Sidestreet Pho

5/5 for the Food and drinks, it was spectacular, great serving sizes and good variety! The variety of beverages and the cola’s they had! Rating 4/5 for Service since I can’t speak to the service when it’s busy, but it’s spectacular when it was not so busy. Food came out quick and they checked up on us often. Atmosphere 4/5, again it wasn’t busy so can’t fully speak to the vibe of the restaurant. But as it was calmer and slower it was a chill vibe. They had fun Vietnamese music playing!

It was an okay experience eating here. I got the ribeye pho and the broth was quite oily but had decent flavor. I was displeased with the "ribeye" that was in the broth. It looked like some chewed up bits thrown into the soup and it was extremely chewy. The server was nice, but never bothered to check up with us after taking our order and bringing our food.

I have a gluten and soy allergy. This is one of my favorite restaurants in Alameda! They have delicious for an amazing meat and vegetables and noodles. They are extremely good with allergies and have a lot of gluten-free options. They will work with you closely if you tell them any food, allergies that you have. The food is incredibly delicious and I go at least 2 to 3 times per week. The staff is very kind. The owner is very sweet. It’s an amazing place. I’m so grateful it’s so close to my house.

I don’t ever leave reviews.. My family loves to eat Side Street Pho but today that changed.. My husband did a pick up order and when we sat down to eat, my husband found an acrylic fingernail in his bowl of pho… this is beyond disgusting.🤢

Perfect to warm your body and soul. It is a little pricer than what you’d find in SJ. The quality was excellent. Maybe skip the ginger tea it was pretty steep for $8 a glass. They do make it in house but I’m not sure it was a good value add. I w have picked a different drink.

My Sidestreet Pho review My reason I gave this place a four out of five star. I understand times are hard, and the restaurant decided to save on costs $$ by literally cutting corners. Their food and service is excellent. There is no complaints about that. I always have the oxtail Pho, it’s so delicious!!! Within the last year or so, I’ve noticed in the oxtail pho soup that the bone in the soup has been cut in half. It’s a little sad to think that this was the means of cutting the cost. Literally cutting the bones in half not even receiving the full amount of an oxtail bone. The other thing about that is there were tiny little slivers of bone fragments, that didn’t feel safe to sip the soup. So eat oxtail soup at your own risk. The photos are of my take out order, but I have experienced the same experience while eating at the restaurant and did not mention anything.

Side Street Pho is definitely one of our favorite Vietnamese restaurants on the island since 2014, the food reminded us of our childhood. We grew up eating Chinese and Vietnamese food. Instead of eating pancakes, we ate Bánh Xèo - Vietnamese Savory crepes as a whole meal, where everyone ate 2-3 each. The Bánh Xèo at Side Street Pho was so crispy and delicious, like how my grandma would make it. The Work—Broken Rice Plate was so yummy, a little bit of everything. The Bun Bo Hue was full of flavor, so good! Must order! It’s my favorite soup! Don’t forget their refreshing drinks! The Thai Iced Tea with Coconut Cream was so creamy and sweet; while the lemongrass-infused limeade was so refreshingly sweet and so good with the food.

We had Side Street Pho cater our holiday party in Oakland. The food was such a hit!!!! They even made sure everything was set up for our party!! I am so grateful for them. Thank you for the great service!

Overall a great bang for your buck. The portions are large but could be more flavorful. The service was great but it took a while to get the food out. Would definitely recommend for a small group 3-4 people. Would not reccomend the mango milkshake it doesn't have a lot of flavors

I've gotten the chicken porridge to go a few times and have been meaning to write a review. It's perfect when you're not feeling too well or just want some porridge. It is a little bit salty but I didn't mind. It comes with the fried dough stick which I loved..! A lil crispy treat to dip into the porridge or to eat on the side. When I do eat here in person, I do notice the soup is sometimes not hot enough for me. I like my soup hot (temp wise) but I'll give the pho another try.

