Lê Phở House — Restaurant in Weslaco

So to start off, Le Pho House is one of those spots that feels perfect no matter the day. It’s great for a casual lunch, a homework session, a hangout with friends, or even a little date. The food hits even better on a cold, rainy day when you just want something comforting and satisfying. But if you really want the details here’s my take as someone who has been going consistently for about 2 years now:

Atmosphere (9/10) The vibe here is cozy and welcoming. The music fits perfectly, the inside is aesthetically pleasing, and the temperature is always comfortable even when enjoying spicy dishes in Texas heat. The restaurant is on the smaller side, so seating is limited, but wait times are never too long even when it is busy. When you arrive, you order at the counter and then pick any seat you like. If you have a to go order, you can wait in your vehicle in the curbside slots.

Food (100/10) The food is the real star. My go to is the small Bun Bo Hue with extra spice, while my boyfriend loves the Beef Pho with an order of spring rolls. Portions are incredibly generous, even for the small bowls, with lots of meat, a great amount of noodles, and broth. Some restaurants skimp on their fixings, but here the bowls are filled to the brim, even the spring rolls are fat, lol! For dine in, if you cannot finish your bowl, the servers will package it for you hassle free. For takeout, the noodles, meat, and vegetables come separate from the broth so leftovers store easily, but there is only one sizing available which is the standard size.

The spring rolls are always plump and stuffed generously, never, ever skinny. The egg rolls are smaller but tasty, with around six per order if I remember correctly. The fried rice standard serving is huge and flavorful, enough for two people, which is impressive since I am very picky about my fried rice. One of the things I love most is the flexibility of the pho. You can mix and match broths, noodles, and proteins. For example, you can get seafood pho with Bun Bo Hue broth or chicken pho with seafood broth. Everything is consistently fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. For that I commend them!

Service (8/10) Service has been friendly and attentive for most of our visits. Servers check in regularly, offer refills, and make you feel welcome. Lately, the service has dipped slightly. One server in particular often seems disengaged. She tends to always have a ‘annoyed’ look or just “drops” the bowls at the table with no greeting or smile and then quickly leaves, which can make us feel like a nuisance if have to call her to ask for something as simple as a refill. While everyone has off days, it has been consistent enough to affect our experience, negatively. From a food business perspective, while service does not always have to be perfect, it is important to train and encourage servers to at least make an effort to provide a friendly and positive experience for every customer, since that can make a big difference in how welcomed and valued it’s diners feel. Other than that, for the most part, the other servers remain sweet, professional, and attentive, even when they are busy or short staffed!

Final Thoughts: Le Pho House is a delicious treat every time. The food is generous, flavorful, and thoughtfully prepared. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, and the service is attentive and kind. It is truly a gem in our small town. Thank you to the owners for bringing such a wonderful restaurant to the...

