Phuong Nam Restaurant — Restaurant in Garland

Texas 2024: Destination #20 Phương Nam Restaurant

I heard recommendations by local folks to try this Vietnamese restaurant that's been opened for business for about 14 years now. Mom and I came for lunch and we tried the following:

Mì Hủ Tiếu Khô: The sauce is savory, perfect for my preference, but Mom thought it's a bit salty. Adding a little more noodle or lessening the amount of sauce would fix the problem since there seems too much sauce for the small amount of noodles served. It's loaded with a lot of protein. Noodle was cooked just right. I recommend this.

Bún Đặc Biệt Phương Nam: Mom told me to order this restaurant specialty noodle bowl to see what is so special about it. It's basically vermicelli rice noodle served with lettuce, pickled carrots and cucumbers, nêm nướng, grilled shrimp, thinly sliced grilled pork, minced pork, and a fried crust Vietnanese-style egg roll using rice paper wrapper instead of wonton wrappers. Noodle cooked just right, grilled lean pork was surprisingly tender. Egg roll was crispy hot. The spicy sweet and sour fish sauce wasn't too spicy. I recommend trying this.

Overall, mom and I enjoyed our lunch and I will come back in the future to try other items...

I enjoyed my Bún bò Huế. The broth did lack some flavor, but it didn't bother me too much since there were various items to add to the soup. I loved how I was given separate plates of chopped-up chili peppers, sliced Chả (pork roll), and Mắm Ruốc (shrimp paste). I love how they already had chili oil on the table, so I didn't have to ask like most places I've been to. I'd give my meal a 4.5/5. If the broth had a bit of flavor, then it would be been a solid 5. My wife ordered Cơm Đặc Biệt Phương Nam. She said that it did come with all 7 items as it said, but the portions were equivalent to what would be paid less elsewhere. She let me know that for the same price, she would've gotten a more generous portion at a different restaurant. The flavor was there though, so she gives it a 4/5. She recommends only ordering this particular dish if you're craving it, but your money is better spent on the noodle soups here. Overall experience was a 4/5. Customer service was great. Waiter was very attentive to our table. I would definitely recommend this place. First place to offer more sides to the Bún bò Huế. I had fun...

We were just got to the door (12:40pm) today (07/25) The middle aged dude in a yellow shirt was incredibly rude to us because we had 2 small service dogs (inside a SEALED dog carrier) with muzzle on. He took one look at our dog carrier then shoved us out of the door. A simple response like “We don’t allow dogs” in either English or Vietnamese should be sufficient. However, he literally kicked us out with a disgruntled attitude. Wow! So much for customer service. I guess this is what you get if you want to dine in a heavily traditional Vietnamese restaurant. If they don’t allow pets, they should have had a sign outside saying so or talk to their customers in a humane matter instead of “throwing” their customers out like that. Good luck surviving in this economy with that kind of employee. Never come back and I’m sure to tell EVERYONE I KNOW to do the same. To the first timers who is looking for a place to eat, let this be your warning: Spend your hard earn money somewhere else with better service. Be somewhere that appreciate having customers, not this...