I'd say my rating is more 3.5 on the food alone. Stopped in on a Sunday evening for dinner around 6:45. It was busy but we were able to get seated quickly (or there's an iPad to join a waitlist). The space is small, but not quite cozy feeling. We sat next to the door and it was a little cold with people coming in and out. Ordered the chicken wings ($13), shaky beef ($23) with garlic noodles(+$2), and the broken rice plate "the works" ($22). I'm not sure if we should have gone with pho or other noodle dishes but everything we had was just.... okay; nothing that was wow or I'd come back for in flavor. The beef was maybe the best thing overall. To me, the pork with the rice (I asked for no bone) was a bit more fatty and the garlic noodles tasted more like take out Chinese/greasy and strong garlic. I think the portions were fine but if you normally eat Vietnamese food, you'll notice it's a little bit on the pricey side (like basic pho is $17+), but I guess it comes with needing to survive in this economy. The server was nice and accommodating to my little toddler. The food came out pretty quickly. If you want Viet food and are close to here, I'd say give it a try, but I think there are more authentic tasting/better options elsewhere.

Pretty decent restaurant. Thai Tea was good. Egg rolls were crispy. Pho needed a little more flavor, but it's enough to satisfy your pho cravings. Definitely great for a rainy weather. Customer service was great. Parking is mainly on the street - had to park a block away.

On a Sunday evening around 5:30pm, it was pretty crowded but you get seated quickly. They have community tables in the middle if you're willing to sit with other strangers. We ordered the Beef Ribeye Pho and Seafood Pho (first time I've seen seafood pho!). Food came out within 5 minutes. What I really liked was the broth was clear and stayed clear - unlike other restaurants where after eating/mixing the noodles around, the broth would get murky and gray-ish. There was a good amount of shrimp, squid and other seafood items in my seafood pho. One thing to note - they have a lot of takeout orders, so if you sit near the door people tend to keep the door open and it brings in the really cold air, which was not ideal. Additionally, the tables are all pretty squeezed together so there's going to be people bumping into each others' chairs. Despite those small issues, we will come again!

Sidestreet Pho is one of my favorite restaurants in Alameda. Vietnamese comfort food. When I'm not in the mood for Pho, I love X4 Crispy Rice Noodles. -- it full of mixed proteins and veggies with the best sauce ever. You will have enough for leftovers too! My friend ordered the chicken porridge and I love that it comes with the ultimate Chinese donut to dip in the porridge. Family owned and wonderful food!

Mmmmyummm! Still thinking about the amazingly delicious chicken porridge here!! So many flavors all living their best life in my mouth lol.. chicken, green onions, fried shallots, broken rice, pepper.. I could taste each flavor and them together enhanced in this porridge - honestly the best porridge I've ever had and my picky Vietnam-raised parents also agreed! So definitely order the porridge here! The menu is quite broad with honestly so many of my favorite Vietnamese dishes that it was hard to decide on this first visit; the porridge is the hero dish for me personally. The other items we ordered (crispy egg rolls, pho tai, pork broken rice ) were ok but I likely would rather try other menu items on my next visit. The beef in the pho tai was fairly fatty/chewy which isn't my preference and while the soup was good, it was oilier/ fattier than I like. Similarly the pork on the rice dish was more fatty than I like also. Sharing this experience based on my personal preference for folks who also prefer leaner cuts but it is a traditional style and happily enjoyed by my parents who like fattier cuts. The broken rice was perfectly cooked and memorably moist fluffy. I also liked they provided plenty of pickled veggies. Restaurant is very nicely decorated and remarkably efficiently set up for the small space. The service, food and drinks were prompt, efficient and attentive. Really enjoyable experience and I look forward to returning regularly as I really liked the menu and service is great! They have street parking and two dog friendly outside tables!

7:30pm on a Friday night. The wait time was estimated at 30-45 minutes. There is open seating outside, since I am dining alone I asked if I could sit outside and they agreed. It's a little chilly outside, but as an Alaskan transplant, it's nothing I can't handle. Took about 20 minutes for my food to arrive. The server brought it out was very kind. Pho was super hot, ribeye was perfectly tender. I got some spring rolls and the peanut sauce was really good. The presentation is a little silly but you know. Everyone has their thing. I can see why there's a line, but not sure I'd be willing to wait 45 minutes for a table. Maybe next time I'll get on the waitlist before coming down.

The location was somewhat confined, but the authenticity of the cuisine was remarkable. Extremely tasty and highly satisfying. 5 stars for Staff/Ambiance/food

Cute spot downtown but parking is hard to find. It's very small inside and gets full quickly. Prices are a bit high but food is decent.

