Phở 88 — Restaurant in Mobile

I was so excited to write this review because I honestly have so much good things to say about the food here. I ordered Khao Piek, Pad Thai, Iced Thai tea, and also Laos Style Papaya salad.

First off, the Khao Piek WAS SOOOOO GOOD. The chef put the PERFECT amount of noodles, chicken, thin slices of ginger, and pork blood in there. It was PIPING HOT when I got it out of the to go container. I was enjoying this noodle soup so much to the point where I didn’t even care about the tiny piece of hair I’ve found tied around one of my noodles. I just took it out and kept eating because it was THAT good. I originally came from Oakland, California and it was very rare of me to find somewhere in Alabama that served Khao Piek. I was so happy to find this gem through Yelp&google!

Second dish I tried was the Lao style papaya salad. I only ate a little bit because I’m preggo and didn’t want to eat something super spicy and I gave it to my husband. They do offer Thai style too but the lady on the phone said Laos was more popular so that’s what I went with. &LET ME TELL YOU. ORDER THIS DISH BECAUSE IT WAS THE BOMB!!!! It tasted exactly like how the restaurant at my hometown makes it. Spicy and a little kick of lime does wonders to my taste buds!!! It was the perfect amount with extra limes added.

Third dish I tried (Again, gotta repeat that I’m pregnant so I eat a lot during the day) was the Pad Thai. I ordered through the phone and asked for SHRIMP & CHICKEN pad Thai. What I got was beef mixed with sliced chicken. I AIN’T COMPLAINING BECAUSE IT WAS STILL GOOD. I never had beef pad Thai before so it opened my mind a little bit and I’ll probably order it again in the near future. Maybe they ran out of shrimp and replaced it with beef or she couldn’t hear me correctly through the phone, who knows. The only surprise I had with this dish was the spiciness. I didn’t really know that spicy pad Thai was a thing but I guess it is here because the pad Thai I’m use to is sweet. I couldn’t finish the dish because it was too spicy and I had to down it with my Thai tea, but if I wasn’t preggo; I’d probably devour the whole thing. Also gave this dish to my husband and he loved it.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE! I ordered to go, they do accept card and they took only 15 mins to finish making my food. There’s a parking lot for your convenience as well. There are plenty of workers so you’ll never have to stand around waiting for somebody to help you with your order and they communicate and greet people as they walk in to the door which is very...

This is one of the first Vietnamese (authentic) restaurants in Mobile, certainly the oldest that is still open. In my opinion the best for Pho, prounced fuh...is a Vietnamese soup consisting of broth, rice noodles called bánh phở, a few herbs, and meat, primarily made with either beef (phở bò) or chicken (phở gà). This according to wikipedia.... but, tasting is believing....and although this description lacks in divulging exactly what pho itself is... I like to think it's culinary magic. However, I have experienced people not liking it. The broth has nuances of coriander, mint, garlic, and so much more but, to some it can be a tricky tasting... many of these spices are lost on full American palates, so feeling adventurous try it with the many variations until you land on one you like.. At this particular place they give a variety of yummy add ins... mung been sprouts, fres mint, fresh cilantro, and more. I usually keep it simple when it comes to the basic question of meats...they have so many, cartilage, and organs, but, I'm a purest..the rare steak is my go-to. And like a little buffet everything is served ala cart (on the side). The bean sprouts are my absolute favourite as the add bulk, and texture to this simple but overwhelmingly fragrant dish... They are extremely friendly and helpful (everyone speaks English lol) and will be happy to accommodate. If you've seen my other reviews you know I love to support the locals, and this place reminds me of the old "Yen's" off Holcombe.... they closed some years back when they lost their head chef, host, and sweetest patriarch. So if you like quick service with a smile, complex and adventurous style try Pho 88 you'll find something there for any taste. They also serve selected sushi, and stir fry, spring(crunchy fried), and summer(soft hydrated rice paper wrapped goodies) rolls. As well as...your typical "Chinese food" dishes. I think they even have a lunch buffet ( haven't tried it, but, if I'm thinking correctly I saw the set up for one)... at any rate this place is convenient, understated, and passed by all to often. Located on Azalea Rd near Michael. Go see them and eat some exotic, exciting, and...

The pho was OK. The meatballs were very rubbery. (Yen is better) My husband and I ordered an ex-large bowl and split it. I felt bad for splitting one item so we ordered pork and shrimp spring rolls. Both items came out together. We took one bite of the spring rolls and looked at each other. Not good. At all. The meat tasted old (pork was gray) and the shrimp was overly fishy. We didn't eat them and continued to our soup, which hit the spot.

Our waitress came by at the end of our meal and asked if everything was ok. We very politely explained that the spring rolls tasted a bit off, like the meat was old. (BT food has to be BAD for us to send something back. We eat just about anything!) She apologized and then told us she thought we were looking at a piece of napkin that was stuck to the rolls. She had to wipe it because the soup spilled on the rolls. Nope, but thanks for letting us know after the fact...

Anyway, we went to pay and she charged us for the rolls. My husband asked, "We have to pay for the rolls even though we didn't eat them?"

waitress: "Yes, I'm sorry. Do you guys hate us?"

me: "No, but the rolls were bad. We are not picky but we are telling you they did not taste good."

waitress: "I tasted them in the back and they tasted fine to me. They did not taste rotten."

me: OK.

Soooooo.... I'm not one to argue over three dollars but I am to write a bad review and never return.

I wasn't even going to bring up the piece of napkin being stuck to the rolls because I thought it was kind of funny (the waitress was very young and obviously didn't know serving etiquette). However, paying for crappy food is aggravating so yes, I'll point out bad...