Phở Thắng Café — Restaurant in Cleveland

You know, it truly upsets me when I contemplate the current state of businesses post COVID-19. One would have expected them to come back stronger and more determined to provide exceptional customer service. After all, you would think that the owners of these establishments would appreciate a pandemic-free environment. However, the reality is quite different. Many of these restaurants have actually gotten worse. From hosts who don't greet people with a smile to waiters who neglect to check on their guests, I've witnessed it all since the pandemic.

Today, I decided to try something different from my usual Chipotle lunch and ventured into a nearby Vietnamese spot next to my office. Unfortunately, this will be the last time I ever set foot in that place. As I walked in, I noticed the waiter eating a full course meal at the bar. Although it didn't bother me too much, it's generally unprofessional for staff to eat while on the clock and in front of guests. Ignoring this, she asked me without proper courtesy, "Dine-in or take-out?" I brushed off her lack of greeting and informed her that I wanted a to-go order.

As I perused the menu on the bar, within just two minutes, she abruptly asked me, "Are you ready to order?" Her tone was far from professional or friendly; it felt like she was rushing me. I replied that I was still looking. Shockingly, barely a minute later, she repeated the same question. Once again, I told her that I was still deciding. Let me assure you, I'm not exaggerating in any way. But the unbelievable happened – she came back a third time, mere moments later, asking me the very same question. Did she not comprehend that the menu was extensive? Did she fail to understand that this might be my first time dining at this establishment? Irritated, I chose not to respond and made her wait while I finished reading the lengthy menu. Finally, after a few minutes, I found a dish that seemed satisfactory for lunch, and I relayed my order to her.

While I waited for my food, she never bothered to ask if I wanted water or engaged in any conversation. Eventually, a different lady emerged from the back, carrying my lunch with a smile and a cheerful demeanor. I expressed my gratitude and proceeded to inspect the contents of the bag. It was then that I asked the lady at the bar if there were any duck sauce packets available. She responded in broken English, something along the lines of "no duck sauce to go, it's in the food," or at least, that's what I believe she said. Without saying thank you or goodbye, she turned and walked away, even though I had left a tip for a to-go order.

Back at the office, I ate the food, which was decent at best. However, even average food requires excellent customer service. Regrettably, I won't be returning to this establishment due to their poor customer service and communication barriers caused by broken English. It's not a place I would recommend anyone to spend their hard-earned money. In this day and age, optimal customer service is essential, as businesses are competing against various factors such as automation and grocery delivery. People have grown tired of poor management, subpar service, and low-quality food. The era of "hurry up and buy" is long gone. To earn their customers' loyalty, Pho Thang Cafe, you must provide exceptional...

We were in the mood to try something Asian with vegetarian options and this restaurant has a menu section for vegetarians, so we came here. First, you guys need a bigger entrance door!! The small entrance is so easy to miss or to mistake for an employee or back entrance. The restaurant is actually very spacious inside, but you'd hardly figure that out from the outside. Our hotel is close by so we walked. If you need parking, there are parking structures around.

They seemed to be short-staffed as the chefs were also helping out with serving at times and it was hard to flag down our specific server, who seemed to be among 3 servers managing about 15 full tables and a bar.

We ordered the veggie garden spring rolls, the veggie banh mi, the bun xao ga (rice vermicelli with chicken), the goi ga (chicken and cabbage salad), the mi goi xao dac biet (house special ramen egg noodles with shrimp, chicken and pork) and the honeydew and green tea boba teas.

Everything was pretty mild with regards to spice level. My parents enjoyed the garden rolls and the veggie banh mi. Just a FYI: the veggie ham tastes nothing like real ham, but the sandwich itself was a banh mi. It is a pretty small size so one person can definitely eat the whole thing. The bun xao ga was nice but not exactly the spicy dish I was promised. The chicken in it was a little chewy. I asked for their homemade chili oil and had to douse my dish in about 30% of the contents to get the spice I was looking for. I didn't get it fully but it definitely tasted a little spicier. This is a great dish if you want mild flavors. My brother inhaled the goi ga. He liked it and appreciated that there were lots of veggies to balance the chicken. His ramen was also very good with the exception of spice. He doused his ramen in siracha sauce to get the kick he wanted.

I loved the boba teas. The boba was soft and easily melted in the mouth when you bit into it. The honeydew was quite sweet and the green tea had a bit of an earthy taste, which was exactly what we were going for.

Price wise, we paid about $80 for the whole meal, which I think is quite reasonable for downtown Cleveland.

All in all, this was a good experience but I'd really like them to kick the spice level up when we ask for it....and that entrance....please figure out a way to get a more...

i used to come here a lot after my photoshoots usually there’s a nice young lady that would serve me with great hospitality and i always made sure to tip well. i’m not sure if she still works there but recently i came here with some friends after i recommended the place. we walked in with great energy saying hello, there was a older woman serving this time and immediately her energy was nasty. she didn’t greet nor seat us properly. when we said dine in for 3 she just nodded toward the tables and we sat ourselves. but later a older caucasian couple came in after us and she made sure to greet them at the door and take them to their table… she had an attitude the entire time. didn’t put our pho in the containers when we asked for them to go just sat the containers on the table and walked away. didn’t ask if we were done ordering just sat the bill on the table and walked away. when it was time to pay i was having some issues with my card and had to transfer over some money, i apologized for the inconvenience and was patient. she started talking very rudely about me to her coworkers right infront of us and assumed i wouldn’t understand her because she didn’t do it in english lol not to mention despite the blatant disrespect we still said goodnight and left with good energy while she continued to mean mug us from behind the bar and make remarks. if i could put 0 stars i would, definitely lost a loyal customer i will take my money elsewhere. that was the worst experience ever i’m extremely...