One of my favorite lunch spots in Alameda especially when the season finally gets chilly. I recommend either their bun bo hue or pho dac biet. They're pretty good for the area. I'm not going to compare it to South Bay. Anyway, the service was decent from ordering to paying. The restaurant isn't spacious so you'll have to make do OR use their outdoor seatings. Parking is a pain so good luck!

Best Pho Ga. The regular phos were fine not memorable but the Pho Ga was for sure the best I have ever had. Service was good and we did wait about an hour on a Friday night but it was busy so it's expected. Restaurant is kind of tight but a good amount of seating. The menu had a lot of items to choose from. I love that they have the chinese donuts!

The food is really good. I ordered double fried spring rolls and a regular pho with sliced ribeye. I came in for lunch, they greeted me and sat me down fast. The broth was flavorful and a generous portion of meat. I really enjoyed my meal. Inside was nice and clean. I definitely recommend checking them out.

I think this is going to be my new pho place. I enjoyed the atmosphere I enjoyed the cleanliness of the place I enjoyed the thoroughness of the servers they were attentive they checked on us it was great experience. I was there with a co-worker for lunch about 2 weeks ago had shrimp pho with no noodles extra veggies which was a little pricey but it was so good I love that cinnamon that's in the bra especially on a cold rainy day and I was on the brink of getting sick so it was perfect. They also had vegetarian spring rolls which were so good the peanut sauce was good at a little chilly oil Sriracha to it great appetizer that's almost a meal. I will definitely go back.

This place has been on my list for a while and I was pleased with my visit. I visited on Memorial Day and it wasn't too busy since we go there when it opened. Since we decided to sit outside we had to order at the front and pay before dining. I'm guess this is to control people that eat outside and leave without paying. Service was pretty too even though we were outside. We ordered: * Spring rolls - it was good but also wasn't the best spring roll ever or the worst * Banh Xeo - very full of shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts, crepe has a nice crisp but I feel like it could have been crispier. * Vermicelli looked good and my friend seemed to enjoy it. I forgot to try this * Pho - the broth tasted authentic and I liked that the noodles were stuck together with a good amount of meat as well. Also gave a good size portion of everything Overall this place is a bit pricey but with how inflation is I guess these prices are almost normal now. I would return if I am in Alameda and want some Vietnamese food.

We were seated quickly by a very kind hostess. They were great despite how busy it was. We had the wings--crispy, hot, and juicy. The dipping sauce didn't accompany the wings as well I would have hoped. The pho we ordered was pretty tasty and piping hot! It was definitely what we needed on a chilly evening after a long day of travel. I wish that it had a little more umami flavor, but all in all a solid meal just a bit pricey in my opinion.

This place is adorable and must have some kind of Michelin star. The service is really good and attentive too! The fanciest pho I have ever had in my life and the broth is so flavorful but authentic. I got the ribeye pho and added tripe and woooow the ribeye melted in my mouth. The Thai tea was soooo yummy too. I'm not excited for the day this place blows up on tik tok as a Bay Area hidden gem but I have to say they definitely are top ten on my list. I don't really come to Alameda but I always make the 45 min drive (not including that Bay Area traffic) to eat the pho here 0:-)

Came here for lunch one day. I like the decor, the staff was nice but the food is pricey and small portioned. The flavor was a bit lacking and just not what I'm used to.

The ambiance is cozy and intimate, good place for a date night or even family outing! Our server was very attentive and kept coming back to check on how we were doing. She was very understanding and made sure to note down any customizations we wanted for our dishes. I ordered the regular sized rib eye pho. The broth itself was so rich in flavor and kept me wanting more and more. After finishing my food I was incredibly stuffed. I also enjoyed the small candy they gave out as a palette cleanser after we paid the bill!

When we came we put ourselves on the waitlist & it was less then a 5 min wait which wasn't bad for 2 people. The waiter was very sweet coming by to check up on us & see if we were ready to order since it was our first time we needed more than a couple of minutes. They were sweet to even accommodate with my shellfish allergy. All the servers were sweet & nice when they gave us the food & the food was nice & hot. I also didn't feel rush to finish my food & they didn't give us our check til we were done & finished to go. I will definitely come here again if I'm craving pho again it's better than the place I used to go to in San Leandro called joes pho. It wasn't loud here & I didn't feel claustrophobic here that I was expecting to feel from one of the reviews I read.

