Pho A Dong Restaurant — Restaurant in Las Cruces

The portions here are really great for the price. The food is so fresh, especially the pho. Nice fresh onion, cilantro, bean sprouts (not even a little brown--and those are the test of freshness because they brown so fast!), jalapeno, and raw beef. (And yes, the beef comes out to the table raw. That's how pho is served; you add your uncooked beef and veg to nearly-boiling stock. People complaining about the uncooked meat have no experience with pho.) I've had a couple other meats, and if it isn't beef it's cooked.

I've also had the crispy noodle combo, and it was very tasty but a bit on the rich side for me. The shrimp in the combo was especially fresh and delicious. I had this on three occasions, and twice the portion was quite large for the price, but once it was maybe 2/3 of that portion. Still, all three times it was tasty. I'd recommend this one only during the winter if rich foods are an issue during the summer.

I can't have gluten, and they are always very careful about it. I haven't gotten ill here once, and I'm very sensitive to gluten in dishes, even with minor cross-contamination! If you have an allergy or celiac like the person below, TELL THEM THAT. They're very careful about cross-contamination if you just tell them what your food allergies/sensitivities are! I asked on my first visit, and they went through the entire menu pointing out what I could order. (Side note: the selection for gluten-free food is HUGE here!) They're very conscientious about the ingredients in their food and know what's safe and what isn't. Gluten is found in far, far more items than simply flour and soy sauce. Among the various restaurants I've visited in town, this is one of the very few that I've had no problems with gluten whatsoever in all my meals.

There are sauces on the table, and I've always seen them clean and fresh, personally. Because I can't eat gluten, I've never tried the hoisen sauce, but my friend said it was a great addition to her pho. They also have Sriracha on the table, and it's the authentic roster sauce I love.

A lot of people have commented on the service speed. This place ranges from slow to VERY slow. That's the trade-off when you're ordering food that's prepared to order. To-go meals have typically taken around 15-25 minutes, and that's about the wait when sitting at a table, though the wait is highly dependent on how busy they are and I don't tend to go during peak hours. If you're looking for a fast meal, there are places where you'll find faster service. Butt the food here is worth the wait!

Remember that this is a family-run operation. I find it charming, and the staff have always been pleasant and friendly to me. I recommend having a little patience and understanding. A small family restaurant that makes food this fresh is going to take a bit more time.

My rating is four stars because the wait times can be difficult at busy times and because, while the portions are usually very generous, sometimes they can come out a bit on the small side, depending on who's in the kitchen. Aside from that, though, this place is an amazing little gem...

If I could rate the food for this establishment I would give 4 stars, but due to the service I wish that I could give a negative rating. I would have to say that the server with unknown gender is probably the worst server I have ever encountered in my life. I came in with my mother and this individual threw the menus on the table and then promptly and impatiently asked for our order without a chance to even peruse the menu. When we asked for some time, we got quite a bit of attitude and I happened to overhear this person refer to me as the "cucuy" in the kitchen along with the rest of their conversation. Although the restaurant only had three tables, not a single person could get a refill or the check, and when this individuals friends came in clad in their finest pajamas, this person promptly brought out their order before the other tables and sat down to have a mid-shift social session with their friends all the while ignoring the other patrons in the establishment. When this person was not socializing, they/theirs was on the phone and engaging in lurid conversations. We then asked for smoothies and they/theirs was far too lazy to make them and was quite brusque in reply. I would say this is not a family friendly nor friendly to any person that does not fit in with they/theirs agenda or friend circle. It's quite amazing the chutzpah and entitlement that this person exhibits for being a peon server. I think that they overestimate the value of their own insignificance and the customers pay the price for it. My advice would be to order To-GO, but after looking at previous reviews the food may be otherwise contaminated out of spite. Be sure to bring some washers for they/theirs highness. We will never be returning to this establishment after being patrons since...

So an update to this review: Today my family and I were craving Pho. We just got back from a long road trip to Cali and literally couldn’t find a good Pho spot. Zero Degree was closed so I brought them back to Pho A Dong. Charlie, the guy who works there, was running around like a chicken with his head cutoff. The poor dude had a room full of patrons and was by himself. I just counted 17 people in the dining area and five have already left. The phone rings a lot also. My man Charlie is over worked. I’m changing this review from a 2 star to a 4 star. The food is very good. The broth is awesome. I’m giving a 4 and not a 5 only because i feel the owner needs to get this man some help. I’m leaving my previous comments for reference.

This used to be my favorite Pho spot. The food has always been good but lately, the service has been terrible. We have literally spent thousands of dollars at this place. I just called and Charlie answered the phone. In the middle of ordering he told me, “can you come to the restaurant and order please” and hung up on me. The time before today, he rushed me off the phone and asked me to hurry up and order because he had other customers waiting. I have literally NEVER left a google review. This has gotten so bad I had to. This used to be my go to spot when I went to lunch with friends and my family. We will be going to Thai Delight in Mesilla from now on. I won’t be spending money at this...