Á Dông Pho & Coffee — Restaurant in San Jose

My family and I had an extremely disheartening experience on the evening of October 26th at Á Dông Pho & Coffee. We arrived at the establishment with our certified service dog, who provides essential support to our son, who is in a wheelchair. What should have been a pleasant dining experience quickly turned into a distressing ordeal when we were denied service due to our service dog.

Upon entering the restaurant, we were met with hostility from the owner and staff. We were promptly informed that if we wanted to dine there, we would have to do so outside because of our service dog. This came as a shock to us, as we were fully aware of our rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which clearly states that individuals with disabilities and their service dogs are allowed access to public places, including restaurants.

To make matters worse, when we tried to explain our situation and show our service dog's ID card, which clearly states that he is a certified service dog, the owner dismissively waved us off and refused to even look at it. The lack of willingness to engage in a reasonable conversation or verify our service dog's legitimacy was deeply disheartening.

The most heartbreaking part of this experience was the impact it had on our son. He was emotionally traumatized by the complete lack of respect and understanding shown towards him and his service dog. As a young boy with a disability, he already faces numerous challenges in his daily life, and his service dog provides him with the companionship and assistance he needs to navigate the world more comfortably. To see his distress and confusion as we were denied entry to the restaurant was heart-wrenching.

This incident highlights the importance of awareness and education regarding the rights of individuals with disabilities and their service animals. Businesses, especially those in the hospitality industry, should be well-informed about ADA regulations and should treat all patrons with disabilities and their service animals with the respect and dignity...

For a restaurant that doesn't even have much of a sign except big letters saying PHO and COFFEE on the windows.. Its a hidden gem among the Vietnamese restaurants in this area! It's interesting how the restaurant is laid out because it looks like it takes up two storefronts, complete with 2 doors. It was a little confusing to find the proper entrance but I think it's the one with a big high ceiling inside. There is outdoor seating and indoor seating with an interesting configuration. That did not mean that the owners of the place really decked the place out with Vietnamese art and pictures showing where they're from! They even have a little fountain inside. They also have a very extensive menu for this type of restaurant, particularly on the boba and coffee side (owing to its name)

The food is just amazing! I ordered the beef cube steaks for $19 and it arrived on a sizzling hot plate! Both the flavor of the beef as well as the Bell peppers, onions and garlic that went with it paired very well! Waiters came by often with lemon water.

I couldn't say the same for the spring rolls, even though they were hot, it felt like it was lacking substance in its filling and the dipping sauce didn't really help either...

The staff is very nice, and payment is very easy with tap to pay available. Overall, I like to come back to try more of the menu, but at these prices, it's getting into premium territory so be sparingly about it along...

I dined there today 4/19/25 around 7:30pm. The Vietnamese crepe (banh xeo) tasted like fish. I guess they use the same pan that they use to fry fish and other seafood. The egg fried rice doesn't really have eggs. It tastes like oil and rice. The veggies in the fried rice weren't even cooked well. Service is terrible. The waitress seemed very lost. I asked if there are eggs in the seafood fried rice (I told her I asked because I see another item called egg fried rice). She didn't know. She asked a guy. He answered. I was telling him about the egg fried rice on the menu. He asked me to clarify. The waitress suddenly answered "nothing" to dismiss him. I wanted to order the rice paper for the crepe. She said they don't have it. I asked "oh there's spring rolls on the menu but you don't have the rice paper?" She said "no, we don't." (The rice paper is what they use to roll the spring rolls.) She didn't bother to check with anyone to see if I can order some rice paper to roll the crepe. I went there twice this week. The 2 waitresses I met weren't friendly. The one I met today...