Phở Lovers — Restaurant in Sunnyvale

AVOID THIS PLACE IF YOU WANT GOOD PHO/FOOD

My recent visit to Pho Lovers was, to put it mildly, deeply disappointing. As a regular restaurant goer, I've had my share of varied dining experiences, but it's rare to find a place that misses the mark on almost every conceivable level. From the quality of the food to the service and pricing, Pho Lovers left much to be desired.

Starting with the food, my companion and I ordered two veggie pho, veggie fried rice, along with salty lemon soda, Thai ice tea, and green tea. The quality of the food was shockingly poor. The veggie pho, a dish known for its rich and aromatic broth, was lackluster. The broth and vegetables were bland, lacking the depth of flavor one expects from a well-made pho. The veggie fried rice was another disappointment. Not only was it orange in color, but it was also virtually empty of any ingredients that would justify its name. Worse still, it was served lukewarm. When we requested it be heated properly, it was clear from the taste and the manager's response that it had merely been microwaved, without any effort to enhance its flavor, even by something as simple as adding salt.

The service compounded the already poor experience. The staff seemed uninterested and unenthusiastic, serving us with sullen expressions that suggested serving customers was a chore rather than a part of their job. This lack of hospitality made the dining experience even more unpleasant.

Finally, the pricing and additional charges were the icing on an already unpalatable cake. Being charged a 3.5% service fee for using a debit card is questionable, to say the least. Moreover, a mysterious $5 surcharge was added to our bill for being seated in a "good booth," a justification that seemed nothing short of ludicrous.

In summary, Pho Lovers is a place I would strongly advise against visiting, especially for those in search of authentic Pho. The Sunnyvale and Santa Clara areas are home to many excellent establishments where the food is authentic, the service is delivered with a smile, and the prices are fair, without any hidden charges. Do yourself a favor and seek out these places instead, where your patronage will be appreciated and rewarded with a satisfying...

Zoom in on picture of the booth seat and you can see the hair and the cockroaches!!

This is the second time eating here. I eat Pho at least once a day, Due to my health issues, I am very limited on what I can eat that doesn't cause me to become sick.

This time, as I was eating my Pho, a 🪳 🪳 🪳 🪳 🪳 came crawling up on the table and it was disgusting 🫣, I immediately called over one of the staff and told him and got my things together and went to the counter. I did not even get a chance to eat my food $17.25 or drink my Thai tea $5.50, my bill was one $22.00 and they did not even offer a discount. I have owned and operated 3 restaurants in the past when I was younger, 😆, and if that had ever happened to a patron in one of my restaurants I would have apologized profusely and of course I would not charged them for their food. I would surely offer a free meal if they would return. Which of course I will not ever return to this restaurant.

I realize there will always be challenges due to bugs etc... but you should always accommodate your patrons when things like this happen. Also, when I looked closely at the booth seat there was also long black hair just a few inches from where I was seated. So they must not do a good thorough cleaning 🤔 🙄 😕. My restaurants were impeccably clean. I assume the owner who tried to blame the 🪳 🪳 🪳 🪳 on the market next door.

I wish I had thought fast enough to take pictures of the 🪳 🪳 🪳 🪳 🪳 but I did take a picture of the hair next to me on the booth seat.

If they had offered to discount my order I would at least feel like they cared about their patrons but obviously it's only about the 💰 🤑 💸 💲 🪙 💶 💰.... very sad. I would not recommend this place to anyone. Pho is Pho, not very many variations that so get your Vietnamese food somewhere else like Pho Ever... that place is very clean, and the staff actually care about their patrons. I came here today because I had some paperwork I needed to read before a client meeting and I knew it had larger booths and I could lay out my paperwork where at Pho Ever the tables are small and they are very busy. Where here they are not very busy. Plus the parking here...

We went here for dinner. The order consisted of Hu Tieu / Mi Tom Cua Dac Biet (Kho / Nuoc): We ordered the soup. This is the pho with seafood and pork. The seafood was delicious and the meat was tender. The broth had very good flavor and the noodles tasted good as well. Pho Ga: The chicken pho was delicious. The meat was tender and tasted exceptional. The noodles were great too. We ordered both the above entrees extra hot and the staff promptly obliged. We ordered large portions and one entree should suffice per person. Nevertheless we had to try their noodles. Mi Xao Toi Ga Nuong: This garlic noodle entree is a good one. to share. It's probably not enough for one person. It was a bit sweet to our taste but was well done and seasoned perfectly.

We also tried ordering Pho ga for take out. While the taste was similar (great) the quantity did not match what we got for dine in. If you are getting take out the pho and the ingredients that go into it are packed in separate containers.

Ambience: It is a decent sized establishment with lot of open spaces. They have large booths along with the usual tables and chairs. The cutlery is in a stand on every table. The service is very quick and you sever will be at your table to take your order in a couple of minutes. If you are a first time visiter you'll need to request they come back again. Process: Order is taken and food served at the table, however you're required to pay your check at the counter. Quantity: Generous for pho while dine in. Parking: Very...