Pho DaLat Restaurant — Restaurant in Lowell

I really like to give good reviews when select a restaurant as I try to do my homework but I need to be honest this was not a good experience. My wife and I went on Valentines day and the sparce number of patrons should have tipped us off but we were hungry and had traveled a ways so we sat for dinner. The server was friendly and took our drink and appetizer order. My wife had a mixed drink and I had a Vietnamese coffee, we also ordered a soft shell crab appetizer. The Vietnamese coffee was ok (premade) and the appetizer was not hot and crispy (like it sat for too long before it got to our table) for our main courses I ordered the Lemongrass stir fry beef and my wife ordered the Lemongrass shrimp. Both dishes really lacked that Lemongrass flavor and my beef seemed boiled and a bit tough not stir fried tender, also both dishes had a heavy amount of onions and peppers and very little protein. My wife did not eat her meal, I had a few bites and then decided to pay the bill and leave the bill was $119 which seemed steep. It was not our best Valentines meal...

The original Pho Da Lat in Lowell was superb with careful attention paid to cuisine, atmosphere, and service. The very BEST Vietnamese food in New England (our opinion). That was 15 years ago. Today, they have expanded to 3 locations (good business), but the Chelmsford Street location was a disappointment. I ALWAYS order my favorite dish, Bun bo Hue. This one was diluted, weak with little flavor and 5 tiny pieces of beef. The coffee was also diluted, and the atmosphere was dreary. There were NO other customers on a late Saturday afternoon. The original location presented Bun bo Hue with outstanding flavor, tendon and hearty beef, strong coffee, and a beautiful atmosphere that welcomed their guests. And the place was always packed. What happened? The original Pho Da Lat is a treasure, this other one will give the...

The chicken in kung pao chicken had a wierd smell and when I told the waiter and asked for a replacement, the manager came in and asked in a very confrontational tone what was wrong with the chicken. Politely told them that there was a smell and she insisted that they replace the chicken in the same meal with Tofu. When I insisted I want something else, she kept insisting that I pack the chicken and take it home with me. Despite saying no to that, they packed it and charged me for it. Also extremely pricey food. We were two people and ended up paying $85 that included a smelly meal I asked to return and still ended up getting charged for it. Never...