Pho Ava Vietnamese Restaurant — Restaurant in Santa Fe

First, I ate here about a month ago and really enjoyed it. If I had rated that visit it would have been *. (The only disappointment was they had no spring rolls so I had to settle for egg roll.)

This second time something was seriously amiss. For starters they opened an hour later than normal, a fairly minor glitch. I had enjoyed what I had eaten before so much that instead of going to another restaurant I waited and went back after they had opened. A sign on the door announced that they had no spring rolls nor a couple of other items/ingredients. These things sometimes happen so it did not deter me. It was mostly full and on the noisy side but I was quickly seated. I ordered egg rolls and a lemongrass chicken dish. The server returned and announced that they had no onions (!) and asked if it would be okay to prepare the dish without them. I said no, because it wouldn't taste right - onion is such an important foundational aromatic component and if it's missing it's noticeable. I tried to find a replacement but every item I suggested required onion. I asked my server if there were any dishes that did not require onions and she replied no. I finally caved and ordered my first choice again thinking that I could always take it home and add onion there.

My server returned once again to announce that they couldn't prepare the lemongrass chicken because they had run out of the required sauce for the dish. I found another replacement and ordered that to go instead. By this time it seemed clear that something was seriously wrong in the back of the house. (Ironically, after all of that hassle I forgot to take my to-go food with me so it probably all got thrown out anyway!)

My two visits were very different experiences. I'll return, giving them the benefit of the doubt, and the outcome of that third visit will determine whether or not I go back for a fourth one. I honestly hope they will have gotten their act together by then because I really did enjoy my first visit and would like to make it a regular spot. (Finally, while I realize they probably would have preferred using their regular supplier, there was a supermarket in the same strip mall, undoubtedly with onions...

The hours on their website says, that they were supposed to be open until 8:00 at night. I walked in with my children on a Monday evening at 7:00 after driving half way across town. They were a little over half dining occupancy at the time. I was told that they were closed. When I told them that their website said they were open until 8:00 they told me that they were having a slow night and so they were closing early. They were absolutely not in the least concerned that I had wasted my time and gas. In 44 years, I have never experienced a restaurant turning away customers before their posted time of closing. They were more concerned about cutting out early for the night than the inconvenience they had caused a potential customer. I had only recently given this restaurant a try and had returned a second time. On both occasions the service was mediocre at best. The staff seems more concerned with talking among themselves then tending to their customers and like other reviewers have mentioned; they do not seem to have any misgivings about openly bickering and arguing loudly enough with each other while all their customers are forced to listen. I will not be a...

Wednesday, July 31 11:00 am

Pho Ava Viet is an authentic Vietnamese restaurant with an extensive menu. The wait staff is pleasant and responsive. We were quickly served. The space is industrial (a bit noisy (75Db)) with soothing colors, cheerful art and weavings. We shared an appetizer of Fried Tofu with Cashew sauce (excellent.) It is a creative way to serve tofu and one we had not had before. I chose the Vermicelli Noodle Bowl with Grilled Pork. The Grilled Pork, nicely done, is served on an ample bed of warm noodles accompanied by mung beans, lettuce, slivered cucumber and grated carrot. A small bowl of light sauce was served for dipping. Very satisfying. My husband ordered a Vietnamese sandwich, Bahn Mi, with grilled pork, grated carrots, slivered cucumber and jalapeno peppers. Spicy and good. The tastes of these dishes were subtle and new to us. Very enjoyable. I ordered Salty Limeade as I had not had it before. It was very salty but not to my taste. I passed it to my husband. He enjoyed it. When we return, I will order Thai Tea with Boba, a favorite of mine. Prices are reasonable. Pho Ava Vietnamese is a bit of a different...