Pho Q Long ( BYOB🍺) — Restaurant in Jersey Village

First off, I am not really into writing reviews, however, this experience deserved one; if for nothing else, for the owner to make some changes. We were excited to try this place as most of the reviews are really good. There are some bad, but my thought process on that is "you'll always have a few haters." Unfortunately, the bad reviews seemed to align more with this experience than the good did. When walking in, we were told to sit wherever we would like; no problem. A server (young woman) put menus on the table and walked away. No big deal; she seemed pretty busy. Why she was so busy became clear as this experience went on. There were only four tables in the entire place including us, one of the tables only being one person whom was already eating. I have worked in the service industry for 20 years and this did not seem like a circumstance where someone would seem so busy. In her defense I am pretty sure she was taking care of to-go orders and many other things as well. A young man came to our table and asked if we knew what we wanted; we were ready so we gave him our order. He did not really know any of the answers to our questions about the menu, nor did he seem to care. He also did not get a drink order from us. We asked to add jalapenos to the Shaken Beef; he brought them on the side (raw) and not cooked in with the rest of the meal. He was very slow, not a care in the world. I then realized why the young woman seemed so busy; she was trying and he sure was not. While waiting with nothing to drink, I happened to notice a lot was being microwaved (if you are going to use a microwave in your restaurant, which sometimes it calls for it I guess, keep it in the kitchen. It is just a major turn off. Our egg rolls were cold with only a piece of lettuce slapped underneath. They were not good. I think this is because they keep them in a warmer of some sort, so not fresh to order. When we did receive our entrees, they were quite underwhelming and small; the onion in the dish was not even cooked and the garlic was burnt on the outside, raw on the inside (BITTER). At some point while eating, what I am assuming was the owner came out and lingered right by our table watching TV; it was quite awkward. That when on for about 5 minutes. He then went and sat down to relax. Mind you, the young woman was still quite busy. I really felt bad for her. The help was there for her, they were just not doing it. The young man server could not care less as he just lollygagged around the place like doo doo doo. Not impressed at all. While I know in these times it is difficult to find help, train the individuals whom you do hire. I am assuming the lollygagger was family, therefore maybe he should care a little more about their business. Also, for the owner,...

Moving to a new area means a lot of exploration, and for me, that includes tracking down the best Vietnamese spots nearby. For lunch, I decided to try this spot for the first time. Here's what I got to-go and how it went:

What I Ordered: 🥢 2x Spring Rolls with Shrimp & Pork 🥖 Banh Mi with Grilled Pork 🥩 Rice Plate with Shaky Beef (Com Bo Luc Lac) 🍜 Rice Noodles with Grilled Shrimp & Pork

The Food: Spring Rolls Solid, but not show-stopping. The rolls were fresh, but the dipping sauce needed a bit more oomph—where’s the hoisin love?

Banh Mi with Grilled Pork Let me tell you, the pork stole the show! Smoky, juicy, and seasoned to perfection. My only gripe? The sandwich could’ve used a little more "oomph" inside—veggies, pâté, or something to give it that full-on banh mi magic.

Com Bo Luc Lac (Shaky Beef) Decent but didn’t blow my socks off. The beef could’ve been more tender, and I was surprised they didn’t ask how I wanted it cooked. That said, my kids devoured it, so maybe I’m just picky!

Rice Noodles with Grilled Shrimp & Pork Once again, the pork! Whatever marinade they’re using deserves a medal. I’d buy it on skewers, sticks, or even as jerky—it’s that good. The shrimp wasn’t bad either, but the pork was the MVP.

The Service: Can’t speak much to the dine-in experience since I ordered takeout, but the staff were super friendly and welcoming. My food was ready quickly, which is always a win when you're hangry!

Overall Impressions: Would I recommend this spot? Yep, especially if you’re in the mood for well-marinated grilled meats that hit all the right notes. There are subtle differences between the Vietnamese cuisine here in Houston, TX and what I’m used to from San Jose, CA, but that just makes the experience more interesting.

I’ll definitely be back, and next time, I’m diving headfirst into their pho! 🍜

This spot has potential to become a go-to for the family and me—excited to see how their other dishes stack up. Until next time, happy eating! 🍴

Update 2/5/2025: Been consistently coming here for food at least once a week. The family favorite is the Beef Stew. One of the best I've had. The meat is fatty and tender. The broth is simmered to perfection. Great comfort food during those cold...

The fried wonton meat was pink and undercooked, the inside of this place is dirty and the customer service is horrible!

If I could rate the food and customer service zero stars, I would.

First impression walking in: Ambience felt very unsanitary. There were dirty tables and dirty dishes nearby the cash register and the to-go girl went to clean it up after she saw me looking around then touched my to-go bag with her same hands she cleaned without gloves.

But let’s get into how we got here:

I was on my lunch break & needed to find a nearby Vietnamese restaurant that had fried wontons since I was craving some after visiting a Vietnamese restaurant in Katy that had the best fried wontons EVER!

So, I came in on my lunch break to pick up my mobile order of fried wontons —

Well, when I got to work to eat the wontons - the wontons were undercooked, super chewy and had a horrible after taste.

So, I called them and asked if I could exchange this menu item for another one because I was totally turned off altogether as to what meat or cooking methods they use to prepare the wontons…

At first the manager or owner “Dang” or “Dane” was so mean spirited — he wouldn’t shake my hand, said it’s because he’s preparing food (NO GLOVES WERE ON HIS HAND) & he was so against me exchanging until I informed him of how unethical that was considering their meat was the reason I even had to exchange.

So, he finally agreed. I told him I’d come by after work to pick up my fried rice —

I called in my order after rice 15/20 minutes prior to my arrival and instead of having it ready for me to grab, pay & go — they waited until I got there to prepare my order.

So, I politely asked for a total refund because of after work obligations — The same guy — Dang refused saying since I took a bite out 1/6 of the wontons that I could not get a full refund.……..of food that I did not enjoy nor eat but simply tasted.

This was easily the worst experience I’ve ever had at a Vietnamese restaurant....