Pho Momma — Restaurant in Rancho Cordova

I came. I slurped. I side-eyed.

After hearing the buzz about Pho Momma, Michelin recognized and apparently home to the wings that launched a thousand Yelp reviews... I found myself in a 45-minute line contemplating life, love, and whether any bowl of soup is worth my legs going numb on a sidewalk.

I ordered the combo pho, hoping to be spiritually transported to noodle nirvana. The broth had depth, sure, but more like a kiddie pool than a deep end. I was craving layers, whispers of star anise and clove doing the cha-cha on my tongue, but alas it was more of a slow shuffle. Not bad, just... not singing to my soul. There was no complexity.

Then came the fish sauce glazed wings, a dish the internet practically knighted. Crispy? Yes. Glazed? Oh, very. But the fish sauce flavor was on vacation. Instead, I got smacked with sweetness like it owed me money. Where was the funky, salty, umami bomb I was promised? These wings were dressed for Coachella but forgot their passport to FlavaTown.

Next up, the nem nuong spring rolls with the egg roll wrapper. Texturally? A+. Crispy, snappy, gave me something to crunch while judging the rest of the meal. But flavor-wise? Pretty basic. The kind of roll you’d bring home to your parents and not the one you sneak out at 2AM thinking about.

Service? Well, let’s just say several tables sat dirty for a solid 15 minutes on sevral occasions while the host played an Olympic-level game of "Ignore the Line." Table turnover isn’t just slow, it’s practically fermented.

Would I go back? Maybe. Would I wait 45 minutes again? Absolutely not. Not when Little Saigon exists, humming with hole-in-the-wall heroes, secret family recipes, and $12 giant bowls of magic that actually slap.

Verdict: Michelin nod or not, Pho Momma feels like that popular kid in school everyone hyped up but who peaked too early. She's still cute, but you might want to get your pho...

Popular reviews on YouTube!

When we walked in there twice, there was usually a wait. Find the clipboard on the half wall, write your name on the waiting list, and have a seat along the wall. Unfortunately, there’s no buzzer or text notification when it’s your turn, but the wait is typically between 5 to 30 minutes.

The first time, we waited about 20 minutes before getting seated, but we had to leave because our little one got fussy. However, the second time, we waited just 8 minutes before being seated. We were able to enjoy the salt and pepper calamari, chili oil over the wontons, and chicken pho. We also ordered the lychee slush and iced Vietnamese coffee.

The service was great! The servers promptly brought out water, tableware, drinks, and food. One male server even brought a spill-proof cup, a small bowl, plastic utensils, and scissors for our little one—very thoughtful! They also stopped by occasionally to check if we needed water refills or plates cleared. It was much appreciated!

Now, about the food—it was good! The table already had condiments like salt, black pepper, chili oil, hoisin sauce, and sriracha. I added a scoop of chili oil to the wontons because the chili oil over the wontons tasted more like vinaigrette. Without it, the wontons tasted homemade with hearty stuffing. Despite the spicy symbol on the menu for both the wontons and calamari, they were only mildly spicy. Oh, and the plain, crispy calamari definitely needed a few shakes of salt and pepper. I felt the sweet and sour dipping sauce didn’t quite match the calamari. The chicken pho was good “as is” and didn’t need any extra condiments. The drinks were perfect—not too sweet—and a great summer treat.

Overall, it was a great experience! That said, we might not return since it’s a bit pricey and about a 30-minute...

I came in and ordered their chicken pho. It was not even served hot enough for my basil to get soft and infused with my soup. My basil was still firm and still well….. a leaf. Soup was lukewarm. I also ordered their salt n pepper chicken to go. When I got home, it was more like plain fried chicken with small slices of jalapeños. Lack of seasoning. Barely any salt n pepper…. If you want mediocre pho and unseasoned chicken, go here. Service was vey lacking as well. Never came to check on me, refill water, and did not greet me at all when walking in. Then after I stood at the door for a while I decided to find my own seat thinking that they probably didn’t greet me because I was supposed to seat myself. Meanwhile the whole time the cashier was watching me. Then only when I go find my own seat, does she finally speak to me and says “ you need to sign the waitlist”. Which I was also confused because there were only 3 tables filled at the time I was there. But I don’t mind signing the waitlist , it would’ve been nice if she just actually acknowledged me and asked me to do it in the beginning instead of watching me stand there awkwardly and walking to a table to take my own seat. Mind you, this was also my first time there. Overhyped, small portion,...