warmth from anise and other spices, and the sweetness level of the broth is perfection. Truly: perfection. Waitstaff is friendly, casual, just right. I cannot wait to return.

We came here on a Friday night. The pho broth was pretty good, but the noodles were overdone, and the restaurant was dirty. The servers were literally running between the tables and we barely finished placing our order before the waitress left to run to another table. It overall was not a pleasant experience and the pho was more expensive for a small here than it is for a large at Pho 75, which was disappointing.

Some of the best pho I've had that was perfect on a cold windy night. We came here for dinner on a Saturday and were seated right away. Ordering was quick and efficient and the food was out in minutes. I ordered 101. Special Pho, large size. The servings were huge and had a ton of meat, broth, and noodles. The broth was rich and flavorful, exactly what you want from a pho broth. I really liked the variety of meat, including steak, tendon, and tripe. The bowl was more than enough to fill me up. Highly recommend coming here for a no frills and solid meal!

I was really looking forward to order the VNamese spinach dish but it wasn't there:( The food was ok since it's not authentic VNamese but it's Chinese dishes :(

My family and I enjoyed this restaurant. Not the best I've been to but it fixed my cravings. We got pho, bun thit nuong, and a few appetizers. For my bun thit nuong, it was good but I still prefer rice paper's version which is in the same shopping district.

I love coming here for pho. Their large bowl of pho is huge. They give a generous amount of noodles and toppings. It's probably one of my favorite pho places to go in Philly! I usually love my pho with tendon and tripe. Other items I love ordering here is their salted chicken and fish fried rice. They make it so well. I also like the vermicelli noodle with the spring rolls, meat, and shrimp, also the raw beef appetizer with fish sauce. That is absolutely delicious. I believe the place changed owner as the last time I came to eat in, I don't see the usual servers but I would say the food was almost the same with the new owner.

Stopped by for dinner with my in-laws on a Sunday night. We ordered iced Vietnamese coffees, several varieties of pho, a bun rieu and 2 banh cuon. The banh cuon tasted like it was previously frozen and ultimately defrosted, but the other dishes were pretty good. I devoured my pho and finished my coffee and everyone else quite enjoyed their pho. My only comment is serving sizes are pretty generous. I have a big appetite for a woman and the large pho filled me up to the point where I was uncomfortable. My other half ordered the XL and finished it as well, but he was satiated after.

Had the beef pho. Soup was very tasty. Clear not too greasy. Price was great. Highly recommend

This place has amazing pho! I've had pho in different places and this place was one of the good ones. I actually came here while on vacation and unfortunately came down with a cold and I knew something warm would make me feel better. The broth had such a great flavor and made me feel a lot better. I ordered the 101 pho bowl, which comes with everything except meatballs (but you can add them in for $2). The pho bowls come in large and x-large. I had a hard time finishing the large, but it was so worth it! It had such great flavor and the meat was delicious! I also ordered the shrimp summer rolls. I LOVE these rolls. Their peanut sauce was yummy!! For dessert I ordered a Taro smoothie and it was delicious. The environment was very nice and clean. The staff was amazing and very friendly. They were very attentive. Our food came out within 10-15 minutes at most. If you're craving some pho while you're in Philly, you have to come here!

I came here for dinner on a Saturday night with a group of 5 people. We ordered a bunch of dishes: shrimp summer rolls, steamed mussels, beef pho, salted pepper 3 treasures (shrimp/scallop/squid), and bbq lemongrass chicken over rice. If you order the beef pho, you get a choice of large or extra large. You might as well get extra large since you only live once right. The summer rolls were okay but the shrimp was small. The spicy sauce on the mussels was not spicy, more on the sweet side. The mussels were fresh though. The extra large beef pho was huge and there's a generous portion of noodles/toppings. The pho broth was flavorful and not too oily. The salted pepper 3 treasures was crispy and fresh. The bbq lemongrass chicken was juicy and tasty. Service was fast and friendly. This was one of my favorite places for pho. I would definitely come back here if I'm ever in Philly.

Never a disappointing time at choo choo. Consistent pho since I was a kid to now. I always bring my frIends here if we want pho in chinatown. Fast service, clean establishment. Make sure your pho comes steaming hot! Tastes the best that way. $10-12 after tip for a big bowl of pho? Why not?

This is hands down one of the best pho we've had! We were visiting from New York and craving pho- the 106 pho was absolutely amazing and so filling. The broth was delicious and there was sooo much food in the large (they only do large or extra large). The summer shrimp rolls with peanut sauce were good. I left very satisfied and very full! The price was also very good!

Beat pork chops in the city. I add two fried eggs to my order. One of the hidden food items in the city

We wanted to go to Pho 75 but since we stayed at the hotel close to Chinatown and this place seems to have good reviews and decided to give a go. First they are Chinese not Vietnamese but nothing wrong with that because many Chinese comes from Vietnam and also we are from NYC so most of the Vietnamese restaurants are owned by Chinese. Now that being said Philly has the best authentic Vietnamese food and that's one of the reason we like to have the authentic Vietnamese here. So now we got that clear away here's my good impression. Authenticity: 7, thé rest is 9. Thé summer roll I ordered wasn't wrapped tight so it is loose and lumpy and hard to eat. The spring rolls were big and not small. Pho was decent. Overall it is a 3/4 out of 5 for me. So I won't be lazy next time and get ass to Pho 75.