Pho Tai — Restaurant in Rochester

I've heard a few bad things about Pho Tai Rochester, but I had to judge for myself. I can't do without Vietnamese food for too long! To break down my experience so you can digest it:

Service: A bit slow. Small operation likely with family employees. The gentleman who served me was respectful and had good customer manners. Somewhat perceptive, not neglectful. The table next to me has the same thoughts: Nice young man. Clear English. Moderately busy, maybe a third of the tables were full amidst one server (him) and one cashier/server (her). Her English was fairly broken, but she was adept at taking customer orders and payments. Both hospitable throughout my stay.

Presentation/Plating: Thoughtful. They were very intentional in the layout of all their food. I glanced over at a couple tables beside me and everyone's dishes were well-presented. The dishware itself was getting a bit old, but it wasn't intolerable by any means. Out of the seven or eight live dishes I witnessed, all of them we're plated quite well.

Taste: Here I would give things a seven out of ten. I've had some very good Vietnamese and I've had very bad Vietnamese. This is above average. I had the Pho salad along with spring rolls. Everything was very fresh. The spring rolls were nicely hand wrapped, and completely traditional. They chose to use mint without cilantro combined with rice noodles, shrimp, pork, and a little romaine. The salad was fairly similar with a blend of romaine lettuce, cilantro, rice noodles, carrots, peanuts, shrimp, beef, and fish sauce. The shrimp was overcooked. It wasn't dry, it had just sat on the grill too long. The beef must have been a bottom roast, thinly sliced and grilled. Both meats were nicely seasoned. My only complaint was the peanut sauce for the spring rolls. It was more like a bad beef gravy topped with peanuts and a dash of fish sauce. Not good at all.

Ambiance: I've heard complaints about the cleanliness here and they weren't invalid, but it's not as bad as some may suspect. The entire restaurant could do with a good scrubbing and their tables need to be cleaned with a little more detail along with their condiment containers. They're highly organized throughout with decor and kitchenware. The tables and chairs are old, probably from whatever restaurant was here previously. Didn't get a chance to check out the restrooms, but I'll update my report next time. Despite it being a third full of people, it was fairly quiet and easy to hold a conversation. Lighting was appropriate for lunch time, not fancy by any means, and aromas were as expected

Price: As you can see per the attached photos, prices are a bit higher than many Vietnamese establishments, although not astronomical. Restaurants in Rochester seem to be more pricey throughout. Frankly I'm not sure why because there are dozens if not hundreds of restaurants in the Twin Cities with lower prices and higher taxes. I'll share with you there are other restaurants in town that serve equal Vietnamese food with slightly better prices.

Final Thoughts: It's too close to my workplace to not return and I appreciate the service and quiet. While the food isn't high-end, it's more than suitable to fill the need for Southeast...

Seriously the worst experience I’ve had at any restaurant in Rochester, MN. I’m 6 months pregnant and a woman of color. I was treated bad the moment I stepped foot inside. The food was not worth the price and I didn’t want it (didn’t eat or even leave with it) The man took my $ off the counter along with the food and said I had to pay for something I only looked at. I agreed to pay for the food anyways until I had realized he had already took my money when he took the food. The owner did not even acknowledge me as a customer. The moment I asked about the money I was told “leave my business & never come back” this was my very 1st time there & I ordered over the phone not knowing exactly what the sizes were. I felt so uncomfortable and then when I asked to see the camera to find out where & why my money disappeared they proceeded to say “the cameras aren’t working at this moment”. I still remained calm and the owner was becoming hostile. “Would you like me to call the police” I said yes. I even called myself due to how I was treated. I waited there for the police that just so happened to eat there before I came :| and was told I’m being banned for a year which didn’t bother me cause why would I ever wanna go back. I started crying because of how they treat certain people especially based off skin color. It’s very unfair & i don't think they realize NOT EVERYONE IS THE SAME. I would never recommend this place not even if it was the last restaurant in Rochester. Horrible experience. Understand that just because I was treated this way doesn’t mean you can’t be next. People pick & choose who they actually wanna be kind too. Doesn’t even deserve a...

Disappointing Experience Despite Good Intentions

I've been enjoying Vietnamese food for over 16 years, and I was really looking forward to trying out Pho Tai in Rochester. I arrived with great intentions, excited to check out the menu and support the restaurant. However, the experience turned out to be quite disappointing, and it wasn't due to the food options but more about how I was treated.

As I'm transitioning away from eating beef and pork, I asked if they offered pho with a chicken broth option. I understand that some places may not have it, and the staff member kindly went to ask. Unfortunately, they didn’t offer a chicken broth option, which I completely respected and understood. I even thanked them for checking and made it clear that it was just a personal dietary choice, not any fault of theirs.

But then, before leaving, I politely asked to use the restroom. I had just spent time driving there, sitting down, and explaining my situation. Instead of allowing me to use the restroom, the person at the counter (possibly the owner) coldly responded, "Only for paying customers." The tone was harsh, dismissive, and felt incredibly rude. I wasn’t expecting that kind of attitude, especially after I had been polite the whole time.

This isn’t about their lack of chicken broth or any specific menu issue—it’s about how I was treated. It left a very negative impression, and despite the fact that I enjoy Vietnamese food, I don’t see myself returning to this particular restaurant. After such an unpleasant experience, I’m hesitant to recommend Pho...