3.5 stars. A pretty good option for when the pho craving strikes. I know pho aficionados who insist there is no decent pho in Alameda, and perhaps my pho palate is just not refined enough, but Sidestreet usually does the trick for me when I'm in the mood for a hot bowl of pho. Is it the best pho I've ever had? Nope, but it's satisfactory. A huge plus in my book is that they have a vegan option with vegan broth. This is what I opt for every time we visit. My carnivore partner opts for a bowl with beef, and we've both enjoyed our selections. They have a decent beer and wine menu. Service is always good. Good location too, a block away from Park St.

I wasn't expecting much from a pho place in Alameda, but I was really impressed. I'm learning that there is a great food scene in Alameda that I clearly have been sleeping on?! I tried the pho dac biet beef combo ($19), which had great flavor in the broth, a large amount of veggies, and tender meat. The service was also super fast as we got our pho within 5-10 minutes of ordering. The only thing is that the items here are pretty pricey -- this was probably one of the most expensive bowls of pho that I've gotten. I would come back if I'm craving in Alameda.

I was in the area on a week night and was craving pho. This place caught my eye because it had great reviews and its women owned. Always love to support locally women owned businesses. And the fact that this restaurant closes late also was another bonus. Very clean and cute inside. Was seated right away and the girl who took my order was very friendly and pleasant indeed. My order came quick. I must admit the prices are slightly higher than others but the quality of the pho justified that and the presentation. The broth was not salty at all and the noodles are thin and a very substantial soup and quite delicious. I got all tendon and the soup came with plenty of it and very tender. Although it was late I didn't feel rushed at all. They had outdoor seating that was very cute and tempting too perhaps I will come back another time to sit outside.

Fresh, Authentic and Tasty You know a restaurant is good when it's packed on a Sunday morning. Walked by and just had to try. So glad we did! Fried Tofu appetizer was the perfect amount of crispy and silky. Service was equally impressive and servers were attentive and efficient. My only disappointment was I didn't try the spring rolls which coming out of the kitchen appear not-to be-missed! Next time for sure!

Service - 4/5 Ambiance- 3/5 Food - 5/5 This is my go-to pho spot in Alameda. Service and food are consistently good. Also shoutout to the host who is always singing (give that man a mic!) Housemade Ginger Tea - SO good. I ordered it every time. It's so soothing and delicious. Pork Bánh Mì - Love to order this sandwich to pair with my pho! It's a pretty chunky sandwich and packed with flavor Ribeye or Oxtail Pho are my usuals! Both delicious. BÚN RIÊU - this was a recommendation by the staff because I wanted to try something new and I LOVED IT. It's a tomato, noodle soup mixed with pork and seafood. Highly recommend

I've been coming to Sidestreet Pho for a couple years now. I do prefer some pho places in Oakland more in terms of quality and price. However, it is convenient for us to come here when we want some quick pho and don't want to go to Oakland later in the night. The pho is decent, but I do think their broth lack richness in flavor comparing to some other places. Especially for the regular beef pho, the star anise and sweetness kind of stood out bit much for my preference. We do really enjoy their broken rice plates, and savory crepe. For the savory crepe, I haven't seen other places offer it, so we usually come back just for that too. Service No complain on the service itself. The servers are attentive and quick to take orders when we are ready. Ambiance Casual ambiance. Good for group hangout as well since they have a section area in the middle that could pool some tables together. Not much wait usually. Overall, I think the food here is slightly overpriced. Giving it 3/5 since there are some items I enjoy getting and the location is convenient for people in Alameda.

Sooooooo good. Best I ever had. Fast service. Clean environment. Flavors were immaculate omg I went back twice in one week chefs kiss!

