Pho Bowl — Restaurant in Phoenix

This would be 3.5 stars but since we can’t do halves I’ll put it at 4 stars. Overall price wasn’t amazing - a bit on the higher end of what I’d like to pay compared to San Francisco Bahn mi stores or little corner Bahn mi stories, but the food was definitely more fresh and light compared to fast Asian food. You can taste the lack of grease and fillers and heaviness. If you’re looking for more authentic Asian and healthier than Panda Express then this isn’t a bad option.

I was desperately craving bahn mi and didn’t want to drive too far and this was about 20 minutes out for me. We ordered orange chicken (it was okay - definitely fresh and “healthy” compared to a Panda Express, with fresh grated orange zest, but it lacked any punch like a little vinegary tang or spice like Panda Express).

The pork spring rolls were awful. These were “real” spring rolls (not cooked), as opposed to the crispy friend egg rolls. For $2.95 for 2 it definitely wasn’t worth it. Bland.

The vermicelli beef bowl was better. It was loaded with the veggies and lettuce and a little side of sweet and fishy sauce stuff. The noodles were a little more on the mushy side as compared to sweet potato noodles.

The highlight was the Bahn mi. My only complaint was that there was a thick piece of lime rind as I bit into my sandwich, and the last complaint is that the jalapeños were pretty thick. I love spicy and I like jalapeño, but I prefer it spread all over the sandwich in thin pieces than 4-5 thick chunks. The photo shows the sandwiches at $5.95, but the have upped the price to $6.95. Not a rip-off, but definitely not a deal. I know it’s just a dollar difference but at $5.95 I would be more likely to return often.

Also don’t love tipping at pick up (I understand if I sat down and was served), but I’d rather tip than fear that something bad happened to my food behind the scenes.

Overall worth it if I’m desperately craving bahn mi. But only desperately. I’ll update this review once I...

Place is nice. Food was served quickly and didn't taste bad or anything. Bums me out that the owners keep all credit card tips.

Tips are for given for the services, not the food. If I'm not mistaken, the person that served me the food doesn't look like the owner to me.

To clarify what happened, I went up to pay for my meal and was met with a tip request after tapping my card. The menu of tip options with 15%, 18%, 20%, etc. was presented on the screen and I naturally gravitate to press a button only to be stopped by the SERVER which STATES, "You can press skip, we don't get them."

We? Unfortunately, I didn't have cash on me to give them a proper tip so I was completely bummed out and felt bad. This review is the least I can do.

One of two things must change. Either get rid of the tips menu, or pay the tip to the workers. It's not that hard. That extra money isn't for the owners it's for the services given to me or any paying customer by your SERVERS and/or kitchen staff if they get tipped out, which I highly doubt.

I hope everyone who reads this knows that from now on, the gratuitous deed of tipping wasnt given to the servers like you intended.

Pho Bowl, this is scummy, selfish and completely betrays those in the community who come there.

PAY THEM...

After our many regular visits since their opening in 2020, for me it’s confirmed – Phở Laveen is excellent. Excellent flavors, fantastic service, clean location, comfortable setting, super-duper and most of all, their excellent savors and excellence are consistent! My Wife’s fave Phở Tai is always great! My fave Phở Tai Nam is always terrific. Tender tasty meats, incredible broth, fabulously fresh vegetable accoutréments! Yes there are a lot of Pho Noodle joints in the Valley of the Sun. Very few (always considering Vietnamese Regional Phở styles) are so well done. Phở excellence is based on its broth. The right amount of beef bone in the boiling of the broth, the right amount of ginger and onions with not too, too much fish sauce – they have it down pat, almost to perfection. Oh, and by the way, they’re monster delish and fresh shrimp rolls are to die for! We’ve enjoyed shrimp and pork, crispy and fresh. And, I cannot go without saying their Banh Mi Ga is to die for. Thats why we keep coming back and we highly recommend them to the neighborhood and the Valley. Their service has always been professional and their no-frills yet clean and comfortable location is conducive to eating in, you can also take home....