Pho Bytes — Restaurant in Fairfax

I like how this restaurant is set up... Kind of like an express fast food restaurant with table service. You order your food on the touch screen computer display and the menu is displayed on the 3 large monitors above. My favorite part during the ordering is that as I scroll through the menu on the touch screen, I see pictures of the dishes. During my selection, I can customize my order by removing standard items that come with the dish such as cilantro, union, etc....for pho. During check out, I select my table number from the many table number cards sitting between the 2 ordering displays. They do have some unique dishes including the vietnamese sandwiches. I ordered the fried chicken dumplings, which was served with a sesame oil/soy sauce like sauce. The sauce wasn't salty; it was very light. The dumplings were good, reminded of like the ones I got in the frozen aisle at the Korean Market. When the pho arrived at the table, the size was small, and it made me think that I don't remember seeing a size option during ordering. Not sure if there was a large option as offered in many of the pho restaurants I ate at. It seems like the pho has less meat than other pho restaurants. While breaking up the noodles since it was stuck together, I don't remember ever ate at a pho restaurant where I have to put so much effort into breaking up the noodles. It took me awhile considering I let the noodles sit while I finish the dumplings. Anyway, while I was breaking up the noodles and mixing the meat and bean sprouts, I saw a hair in the pho. It was thin and short. Then I found a long white plastic strip of something in the soup. 🤔 I figured that I had worse (aluminum scrub pad pieces at a korean restaurant a couple of times and hair in my food at various restaurants) while eating out that I didn't make a big deal out if it. The pho broth was the first time I tasted. It was very light, has some flavor, but not rich in flavor as I was expecting. Overall the pho was good, but not the best. Pho 75 in Herndon is still the best in the area, but unfortunately they are not open during covid. Speaking of covid, this restaurant follows the covid guidelines... Mask required when entering the restaurant, they appear to sanitize as shown with the hot sauce bottle covered with a plastic bag. The employees were professional, but not overly friendly... They speak very little, and no greeting upon entering the restaurant. I don't know if I would frequent this restaurant, but I might come back to try their vietnamese sandwiches. The restaurant looks clean including...

I had a very disappointing experience with this restaurant, and unfortunately, it will be my first and last visit. I called in to place an order and specifically requested a Vietnamese-speaking staff member to ensure my order was taken correctly. Despite that, I received the wrong rolls.

When I called back to address the issue, I couldn’t effectively communicate with the person on the phone. Frustrated, I gave up and tried to enjoy my meal. But when I opened the container while heating up the pho broth, I realized the sauce was missing as well.

I called again and asked to speak with the person who took my order. Instead of trying to help, he argued with me and claimed he had repeated the order back to me “several times.” I asked to speak to the manager, explained the situation, and decided to let it go and just eat. Then I noticed even the pho order itself was incorrect.

When I called again to express how poor the service had been, I was told they were “very busy” at the time—which felt more like an excuse than an apology. I was invited to come into the restaurant to speak further, but I wasn’t able to go until two days later due to work.

When I arrived, I asked for the manager. The waitress acknowledged my request but didn’t actually notify anyone. I stood there waiting until another employee came out and asked (twice) if I had placed a to-go order. Only after the second time did he identify himself as the manager.

Once I explained why I was there, he admitted the staff member who took my order didn’t speak Vietnamese well, and that he himself had prepared my order—and forgotten the sauce because they were busy. While I appreciated the honesty, there was no apology, no accountability, and no effort to make things right.

I had just started working in the area and was excited to find a new pho spot, but this experience was beyond frustrating. The staff clearly need better training in both taking accurate orders and handling customer concerns with...

TASTE (9/10) I had the Pho Bytes/Combination, a mix of meats, and it was genuinely delicious. I’ve tried Vietnamese food elsewhere before and didn’t like it, but this place clearly knows what it’s doing. Also had Shrimp Joy Rolls as an appetizer, and yes, joyful they were. My wife tried Chicken Pho, and I also ate some but that was not good as mine :)

PRICE (8.5/10) No complaints. Prices felt fair for what we got. You leave full and happy, not broke.

SERVICE (9/10) One of the staff kindly showed us how to use chopsticks since we were clearly just going to poke at things with them otherwise. Very sweet of them. Educational and tasty.

ATTITUDE (9/10) Warm, friendly, and genuinely helpful. No fake smiles or robotic behavior, just good vibes.

PLACE (8/10) Comfortable and inviting. Nothing too flashy, but feels nice to sit in and enjoy your food without distractions.

CLEANLINESS (8.5/10) Clean and well-maintained. Nothing to raise an eyebrow at.

ADDITIONAL FEES/HIDDEN COSTS (10/10) No extras. No sneaky fees. Just food and good service, as it should be.

OVERALL IMPRESSION (9/10) This is how you win someone over to Vietnamese cuisine. Loved the food, appreciated the people, and felt at ease the whole time. Will definitely come again. Might even practice...