Fast, casual pho place in alameda that packs a lot of hearty & homey flavours. Lots of tables inside and outside with attentive servers that kept the water refilled. I'm so glad I ordered the bone marrow toast as it was juicy, tender, and delicious. I could tell they thought about flavour balance since the onion and cilantro was perfect in every bite. Almost tasted like a cabezza (beef head) taco lol. Bun Rieu was amazing as well. I like how they gave plenty of lime (as a big fan of sour soups) , shredded cabbage as the side that paired well with the savoury pork meatball and bits of fried tofu. Can't believes I finished everything and was able to return to work without food coma. The food was savoury without being heavy. Coming back here again to try other dishes :)

I was in the area and decided to give this place a try. We parked down the street. The place is small but they use every space possible. There's tables and chairs in the front. There's a booth and they seat you. The tables are a light tight on the sides. We got the menu and there was your regular pho options. We ordered shrimp spring rolls. The peanut sauce was okay but i like the light peanut sauce and they only had dark. The food took a while to get there. My husband ordered shaking beef and I ordered pho but there was an option for just noodles and broth. My soup tasted like real authentic bone broth. The portions were good. My husband liked his he said it was good. Overall okay experience. It was a little pricey compared to other places.

Ate here with a few friends. I was surprisingly good. I order some items off the menu and they were kind enough to make them for me. Parking is a real issue and I had to illegally park in the Jack in the Box next door. Also, the outside did not have heaters so it made it a little hard and cold. Taste 4 Quality 4 Quantity 4 Aroma 4 Presentation 5 Appetizer 3 Service 5 Parking 2 Atmosphere 3 Selection 4 Alcohol 3 Dessert N/A Value 4

I had their bun Rieu! I'll be back for it since it's the closest thing I've found similar to homemade

Side Street Pho is definitely one of our favorite Vietnamese restaurants on the island since 2014, the food reminded us of our childhood. We grew up eating Chinese and Vietnamese food. Instead of eating pancakes, we ate Bánh Xèo - Vietnamese Savory crepes as a whole meal, where everyone ate 2-3 each. The Bánh Xèo at Side Street Pho was so crispy+ delicious,like how my grandma would make it. The Work--Broken Rice Plate was so yummy, a little bit of everything. The Bun Bo Hue was full of flavor, so good! Must order!It's my favorite noodle soup! pork blood. Don't forget their refreshing drinks! The Thai Iced Tea with Coconut Cream was so creamy and sweet; while the lemongrass-infused limeade was so refreshingly sweet and so good with the food.

We love this place. Hai Mi, our server, is amazing. She recommended we try the appetizer since we were not sure what to order. My husband got the shaken beef with garlic noodles, and I got the brisket pho(not pictured because we were so hungry). The food came out quickly. Highly recommended!

I've never had the pleasure of eating here in person. But whenever anyone asks my favorite pho in the east bay, it's the oxtail pho here, though I've only ever had it by delivery. It's perfectly balanced. Big beefy flavor. Fresh rice noodles. I kinda remember the egg rolls being good too but the pho is the star for me. I will come back to visit in person some time!

I'm inclined towards veg anything these days and this pho was good. Like many of us blessed in this pho-rich land, we have a wide choice. I kinda wish there were a few more innovative ingredients but the amount was good as was the price.

Normally this place is good for your slightly pricey vietnamese food. However, because it was open on New Years Day and likely didn't have experience with high volume, the experience was super disappointing. I ordered a pickup order -- with a pickup time of 6:15pm. I arrived on time and was told food was going to be delayed 10-20 minutes. This is a lot, but given the traffic, I was fine to wait. 30 minutes later, still no food. I ask again about the wait time and am told another 15 minutes. This is now telling me they never started the food prep. I wait. Another 15 minutes pass and now there's no update/estimate on the meal. Meanwhile several others had come in after me for pickups and their dishes were completed. I had been the only person who had been waiting for their dish for 1hr. I ended up cancelling it because I had no idea when my order was actually going to get fulfilled while I waited inside the restuarant for almost 1hr from the original pickup time. Unfortunately, this has colored my otherwise good experiences with the restaurant. Go when it's a for-sure not going to be busy, they don't know how to handle volume. Note for the management: they should turn down pickup orders/delivery when they're backed up vs. have people experience this.

I can't pass this place, if I see it I have to stop for the veggie wraps and the tofu bahn mi. I didn't even like bahn mi before trying it here! They're always busy and it's always worth the wait.

