Pho So 1 — Restaurant in Glen Allen

I've been coming to this spot for about 2 and 1/2 years... Pho has always been fairly consistent but this is the second time I've gotten it and left a cup of broth in the to-go container then refrigerated it overnight.....and it is just like water which means they are not using bones in their broth at all.

I would say the flavors are okay but the evidence of no gelatin when the broth is cold and still like water means they are just making a soup base. Like so many other places they have cut all their costs and are not serving a real bone broth. I've tried everything on the menu and dined in at the restaurant service is really not that good. I'm finally inspired to leave a review as I will now be making my own pho at home in my pressure cooker.

I implore you to not support garbage food. That is not actually the real thing. Do not go here or get takeout. You're paying $15 for a bowl of water with some spices and maybe a few vegetables thrown in there... Up to you if you want to waste your money or not, but I wouldn't trust 99.9% of the pho places around Richmond.

At this point there were two or three good ones and they have now all gone downhill and cannot even pass the refrigerator test when you chill the broth to see if it's your gelatinizes....

...which having been an ex restaurant owner and chef. I know a little bit about these things. This is not meant to be a vindictive review or mean spirited in any way. It is just the truth and it is sad... because I used to enjoy dining out at certain places before the pandemic.

But after the pandemic with inflation and everything else going on in the world, restaurants have zero margin for profit ...and most are losing money.

So I'll close on this. You vote with your dollars right? Don't support people that don't do the honest or right thing, especially when it goes into your body and they charge top tier pricing for something that used to cost $5.99 for a bowl 15 years ago, but that's inflation for you, right? ....

The photo may not be the best but it's meant to show that still cold from the refrigerator. The soup is like water which is my point...no...

Upon entering the large/open establishment, the host yelled across the mostly empty dining room to ask us how many would be dining for lunch. As we were browsing the menus, getting ready to order, our waiter asked, something along the lines of, "Are you ready, or what?" We ordered an appetizer of spring rolls with pork and shrimp, it came out in under two minutes. We were a little surprised, as we were expecting freshly made/fried rolls. It seemed like it had been under a heat lamp or quickly thrown into the microwave. Our pho also made its way out of the kitchen very quickly. It was fairly decent, but nothing extraordinary. I also watched a lone diner come in (not to order takeout) who was then sat at a table. She eventually had to get up from her seat and make her way to the register to place her order because of how inattentive her waiter was. I'd give customer service a 0 out of 5 and the food a 2 out of 5. Even if the food was absolutely amazing and incredible, the poor customer service would have soured the...

Richmond has a substantial number of pho restaurants, so a new entry into the market needs to be at least as good as the competition and preferably better or unique in some way. My visit to Pho So 1 out towards Gaskins was mediocre at best. The space is huge and well suited to a family style atmosphere. The waiter was OK, but a little surly. I ordered the goi cuon (spring rolls) and pho tai nam sach (pho with eye of round steak, flank and tripe). The waiter forgot the spring rolls and the soup was tepid and fairly bland. I've had many a bowl of pho, and this was far below anything I had ever had, including that made fro a dry soup mix. I was about to leave without having anything even remotely positive to say about the place, but I will note that the woman at check out was pleasant and apologetic (and removed the charge) for the spring rolls. Again, there are so many far better pho places in town (Pho Tay Do, Huynh's, etc). I was quite shocked that they didn't...