SB Pho — Restaurant in Santa Barbara

SB Pho has some really delicious food. Their online menu needs updating though, because the prices are $1-2 lower compared to the actual printed menu in store. This is a bit deceiving!

I usually order the veggie pho with steamed tofu instead of fried tofu. The small is a good size, and I usually struggle to finish a large. The ratio of veggies, tofu, noodles and broth is perfect. The side plate includes cabbage, basil, and lime. If you want bean sprouts you have to ask for these. There are some other great veggie options on the menu such as the tofu bahn mi. All my friends who are meat eaters enjoy all the meat options on the menu.

Overall the food is delicious and portions are good. Easy to order at the counter, find a table indoors or outside, and when you’re done eating you can just leave. Staff comes around every so often to check in. I would recommend eating here, just be aware of the price differences on their website vs what you will actually be...

A freaking fly in the pho! First off, this isn’t authentic Vietnamese by any means. It’s your Temu watered down version with a dumbed down menu non Asians can understand. There’s no viet menu, just a simple to understand meat menu. The pho needed some help of hoisin and sriracha. Normally good pho broth doesn’t need any added seasoning or condiments. This was a 3/5 and made a 4/5 w hoisin and sriracha so it wasn’t all the bad. The size was pretty small and only had literally 5 slivers of thin meat. I have no idea why they add cabbage to the sides, no viet restaurant has added that option. For $20 this is the most expensive pho per meat ratio I’ve ever had. I don’t even get to enjoy half the meal until I spotted a FLY in my food. I asked them for a refund and they couldn’t because the owner wasn’t there. Couldn’t even offer cash back. Only asked for our contact info. Just avoid this place if you’re looking for...

Cute restaurant but the pho is far from authentic, sort of picked up on some hint when on the menu under pho the options were beef, chicken or vegetables instead of choices on the beef slices (tai, flank, tripe etc). The pho itself tasted off, very oily, with very thin and tiny portion of beef slices despite the $15 for a small (this price will get you an XL size combo pho at most Vietnamese places). The veggie on the side looked so sadly sparse. But I can accept a higher price for its location.

Thing that I had a harder time accepting is how they prepared their tea. Ours was made by the cashier, without handwashing just dug hands into a lose leaf tea jar, grabbed a handful, put in a pot and dump a whole bunch of hot water in. Unsanitary.

Re: owner’s reply - maybe hiring a PR team would be good when engaging with...