Second time here. Visit this place bc we wanted pho again! Service was great, seating was comfortable. We ordered egg noodles and bun Bo hue, together with bone marrow. All tastes good. I love the soup of bun Bo hue, it's strong but not too much. The soup of the egg noodles was much lighter, but still good.

Sidestreet pho is our go to Vietnamese place in Alameda! I will say their pho is probably the least preferred thing I've ordered since it's heavier on the spices than your traditional pho, but everything else I've ordered there has been delicious. We frequently order their vermicelli bowls and their bun rieu. I have been here a number of times and the service is always amazing, and the quality of food has always been consistent.

Mmmmmm I really liked the pho here! I was recommended the P3 or Oxtail pho and yessss it was so tasty with the oxtail meat and cartilage inside. The soup tasted so gooooooood too. Highly recommend the Oxtail Pho P3... if you like Oxtail that is! Tried the Goi salad K4 which was also a great starter. Fresh cabbage, herbs, carrots, chicken breast, fried shallots, crushed peanuts, and a vinaigrette sauce which I'm not sure what's in it. It was great as a starter and good to eat in between the pho too!

Since the food is consistently very good, we have been repeat customers for takeout only and not have to worry about unsatisfactory dine-in service experience. Takeout orders usually take about an hour so be prepared. Definitely would not be disappointed with the tasty food though.

What a great spot for Vietnamese in Alameda! My friend and I dropped by for dinner Thursday evening around 6:40 and it was pretty busy. Most tables were full except for 2. They have a good variety of Vietnamese dishes on the menu, ranging from vermicelli bowls to pho and other noodle soups to rice and stir fry dishes. I was planning to get some kind of noodle soup, but when I saw they have bo luc lac on the menu with garlic noodles ($25), I knew I had to get it. It's one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes, especially when they use a good cut of beef like they do here with the cubed filet mignon. I appreciated they have some vegetarian friendly options as well, such as vegan noodle soup and veggie stir fry. Made it easier for my friend to order. The beef and noodles were both fantastic. The beef was seared nicely and had good flavor, and the garlic noodles had a lot of wok hei. I can tell they cooked both in high heat. My friend ended up going with the vegan noodle soup. It was good, but he wasn't expecting it to come with glass noodles and that took us both by surprise. I tried a sip and the broth was pretty flavorful for a vegan broth. It looked like most people here got pho, judging from all the orders I saw around us. I'd love to come back and try that sometime!

came in by accident and love the vibe here. People here seem busy but elegant. I have not had a avocado shake for too long and I got it here. The calamari is so interesting, the batter does not taste like anywhere else. I still love American diner's calamari more. Lol The two entries are not the best ones I had, but their tofu skin is pretty good. I might come back again if I visit alameda.

came an hour before close but they were happy to seat us! service was quick, shop was nice and clean, and the employees were nice and attentive. ordered their brisket pho. good portions and quality pho, but I've had better in southern california. still a solid pho option though!

Not family friendly. My family and I came here for Sunday lunch and they offered us a communal table. I asked if we can wait a little longer for our own table as I have a toddler and a stroller with us. There were 2 tables opened. They said no b/c those tables are for "bigger parties" (4 people). They asked if we can just sit at the communal table just this time. We did. About 10 minutes later, a party of 2 sat on the table. Make it make sense. Food is whatever.

We had a great experience here. I ordered the brisket pho, partner had the ribeye. Good was good, service was perfect: fast and friendly and checked in with us just frequently enough without being intrusive. Ambiance was quiet enough for us to talk comfort even with a large group there at another table, and the restaurant was more than half full Will definitely go back.

After returning for years, about once a week, we can confidently say you won't find better service, food, or staff. Highly recommend!

Been a customer for a while, they have a great service. Today really stood out to me where I wanted to leave a review. Ordered 2 bowls of pho, and half way through the meal I found a piece of hair in it, they immediately offered to replace both bowls for me and even voided the transaction. That's the great service I know!

Ordered Togo today, Bun Rieu, pho dac biet and 2 fried calamari's. The waitress who helped me was very polite and helpful even offered me a cup of iced water while I waited for my foods, foods were delicious and flavorful. Restaurant was very cleaned and will dine in next time when time allowed.