Pho Dat Thanh — Restaurant in Columbia

Great proximity to my office - we love going and getting their chicken pho.. really our only problem has been the very slow and disinterested service. When they seat you, they just throw menus on the table and walk away, always takes forever for people to bring us water and take our order. We always anticipate a long lunch due to poor service.

The last time we went, their credit card machine were down and they sent us to an ATM in the shopping complex to pull out cash, as we didn't have any on it and were not told prior to eating that the machines were down. It turns out the entire complex was having an issue with Comcast being down. We let them know the ATM didn't work and they demanded that we write down our credit card information on the back of our order ticket and leave it there, signed, for them to put in once the machine worked. I let them know that that's not acceptable and I wasn't going to leave my CC number sitting around on their counter (which they consistently walk away from) and risk my information being taken. They proceeded to scream at me for the next 15 minutes and then tried to write down my number behind my back under the counter - the woman tried this 3 different times during our conversation even though I asked her not to. I left my phone number and said for them to call when the machine works and I would be happy to return but I needed to get back to work and again, was not leaving all of my bank information on a piece of paper in their restaurant. Haven't received a call and likely won't be...

I have been their regular since 2013. Always had service issues with their servers and workers, but I was okay as service issues amongst Asian restaurants are very common; it's almost like their identity. However, today was way out of the norm. I placed an order and went to pick it up, only to see other workers playing around and waitress trying to confirm which order I have after taking couple seconds to realize I am standing in front of the door. I understand, as they were closing in about an hour. Yet, after several attempt, the waitress failed to pick out which order was for me, so I had to talk to the restaurant owner, who started beefing at me as if I am the one to know which item is for me to pick up (Not an exaggeration,). Not too sure why I had to confirm the order myself instead of them putting the order ticket on the bag, but also they were demanding tips on top of it, throwing the card at me after the payment is processed.

This was an extremely disappointing experience, but again I know it won't be corrected, as it was kept like this ever since I have made my first visit. Therefore, I am marking today as my last visit to this restaurant.

Their taste is below average, as their competitors near Columbia have better flavors in both soup and other dishes; this restaurant has been already and still is outcompeted by other Vietnamese restaurants. However, the portions are somewhat generous relative to the price, so if you are extremely hungry this place is not...

Updated Nov 2022: One of our go-to Vietnamese eateries. They have done well to keep going through the pandemic, but it seems the quality and the flavors of the food have declined somewhat since we first started frequenting them.

Located in a strip mall setting, this establishment is very non-descript with a clean environment but minimalistic decor. Service is quick to greet you and get you seated. During the meal it is hit or miss how much attention you might get. And afterwards they can be pleasant enough but they always eye the tip and will actually say something to you if they feel they didn't get enough. Kinda rude at that point.

Food is prepared and presented well and comes out pretty quick after placing an order. Vegetable ingredients are actually top notch in freshness and quality. Serving temperatures are good, as are the portion sizes. Flavor has been excellent in the past, with smokey grilled meats, sweet and tangy Chinese-style chicken entrees, and peppery/salty fried meats and seafoods. Lately however the quality of our favorite dish, the salt & pepper pork chops, has noticeably declined with more fatty and bony pieces of meat and hardly any flavor compared to before. Hopefully they can recover, improve their service, and return to their previous flavorful standards because many of the items are still quite delicious. But for now we only stop by if in the area without making a special excursion...