Phở Minh's — Restaurant in Linden

UPDATED - 1/10/2024 Located off a busy Wood Avenue in Linden, my colleague and I enjoyed every meal at this family-run establishment. Today, some of us decided to order takeout from Phở Minh via their website for delivery. Their extensive menu featured a wide range of Vietnamese options, including vermicelli, noodle soups, vegetarian dishes, and more, all prepared with the freshest ingredients. We decided to order Gỏi Cuốn Chay (Tofu Summer rolls with lettuce and rice vermicelli) accompanied by peanut sauce, Pho Tom (Shrimp Pho Soup), and Bánh Mì Gà Nướng (Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Sandwich). The summer roll was good, and their peanut sauce had the perfect texture and flavor. The pho’s broth and noodle texture were delicious and went so well in cold weather. As a first-timer, the banh mi sandwich, although simple-looking, was also delicious and both tender and juicy with the pickled veggies. The bread had a nice crunch on the outside. To my surprise, it also contained slices of jalapeño, which weren’t listed, and I took those off. Food arrived at the desired time for noon if one lives or works near them. Prices were reasonable, and portion sizes were relatively good. We were satisfied with the outcome of the delivery and will continue to recommend this place. ———————— If you are in the mood for phở, live or work nearby and don't feel like driving far, look no further but this small Vietnamese 🇹🇭 casual gem in Linden located on Wood Avenue. One of my colleague and I came during lunch and for while had the whole place to ourselves. As a starter, we began with the summer roll (Gỏi cuốn) consisting shrimp with lettuce & rice vermicelli wrapped in rice paper served cold and accompanied by their delicious peanut sauce which was creamy, sweet, and nutty. For the main dish, we both ordered phở - Pho Tai Gan (Eye-Round Steak & Tendon Beef) and Pho Tai (Half done beef filet). Their pho arrived hot and was decent wouldnt say it was the best I have ever had but definitely not the worst on this first day of winter. The food is always fresh, portions were just right and the service okay. They deserve your money as much as you deserve their fantastic eats which we...

I decided to visit this place after looking at online reviews and their menu. With a fairly spacious dining area, this establishment offers dine in and take out options. I opted to take out. I asked for the lunch special menu, but was told they do not have one. I visited on 8/5/24. I'm guessing online photos of the menu were much older. So I decided to order the duck. However, the staff person asked if I've ever had it. I said no and she recommend I not order it. I didn't understand this, because if I never try it, I'll never be able to answer yes. Anyway, I took her advice and got the grilled chicken with lemongrass, cucumber and bean sprouts over vermicelli. The portion was big for sure. The dish was not very fragrant. A dressing came on the side. The dish is marked as having peanuts, which it did. It also is noted that it's spicy, which it's not. I tried the chicken and am fairly certain it is boneless thighs. It was flavored very well and tasted fresh from the grill with a little char. The dressing added to this. The dish however was rich in chicken and vermicelli, although the cucumber and bean sprouts were sparse. They forgot to add lemongrass or made the mistake of adding mint. The peanuts were also lacking. It was a disappoinment that the lemongrass chicken had no lemongrass. The dish was tasty, but not what I wanted. Aside from the food, the business has tough to find street parking but ample parking in the rear. They have a sign up that you must spend over $13 to use a credit card. At some point, the cook stepped out of the kitchen and I was glad to see she had a hair net on, but did not have gloves on. She wasn't cooking, so I'm not going to say she never wears gloves. Their chopsticks are very nice, not the cheap ones you normally get. They do need to add more than 1 napkin to your...

(Apologies in advance...) Normally, I don't like to leave a negative review, but if I/We don't let these restaurants know, then they won't improve. So here's what I will say about my experience: Customer service: Called in my order and came to pick it up. No personality over the phone or in person. While on the phone, I had to figure out if she was talking to me or the other 3 people in the background.

Atmosphere: Only 2 customers sitting in the restaurant on a Saturday around 2 p.m., which should have explained why they were so empty during lunch hour. And after getting my food, I understand why now.....

Food: Ridiculously overpriced and just plain "Ole" terrible! The damage soup had pineapples in it (YUCK)!!!! And it was some type of oxtail recipe that I will never in my order again!

☆-Overall, just one star from me for them! And honestly, I can't even tell you why I'm even going give them that. Needless to say, I will not be visiting them again. They need a lot of work! A new cook!!! Better recipes!!! And as far as good customer service standards, they definitely need quite a bit of help in that area. I'd hate to see that chef go there, the guy that fixes restaurants up and helps them improve. Well, no! I'd actually love to see him go there. They need...