Pho Pasteur — Restaurant in Catonsville

I read the reviews before visiting today and came in with really high hopes. I wasn’t feeling super well so I was really looking forward to a warm bowl of healing pho. My bowl was fine. Perfectly average. Nothing special that would have me return broth wise. The meat was plentiful and tender enough to pass.

Perhaps it was a bit my fault, but I didn’t anticipate the bowl to be laden with cilantro and green onion. Granted, while I don’t prefer it, I expected it to be on the side and that’s on me. On the flip side, my husband loves herbs and cilantro and felt slated that there wasn’t extra on the plate for him to load up. Each restaurant is different I suppose.

There was plenty of meat. They weren’t shy with the portions, though I felt the large was mostly extra noodles and not broth or meat which I would’ve preferred. I got the eye of round and brisket while my husband got #7 eye of round, rare steak, and well done brisket. He didn’t complain much throughout the meal ( bc I wasn’t feeling well, and he didn’t want to pile on) but it was apparent when I went in with the leftovers that 4/5 slices of meat were practically inedible with gristle. When I asked him, he said it was pretty much the same when dining in prior to bringing it home. Which was an option that I am grateful for. I can’t say if the owner or staff would’ve done anything to remedy this as he didn’t mention it at the time but it was pretty disappointing as I spit out piece after piece. I like fat too.. just when it’s edible. So this was relatively bad, tough, and low quality. For my husband who abhors tough and chewy meat. This is a sin I’m surprised he withheld considering the $35 ish price for two people.

My biggest grievance might have been a wholly American opinion of being given room temp to luke warm water with no ice upon arriving and no straws. It was hard to get a refreshing drink and I had to order a priced drink to have a cold beverage. Most of the smoothie flavors were out of stock so I settled for a 16oz lemonade which was fine. The food arrived incredibly fast which is a testament for the service but otherwise there isn’t much to speak on.

The prices are reasonable, but I wasn’t super impressed overall. I walked in hoping to find a new weekly place and with very little judgement and high hopes. Unfortunately, I don’t think it met my expectations despite the “low” price which is a hell-of-a relative term in 2024. $14 for a large for any future readers. Yes a good deal, yes a good portion of meat, but for this first and likely last visit, largely inedible.

As a note for anyone who may be disabled as I am. Parking was fairly difficult and hobbling into the building wasn’t easy- hense my desire for a cold drink because I wasn’t fairing well...

It's in the cut but I've heard good things about them for a while. I'm always a skeptic when it comes to pho... Is this place my favorite? Idk it's hard to tell but it's definitely up there!!

I ended up giving a higher score than I thought I was going to give before I tried it. The score definitely adds up to me and I would rate it that.

Noodles... Came out firm but chewy and bouncey. They were also thin so you feel the texture and it didn't clump! 9.3/10

The broth was overpowering with aromatics but I could tell it was quality broth. It was a little sour (barely noticeable) most likely because I came in extra late. I'm just a science chef so I knew it was packed with collagen after a long day in the pot. (8.9/10) It could've been a 9.1 maybe on a good day. We shall see...

Quality of ingredients (9.6/10) Very high! Also on the side note, the herbs were cut the right way so it hit perfectly and brought the entire dish together. 90% of pho places don't do this right.

Portion size: They do NOT know portion control... Lots of meat and the bowl and contents were HUGE compared to any other place I've been to. Definitely (10/10)

Overall score: (9.45/10) That's a freaking high rating!!! Lots of 6's and 8's in this state. 8 is mid when it...

I went here to have the Jello dessert after dinner and was looking forward to sink my teeth into it. I came in , sat down, and ordered it. The man took a long time for it to be delivered to me. After , my first bite , I did not feel so good. In the corner of my eye I saw the waiter throwing away the rest of the Jello. I went up and asked " Why are you throwing away the Jello, is there anything wrong with it? " The guy simply replied saying ,"it does not keep well over the weekend." Then he went on saying that it is made on Monday. IT IS FRIDAY! I said, why are you serving this to me if it is old ? The guy said it was fine, he went through all the Jello's in the fridge and he tasted them and the one he gave me was fine. He threw away the others because they weren't good. He was being mean about the Jello , he said to me that I shouldn't worry about it . After arriving home, I searched up the underling affects of eating old Jello. Did you know that you can get sick from old Jello and the ingredients that were in the dessert? Well , I certainly do , saying as how I am currently sick ,nauseous and throwing up. I don't ever recommend anyone to go here, they don't make their food daily and it is a health risk. SOMEONE CALL THE HEALTH...