Non-eco-friendly carryout containers is the definitive reason why I will not continue to patronize this business. Owner did not take my review seriously. They need to do better in order to afford the rent & make a profit. I have Vietnamese friends & associates whom have fed me! I lived in the 2nd floor apartment of my (Vietnamese) friend Gia's house while working in Philly to help with a 3-month COVID vaccination blitz. Dr. Nguyen was my late husband's trusted pulmonologist. I must also add that I'm spoiled because I've traveled and been able to experience the wonderful street foods and small restaurants of many cities in other parts of the world, including SE Asia. I have visited forest and city monasteries to pay homage to the Buddha and to support the monks and nuns. Also, I and my late husband, (who became my companion when I was 16 years old), lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for decades. I must say that Philadelphia is a place where one can find eateries owned by people from every obscure corner of the planet. I would imagine that there are at least 75 Philadelphia and Philadelphia area restaurants that prepare and serve authentic Vietnamese cuisine. Many of them are located in South Philly and center city Philly. Wherever Vietnamese people settle one can find Vietnamese food- even from the occasional food truck.There are Vietnamese-style eating establishments all throughout the Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey region. There is good competition. And in order to compete and retain clientele the food, service, and environment must meet a compulsory standard. Also, there are many different Asian noodle houses in Philly and surrounding counties. Add the Malaysian, Indonesian, Cambodian, Lao, Thai, and Burmese restaurants and it can be a challenge to decide which ones to patronize. Lots of choices, and all unique. I like to support small businesses, especially those owned by women &/or local families. First meal there 4 months ago was OK. I ate in & had the vegetable, tofu pho w/chicken broth & it was tasty. I enjoyed it. More than sufficient. The seating there is OK. Yesterday, (the 2nd & last time), I ordered pick up online. After 1/2 hr+ wait: I picked up my noodles w/chicken(?) broth(?) & vegetables. I saved the fresh cilantro, scallions & basil. They were fine. Sampled the rest and ditched it. This is why: noodles were broken into pieces & overcooked; broth had no resemblance to chicken or even broth, but more like a weak boullion of something, but certainly NOT chicken. Since I saved the Hoisin sauce, cilantro, chili, basil & green onions, I added them to the meal I later made at home- pho with my own Vientaine broth, with broccoli, string beans, shallots. I wanted to treat myself yesterday. I don't go to restaurants since my husband passed away. Just a lesson to be happy at home & enjoy my own cooking. I will, however, very occasionally travel to Thai Chili restaurant 22 miles west of home. That's always a hit & consistently delicious. I'll save my Vietnam food experience for my return to South Philly where the restaurants are many and offer excellent Vietnamese dishes- even the exotic specialties that are very...

Second visit here. Went for the first time when they had just recently opened. I guess I thought maybe things had improved since my first visit. Ordered beef pho with extra meatballs and some egg rolls. The decor is nice and it looks very clean. Egg rolls came first. They were good, the dipping sauce was excessively watered down…But I was there for the Pho. When it finally came, the bowl was filled to the brim which is always good to see. However coming from an insurance background the liability they expose themselves to by how they serve you immediately ran through my mind but I quickly disregarded it. They gave me all the typical sides.. basil, cilantro, jalapeño, lemon wedges and sprouts. I took my first spoonful expecting the flavors of bone broth and the fragrance of the rich spices simmering for hours to meet my taste buds but instead I tasted very very diluted broth. I took a few more spoonfuls reaching just reaching for what I know good pho to taste like but nothing. I resorted to having to drown my bowl in lemon, more lemon, chili sauce, hoisin sauce salt and more salt. As I’m trying to enjoy my soup and try to make the best of it I over hear the waitress who is a young girl, very nice nervously apologizing to a customer and asking if she had burned her. She did but the customer didn’t make a fuss, lucky girl. Not every customer would’ve been so understanding… A little mishap with the hazardous way they serve the pho… seems the waitress also got some hot broth on herself :-( My bowl was pretty full, I had only eaten maybe a quarter inch from the fullness of the bowl as I had already filled up on egg rolls. My eyes are bigger than my stomach.. So I asked for it to go. I’m telling y’all the cup they brought my left overs back was maybe half the size of the bowl of pho I actually had. Maybe I should’ve taken My own to-go container to ensure that I took home what I paid for and not what they were able to fit into their container. Or they could’ve charged me for an extra container. The waitresses were nice, young girls maybe still in high school but you had to call them for any kind of attention. We were never checked up on to see if we were ok or if we needed anything. My advice is not going to be in the kitchen because, if watered down food is their style then that’s their preference. I’ll know to save my craving and visit my preferred pho spot in San Antonio(Bernie’s)… my advice Is about the way they serve the food. Consider possibly a bowl of broth with the meat inside and not so filled to the brim for easier and safer transportation and the noodles served on the side so the customer can safely prepare it themselves. This would prevent a law suit which may cripple this little restaurant should they encounter a not so understanding customer. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of regret. Wish them the...