Pho San Marcos — Restaurant in San Marcos

DIRTY PLATE AND HAIR IN MY FOOD!

I have been here before without issue but today was really gross and upsetting. Dinner with my wife and mom started out normal but when they brought out the plates for the appetizers one of the plates was really dirty. At that moment I decided not to make a big deal about it. It's a dirty plate, it happens right? But then the main course came out and my plate had a long black hair mixed in with the rice. This grossed us all out pretty bad and I had no choice but to send the food back. They saw the hair and took the plate away fast. I would have probably still been okay if they would have taken their time and brought a new dish back, but I'm not kidding you, they just walked into the kitchen and right back out and put a dish in front of me that looked as if they simply took the hair out and rearranged a few things. There's no way they were that fast at making another order. The dish I ordered can't be prepared that fast and it was pretty specific. I'm 100% certain that they brought out the exact same plate. At this point my wife and I are pretty upset but I kept it cool. For some stupid reason in a moment of anger and confusion I just wanted to pay for the food and leave. I realize now that I shouldn't even have paid. What was I thinking! That is completely unacceptable. $41 down the drain and none of us touched our food. Nothing like this has ever happened to me so I think I just didn't know how to react. But if anything like this ever happens again I'm definitely making more a stink and I certainly won't pay for food we didn't eat. I also regret not taking pictures of the dirty plate and the long hair in my food. Rookie mistake.

If you every have a similar experience don't get flustered. Take pictures. and...

So I've been craving Pho for the past two days. All the other Pho places has their open hours listed at 10 am, but this one has it listed at 9 am. Sweet! So I arrive here at 8:35 am and waited till 9 am to go and enter. I'm in front at 9:05 am and their open sign isn't on and the door is locked. Alright so maybe a few min more? Nope, it wasn't till 9:32 am that we saw a guy come out, open the door, the open sign is turned on now, and he goes and takes a smoke break before going inside. Alright, so 30 min later, no big deal, its still before 10 am. We go up to go inside, and the door IS STILL LOCKED. We knocked to see if it was an accident and looked inside. Nope, intentional. A lady tried to go inside to eat, nope, she was denied since the door is locked yet the Open sign is turned on. At this point we're kind of getting tired of waiting as we are hungry. We start to drive out to go to another Pho place near by that opens at 10 when we see at 9:45 am the door opening at stay opened.

So, let me get this straight...the Google listing and their store says it opens at 9 am, BUT THEY OPENED AT 9:45 AM. I don't mind if they open at 9:45, but at least tell us when we knocked that you do. Or have some signs up like some other restaurants that due to Covid, hours are 9:45 am till closing.

So to spare everyone the trouble for today, treat this place being opened at 9:45 am and not 9 am, and they won't reply to you if you knocked, cuz they didn't for us at 9:32 am, 32 min AFTER their listed "9 am...

For over ten years, our family has been coming to San Marcos Pho, and it remains one of the most consistently authentic and delicious Vietnamese restaurants in North County. The pho here is exceptional—rich, aromatic broth, tender cuts of meat, and fresh herbs that rival pho houses in Westminster’s Little Saigon. Beyond pho, their menu offers equally satisfying dishes like rice plates, vermicelli bowls, and traditional appetizers, all prepared with care and authentic flavor. The staff are friendly, kind, and genuinely welcoming, creating a warm, family-friendly dining experience. It’s rare to find a restaurant that combines authenticity, consistency, and hospitality so seamlessly. San Marcos Pho continues to be a surprising and delightful find—a true culinary treasure outside the typical Vietnamese enclaves of...