What the Pho - Canyon Park — Restaurant in Bothell

I have a mixed opinion of this place. The setting is nice, with booths along the north side of the room. The booths in front are fine, although the last two booths basically are at the entry of the hallway to the rest room. The booths are also slightly raised, so less than ideal for the disabled. The main floor is tables and chairs,, and they're just fine. The decor is subdued and nice. The south wall features a small cocktail bar.

The food is pretty much what you'd expect at any Vietnamese restaurant in the northwest: pho, spring rolls, and some stir fry dishes. The beef varieties of pho have a broth that's just ok, but rather bland (not a lot of spices like star anise, etc.) Their veggie pho is better, filled with a lot of tofu and various fresh vegetables. One of our favorites used to be the shrimp spring rolls (not fried), but the last time we went there we got massive, not very well balanced rolls (too much lettuce. Their peanut sauce served with the rolls is pleasant but also more mildly spiced than we prefer.

There are a couple other pho restaurants in the immediate area, and I have to say we often end up at What the Pho, not because it's great but because the others...

Hidden Fees and Small Portions – Beware of Unexpected Charges!

First, while the prices here are higher than most pho places, the portion sizes are noticeably smaller—roughly 70% of what you'd get elsewhere. I wouldn't normally complain about that, but what really shocked me was when we received the bill. They charged us more than the prices listed on the menu, without any prior notice!

I understand adding a 20% gratuity for parties of six or more (as noted on their menu), but what I don't understand is the hidden 3% charge that everyone is forced to pay. This extra charge wasn't mentioned anywhere on the menu, and we only found out when it was tacked onto our bill. Transparency is important, and this experience left a sour taste. I won't be...

I have never left a one star review before, but this spring roll made me do so. How can a prime location in a big city charge you $9 for this incredibly uninspiring, lazy food? Some bruised chopped up lettuce, frozen shrimp in a bland roll. Even the peanut sauce couldn’t save it. I’ve been to Vietnamese restaurants in the middle of nowhere in Montana, and they still make an effort to make way better spring rolls than this. It’s an insult to authentic Vietnamese cuisine. 0/5. We also tried the taro fries. 2/5. It’s not crunchy nor soggy. Just a bit firm and super bland. Bottom line, the food here blows. And this is a chain location? I really hope they’ll reconsider their menu and put a little bit more heart into...